Shoulder injures can range from a dislocated shoulder and torn ligaments, to as severe as a shoulder bone fracture. The most common shoulder injury I see in my personal injury practice is a torn rotator cuff.
Torn Rotator Cuff Settlements in Personal Injury
The term “rotator cuff” refers to a group of four tendons that blend together as they attach to the upper end of the arm bone (humerus). Normally these tendons transmit the force of muscles originating on the shoulder blade (scapula) to the arm providing motion and stability. Torn rotator cuffs normally do not show up on an x-ray because x-rays usually only pick up fractures or displacements in bones. If an orthopedic surgeon suspects that you have torn a rotator cuff, he/she will normally first try physical therapy, ice, heat, and injections to try and get the inflammation around the injury to go down, which causes the pain to go away.
$72,500
Median Verdict and Settlement for Torn Rotator Cuff Personal Injury Cases in Fulton County.
$25,000
Median Verdict and Settlement for Torn Rotator Cuff Personal Injury Cases in the rest of Georgia.
*REMEMBER: These statistics are greatly effected by the amount of available insurance.
If none of these conservative treatments work, your orthopedic surgeon will normally order an MRI to confirm the tear. The next discussion will be surgery. Most torn rotator cuff surgery is done arthroscopically, which means through a small incision. Your doctor will order you to physical therapy behind the surgery to strengthen your shoulder and get your full range of motion back.
Factors That Influence Rotator Cuff Settlements in Georgia
In addition to the normal personal injury case value factors, torn rotator cuff injuries also turn on the following:
- Whether the tear was a partial or full thickness tear
- Whether surgery was needed
- How you healed after surgery
- How well you did in physical therapy
- How long you were out of work
- Whether your shoulder returned to its full range of motion
- Whether it was the shoulder on your dominant side (i.e. right handed)
Actual Case: $100,000 in a case where my client had her Mercedes rear ended at highway speeds. She completely tore her left rotator cuff. She also had a herniated disc in her neck and a soft tissue knee injury, so the case value is not a pure shoulder injury. She did have arthroscopic surgery on her shoulder. The case was worth more, but there was only $100,000 in insurance available. This is why you absolutely must purchase as much UM insurance as possible.
