Missouri Hand Laceration Lawyer

Hand Laceration Injuries

A hand laceration, or cut, is a common injury in many different situations due to the abundant use of our hands in everyday life. A laceration occurs when a sharp object quickly runs over the skin causing the skin and deeper tissue to separate. When the laceration is deeper than the top skin layer, there is a greater likelihood that other structures vital to hand function may be injured. The most common causes of hand lacerations are knife accidents and bracing yourself when falling; however, during larger accidents, such as car accidents or work-related accidents, the chance of sustaining a deeper cut is higher.

Hand Laceration Symptoms

With any laceration, bleeding and pain will be present.

Within the palm of the hand are many nerves, tendons and muscles that allow your fingers to flex downward. If any of these structures are injured you may notice an inability to flex one or multiple fingers, weakness in moving your fingers, or decreased sensation along the back side of your fingers and/or palm.

On the dorsal aspect, or top, of your hand the skin is very thin, increasing the chances of injuring nerves, tendons and muscles that allow you to extend your fingers upward. With an injury to one of the tendons and/or muscles, you may notice that one or multiple of your fingers will not extend. With nerve injury, there will be decreased sensation along the top of your hands and fingers.

With finger lacerations, you may experience similar symptoms to what is stated above – inability to move part of your finger and decreased sensation. In severe lacerations, the cut may extend partially or completely through the finger causing an amputation.

Treatment

Any superficial laceration will be repaired in the emergency room after being thoroughly cleaned. If there is concern of injury to nerves and/or tendons, you will need to see a hand surgeon to have the laceration repaired. Hand surgeons are the best qualified to try to restore full function to the hand following injury. However, every laceration will be thoroughly cleaned and depending on the depth of the laceration and how the accident occurred, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to help prevent infection.

Prognosis

A superficial laceration will heal quickly and should have no long-term effects on hand function. With an injury affecting hand function, there is the possibility that it will not recover 100%. The majority of individuals will regain most, if not all, of their hand function; however, there are some injuries, particularly lacerations that are not “clean cut” (or a smooth, straight line), that are more difficult to repair and do not have a full functional recovery.

Proven Results For Injured Victims

Our St. Louis personal injury lawyers have years of experience helping victims get the compensation they deserve. We will work hard to get the best results possible for clients and their loved ones. Call us at (314) 322-8515 and protect your legal rights today.