Any kind of knee injury can have a life-altering impact on your life, as they often bring one’s mobility and earning ability to a screeching halt. Making matters worse is the fact that once a knee is injured, there’s a high chance of having long-term issues like chronic pain, as well as a high likelihood of repeat injuries in the future.
With all of that in mind, it’s wise to know what to expect if you or a loved one has recently suffered a knee injury. From understanding treatment options to learning how to get help with knee injury costs, a little research can help you plan for the road ahead.
What Is Knee Comprised of?
The knee is the body’s largest joint and is made up of three bones: the femur (the upper leg bone), the tibia (the lower leg bone), and the patella, or kneecap.
These bones are held together by a complex system of muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage that works to support mobility and strength. But it is the variety of these parts that means even a small injury can have a significant impact on your range of motion, ability to hold weight, gait, and posture.
What Are Some Common Types of Knee Injuries?
Certain types of knee injuries are more common than others, though, with some of the most common knee injuries doctors treat including the following:
- Torn meniscus muscles
- ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
- Knee dislocations
Damage to the muscles, ligaments, or bones makes for the most common form of knee injuries. Nevertheless, because the knee is such a complex structure, it can be injured in a variety of ways. Depending on the accident and the way in which the knee was injured, any of its components can be affected.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Knee Injury?
The signs and symptoms of a knee injury can vary based on the type of injury you sustain. In general, though, some of the most common signs of a knee injury are as follows:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Discoloration
- Stiffness
- Limited range of motion
- Inability to hold weight
- Popping or crunching sounds when moving the joint
In certain instances, injuries can be immediately apparent, triggering extreme pain from the moment of harm. Others, such as a meniscus tear, may only present minor initial symptoms or possibly none at all. In cases like these, symptoms like pain and an inability to hold weight gradually worsen over the hours, days, or weeks following the injury.
On that note, it’s particularly important to know the signs of a knee injury in cases where the injury seems minor at first. Continuing with regular activities with an injured knee can cause the injury to worsen. As such, it’s best to exercise caution and have your knee checked by a medical professional anytime there’s even a chance that it has been injured.
What Are Some Common Knee Injury Treatment Options?
Treating a knee injury typically begins with a combination of physical tests and imaging. Imaging tests commonly used to diagnose knee injuries include the following:
- X-rays
- Ultrasounds
- CT scans
- MRIs
Your doctor may also recommend lab testing on the fluid in the knee joint to check for infection or inflammation.
Specific treatment recommendations will depend on the type and severity of the injury, but common courses of treatment for a knee injury include the following:
- Surgery
- Stabilizing the joint
- Physical therapy
- Pain medications
- Injections (steroids, plasma, or hyaluronic acid)
It’s hard to make a general prediction of what to expect from the treatment process for a knee injury. But one thing is clear: Knee injuries are generally painful, and it takes time for one to heal correctly. As such, during the recovery period, it’s important not to overdo it or place too much stress on your knee.
How Do Knee Injuries Happen?
As mentioned earlier, the knee’s complex structure means that when trauma or overuse occurs, many different parts are at risk of suffering damage or harm. Doctors and personal injury lawyers alike handle knee injury cases in a near-countless number of scenarios.
Of course, certain situations do tend to result in knee injuries at a higher rate than others, such as:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Injuries involving dangerous or defective products
- Sports accidents
The manner in which a knee injury occurs will have a direct impact on whether you’re eligible to get help with the resulting costs. For instance, if you fall down the stairs of your own home and suffer a knee injury, there might not be much a personal injury lawyer can do to help.
On the other hand, if you hurt your knee by slipping and falling down the stairs of a hotel, restaurant, or mall, you might be able to recover compensation through the business’s liability insurance.
How Can I Get Help With Knee Injury Costs?
A knee injury can result in substantial losses. Treatment alone can leave you with significant medical debt, especially if the injury requires surgery.
Additionally, you may be unable to work during the recovery period, leading to lost wages and benefits. In the worst of cases, a knee injury can result in permanent damage, leaving you with chronic pain, difficulty walking, and an inability to return to your former occupation.
The silver lining here is that knee injury compensation can reimburse you for costs such as:
- Past and future medical bills
- Ambulance bills
- Physical therapy
- Assistive devices
- Past and future lost wages and benefits
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Diminished quality of life
The process of recovering knee injury compensation begins by attending a free consultation with a knee injury lawyer to learn about your options.
Contact Our Augusta Personal Injury Lawyers Today
If you or a loved one has suffered a knee injury in Augusta, Georgia, it’s important to realize you have options. Treating a knee injury can bring substantial medical costs. In many cases, a knee injury can have a permanent impact on mobility, earning ability, and other areas of life.
The best way to protect yourself financially after a knee injury is to contact a lawyer before it’s too late. Hawk Law Group is an award-winning Georgia personal injury firm with over 70 years of combined experience. Our experienced injury attorneys have successfully recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation money for our clients.
Don’t wait to get help with your knee injury costs. Contact Hawk Law Group today at (706) 722-3500 to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Augusta personal injury lawyer.
