In most cases this injury will not have been caused by a car accident however there is a significant proportion that is a direct result of motor vehicle collisions. Road traffic accidents are a major cause of traumatic injury and represent more than half of all cases handled by personal injury solicitors. If you have been injured in a car accident and you want to make a compensation claim for personal injury and loss just complete the contact form, email our offices or use the solicitor’s helpline. Our car accident compensation claim solicitors offer free advice without further obligation. If we deal with your claim it will be on a no win no fee basis, compensation is paid in full and you do not have to fund or finance your car accident compensation claim.
The foot is relatively protected from major injury because it is encased in the body of the foot. Nevertheless, fractures of the foot and foot pain are very common injuries because the foot is vulnerable to crush injuries, slipping injuries and twisting injuries. Because we walk on our feet all the time, they can be subject to overuse injuries, such as plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a pain on the bottom of the foot on the base of the calcaneus, where the calcaneus attaches to the planter fascia, the connective tissue band that is located across the bottom of the foot.
As mentioned, fractures of the foot are common and about one in every ten broken bones happens in the foot. There are twenty six bones in the foot and almost any of them can be fractured. The back of the foot and the ankle are defined by the talus and the calcaneus, which allow the ankle to flex and extend at the ankle. They can be fracture in injuries that damage the ankle. There are five small bones that make up the midfoot region, called the navicular bone, the cuboid bone and three cuneiform bones. The forefoot is made up of the metatarsals, which are prone to fracture because of their long nature and their location. There is one metatarsal for every toe and each toe contains two to three phalanges. The phalanges are also prone to injury because they are the most distal of bones and can easily be struck by another object.
The foot can be injured by crushing the foot, bumping the foot against something or walking too long on the foot. Toes are broken when you strike a hard object. Heels can be broken if you fall from a long height and land on your feet. Twisting the foot or ankle can fracture the foot or sprain the ligaments within the foot. Plantar fasciitis is caused by walking too much or standing too much using the wrong shoes. There is direct pain on the bottom of the foot that is worse when you first start walking and gets better as you walk.
Fractures of the foot are usually sudden but you can have stress fractures of the foot that occur over time. Stress fractures are more common in soldiers hiking in hiking boots and in ballerinas or other types of athletes. Gymnasts are especially prone to stress fractures of the foot.
Children get broken bones in the foot more common than adults. In adults, however, the bones are stronger than the ligaments and it is the ligaments that give and get damaged. A sprain in an adult foot is more likely to be a fracture in a child’s foot. The foot of the child is very flexible, however, and this somewhat protects the foot from injury. It is difficult to find a metatarsal or phalanx fracture of the child because their bones are full of growth plates which mimic areas of fracture.
Symptoms of foot injury are bruising, pain and swelling of the affected area. Often, it is difficult to walk unless all you have is a broken toe. Bruising is common and is treated with ice and local heat after forty eight hours. Swelling can interfere with the ability of the person to wear socks or shoes.
The diagnosis of a foot injury depends on a complete history of the injury or pain, and a physical examination of the feet. If both feet are affected, such as in plantar fasciitis, there will be tenderness of the foot on both sides X-rays can be done to show bony injury and an MRI exam of the foot will show any ligamentous or muscle injury to the foot. Plantar fasciitis can show up on plain films of the foot.
The treatment of the foot injuries includes rest, ice, elevation and compression. You can use an Ace bandage to protect the foot and control pain. You don’t really need to treat phalanx fractures of the toes because they aren’t connected to other major bones and tend to heal well on their own. In rare cases, surgery is done to put dislocated bones back together and a cast is applied. Crutches and non-weight bearing are necessary to allow the foot to heal. For plantar fasciitis, using a shoe insert can help immensely as can nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications.
If you have suffered physically, mentally or financially, you should consider making an accident compensation claim. For free telephone advice from specialist personal injury solicitors just call the helpline. Our lawyers will assess the strength of your claim and will advise you on your potential award of compensation without any further obligation.