What Is An Orbital Fracture?
Henry Vandyke Carter – Henry Gray (1918) Anatomy of the Human Body (See “Book” section below) Bartleby.com: Gray’s Anatomy, Plate 190
The human eye sits inside a socket in the head. The eye socket is a bony pocket that surrounds and protects the eyes. The rim of the eye socket contains thick bones on top near the forehead while the area near the cheeks or floor contains paper thin bones. An orbital fracture is a broken bone in the eye socket involving the rim, the floor or both parts of the socket.
What Causes An Orbital Fracture/eye Socket?
Every year close to 2.5 million traumatic eye injuries occur. 85% of these injuries occur as a result of accidents, during participation in contact sports, at work, car crashes, or while performing home repair projects. The other 15% are a result of violent assaults.
Airbags have dramatically decreased eye injuries following car crashes by interrupting contact of the face with the steering wheel or dashboard. However, facial injuries are common in car collisions where airbags deploy.
What Are The Symptoms Of An Orbital Fracture?
Orbital fractures affect the structure of the eye and vision. Common symptoms include a black eye, bleeding in the white part of the eyes, eye bulging or sunken in appearance, numbness in the face particularly forehead, eyelids, cheeks, upper lip or upper teeth on the side where the eye socket is injured, swelling of the cheek or forehead, or a flat looking cheek when attempting to open the mouth. Problems with vision include double vision, decreased vision or blurry vision. (Source: Harvard Health Publications)
How Is An Orbital Fracture Diagnosed?
An ophthalmologist examines the eye and eye movements. Victims are asked to look up, down, and sideways to determine if the eyeball is trapped in the fracture site. If the eye is trapped, the ophthalmologist will attempt to release the eye. The area around the eye socket is also examined to feel for broken bones in the cheek, forehead, and upper teeth. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in eye care and treatment. Once the physical structure of the eye is examined vision tests are performed to evaluate changes in vision. X-rays and CT scans are also ordered to locate exact location of fracture and affected area.
How Is An Orbital Fracture Treated?
If the orbital fracture does not affect eye movement, the ophthalmologist prescribes ice packs, bed rest, nasal decongestants, and antibiotics to prevent infections. Severe cases of orbital fracture require surgery to correct. Those cases are referred to a plastic or reconstructive surgeon specializing in eye injuries. Surgery options include removing bone fragments, freeing trapped eye muscle, or if eye has appearance of being sunken in restore normal architecture of the eye socket.
Compensation For An Orbital Fracture
If you have experienced a fracture of the lower or upper edge of the eye rim after a traumatic incident or a car crash, you may have seriously injured your eye socket. Make sure you are examined and diagnosed by a medical doctor immediately. You may be able to pursue compensation for damages such as medical bills, pain and suffering, permanent injury or disability, costs of physical therapy and rehabilitation, lost wages from missed work, diminished earning capacity, mental anguish and emotional distress, punitive damages, and/or property damage or loss.
Have you suffered an injured eye or orbital fracture in an accident? Our Boston area car accident and personal injury claims attorneys will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve. No-obligation. No fee if no recovery.
If you or a loved one experienced a fracture of the eye socket after blunt trauma accident because of someone else’s negligence and would like to discuss your legal options, contact an experienced Boston Personal Injury Lawyer today for a free consultation. The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan has a proven track record with over 35 years of legal experience representing accident victims who have suffered serious injuries in southeastern Massachusetts.
For a free, no-obligation case review and consultation call our law firm today at (508) 588-0422 and you will have taken your first step towards getting fair compensation for your injuries or for the loss of a loved one. You can also click here to use our Free Case Evaluation Form.
We offer a free, no-obligation legal consultation to help you understand your rights and the value of your case.
Our Boston Orbital Fracture Injury trial lawyer assist motor vehicle accident victims throughout all of Massachusetts including, but not limited to, those in the following counties, cities and towns: Plymouth County including Brockton, Plymouth, Bridgewater, Marshfield, Hingham, Duxbury, Wareham, Abington, Rockland, Whitman, Hanson, Middleborough; Norfolk County including Quincy, Stoughton, Dedham, Weymouth, Braintree, Avon, Holbrook, Randolph, Canton, Sharon, Brookline, Franklin; Bristol County including New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Mansfield, Easton, Raynham, Norton; Cape Cod, Falmouth, Barnstable and the Greater Boston area including Cambridge, Lynn, Revere, Lawrence, Everett, Chelsea, Dorchester, Roxbury and Somerville.
