Suffering Knee Pain After Car Accident? Here’s What You Need to Know
Car accidents happen when we least expect them. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Traffic Administration, a car accident happens every 60 seconds in the United States alone. That’s one crash every minute, and all the more reason to be cautious while driving.
Unfortunately, when car accidents occur, serious injuries often follow. And these can vary from moderate scrapes and bruises to severe injuries that require long-term hospitalization.
Some of the more common car accident injuries include damage to the joints and ligaments, particularly to the knees. And serious knee injury can cause severe pain which might require physical therapy or rehabilitation.
If you’re injured in a car accident and suffered a knee injury, you should see a doctor immediately. After being properly treated, perhaps in a knee brace and knowing you need to go to physical therapy, you should also seek out the assistance of a personal injury attorney to assist with receiving fair compensation.
From here, we’ll explore the nature of serious knee injuries, and the steps you should take to help get you back on your feet.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries are injuries that affect parts of the body such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. However, your knees contain all of these components and this is why these types of knee injuries can be significant.
Often falling into the category of minor knee injuries, soft tissue damage can lead to further problems in the future if left untreated. Depending on the severity of the soft tissue injury, you might be prescribed anti-inflammatory medications to help ease the pain.
Regardless, if your injury is severe enough, you may also incur hefty medical expenses. If this is the case and an insurance company is unwilling to pay even for minor injuries, you should seek the assistance of a personal injury lawyer and ask for a free consultation.
Knee Ligament Injuries
Common knee injuries are often associated with torn ligaments. And believe it or not, your knee contains several ligaments that are all vital to proper knee function.
The knee cap isn’t the only part of the knee as most people might think. In fact, your knee is composed of a network of parts that all must work together cohesively for you to have full range of motion.
Posterior Cruciate Ligament
This ligament, also known as the PCL, is a less common injury in the sports world. But in the event of a car accident, the PCL can be seriously damaged.
The PCL and Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) connects your femur to your tibia, and any tears in the posterior cruciate ligament can cause severe pain and may require knee surgery. If you find yourself being afflicted by a PCL injury, you may need extensive medical treatment, as PCL injuries tend to be more severe.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Perhaps the most common knee injury is that which concerns the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). And this often occurs when playing sports. However, car accidents can also cause a tear or otherwise significant injury to the ACL.
Most ACL injuries are accompanied by extreme pain, and a doctor may recommend physical therapy for several months before this type of knee injury is completely healed.
Medial Collateral Ligament
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is a band of tissue that sits alongside the inner part of your knee. And this ligament is mostly responsible for keeping your knee stable during various motions.
Due to the close proximity to the dashboard, knee injuries can be quick and painful in a car accident. When your knee slams into the dashboard, this can cause ligaments such as the MCL to tear. Along with a knee fracture and other broken bones in the leg, these types of injuries often require long-term hospitalization.
Dashboard Knee Injury
A dashboard knee injury is often the most common when it comes to car accidents. And depending on how far from the dashboard your seat is placed, your knee injuries could be moderate to severe.
When a vehicle is involved in a front-end collision, the car can compress and the dashboard is often thrust rearward into the driver. This not only can cause broken bones and lacerations, it usually results in an injured knee or ligament tear, and this scenario can often produce life-threatening injuries.
A car crash is no laughing matter, especially when they involve dashboard injuries. Regardless, when you’re involved in an automobile accident of this sort, you should seek medical care immediately. Then you should contact an attorney to help with your medical bills.
Knee Injury Symptoms
Knee injuries heal much slower as compared to other parts of the body. And this is due to knee ligaments, how the injury occurred, knee dislocation, and if the injury involves broken bones in the leg.
Knee swelling and muscle spasms are often associated with dashboard knee injuries and injuries to the collateral ligaments or a fractured patella. As such, you may experience sharp pain each time you try to lift or move your leg because the knee acts as a support mechanism for the lower leg itself.
Knee injuries are easily noticeable, as acute pain is the primary symptom during any movement of the knee.
If you’re involved in a car accident and you injure your knee, you could easily have a future of knee problems ahead of you even after medical treatment. And this is why you should seek a free consultation with a personal injury attorney immediately after a serious knee injury from a car accident.
Attorney-Client Relationship
After a car wreck, you should seek immediate medical attention and have an accident report written up by local law enforcement. If you’ve suffered a dashboard injury and a knee injury occurs, you have rights to a free consultation and fair compensation.
When you choose an attorney to represent you for a car accident resulting in a knee injury, you have the right to receive compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any vehicle damage or repairs that might have occurred during the accident.
Don’t wait until your knee injury becomes worse before seeking treatment. And if you require physical therapy or rehabilitation, you may also be compensated for this as well.
Your attorney-client relationship is always confidential, so you need not worry about your personal information being made public. Our team of attorneys are here to assist you with compensation for your pain and suffering. Call our offices today.
