Knee injuries are quite common in car accidents, especially if you’ve been hit from behind and thrown towards the dashboard.
Recovery after a knee injury can take a long time. In some cases, victims never regain their initial mobility and have to live with pain and limited mobility. That’s why a good St. Louis auto accident lawyer is so important. They can make sure you get proper compensation to cover for the cost of your pain and suffering.
The Most Common Knee Injuries in Car Accidents
Here are some of the most common types of knee injuries that occur in car accidents:
Patella Fracture
A fractured patella – or a broken kneecap – is a severe injury that happens often in rear-end accidents. The knees of the driver or the front passenger hit the dashboard with intense force. All the pressure goes to the patella, which can get fissured or fractured. This injury comes with excruciating pain and limited mobility in the knee joint: some patients can’t straighten their knee or put any weight on it.
Ligament Tears and Stretches
Although they are more common in people who practice sports, knee ligament injuries can also result from a car accident. It usually occurs when the knee is trapped under the dashboard, steering wheel or other objects and there is unusual bending in the joint.
These are the ligaments in your knee that can be injured in an accident:
- ACL (anterior cruciate ligament): it connects the thigh bone to the shin bone
- PCL (posterior cruciate ligament): rarely injured outside a car accident, this ligament also connects the thigh bone to the shin bone
- LCL (lateral collateral ligament): connects the thigh bone to the fibula
- MCL (medial collateral ligament): connects the thigh bone to the shin bone on the inside of the knee joint
Recovery After a Knee Injury
As mentioned before, recovery can be long after a knee injury. Many cases need surgery to regain most of the mobility and prevent the injury from getting worse. Most patients need physiotherapy for a long period to strengthen their muscles and better sustain their joints.
If you have been in a car accident and start observing symptoms that could be related to a knee injury, go see a doctor right away. Often, injuries are not observed immediately after the accident, and they can get worse if left untreated. Follow your doctor’s orders very closely and see the specialists they refer you to.
All these efforts are meant to give you the best chance to a full recovery of your knee, but they also serve as hard evidence in a car accident claim.
We strongly recommend hiring a reputable St. Louis car accident attorney for knee injury cases, as they can typically get worse over time and need a long recovery period. A good attorney will not take an early offer from the insurance company, leaving you uncovered in the future, and they will make sure to include in the claim all the medical treatment you will need.