In a car accident, a vehicle occupant can sustain direct, blunt impact on their knees from the dashboard, steering column etc. The impact may be caused by a head-on collision, rollover accident, or rear-end crash.
If you’ve suffered knee injuries from a car accident, you should seek the help of Los Angeles car accident attorneys. At El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers, we have the expertise needed to fight for just compensation for victims of car accidents.
Here, we discuss the basic symptoms of a knee injury and the types of knee injuries related to a car accident.
Basic Symptoms
The symptoms of a knee injury can range from subtle to acute and might include the following:
- Redness and swelling
- Tenderness or tingling
- Weakness and instability
- Pain while doing an activity or resting
- A ripping sensation
- Locking or grinding
- Bruising
- Experiencing a cold or fever
- Deformed or protruding bones
- Difficulty in extending the knee or walking
Types of Knee Injuries from a Car Accident
1. ACL Injury
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament crisscrosses the knee joint with the Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL). The primary function of the ACL is to stabilize the knee in order to prevent forward movement of the tibia on the femur. A rupture on the ACL is one of the most common and severe knee injuries related to a car accident.
People who suffer an ACL injury are often not able to walk and experience excruciating pain that becomes worse with movement. ACL damage might be an isolated injury or occur along with other knee injuries, e.g. meniscal injury and MCL injury.
2. PCL Injury
The Posterior Cruciate Ligament has more strength than the accompanying ACL, and is less likely to tear. The PCL braces itself against excessive movement in the anteroposterior plane. A tear in this ligament can only occur if it’s exposed to a strong, blunt force trauma. Examples of such trauma include a dashboard striking the knee’s anterior aspect or falling on a flexed knee in a crash.
A PCL injury usually results from major trauma and it rarely occurs alone. It might be associated with other damage to the ligaments and bones.
3. MCL Injury
The Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) is highly susceptible to getting damaged during car collisions and might be sprained or torn. Usually, victims experience a ripping or tearing sensation in the inner knee, which results in bruising and swelling. The most common cause of an MCL injury is an outer force strike to the inner knee.
4. Knee Sprain and Strain
A sprain is the stretching or tearing of muscles or tendons. In the knee, collateral and cruciate ligament sprains and muscular strains are a common occurrence. Such injuries may be assigned grade I, II or III depending on the severity. Grade I strains and sprains involve stretching only, while Grade II display a partial tear or rupture. Grade III depicts a complete tear or rupture.
5. Knee Dislocation
A dislocation of the knee is a limb-threatening injury that might lead to amputation if it goes untreated. Fortunately, knee dislocation is rare, and it usually results from an extremely powerful blow to the knee. An untreated dislocation that causes an arterial injury can leave the lower leg without enough blood supply, resulting in leg loss.
Contact us if you’ve suffered a knee injury in a car accident in Los Angeles
If you’ve experienced a knee injury in a car accident, you should seek medical attention immediately. Next, you should seek a car accident attorney to help you pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages and property damage.