One part of the body at risk of experiencing an injury following a motor vehicle accident is the knees since the force of a crash can result in the knees twisting, tearing, or striking part of the vehicle. Approximately 10% of all car accident injuries impact the knee, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), making them one of the more common motor vehicle accident injuries. Find out what the different knee injuries from a car accident are, and learn how a New Hampshire personal injury attorney can assist victims of these incidents; call Friedman & Bresaw, PLLC at (603) 707-4800 to organize a consultation.
What Are Knee Injuries From a Car Accident?
Knee injuries arise in motor vehicle accidents due to the extreme trauma inflicted upon this area during the collision; for instance, motorists may tighten or contract their muscles when braking or bracing for impact prior to the crash, and when the vehicle hits another object, vehicle, person, or animal, the force can tear or twist the knee’s components. Per the NLM, 2.29 injuries per 1,000 individuals impacted the knee, resulting in a visit to a hospital’s emergency department. Below is a list of the common knee injury types.
Knee Dislocations
Knee dislocations transpire when one or more of the knee joint’s bones move out of position as a result of blunt trauma. A mild knee dislocation is a partial bone shift, which can cause stiffness and pain. Serious dislocations in the knee might lead to severe swelling and pain, alongside difficulties with standing or walking, and could require surgery to correct.
Meniscus Injuries
Cartilage refers to soft connective tissue. The two cartilage components in the knee are the lateral and medial meniscus, cushioning the knee joint.
A motor vehicle collision’s sudden impact may forcibly twist or rotate the cartilage, which can tear one or both elements of the meniscus. When this occurs, it can result in swelling, pain, and stiffness in the injured area, and severe tears can restrict the knee joint’s movement, as well as the leg’s overall mobility; diagnosing these injuries usually requires an MRI or other medical imaging test, alongside a medical examination.
Knee Fractures
Knee fractures are partial or entire breaks in the patella, typically arising in a car accident when the knee strikes part of the vehicle’s interior. Motor vehicle accidents may also lead to a crushed or fractured tibial plateau, referring to the bone comprising the knee joint’s bottom half. A knee fracture can heal without medical interventions, such as a cast, provided the bone remains stationary; if this is not possible, a cast might be necessary, and surgery is the typical solution if the fracture results in a protruding or unstable bone in the knee.
What Is the Most Common Knee Injury in a Car Accident?
The most common car accident knee injury takes place when the force of the accident thrusts the individual’s body into the steering wheel or dashboard. This impact can severely damage a person’s ligaments and potentially shatter the person’s kneecap.
Learn what to do if suffering from knee injuries from a car accident, and explore the different legal options available to car accident victims. Contact an experienced New Hampshire personal injury lawyer from Friedman & Bresaw, PLLC today.
What Are the Symptoms of Knee Injuries?
Examples of the symptoms of a minor knee injury include bruising, discoloration, swelling, inflammation, redness, warmth in the knee area, clicking or popping noises during movement, instability, weakness, and limited motion. Some more serious symptoms are the inability to extend and bend the knee or place weight on it, high fever, a noticeable deformity, and a highly unstable knee when moving. Following a car accident, the recommended approach is to seek immediate medical treatment, even if these symptoms are not currently showing; some injured individuals may not experience symptoms until several days following the incident, but dealing with them before they have the chance to worsen can prevent these ailments from having a lasting impact.
What Are Knee Injuries Worth in Settlements?
The amount of available compensation in knee injury personal injury claims depends on several factors, including whether the injured party had a pre-existing knee problem and the knee injury’s severity. Knee injury claim settlements typically range between the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Serious cases involving knee injuries that go to court, such as those requiring substantial medical treatment, can lead to compensation awards in the low millions, although pursuing this route is typically riskier than opting for a settlement.
How Long Does Knee Pain Last After a Car Accident?
Knee pain following a motor vehicle accident can last for various lengths of time, depending on how severe the injury is; for instance, minor knee injuries leading to small meniscus tears or mild dislocations can be painful for several weeks, whereas a torn ligament or fractured kneecap may lead to many months of pain. Some knee injuries might result in long-lasting pain, even after undergoing treatment.
Can You Tear a Ligament in Your Knee From a Car Accident?
The knee ligaments, which are the connective tissue forming the knee joint, can overstretch following a motor vehicle accident and tear, leading to instability and pain in the knee area. Knee ligament injuries can also result in inflammation and cause walking difficulties. The knee contains four ligaments, which are as follows:
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL): The PCL controls the knee’s backward movement; a damaged PCL usually arises in a car collision when the knee strikes the vehicle’s steering wheel or dashboard.
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL): This ligament controls the knee’s forward movement and rotation, and tearing the ACL occurs during car collisions when the knee gets struck, twisted, or overextended.
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL): The MCL stabilizes the knee’s inner area; a person tears their MCL when the knee experiences sideways blunt trauma, like when a person hits their knee against a car door.
- Lateral collateral ligament (LCL): This ligament helps balance the knee’s outer area, and an LCL tear is a result of sudden force to the side of the knee.
Contact a New Hampshire Personal Injury Attorney To Learn More
The knees are vital to a person’s mobility and capacity to perform daily activities; car accidents have the potential to cause significant knee injuries that can limit an individual’s movement for several weeks or months. If suffering from a knee injury following a car accident, consider reaching out to an attorney and seeking immediate medical attention to reduce the chances of lasting health consequences. Understand more about the numerous knee injuries from a car accident that an individual can experience, and discover how Friedman & Bresaw, PLLC might help people with these legal claims; call (603) 707-4800 today to speak to a seasoned New Hampshire personal injury attorney.
