Knee injuries are among the most common injuries that occur during a car accident. One example is dashboard knee, more formally known as a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury. This occurs when a person’s bent knees hit the dashboard. The collision can push the shinbone in just below the knee and cause the PCL to tear. The most common cause of this injury is when a vehicle is rear-ended. Other common knee injuries during a collision include a fracture of the patella (kneecap), tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), or knee dislocation. All of these can have serious short-term and long-term effects.
Here are some of the possible effects of knee injuries:
Short-Term Effects
Emergency Medical Care
If you suffer a knee injury as a result of a car accident, you will need to seek immediate medical attention. What this includes will depend on the extent of your injury. Some knee injuries require immediate surgery and can be limb-threatening if left untreated. Costs for emergency treatment can add up quickly, especially if you sustained other injuries during the crash.
Lost Wages
In many cases, your doctor will recommend rest after an injury to your knee, even if no emergency treatment is necessary. You will need to avoid strenuous activity and may need to wear a cast or keep your knee wrapped. If your job requires manual labor, this will usually mean you need to take time off, which can result in lost wages.
Pain
Knee injuries can be very painful, especially in the first few days and weeks following the accident. Your doctor may prescribe medication to help with this. Depending on the severity of your pain, it can impact your work and quality of life.
Long-Term Impacts
Physical Therapy
Depending on the type and severity of knee injury you sustained during the accident, you may need physical therapy to recover full range of motion. This can be expensive and requires a time commitment from you, which may interfere with your other responsibilities.
Chronic Pain
Some injuries lead to chronic pain that does not go away after the initial injury is treated. It’s also possible for pain and stiffness to develop years after the injury itself. This can be very distressing and can also reduce your quality of life.
Psychological Effects
Sustaining any type of injury in a car accident can impact you psychologically. You may find it more difficult to drive due to fear of another crash. In severe cases, accident victims can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can interfere with day-to-day life.
Disability
If your knee injury is severe, you may be permanently disabled. This can leave you unable to work and have a large financial impact on you on your family.
How Grabb & Durando Can Help
If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you should call our team of personal injury lawyers. The physical, emotional, and financial costs of your injuries can be severe and we can help you get the compensation you deserve.
