If you’ve hurt your knee during a car accident in Illinois, then you know firsthand how inconvenient and painful these injuries can be.
Our knees are the largest and most complex joints in our bodies. While their intricate structures allow us to move, they can also be vulnerable and challenging to treat when injured in an accident. It’s no surprise, then, that one in four adults in the US experience chronic knee pain due to an injury or disease.
Knee pain can range from mild to debilitating. Common types of knee injuries after a car accident include:
Depending on the type of injury you’ve suffered, you can expect a different timeline and treatment plan for recovery.
While most knee injuries heal within 12 months, you might experience permanent damage or chronic pain.
However, you can take action to prevent lifelong complications after an accident. Read more to learn which steps you can take if you suffer a knee injury in an Illinois crash.
If you suffer a knee injury in an Illinois motor vehicle wreck, consider taking the following steps to secure a full recovery:
Regardless of how you may feel after your car accident, it is imperative that you get medical help as soon as possible. A healthcare professional can diagnose and treat your injuries.
We use our knees for nearly every kind of movement. Because of this, a knee injury can quickly worsen the longer you delay getting medical care. If you ignore symptoms such as swelling, redness, pain, tenderness, and bruising, you risk causing further harm.
A doctor or other medical professional might diagnose your knee injury with any of the following tests:
Diagnostic measures—especially those involving radiological imaging—can be expensive. However, an accurate diagnosis will help determine how you treat your knee injury, your expected recovery timeline, and whether you need further medical treatments.
There are many different treatment options for knee injuries after a car accident in Illinois. For more minor injuries, you may only need to rest and ice it.
However, moderate to severe knee injuries may require one or more of the following treatments:
The cost of these treatments can add up, so it’s crucial to make copies of any bills and medical records related to your accident. These documents will be useful evidence for your claim. You may be able to receive compensation for these treatments and other losses with the help of a dedicated knee injury lawyer.
Before handling insurance matters on your own, seek out the help of an experienced car accident attorney. They can evaluate your case and determine the best legal route to recovery. Your knee injury lawyer will collect evidence of your accident, injuries, and damages, calculate the full value of your claim, and aggressively pursue compensation on your behalf.
A car accident is stressful enough—allow a lawyer to guide you through the process so you can focus on recovering.
Having an attorney by your side can help tremendously when it comes time to filing an injury claim or lawsuit. Since Illinois is an at-fault state for car accidents, victims will typically file a claim through the at-fault driver’s insurance policy. Their insurance is then liable for covering your damages through compensation.
However, insurance companies often try to pay as little as possible to car accident victims. They may offer you a lowball settlement or deny your claim. Your lawyer can use their experience and insight to see through shady insurance tactics and fight for the rightful compensation you are owed.
Typically, knee injury and other injury victims recover financially through a settlement. In some cases, however, you may need to sue the liable party in order to pursue full compensation. A trusted Illinois trial attorney can represent you in court and defend your right to recover from your knee injury and car crash.
Damages are losses you’ve sustained as a result of your accident. Damages can be economic, meaning they have a dollar amount already, or they can be non-economic, which means they are not directly tied to a financial expense.
Non-economic damages related to your knee injury and car accident can include:
You may be entitled to recover compensation for non-economic damages like:
To ensure you obtain the fullest compensation you deserve, contact an experienced Chicago car accident lawyer to calculate the value of your case and advocate for the maximum amount.
A knee injury from a car accident can severely impact your life. You might struggle with daily activities, miss out on work, and lose your sense of joy in life. However, you are not without legal recourse. With the help of a dedicated Chicago knee injury attorney at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., you can recover compensation and put your accident and knee injury behind you.
Don’t wait to reach out to a trusted car accident lawyer at Staver. Call (312) 236-2900 or use our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.
When you’re fighting for maximum compensation, we know what it takes to get it.
