Leg & Knee Injury from Car Accident in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs Personal Injury Law Firm

Severe crashes usually result in lower limb injuries. Injuries to the head are the most common.

These injuries are the most often documented causes of lasting disability and impairment after a car collision.

Severe knee and leg injuries often need surgery, intense therapy, and a long recovery time. The patient may require the use of a crutch, walker, or wheelchair.

You’ll need assistance in caring for your house, family, and pets. While the bills accumulate, you are unlikely to be able to work. How are you going to manage?

Your financial recovery is contingent upon the outcome of your car insurance claim. You must understand how to construct a compelling claim, avoid common errors, and get the money you receive for your injuries. This guide may be of assistance.

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LEG AND KNEE INJURIES DUE TO TRAUMA

Front-end crashes may result in severe knee, leg, foot, and ankle problems when the engine is pushed into the passenger area, squeezing the dash into the driver and front passenger’s legs.

Similarly, drivers and passengers in a car involved in a side-impact crash often incur major knee injuries.

Motorcycle riders who are struck by cars have the same risk of serious leg and knee injuries.

AMPUTATIONS

Among the most heinous car crash injuries is traumatic amputation, which occurs when the foot or limb is cut during the impact. Amputations caused by car crashes occur more often in hospitals when the foot or leg is irreparably damaged and must be amputated to save the patient.

FRACTURES

Traumatic bone fractures occur as a result of the body colliding with the inside of the car or other solid objects during a car accident.

Severe long-bone injuries and joint fractures of the hip, knee, or ankle sometimes need Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF) surgery, in which plates, pins, or rods are inserted to keep the shattered bones together.

Car accident victims often sustain bruises, sprains, and strains to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the leg, knee, or ankle as a result of their injuries. Tendons and ligaments may pull and twist or hyperextend considerably beyond their intended range, based on the power of impact.

Rest, and over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicines are used to heal soft tissue injuries, with complete recovery occurring in a couple of weeks.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF KNEE INJURIES

In automotive accidents, knee injuries arise as a consequence of twisting motions and blunt force trauma. Soft tissue wounds such as bruising, sprains, and strains could be stiff and painful, but they frequently heal without repercussions within a few days or weeks.

Other more hazardous forms of knee injuries include the following:

LIGAMENT TEARS

The anterior cruciate ligament accounts for more than 70 per cent of car collision knee injuries (ACL). The ACL is among four tendons that provide flexibility to the knee. It is a thick band that joins the upper and lower knee joints. The ACL stretches and rotates in lockstep with the knee. It generally recovers to its old shape after being stretched.

When the ACL is forced to twist excessively in a car collision, it may become deformed or even torn. While an ACL strain is uncomfortable, when the ACL is torn away from the knee joints by the power of a collision, the pain is often agonising and devastating. Ligament tears often need surgery and a lengthy period of recovery.

TEARS IN THE CARTILAGE

Your knee contains two cartilage pads that function as cushions between the thigh and shin bones. Each of these cushions is referred to as a meniscus.

An car accident’s impact might rupture or break the meniscus. A little tear causes mild pain and discomfort. A torn meniscus is very painful and may be disabling.

Anti-inflammatory medicines are used to treat a minor meniscus tear, followed by many months of rehabilitation. Arthroscopy is performed to treat serious rips or fracturing of the meniscus and to remove torn tissue debris. A partial meniscectomy is a surgical procedure used to repair the meniscus.

When the meniscus is irreparably injured, the surgeon replaces it with an artificial cushion. Total meniscectomy is the term used to describe the procedure of replacing the torn meniscus.

It typically takes six to nine months of medical treatment and physical therapy to recover after a partial or complete meniscectomy.

DISLOCATIONS

Dislocations of the knee may occur in high-speed crashes. A dislocated knee is a complicated injury that often includes damage to ligaments and blood vessels. If arteries get clogged, the resulting lack of blood flow may necessitate amputation.

