Lower Extremities Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents
Car accidents involving pedestrians can be incredibly dangerous collisions. These types of accidents often result in lower extremity injuries to the pedestrian involved. A person’s lower extremities include the hips, legs, feet, and ankles. The main reason these types of injuries occur so frequently in pedestrian-vehicle collisions is that the first point of contact between the pedestrian and the vehicle is the lower extremities.
If you or someone you love has sustained injuries to the lower extremities as a pedestrian because of a car accident, contact our lawyers right away. We are a national law firm with offices all over the country full of aggressive lawyers that will fight for your rights.
Types of Impact Involved in Pedestrian-Vehicle Accidents
In collisions between pedestrians and vehicles, there are multiple types of injury causing events that occur. The first is the initial point of impact when the vehicle first strikes the pedestrian. Injuries sustained at the initial point of impact often include leg breaks and fractures, but also may include pelvic breaks or fractures.
When a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle, the pedestrian is typically thrown forward. The travel trajectory of the pedestrian depends on the speed the car was going, the extent of applying the brakes, and the area of impact.
When the pedestrian lands, serious injury may occur when the body hits the ground. If the vehicle runs over the pedestrian after they have landed, then there is a major risk of lower extremity fractures and breaks, along with many other types of injuries or death. If the pedestrian is completely knocked down immediately after the initial impact, it is also possible that the pedestrian is not thrown forward at all, rather, the pedestrian is run over.
Hip Fractures
Hip or pelvic bone fractures are common injuries resulting from pedestrian-vehicle accidents. Extracapsular fractures are generally less serious than the other major type of hip fracture, intracapsular fractures. Extracapsular fractures occur near a joint but are still outside of the joint capsule. Intracapsular fractures occur inside of the joint capsule and include fractures of the femoral head and femoral neck. Hip fractures can be serious and may even require surgery to fix the fracture. Even after surgery, it is common for doctors to prescribe a course of physical therapy to return your hip function to what is was prior to the accident.
Knee Injuries
Another common injury resulting from these types of car accidents is a knee fracture. Your knee is made up of a bone called the patella. Patella fractures can be particularly harmful and may also require surgery or physical therapy. You will likely need crutches while recovering from a patella fracture and may also need to wear a cast.
Leg and Ankle Injuries
Pedestrians hit by cars may also suffer from leg and ankle fractures or breaks as a result of the collision. The leg bones involved are the tibia and fibula bones. When either fractured or broken, these bones may require surgery along with a course of physical therapy to regain proper use of their leg. Ankle and foot injuries are also common in these types of accidents. On occasion, they may not need surgery to heal, in which case doctors will often prescribe physical therapy sessions and home exercises.
Collisions involving pedestrians and cars can have extremely serious results, with a pedestrian susceptible to many different injuries to the lower extremities. Contact our lawyers right away if you have been involved in a collision with a car as a pedestrian. We will fight for your right to obtain compensation for your injuries. You may be entitled to a large settlement to compensate you for your injuries.