Lower Extremity Injuries
Hip, leg, and foot injuries are commonly seen in front- and side-impact motor vehicle collisions with other vehicles, and motorcyclists and bicycle riders. These types of injuries can have a direct impact on your life, your ability to work, and how you go about your normal daily living activities.
Though injuries to the lower extremities are rarely life-threatening, they often leave the victims with life-long pain, discomfort, and disability, even with long-term rehabilitation.
The most common types of severe lower extremity injuries include
- Amputations
- Crush injuries
- Dislocations
- Fractures
This doesn’t include lacerations and contusions, or strains and sprains, which despite sounding far less serious than bone breaks and crush injuries, often force the victim the undergo long-term physical therapy, surgeries, and deal with long-term chronic pain and weakness.
Hip Injuries
Hip injuries are debilitating and often cause extreme pain. And the treatments for hip damage can include using plates and screws to stabilize the bones and joints or even artificial hip implantation to replace the damaged joints.
Thigh Injuries
Femur fractures, which is a break in the large thigh bone that extends from hip to knee, must be set properly as to maintain the hip-thigh-knee muscular alignment and avoid possible permanent weakness and damage.
Knee Injuries
Typical knee injuries include dislocation, tendon ruptures, and Posterior Collateral Ligament (PCL) or Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears. The knee may pop, buckle, or bend backward with weight, and the pain may be intense. These injuries must be repaired for the knee to function properly, which may include knee replacement surgery.
Foot Injuries
Foot, ankle, and lower injuries are also common in collisions and may leave the victim unable to bear weight on the leg or walk normally. Treatment for these types of injuries often includes stabilizing tibia fractures with rods or supporting the ankle with plates and screws. While the prognosis for these injuries is often good, proper medical treatment is required to recover normal function.
The severity of lower extremity injuries are dependent on the type of collision, and whether the victim is in a motor vehicle, or walking, or riding a bike or motorcycle. The speed and size of the vehicle, and in the case of a vehicle-to-vehicle crash, whether the impact was to the side or front of the vehicle and whether you were wearing a seat belt or were protected by airbags are also factors that may influence the severity of injuries.
Lower extremity injuries will impact your mobility and ability to work and conduct your normal activities. You may also be forced to undergo surgeries, long-term therapy or rehabilitation, and may require assistive devices to be able to be independent. The driver who is at fault for the accident may be required to pay compensation to you for your injuries, expenses, and losses. Call us today to learn more about your eligibility for injury compensation.