A knee injury can be very painful, sometimes requiring months of recovery and leading to reduced earnings or loss of income. This can further strain your finances as you will still have to cover medical costs as well as your daily living expenses.
The good news is that you can get compensation to cover all these damages while you are recovering. A Florida knee injury lawyer can help you file claims against the party responsible for your knee injury. You can file a personal injury claim that will get you compensation for your injuries and other resulting damages.
Causes of Knee Injuries
Knee injuries can result from multiple factors. Some of these factors can result from human error, causing you to suffer injuries from someone else's negligent acts. Common causes of knee injuries include:
Car Accidents
A car crash is the most common cause of knee injuries. Your knees can fracture from the hard impact against them, causing shooting pain. The injury can cause problems with mobility, leading to months of rehabilitation and physical therapy.
Slip and Falls
Slip and fall accidents are also another common cause of knee injuries. They can occur from slipping on wet floors that don't have warning signs or tripping on uneven surfaces. Other causes of slip and fall accidents include:
- Poorly maintained sidewalks or floors
- Failure to fix hazards, like spilled water
- Areas of buildings failing to meet building codes
- Areas with poor lighting
Workplace Accidents
There are laws protecting workers in case of workplace accidents. Physically taxing work takes a lot and can lead to workplace accidents, resulting in knee injuries. This may involve heavy lifting, which occurs when workers fail to follow the proper lifting procedures.
Other causes of knee injuries in the workplace include falling, banging your knees on equipment when doing manual labor or tripping over workplace equipment. Your Florida knee injury lawyer can help you file for worker's compensation to get coverage for your injury.
Types of Knee Injuries
The knee is a strong part of the body, able to withstand up to ten times your body weight when running and four times when walking. This makes it prone to injuries resulting from accidents or overuse. The injuries can affect your joints, soft tissue, and even the bones. Some of the injuries you can suffer to your knees include:
Kneecap Fracture
A kneecap fracture is one of the most severe types of knee injury. It happens when you fall forward hard, landing on your knees. Aside from being very painful, kneecap fractures can also prevent you from walking and might require surgery.
Torn Meniscus
A torn meniscus happens when your upper body twists but the foot stays put. The tough, rubbery cartilage, called the meniscus, acts as a shock absorber, stabilizing and cushioning the knee joint. Forceful twisting or turning can tear the meniscus, resulting in swelling and limiting your range of movement.
This injury can heal on its own, but you might require surgery to remove the cartilage. The surgery can cause permanent joint weakness and a reduced mobility range. A Florida knee injury lawyer can help you get coverage for the surgery and your other medical costs.
Knee Dislocation
This is a milder but no less painful knee injury. It occurs when your knee absorbs a high-impact force, causing the bones to shift out of their original place. A mild dislocation will only need your physician to pop it back into place. For the more severe dislocations, you might require surgery for the knee to heal properly.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury
An ACL injury happens when your knee forcefully moves in an unnatural way. It is a common injury for athletes and workers who lift heavy objects. You might hear a popping sound when you damage the ACL. Some of the signs of an ACL injury are swelling and shooting pain; the injury might require surgery to deal with the symptoms.
Liability in Knee Injuries
The parties responsible for knee injuries vary according to the cause of the accident. Your Florida knee injury lawyer will look at the circumstances surrounding the accident to find the liable party. For example, if you got hurt in a car accident, you could get a car accident lawyer to file a claim against the driver.
Same goes for if you injured yourself while at work or due to a slip and fall, your knee injury lawyer would file a claim against the liable party that caused the accident. For your Florida knee injury lawyer to file claims against the responsible party, they will need adequate evidence. The evidence should show that the responsible party caused the accident and that the accident is liable for the injury.
A Florida Knee Injury Lawyer Can Help
A Florida knee injury lawyer will take your case and work with you to get compensation for any damages incurred due to someone else's negligence. They can collect the necessary evidence, such as footage of the accident, police reports, and witness statements, to help support your case.
You can help your lawyer in this process by ensuring you go to the hospital as soon as possible after the accident to get a medical report. Florida Statute 627.736, states that you risk your chances of filing a claim if you don't get medical attention within 14 days after the accident. A hospital visit helps ensure everything is okay and gives you further evidence that supports your claims.
Your lawyer can help you get compensation for your injuries and other damages. They negotiate with the insurance company and any responsible party to ensure you get a fair settlement and that the other party doesn't reduce or refuse to pay you for your pain and suffering. The compensation you receive may include:
- Medical expenses, including emergency hospital visits and surgeries
- Lost wages
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy costs
- Loss of quality of life
- Pain and suffering
Contact The Dolman Law Group
Don't suffer your injuries alone; get help from our attorneys. Our knee injury lawyers can help you deal with seeking compensation for your pain and suffering. We have prior experience with personal injury cases, and our client settlements are proof that we will do the same with your case. Contact the Dolman Law Group today for a free consultation and case review.