Injuries to the lower limbs are common in car accidents, especially in head-on, rear-end and side-impact collisions. When the lower limbs are crushed, twisted or stretched unnaturally or absorb the force of a car wreck, the knees, ankles and feet are especially prone to injury. Unfortunately, injuries to the ankles, knees and feet can be very painful, as well as very expensive to treat. They can also cause permanent limitations on mobility and other impairments.
If you have been involved in a car accident in South Carolina that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation for your knee, ankle or foot injuries. Our experienced car accident lawyers at Joye Law Firm can help you to take legal action in order to obtain the compensation that you deserve.
Types of Ankle, Knee and Foot Injuries in Car Crashes
Injuries to the knees, ankles and feet can affect either the bones or the soft tissues found in these body parts.
Some of the common types of injuries that may occur include:
- Broken bones – Fractured kneecaps, broken tibias, broken fibias and broken taluses are very common in car accidents. Bones can break anywhere in the foot, as well as in the ankle and knee.
- Sprains or strains – The knees and ankles are both susceptible to strains and sprains, which occur when the soft tissues are damaged in a car accident. Soft tissues include the cartilage, ligaments, muscles, tendons and other tissues that surround, support and connect the bones.
- Meniscus tears –When the knee is twisted or bent at an unnatural angle, the meniscus can tear and cause significant mobility issues.
- An MCL or ACL tear –The medial collateral ligament and the anterior cruciate ligament are both found in the knees and both may tear in a car wreck. You are likely to hear a loud popping sound if a ligament tears, and you may experience severe pain and extensive swelling. The knee will have a difficult time bearing weight, and you will probably require surgery to reconstruct the torn ligaments.
Other possible injuries to the feet, ankles and knees include burn injuries, cuts, bruises, puncture wounds and even amputation if the body is injured badly. Amputation could result either during the course of the crash or could become necessary as a method of treatment after the accident if the lower limbs were crushed or severely injured.
Treatment and Compensation for Knee, Foot and Ankle Injuries
Injuries to the knees, feet or ankles can make it impossible to walk or for the body to bear weight. In cases of less severe injuries, patients will be required to avoid putting weight on the affected body part and to rest, relax and ice the area. More serious injuries may require a cast, surgical intervention, chiropractic care, steroids, prescription pain medication and physical therapy.
All of this treatment can become very expensive, especially if your injury is permanent and you never fully recover the good health you had before the accident. If the accident wasn’t your fault, you should not have to cope with the medical costs alone, nor should you face any financial losses or emotional suffering without compensation.
Those who caused your accident may be held responsible for “making you whole” after you sustain knee, foot or ankle injuries in a South Carolina car accident.
This means that the person who caused your accident – or more likely his or her insurance company – may be required to pay you monetary damages for:
- All medical bills and costs related to the injury.
- All lost income. If you have to take time off from work or use vacation and sick time, then you deserve to be paid for the lost income. In many cases, an injury to the knee, foot or ankle also has a long-term or even permanent impact on your ability to work, especially if your job is labor-intensive. You should be compensated for a lifetime of lost wages if your injury prevents work entirely, or for any reduction in income, you experience as a result of needing to switch to a lower-paying job.
- Pain and suffering compensation.
- Emotional distress.
Our South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
At Joye Law Firm, we are sincere in our desire to help you receive compensation when you suffer knee, foot or ankle injuries in a car accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence. Call our South Carolina lawyers today at (888) 324-3100 or use our online form. There is no charge for the claim review and consultation.
