Human legs contain an elaborate network of nerves, joints, bones, and connective tissues that work in harmony to allow us to be functional and flexible. If you are having leg pain after a car accident, you may have injuries that are not allowing your body to heal correctly, causing inflammation and pain. Even something as simple as braking quickly can cause sprains and soft tissue injuries. Here are some common leg injuries that are the result of car accidents.
Lacerations: A laceration is essentially a deep cut, and in some cases, a laceration of the leg can be a life-threatening injury since the femoral artery, the main blood vessel supplying blood to your lower body, is located in the legs. A leg laceration requires special care and can take as little as four weeks to heal, but the majority can take four months or longer. If the laceration requires stitches, it can impact your ability to work, particularly if your work requires any strenuous activity or heavy lifting. Even if you have an office job, if you require stitches on the back of your thighs or knees, you would not be able to sit in an office chair for some time.
Severe bruising: A violent crash often causes severe bruising. Bruising happens when your muscle fibers and connective tissue is crushed, but the skin doesn’t break. Blood from the broken capillaries leaks under the skin, causing the skin to become discolored. A severe bruise can cause major swelling, pain, and weakness around the bruise. In very rare instances, a severe bruise can indicate that a deep-seated vein was damaged in the accident, which can lead to a deep-vein clot. That’s why it’s critical to get checked out by a doctor after a car accident.
ACL injury: ACL injuries are one of the most excruciating types of leg injuries you could endure. An ACL injury occurs when there is a tear or sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which is one of the strong bands of tissue that aids in connecting your thigh bone to your shinbone. Depending on how severe the ACL injury is, it may require rehabilitation or even surgery to replace the torn ligament. People that have endured ACL injuries have a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis in the knee, even if they had surgery to correct it. Long-term complications are something you should take into consideration when filing an insurance claim against the person who caused your injury.
Broken and crushed bones: A simple fracture will require time to heal at least. But if you’ve had a leg bone crushed, it most likely will require surgery to repair the bone with surgically inserted metal rods or plates. Complications of broken leg bones can include knee or ankle pain, bone infection, nerve or blood vessel damage, arthritis, unequal leg length (in children), and poor healing, particularly if the leg fracture was severe. Compartment syndrome is common with high-impact injuries like car accidents. It causes pain, swelling, and sometimes disability in the muscles surrounding the broken bone.
Torn meniscus: Although a common knee injury, a torn meniscus can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, and the inability to extend your knee fully. You may feel a popping sensation, or it may make you feel as if your knee is giving way or it’s locked in place. As with other injuries of this kind, you’re more likely to develop osteoarthritis after this kind of knee injury.