Some personal injury incidents can expose your lower extremities to impact, with the pressure and trauma generated possibly causing a knee injury. These types of injuries, which can affect the bones and ligaments in the knees, can result in trouble walking, standing, and running. They can result in damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, that you can pursue compensation for in a personal injury claim.
You can pursue compensation for damages caused by a personal injury incident and your knee injury by filing a personal injury claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. A personal injury lawyer can help you assess your current and future damages, determine the at-fault party, and negotiate a settlement to pay for your knee injury damages. The personal injury lawyers at The Russo Firm have helped personal injury victims recover compensation for damages caused by a knee injury and can apply that experience to your case to help you secure fair compensation. Call us at (561) 270-0913 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
What Causes a Knee Injury in a Personal Injury Incident?
You can receive a knee injury if the impact during a personal injury incident damages the bones, tendons, ligaments, and sacs that make up the knee. Excessive damage and trauma applied to your knee can lead to a fracture, tear, or inflamed sacs that can cause intense pain, limited mobility, and reduced flexibility.
Knee injuries most commonly occur in car accidents, as your knee can collide with the dashboard and cause a knee injury. A collision from the rear or front can bring your knees into impact with the dashboard, with the high-speed collision causing damage to the knee that can cause a fracture or ligament tear.
The following are some of the other personal injury incidents that can cause a knee injury:
- Trucking accidents
- Lyft accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Boating accidents
- Bus accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
Symptoms of a Knee Injury
A knee injury can severely limit your ability to use your knee to do everyday activities like walk, run, climb stairs, drive, etc. It can even make laying down a painful experience, as trying to straighten out your knee can cause intense pain. A knee injury is one of the most obstructive injuries you can suffer, as you need your knee for most activities. Suffering a knee injury can cause symptoms that can severely hamper your ability to live your life normally.
The following are the symptoms of a knee injury:
- Swelling and stiffness
- Limited mobility
- Pain when moving the injured knee
- Popping noises
- Inability to stretch the injured knee
Types of Knee Fractures Caused by Personal Injury Incidents
You can suffer a knee fracture in the bones of the knee due to pressure from a personal injury incident. The bones of the knee can only take so much pressure and trauma before they fracture due to the impact from a car, truck, or hard surface. The most common type of knee fracture occurs in the patella, otherwise known as the kneecap.
The following are the types of knee fractures you can suffer:
- Stable fracture. The fractured bones stay in alignment and only move a couple of millimeters.
- Displaced fracture. When the bone in the knee fractures, it comes out of alignment and will require surgery to realign.
- Comminuted fracture. This is when the fractured bone shatters into three or more pieces, leading to the pieces floating in your knee and your knee destabilizing.
- Open fracture. The bone fracture causes part of the bone to pierce through the skin, which can lead to muscle, tendon, and ligament damage.
Car Accidents Commonly Cause Torn Ligaments
Ligaments are bands of elastic tissue that hold the knee together by connecting the tibia and fibula. They stabilize the knee joint and protect the knee from damage while twisting. However, these protective ligaments can still become damaged and torn from personal injury incident trauma, such as blunt force trauma or excessive twisting.
Torn ligaments most commonly occur during car accidents, where a high-speed collision can cause your knee to violently twist to the point it tears. They can also tear from impact with the dashboard; a Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) tear is referred to as “dashboard knee.” The other knee ligaments that can tear from a personal injury incident are the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL).
Knee Bursitis Caused by a Personal Injury Incident
Bursae are fluid-filled sacs near the knee joint that cushion the pressure points between the bone and tendons. A direct blow to the knee can damage these bursae and lead to inflammation, commonly referred to as knee bursitis. It causes intense pain, limited mobility, and a swollen knee. It’s vital to see a doctor as soon as you receive knee damage from a personal injury incident, as knee bursitis can lead to an infection that can cause severe, long-term health conditions.
Pursuing Compensation for Knee Injury Damages
Damages are losses associated with your personal injury incident. A knee injury will require medical treatment, which could cost more money than you have available. You also may not be able to work while you heal from your injury. These are economic damages that you can pursue, but you can also pursue non-economic damages. These are the intangible losses you suffered due to your knee injuries, such as mental anguish, loss of society, and loss of consortium.
Your personal injury lawyer can assess your current and future damages to see how your knee injury has affected your life. The following are some of the damages you can pursue for a knee injury:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Disability costs
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship/consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help You Pursue Compensation for Knee Injury Damages?
Hiring a personal injury lawyer can help you recover compensation for your knee injury damages, as they will have the experience in handling the claims process. They can handle every step of the process with efficiency and effectiveness, putting you in the best position possible to recover compensation for your knee injury damages.
The following are some of the ways a personal injury attorney can help you pursue compensation for your knee injury damages:
- Assess your current and future knee injury damages
- Determine which party or parties can be held liable for the personal injury incident that caused your knee injury
- Send a demand letter to the at-fault party’s insurer
- Collect evidence and records to prove your knee injury case
- Interview witnesses and experts that can verify your injuries and damages
- Negotiate a fair settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance provider
- Combat attempts from the insurer to deny, devalue, or delay your claim
- Represent you in a personal injury lawsuit court case
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Seeking Knee Injury Damages
At The Russo Firm, our personal injury lawyers have decades of experience helping personal injury victims across the United States. If you suffered a knee injury from a personal injury incident, one of our lawyers with experience in that type of incident can use their experience to help you recover compensation. The personal injury attorneys at The Russo Firm can put you in the best position to recover fair compensation for your knee injury damages through vast resources, legal counsel catered to your specific case, and constant communication.
The personal injury lawyers at The Russo Firm will offer free consultations to show how they can help you recover compensation for knee injury damages. Contact us today for a free consultation regarding your knee injury at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.