Knee fractures are a possibility in every car collision. However, head-on crashes often result in patellar fractures, also known as kneecap fractures, as a result of severe contact with the dashboard.

Simple fractures or dislocations of the kneecap may be immobilised for six to eight weeks with a cast. Complications of more serious kneecap fractures need surgery to realign the bones, muscles, and ligaments. Knee fractures often result in eventual arthritis.

LEG AND KNEE INJURIES: SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Certain types of car accident injuries to your lower limbs are immediately visible at the scene, such as mutilating trauma or complicated fractures, in which a shattered leg bone protrudes through the skin.

Other injuries may not be obvious immediately after the accident. The shock and grief associated with the collision might obscure pain and weakness. Certain symptoms manifest themselves in the hours and days after the collision.

Following an car collision, seek quick medical assistance if you have any of the following symptoms:

Skin redness or yellowing might be a sign of infection. Intense bleeding might look black and blue when it enters a joint or under the skin.

CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE

While some warmth is acceptable in a healing region when the knee or ankle joint becomes hot and swollen, this is not a healthy indication. If one leg, particularly the lower leg, gets much colder than the other, a blood clot may be obstructing circulation.

LIMITED MOBILITY

 

Having trouble bending or moving your knee or ankle might indicate severe joint injury

PAIN

It’s possible that you’ve suffered more than just soft tissue injury if your knee hurts when you move or touch it after a car accident.

YOUR INJURY COMPENSATION IS BOOSTED BY EVIDENCE

Accidents happen unexpectedly, but you are not a helpless victim. When an car accident results in leg or knee damage, you deserve compensation.

Personal injury protection (PIP) coverage on your own insurance policy is required if you live in a no-fault insurance state. Expenses related to medical care, deductibles, and lost wages are all covered under PIP. Pain and suffering are not covered by PIP, and catastrophic injuries may not get enough compensation.

When no-fault rules do not apply, or your injury expenses exceed your PIP, seek reimbursement from the at-fault motorist.

Begin by submitting an injury claim with the insurance carrier of the at-fault driver. You may seek reimbursement from the other driver’s insurance for medical expenditures related to your leg and knee injuries, out-of-pocket expenses, missed income, the cost of hired aid, and pain and suffering.

It’s simple to file an insurance claim. Getting the insurance company to pay a reasonable settlement sum is another storey. To get the compensation you are entitled to, you will need proof.

Are you unprepared to deal with insurance companies? Speak with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney. Your attorney may submit your claim and deal with the insurance adjuster on your behalf.

No-fault insurance covers regardless of who caused the accident, but you must establish that you were hurt and the degree of your injuries.

Unless you can prove that the other motorist was at fault for the crash and that your injuries were severe, the other driver’s insurance company need not pay a penny. To prove your claim, you’ll need proof that was collected shortly after an accident.

It helps to be familiar with the following words used by insurance companies and attorneys:

Liability is synonymous with fault or blame. Generally, the at-fault motorist is accountable for the damages sustained in the accident.

When a motorist fails to behave properly or does something that no normal driver would do, such as running a red light, this is considered negligence.

Damages may include material damage to your car as well as personal injury damages such as medical and rehabilitation expenditures for knee or leg injuries, out-of- pocket expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.

A Direct and Proximate Cause is an action that results in damages that would not have occurred in the absence of the action. You would not be undergoing knee replacement surgery if you had not been struck head-on by a drunk motorist.

The term “Duty of Care” refers to the responsibility to use caution and prevent inflicting damage to others.

To build a compelling knee injury claim, assemble evidence demonstrating that the other driver’s conduct was irresponsible and that their carelessness directly resulted in your injuries.

WHERE TO LOCATE THE MOST RELIABLE EVIDENCE

Begin at the site of the accident. Call 911 immediately after the crash to inform the police and request assistance. The dispatcher will need the following information:

LOCATION

Indicate your location, including the street name, cross streets, and any adjacent landmarks.

INJURIES

Acknowledge that you are hurt and inform the dispatcher whether you are aware of anybody else who needs medical assistance.

