Leg pain is a common occurrence after a car accident. A seat belt or airbag does not hold down the legs during an accident. The force of the collision can cause the knees or legs to crash into the steering wheel, dashboard, or other parts of the car. The right leg is more susceptible to injury during a car crash because of the strain you put on your leg as you suddenly brake in anticipation of the collision. A fatal car crash can also crush your legs, resulting in muscle loss, nerve damage, and disability.
What Are The Common Leg Injuries From a Car Accident?
Leg pain is commonly experienced after a car accident. It may result from any of these leg injuries.
Hitting the dashboard, steering wheel, or other parts of the vehicle may give you cuts on the skin of your legs. Medical professionals can tend to shallow cuts easily, but deeper cuts are a different story. They often heal slowly and can affect your ability to walk, stand or sit.
- Dislocated bones
The sudden impact of a collision can cause your knee or hip to be dislocated. A dislocated knee or hip is not only extremely painful, but it can also damage soft tissues surrounding it.
Bone fractures, commonly known as broken bones, do not always occur in a car accident. However, they are extremely painful and can take a while to heal.
- Sprains and strains
Sprains are injuries to tissues that connect muscle to a bone. Meanwhile, strains happen when tissues that connect bones get injured. Sprains and strains are both painful and can lead to muscle tearing.
What Do You Need To Do If You Were in a Car Accident and Are Experiencing Leg Pain?
Your leg pain can either be a common soreness or a serious condition. Here are some of the things that you can do.
- Seek medical attention.
Leg pain after a car crash can be something serious. So, immediately seek medical attention to know what’s causing it and to receive the treatment that you need.
- Get checked.
Most doctors will order a CT scan or an MRI if you were in an accident and are suffering from leg pain. Have an orthopedic surgeon or a neurologist interpret your scan result. These specialists are the most qualified to diagnose your symptoms and can provide proper treatment.
- Secure a copy of your medical records.
Insurance companies are quick to point out that there are many causes of leg pain. So, if you were in a car accident and are experiencing leg pain, make sure you let the doctors know so that they can include that information in your medical records. If properly documented, insurance companies will be less likely to argue that your leg pain is unrelated to the accident.
- Talk to a personal injury lawyer.
Insurance companies are quick to obtain information that can minimize the value of their client’s claims. For example, they often take recorded statements of accident victims and witnesses immediately after the accident to try to lessen their financial responsibility to the claimant. Therefore, ensure that you talk to a lawyer as soon as possible after the accident to know your rights. The information that you get from your lawyer can protect you and your family from getting low-balled by insurance companies.
- Inform your insurance company about your leg pain.
If you were in a car accident in Michigan and another driver was at fault, you can consider a no-fault claim or a negligence claim. A lawyer can help you to identify the correct insurance company where you can submit a no-fault benefits application.
List leg pain where the application asks about crash injuries. The sooner you can establish the relationship between the accident and your leg pain, the less chance your insurance company is likely to give you a hard time approving your claims.
Talk to The Clark Law Office about Compensation for Your Leg pain
Having been in a car accident is already painful as it is. Don’t let insurance companies add to your grief. At The Clark Law Office, we’ll help you deal with the legal side of things. Our Lansing injury lawyers have been helping clients like you for more than 30 years. Call us at (517) 347-6900 or email us at info@theclarklawoffice.com today.
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