Car crashes can take a serious toll on victims’ bodies. Some injuries can limit mobility, affecting a victim’s way of life or their job. Although it’s possible to recover from some knee injuries, there could still be a permanent impact on the victim’s life.
If someone’s negligence or reckless behavior caused the car accident that injured your knee, you could be entitled to relief on their behalf. You should contact a knowledgeable Chicago car accident attorney who understands the damages you can recover after a car crash.
Call Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., for your free consultation: (312) 236-2900.
What Kind of Knee Injuries Do Car Crashes Cause?
The knee is the largest joint in the body and one of its most complex. The thigh bone connects to the shin bone and the kneecap. This joint is sturdy in most circumstances, but a car crash can put extreme force on it.
People in a car crash could experience various injuries, from cuts to bruises to torn ligaments or soft tissue injuries. Knowing what kind of injury you could receive in a collision can guide you through recovery.
- Meniscus injuries — There are two cartilaginous discs between the shinbone and the femur, called menisci. They help prevent friction between the bones and act as a cushion when the knee bends. These discs can tear in a car crash. Symptoms include swelling, severe pain, instability, and knee locking.
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries — These connective tissues are found in the knee and control the joint’s motion. The ACL keeps the shinbone in line with the femur. A crash could tear or sprain these tissues. You might hear a loud pop when this tissue tears. Symptoms include swelling, pain, loss of motion, tenderness, or discomfort while walking.
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) injuries — These are more connective tissues in the knee, also responsible for motion. The PCL keeps the shinbone from going too far behind the thighbone. A crash could sprain or tear these tissues. Symptoms include swelling, pain, loss of motion, or discomfort while walking.
- Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injuries — More connective tissue in the knee. This ligament keeps the shinbone central to the knee. It can be damaged in car crashes, usually from side impacts. It could be torn or sprained. Symptoms include swelling, pain, loss of motion, or discomfort.
- Knee dislocation — This injury happens when bones pop out of place. Sometimes bones return to their appropriate socket or joints, but sometimes they need assistance. Symptoms include swelling, a mobile kneecap, a deformed appearance, or the knee can’t be straightened.
- Kneecap injury — Also known as the patella, your kneecap can be dislocated, bruised, or broken. Impacts on the kneecap can damage it. Symptoms include pain, bruising, swelling, or the inability to stand.
There could be other injuries to your knee, so it’s critical to receive medical treatment after a crash.
The Impacts of a Knee Injury After a Chicago Car Crash
You’ll likely face short-term impacts if your knee has been injured in a car crash. You might also have future consequences depending on the injury’s severity and what it took to repair or recover.
Not every knee surgery will require surgery, but tears most likely will. Most people will need therapy or treatment plans to regain their knees’ mobility or functionality. Some people will develop osteoarthritis: a joint disease where the protective cartilage that protects bones wears down over time. It could require corrective surgery or chronic treatments.
What Treatments Exist for Knee Injuries after an Accident?
If your knee has been damaged in a car crash, you might need medical care to help restore it. You should seek medical treatment after a crash even if you feel okay: your injury could take time to manifest, or the injury could show up after the adrenaline wears off.
A medical provider may prescribe various treatments for your knee injury, like:
- Pain medication: treatments could ease pain but won’t automatically fix your knees. You should also practice RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)
- Physical therapy: a therapist will guide you through exercises intended to improve mobility and increase strength
- Occupational therapy: like PT, this treatment focuses on building strength and improving mobility. However, you’ll practice more everyday activities and fine motor skills
- Rehabilitation: this describes your recovery period. During this time, you can rest, work limited hours, attend therapy, and focus on returning to life
- Surgery: a sometimes necessary measure, surgeries can return your body’s anatomy to where it should be. Surgery could speed up your recovery, but sometimes its invasive nature takes a toll on your body
A medical provider can diagnose your injuries and guide you through the treatment options available. A Chicago personal injury lawyer can help you understand how to recover compensation for your expenses.
What Kind of Crashes Commonly Cause Knee Injuries?
Significant impact force can damage your knees. There are many forces involved in car crashes. When your travel is interrupted by a collision, you could experience extreme injuries.
Crashes with sudden force can hurt you. Rear-end or head-on collisions could force your knees into the dashboard, damaging your kneecaps or ligaments. You’ll probably try to slam on the brakes if you see a potential crash: if that impact happens, your knee could be hyperextended or forced in the wrong direction on impact.
Crashes from the side, like T-bone accidents, could dislocate your knees or parts of your knees.
What Damages Can You Recover for a Knee Injury?
If another driver’s negligence caused your injuries in a car crash, you could claim damages against them.
You can pursue economic and non-economic damages in your case. Economic damages are considered your out-of-pocket expenses, like the money to cover your surgeries or treatments.
Non-economic damages are conceptual and difficult to calculate. They could include things like the pain and suffering you’re experiencing because you required surgery to repair your knee, or the anguish you feel because your life has been affected by the crash.
How Can a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Help a Knee Injury?
You won’t have forever after your crash to recover damages. Under Illinois law, there’s a two-year statute of limitations after the accident to file a lawsuit. Even if a personal injury claim is processing, that won’t change when you can file the lawsuit.
A Chicago car crash lawyer can tell you how strong your case is to recover compensation. They’ll work with you to bolster that claim by investigating the crash, how it injured you, who was at fault, and how much money you’re truly owed to be made whole.
A knowledgeable attorney is aware that the at-fault driver’s insurance company may try to lowball you an offer so you settle early. They’ll advise against that option and work with you to get the money you deserve. An experienced attorney will also know when court is your best option.
Call a Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Now
Suppose a crash with a negligent driver has injured your knees and disrupted your life. In that case, you should call the Staver Accident Injury Lawyer, P.C. We’re Chicago’s car accident attorneys. We know that recovering from a traumatic experience like a crash can be difficult.
We’ll use our background to evaluate your case and give you options on how to regain your life from before the crash. We’re willing to work with you to get the best possible outcome: we use a no-win, no-fee policy to ensure success.
We’ve helped clients like you recover millions in the past. Schedule your free initial consultation at (312) 236-2900 or with our online contact form.
