February 14, 2019 | By Polito & Harrington LLC
Knee Injuries in Car Accidents
When people think about car accident injuries, they tend to think about injuries like whiplash, broken bones, and head trauma. While these injuries are certainly serious, it’s also important to recognize that knee injuries are a common result of car accidents and injuries that can leave victims with significant long-term problems. We tend to not think about our knees unless they are injured, but when they are, it can significantly affect your mobility. For this reason, people who sustain knee injuries in car accidents are often able to obtain significant compensation.
How Do Knee Injuries Happen in Car Wrecks?
If you think about where your knees sit when you are driving or riding in a car, and it’s not hard to imagine how serious knee injuries can occur in a crash. During sudden acceleration or deceleration, vehicle occupants’ knees can easily slam into hard surfaces on the interior of a car, including the dashboard, glove box, door panels, or the back of the front seats. In addition, should a vehicle crumple during an accident, an occupant’s knees could be forced into unnatural positions that could put significant strain on soft tissues like tendons or ligaments or break bones.
Common Car Accident Knee Injuries
There are several specific knee injuries that often occur in car accidents. These include the following:
Knee Injuries Can Result in Complications that Last for Months or Even Years
Knee injuries can take months or years to heal. In fact, some knee injuries leave victims with lifelong complications that prevent them from engaging in physical activities that they once enjoyed or even walking without pain. The outcome of your injury will depend on a number of factors, including the severity of your injury, your age, your overall health, and your body’s response to treatment. Some of the treatment options that your physician may recommend after a knee injury include:
- Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE)
- Physical therapy
- The use of medical devices such as knee braces, canes, walkers, or wheelchairs
- Surgery
Your Knee Injury May Entitle You to Significant Compensation
If you suffered a knee injury in a car accident, you may be able to recover compensation for your accident-related losses. Fortunately, Connecticut law entitles the victims of the negligence of others to compensation for both their economic and non-economic losses. Some of the damages you may be able to seek after a car accident knee injury include medical expenses, lost income, lost quality of life, and physical and emotional pain and suffering.
If you have injured your knee or any other body part in a car accident, you should discuss your options with a lawyer as soon as you can. At Polito & Harrington, LLC, we are committed to protecting victims’ rights and will never collect legal fees unless we win your case. To schedule a free case evaluation with a personal injury lawyer in New London, call out office today at (860) 447-3300 or contact us online.