Pain in your leg may be a symptom of a serious leg injury you suffered in the collision. While each leg injury is different, many of them can have a profound impact on victims’ lives, affecting their ability to work, perform daily activities and take part in activities they once enjoyed. The path to recovery may involve surgeries, rehabilitation and significant lifestyle changes to accommodate long-term disabilities.
Roden Law is committed to helping crash victims pursue legal action to recover compensation for the medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering associated with a leg injury.
If you or a loved one has suffered a leg injury in a car crash, contact our Savannah car accident lawyersto discuss the path to compensation. We represent our clients on contingency, so there are no upfront costs.
Trusted Lawyers. Proven Results. Call us today:1-844-RESULTS.
Why Some Crash Victims Experience Leg Pain
The force of impact during a collision can cause direct trauma to the legs or other body parts that affect the legs.
Here are some reasons why crash victims may experience leg pain:
- Direct trauma: The legs might suffer direct hits during an accident, causing bruises, fractures or more severe injuries. Direct trauma to your leg may be preceded by a sudden jolt, which can also cause an injury.
- Nerve damage: A crash can cause nerve damage in the legs, leading to pain, numbness or tingling sensations.
- Soft-tissue damage: Injuries to muscles, tendons, or ligaments, known as soft-tissue injuries, can result in significant leg pain. These injuries could occur if part of your leg, such as your knee, hits or gets stuck under the dashboard. Sometimes legs get stuck and they twist, resulting in various soft-tissue injuries.
- Bruising and lacerations: Trauma to one of your legs could result in severe bruising that causes persistent pain while it heals. If your leg hits something sharp, you could suffer a severe laceration that will require stitches and careful monitoring to make sure it does not get infected.
Regions of the Leg Affected
You can divide each of your legs into four regions, each susceptible to injury during a car accident:
- Thigh (femur): Injuries to this area might include fractures or muscle contusions.
- Knee: The knee is particularly vulnerable to sprains, tears and dislocations.
- Lower leg (tibia and fibula): This region can suffer fractures, strains and compartment syndrome.
- Ankle and foot: These areas may experience sprains, fractures and ligament injuries.
Types of Leg Injuries From a Car Crash
Car crashes can result in a variety of leg injuries, ranging from minor bruises to severe fractures that require immediate medical attention and possibly long-term treatment:
- Fractures: The leg contains some of the largest bones in the body, and fractures can vary from simple breaks that may heal with casting to complex fractures that need surgery. Common fracture sites include the femur (thigh bone), tibia and fibula (lower leg bones), and the patella (kneecap).
- Sprains and strains: These injuries involve damage to the ligaments (sprains) and muscles or tendons (strains). They can result from the twisting or force of impact from the collision. Symptoms include pain, swelling and reduced mobility.
- Blood clot/deep vein thrombosis: This can be life-threatening if you do not seek treatment immediately. Sometimes this happens in the crash, but it could also happen after surgery. Victims should watch for symptoms of a blood clot moving into their lungs, such as shortness of breath, pain in the chest, bloody cough and/or lightheadedness.
- Knee injuries: The knee is a complex joint susceptible to various injuries in a car crash, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, meniscus tears and dislocations. Knee injuries can severely affect mobility and may require surgical repair and extensive physical therapy.
- Dislocations: A dislocation occurs when the bones in a joint are forced out of their natural position. Hip and knee dislocations are particularly severe and can damage surrounding ligaments, nerves and blood vessels.
- Crush injuries: In severe crashes, legs can be trapped and put under high pressure for a long time, leading to crush injuries. These can cause significant soft-tissue damage, complex fractures and compartment syndrome, where increased pressure within the muscle compartments causes severe damage to muscles and nerves.
- Lacerations and abrasions: Sharp objects or the force of impact can cause cuts and scrapes on the legs. While they may seem minor, deep lacerations can damage underlying structures and lead to infection without careful monitoring and treatment.
- Nerve damage: Penetrating injuries can sever or damage nerves in the legs, leading to chronic pain, numbness or paralysis in the affected areas.
Symptoms To Watch For
If you experience any of the following symptoms in your legs after a crash, you need immediate medical treatment. Waiting could allow an injury to worsen, making it harder to treat.
- Persistent pain or discomfort
- Swelling or bruising
- Difficulty bearing weight or walking
- Visible deformities or misalignment
- Numbness or tingling sensations
- Reduced range of motion
Treatment Options for Car Crash Leg Injuries
Treatment for leg injuries after a crash varies depending on the severity and type of injury. Common approaches include:
- Rest and ice: For minor injuries, rest and applying ice can help reduce swelling and pain.
- Medication: Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs can alleviate pain and swelling.
- Physical therapy: Rehabilitation exercises can restore strength, flexibility and mobility.
- Surgery: Severe injuries may require surgical intervention to repair damaged bones, ligaments or tendons.
It is essential to seek medical attention immediately after an accident, even if the injury seems minor. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent complications and promote a faster recovery.
Seeking Compensation for Your Injuries
Victims of car crashes in Savannah, Georgia, have the right to seek compensation for their injuries, including leg pain and associated treatments. At Roden Law, we are committed to helping our clients navigate the legal process to secure the compensation they deserve.
Some of the steps victims can take to help protect their rights include:
- Documenting your injuries: Seek medical treatment immediately and keep detailed records of your injuries, treatments and expenses. Be sure to give doctors detailed explanations of your symptoms and how treatment is working. If you do not inform doctors of symptoms, it may be more difficult to link those symptoms to the crash.
- Reporting the accident: Sometimes crash victims would rather exchange information than call the police. However, a police report can be a vital piece of evidence. Insurance companies will have a harder time disputing that the crash occurred if there is a police report.
- Gathering evidence: Your safety after a crash is paramount. However, when possible, collect evidence at the scene, such as pictures and statements from witnesses.
Georgia is an at-fault state, which means the driver who caused a crash can be held liable for damages. However, the liable insurance company is probably going to fight hard to deny or undervalue your claim. That is why you need an experienced lawyer on your side. Victims who hire lawyers often recover more than those who do not.
Do You Have a Leg Injury From a Car Crash? Call Roden Law Today
At Roden Law, our team of experienced attorneys understands the physical, emotional and financial toll a car crash can take on victims and their families. We provide comprehensive legal representation with the goal of securing the compensation victims need to recover and move forward with their lives.
If you are experiencing leg pain after a crash in Savannah, Georgia, do not hesitate to seek legal and medical help. Understanding your injuries and your rights is the first step towards recovery and securing the compensation you deserve.