Scaphoid wrist fracture accident attorney

The scaphoid is a small bone on the thumb side of the wrist with a precarious blood supply that enters from one end. That anatomy makes it the most commonly missed fracture in the body and one of the most likely to fail to heal — and a missed scaphoid fracture that goes untreated for months can lead to collapse of the wrist. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. handles orthopedic injury claims in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York.

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What the imaging and records show

Initial radiographs are normal in a significant proportion of scaphoid fractures, which is precisely why the injury is missed so often. The recognized practice where clinical suspicion exists — tenderness in the hollow at the base of the thumb after a fall on an outstretched hand — is to immobilise and re-image after an interval, or to obtain MRI or CT, which detect the fracture when radiographs cannot. A normal initial film with a documented clinical suspicion is therefore an important part of the record rather than an absence of injury.

Why this injury meets the legal threshold

A confirmed scaphoid fracture is objective injury. Where nonunion, avascular necrosis or subsequent wrist collapse developed, those findings are objective and serious. Where surgery, bone grafting or salvage procedures were performed, the interventions establish severity.

Typical treatment course and prognosis

Undisplaced fractures may be treated in a cast for a prolonged period — considerably longer than most fractures, because of the blood supply. Displaced fractures and many proximal fractures are fixed with a screw. Recognized complications include nonunion, avascular necrosis of the proximal fragment, and a progressive pattern of arthritis and wrist collapse where a nonunion goes untreated. Salvage procedures for that endpoint include partial fusion or removal of the first row of wrist bones, both of which permanently reduce wrist motion.

How insurance carriers attack this diagnosis

That the fracture healed and the wrist works. That stiffness is deconditioning. That any arthritis is age-related. Where the fracture was missed initially, the carrier for the original tortfeasor may argue that the intervening medical care caused the harm rather than the collision — an argument that opens a separate line of inquiry into whether the initial assessment met the standard of care, rather than defeating the claim.

Proving the accident caused it

The mechanism is characteriztically a fall onto an outstretched hand. Establish the date of injury and the date of diagnosis, and where they differ significantly, document what assessment was performed initially and what was recorded. Obtain the imaging sequence. Where nonunion or collapse developed, obtain an opinion on whether earlier treatment would have altered the course, because that question determines whether an additional party bears responsibility.

Available insurance coverage

What can be recovered is limited by what coverage exists. The at-fault party’s policy is the starting point, but it is frequently not the only source: the injured person’s own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, household policies, employer coverage where a vehicle was used for work, umbrella and excess layers, and the coverage of any additional responsible party can all apply. Underinsured coverage typically requires notice and consent before any settlement with the at-fault party — settling first can forfeit it. Identifying every available layer is early work, not closing work.

How damages are categorised and proven

Damages are not a single number that gets negotiated. They are separate categories, each proven by different evidence. Past medical expense is proven by billing records and the reasonableness of the charges. Future medical expense requires a physician’s opinion that the care is reasonably certain to be needed. Lost income is proven by employment and tax records; lost earning capacity is a different and larger question requiring vocational and economic analysis. Non-economic loss — pain, limitation, and the effect on daily life — is proven through the medical record and through testimony from people who can describe specific changes rather than general decline. No one can responsibly tell you what a case is worth before that evidence exists, and any figure offered at the outset is a guess.

Filing deadlines

Every injury claim is governed by a statute of limitations, and the periods differ by state and by claim type. For personal injury actions the period is two years in Virginia under Va. Code § 8.01-243(A), accruing at the date of injury; three years in Maryland under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101; three years in the District of Columbia under D.C. Code § 12-301(8); two years in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2; and three years in New York under N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 214(5). These are general periods. Discovery rules, tolling for minors and incapacity, claims against government entities — the District imposes a six-month notice-of-claim requirement for claims against the District government — and claim-specific statutes can shorten or extend them. Do not rely on a general period for your own case; have the deadline confirmed on your facts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are scaphoid fractures missed so often?

Because a significant proportion do not appear on initial radiographs, and the injury can present as a wrist sprain with modest swelling. The recognized approach where there is tenderness in the hollow at the base of the thumb after a fall is to treat it as a fracture until proven otherwise, with repeat imaging or MRI.

I was told it was a sprain and it turned out to be broken. What now?

That sequence is common. It matters because delayed treatment increases the risk of nonunion and later wrist collapse. Whether the initial assessment met the standard of care is a separate question requiring qualified medical opinion, and it is subject to different and sometimes shorter deadlines than the injury claim itself.

Why does this bone fail to heal so often?

Because its blood supply enters from one end and travels backward through the bone. A fracture can cut off the supply to the proximal fragment, which then cannot heal and may die. This is why immobilisation periods are long and why fractures nearer the proximal end are treated more aggressively.

What is avascular necrosis?

Death of bone tissue from loss of blood supply. In the scaphoid it affects the fragment nearer the forearm and can cause it to collapse. It is diagnosed on imaging, may require bone grafting with a blood supply, and where it progresses it contributes to the pattern of wrist arthritis and collapse.

What happens if a nonunion is left untreated?

A recognized progressive pattern of arthritis and collapse of the wrist develops over years, ultimately requiring salvage surgery such as a partial fusion or removal of the first row of wrist bones. Both permanently reduce wrist motion and grip. This is why an untreated scaphoid fracture is a serious matter rather than a minor one.

How long do I have to bring a claim?

Two years in Virginia and New Jersey, three years in Maryland, the District of Columbia and New York for personal injury actions, generally running from the injury rather than the diagnosis. Where a missed diagnosis is also in issue, different and sometimes shorter deadlines and pre-suit requirements apply. Have both assessed promptly.

About Mr. Sris

Mr. Sris is the owner and founder of Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., which has practiced since 1997. He is a former prosecutor and is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York. Of Counsel attorneys contract directly with the firm and handle matters alongside him. In 2019 Mr. Sris testified before the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee on House Bill 635.

Speak with Mr. Sris

Injury claims are governed by filing deadlines that vary by state and by claim type, and evidence degrades quickly. Request a consultation. Reach our location at (888) 437-7747. Consultations are by appointment.

Last reviewed: August 22, 2026.

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