Knee injuries can be debilitating wounds that leave you battling serious and chronic pain. Sometimes, they can even be serious enough to make working almost impossible.
If the accident was the result of an accident caused by someone else’s conduct, one option you may have is to file a personal injury claim. Learn more about the most common types of knee injuries and what your legal options may be.
What Are Some of the Most Common Types of Knee Injuries?
In everything from slip and fall incidents to car accidents, there are a number of knee injury types that you can suffer. Here are some common examples.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
Your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) runs diagonally down the front of the knee. It offers stability to the joint. Injuries can range from sprains to complete tears, which may make walking impossible and will typically require surgical care and months of rehabilitation.
Any accident that causes you to land wrong or forces you to quickly change the direction of motion can lead to ACL injuries. These wounds also have a tendency to arise from direct and forceful contact.
Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries occur when the knee suffers a blow. The PCL is a connective tissue that forms an “X” within the knee joint. If your knee hits the dashboard during an accident, for example, the knee can push into the shinbone, resulting in a PCL tear.
Although PCL injuries don’t typically require surgery, you could need to use a brace or crutches for weeks. The pain and swelling could be substantial, too.
Meniscal Tears
Between your thighbone and shinbone, there are two rubbery wedges of cartilage called the menisci. A forceful twist or rotation of the knee in an accident of any kind can cause meniscal tears. You may hear and even feel a pop in your knee, leading to the development of pain, inflammation, and mobility issues.
Fractures
Your knees contain a lot of bones, and any of these can be fractured in an accident. The bone that most commonly breaks in the knee is the patella. Motorcycle accidents and other traffic collisions, as well as falls and struck-by accidents, can all result in fractures.
Dislocations
Dislocations occur when the bones in the knee slip out of place, whether partially or completely. Trauma to the knee can cause these injuries. Although they can be easily treated, they also have the potential to cause significant pain and make you more likely to suffer another dislocation in the future.
What Should I Do After Suffering a Knee Injury?
After suffering a knee injury in an accident that another party’s negligent or wrongful conduct caused, one option you have is to file a personal injury claim to recover your losses. To do so, you’ll likely have to demonstrate that negligence occurred.
Negligence is a legal theory that refers to someone not acting with the degree of care a reasonable person would have employed in the same circumstances. Proving negligence first requires that you show the other party owed you a duty of care, and then that they breached that duty.
For example, suppose that a car hit your motorcycle because the other party was distracted while talking on their cell phone. Anyone driving owes a duty to everyone else on the road to drive safely. That person’s choice to look away from the road breached their responsibility.
After proving the breach, you must then demonstrate their conduct factually and proximately caused your knee injuries. None of this is simple to prove. Because Nevada is an at-fault state for traffic accidents, you’re bound to receive significant pushback from insurance companies.
Insurers will try to pin the blame on you or show that the defendant wasn’t negligent. To be able to fight successfully against the tactics insurance companies rely on, it’s essential that you have a lawyer by your side.
Your lawyer will investigate the accident and put together a strong claim. They will be able to gather evidence, including expert witness testimonies, and negotiate aggressively with insurers for the compensation you need. If a settlement isn’t possible to achieve, your lawyer can also file a lawsuit and take your case to court.
Contact an Experienced Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyer Today
After suffering a knee injury because of another party’s conduct, filing a claim can help you receive compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and the emotional distress you’ve sustained. At Battle Born Injury Lawyers, our team of Las Vegas personal injury attorneys can help you understand and fight for your rights.
You don’t have to go through the claims process on your own. Contact our team of Nevada trial lawyers to schedule a free consultation today at 702-570-9000.