HAZARDS

Inform the dispatcher if there are overturned cars, flames, or traffic jams.

When assistance comes, do not attempt to put on a brave front. Inform the paramedics of any knee discomfort, numbness in your foot, or any other symptoms you are experiencing. Allow your legs to be immobilised by paramedics. Allow them to transfer you to the hospital if they so choose.

Never deny or postpone medical care after an car accident. The insurance company will not hesitate to refuse your claim, claiming that the accident did not cause your injuries.

 

If you are not sent to the hospital immediately after an accident, you should call the closest emergency room or urgent care centre. The medical practitioner treating you should know that you were hurt in an car accident. An event-related injury must be documented in your medical records.

When you’ve just had a knee injury or other injury to your legs or feet, you’re unlikely to be able to walk about to collect evidence. Make no attempt to aggravate your injury.

Exacerbating your ailment may also work against you.

If someone can assist you in gathering evidence, request the following:

Photograph and film the location from a variety of angles using a smartphone camera or similar equipment. Do not forget to take pictures of the skid marks and damage to road signs or trees. Look for beer bottles or other open alcoholic containers near the other driver’s car. There is no restriction on how many photographs you may shoot.

The other driver’s confessions may be captured on video with sound, such as “I didn’t see you coming” or “I simply glanced at the radio for a second.”

Statements from witnesses: Make an attempt to speak with everyone who may have observed the event and its aftermath. Inquire about the witness’s contact information and if they are willing to write down what they witnessed. Witness comments may be persuasive evidence of blame, particularly if the witness states that the other motorist was engaging in illegal activity, such as texting, or if the witness overhears the other driver confessing guilt.

MAINTAIN EVIDENCE COLLECTION UNTIL YOUR CLAIM IS RESOLVED AND PAID:

After the crash, write thorough notes of everything you recall leading up to and during the disaster. Describe your panic and suffering after the collision, as well as your interaction with emergency services.

Throughout your recuperation, keep a notebook detailing your pain, mobility challenges, frustrations, sleep troubles, and fears. Additionally, maintain copies of any conversations with the insurance provider.

You’ll want to get copies of all your medical bills and documents. Your medical records will assist in establishing a causal connection between your injuries and the collision.

Obtain documents from the emergency department, your treating physician, and any specialists or therapists you’ve visited in connection with the accident. Include mental health documents if they pertain to post-crash anxiety or trauma.

Police report: A police report is one of the most reliable sources of information. As independent and objective investigators, police officers are seen as the best choice by insurance companies.

There will be a graphic of the accident scene, information on the weather at the time, fines issued, results of any DUI tests, and the officer’s opinion of who was at fault for the crash. For a little fee, you may get a copy of the police record following an accident.

INCREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR INJURY CLAIM

If you’ve completely healed from the soft-tissue leg or knee injuries, you’re likely to be able to negotiate a reasonable insurance settlement without the assistance of an attorney. Your compensation should cover all medical expenditures, out-of-pocket costs, and a few weeks of missed payments.

If you are not pursuing a no-fault claim, you may increase that sum by one or two times for pain and suffering.

Avoid These Common Negotiation Mistakes When Negotiating Your Car Accident Settlement

Without the assistance of an expert attorney, you will be unlikely to get a significant amount of compensation if you have sustained significant leg or knee injuries, particularly if the injuries are severe.

Insurance companies often provide less money to seriously wounded claimants who do not have an attorney. When an adjuster replies, “Take it or leave it,” he or she is assuming you lack the energy or legal expertise to fight back.

There is so much at risk in attempting to resolve a significant injury claim on your own. A qualified attorney may often maximise your compensation in the following ways:

Acquiring extra insurance protection

Defending you against comparative fault charges Conducting a search of the at-fault driver’s assets

If required, negotiating a settlement or initiating a lawsuit

Take no chances with your financial well-being. It costs nothing to learn what a competent personal injury attorney can do for you.