Feeling Pain in My Leg After a Car Accident
Leg pain is common after a car accident, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. It could be a symptom of several types of injuries.
In addition to your injuries and pain, you could have financial losses because of medical bills and lost income. A personal injury attorney from our firm can evaluate your case and guide you through the legal process for recovering compensation.
Common Leg Injuries Car Accidents Can Cause
We strongly encourage you to seek immediate medical attention after a car accident. You may not be able to see or feel injuries, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Some injuries can take time for symptoms to manifest, so the sooner you seek treatment, the better the outcome.
It’s important that you have a doctor assess your health after an accident. You could only have minor injuries that are quickly treatable, but you could also have sustained severe injuries that need urgent or emergency care.
Some common leg injuries you could suffer in a car accident include:
Cuts and Bruises
Some victims escape a car accident with nothing more than cuts and bruises. Still, even these injuries can be serious, depending on how deep the cuts are and how much blood you lose. Bruises may also be indicative of a more serious injury.
Broken Bones
Whether it’s just a simple fracture or a more severe compound fracture, a broken leg can incapacitate you for months and require you to use special equipment such as crutches or a wheelchair to maintain a level of mobility. Your broken bones could also require pins, screws, wires, and rods to straighten them so they heal properly. You may even have to miss work.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries include ligament tears such as ACL, MCL, and PCL in the knee, which can take months, even years, to recover. You may never move the same way again, and it can require months of physical therapy. Other soft tissue injuries include muscle tears and strains.
Nerve Damage
According to Cleveland Clinic, suffering nerve damage could result in a loss of feeling in your leg, pain, burning, weakness, and paralysis.
Dislocation
Dislocations are common injuries that usually involve the hips and knees. Your bones are not just coming loose from your joints. You could be suffering damage to surrounding tissues as well.
Blood Clot
Per Mayo Clinic, one of the most life-threatening conditions is a blood clot in the leg, known as deep vein thrombosis. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and discoloration. Should this injury go untreated, you could suffer a pulmonary embolism.
Seeking immediate medical attention after a car accident allows your doctor to thoroughly document your injuries and the treatments you receive. It will serve as evidence to support your claim.
What Damages Can You Recover for a Leg Injury After a Car Accident?
How much compensation you are entitled to recover for your injuries and losses after a car accident will depend on several factors. They include the seriousness of your injuries, the cost of your medical bills, how much income you lost due to missing work, and how much pain and suffering you experienced.
A personal injury attorney can recover damages to cover your losses such as:
- Lost income: If you miss time at work due to your injury, you can recover your lost income plus certain benefits such as vacation and sick pay. Pay stubs are proof of your income.
- Medical bills: Depending on the severity of your injuries, compensation can cover doctor visits, hospitalization, surgery, medical devices, emergency care, and physical therapy. Your medical records will serve as evidence.
- Property damage expenses: Compensation can cover lost or damaged items and repairs to your vehicle.
- Pain and suffering: You may be in constant pain and suffering emotional distress, mental anguish, disfigurement, disability, and loss of enjoyment. Pain and suffering are challenging to prove but important to consider as part of any calculation of the value of your claim. Your attorney can quantify these damages after reviewing your tangible damages and how the injuries have affected you.
Compensation is more than just seeking coverage of your financial losses. It’s about holding the negligent party accountable and getting justice while securing the future for your and your family.
What Steps Should You Take After a Car Accident?
A car accident can cause confusion and panic, but there are steps you can take that will help make the claims process easier, as well as protect your well-being.
- Call the police: If someone is injured or passes away, or there is substantial property damage after a crash, you must call law enforcement to the scene. They can write up a report that you can use as evidence in your claim or lawsuit.
- Seek medical treatment: Your health comes first, so you should seek medical attention as soon as possible, even if you don’t think you have any injuries. Your doctor can document your injuries and treatment, helping connect them to the crash.
- Gather evidence: If you are able to do so, try to gather evidence by taking photographs of the accident and collecting contact information (e.g., names and phone numbers) from witnesses.
- Consult a personal injury lawyer: A lawyer with experience handling personal injury cases can evaluate your case, investigate the accident, determine liability, calculate your claim, negotiate a settlement, and file a lawsuit if necessary in pursuit of compensation.
Learn More What You Can Do After Your Have Leg Pain After a Car Accident
Your leg injuries could impact you for the rest of your life. Securing your future and aiding the adjustment to your new normal calls for pursuing fair compensation. Allow our car accident lawyers to help you navigate this process.
Call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers today. Our team gives free case reviews, and there is no obligation.
