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.
Leg injuries can involve injuries to the leg from the hip to the toes It can involve a bony injury, such as a fracture, a muscle injury, such as a strain or a ligamentous injury, or a ligamentous injury, called a sprain.
The various leg injuries include fractures (bones broken), dislocations of the hip, knee or ankle, sprains, which affect the ligamentous injuries. These can disrupt or just stretch the ligament. They can involve strains or tearing of the muscles, muscle overuse injury, particularly in exercise and a muscle bruise, which involves a direct blow to the muscle. A bone bruise can be caused by direct injury to the bone. The most common causes of leg injuries include motor vehicle accidents, falls, assaults or sports injuries.
The pain can be mild and not interfere with regular daily activities. It can be moderate and interfere with your daily activities or awaken you from sleep. It can be severe, meaning it is excruciating and interferes with all your daily activities, making it difficult to sleep without severe pain.
You may need to go by ambulance to see the emergency room specialist if you have serious injuries with multiple areas of fracture. Major bleeding is another reason to see the doctor immediately. You should see your doctor within twenty four hours or sooner if you think you have a fracture or dislocation. If you have a large area of bruising or swelling or if the skin is pale or blue around the injury, you need to see the doctor fairly soon. If the injury happens to a young child, see the doctor right away. If the pain is severe, you need to see the doctor. If you cannot stand or walk, seek medical advice or if you have a limp. If you cannot move a joint, you need to see a doctor fairly soon.
Types of injuries include a fracture or dislocation of the hip due to a fall or motor vehicle accident. You can fracture the femur or disrupt the knee in some way. Knee injuries can involve ligamentous, meniscal or bony injury to the knee. You can fracture your tibia or fibula due to a fall or other injury. The tibia can become injured in what’s known as a shin splint, which is a stress fracture to the tibia. The fibula is usually injured at the level of the ankle from and inversion injury (inward turning) of the ankle.
The diagnosis of an injury to the leg involves a careful history and physical examination of the leg. The leg is examined for dislocation injuries as well as for bruising at the site of the injury. The range of motion of the joints is examined for abnormalities. Pain is assessed at all levels of the leg and the ability of the individual to walk is assessed. X-rays are done to check for bony injury of the leg and an MRI exam can tell if the muscles or ligaments are affected. Tendons are examined by MRI exam and by physical exam to see if they have been overly stretched or transected.
There is significant home care for minor leg injuries. You can treat pulled muscles, bruised muscles and bruised bones by applying ice and/or heat to the affected area. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen can be used to control pain. Ibuprofen seems to work the best for this kind of pain. Cold packs are applied in the first twenty four hours to reduce swelling and bleeding of the affected area. You repeat ice every twenty minutes for a total of four consecutive hours and then repeat while awake.
Local heat is applied to sprained muscles after 48 hours for about ten minutes three times a day. This helps the blood dissolve and bruising disappears faster. You need to rest the affected area as much as possible and gently stretch the muscles as they heal.
For knee pain, use the RICE method, which stands for rest, ice, compression of the knee and elevation of the knee. Use an ace bandage to wrap the knee in a mildly flexed position and stay off your feet. Cold packs should be applied for twenty minutes out of every hour. Use crutches or a walker to get around if you need to and don’t put much pressure on the foot. Use Tylenol or Advil for pain and inflammation. Swelling is worse after two to three days but will go down after two weeks if treated properly.
Doctors can treat the leg injury by immobilizing the entire leg in a cast or a splint. Splints are good for ankle or knee injuries that are not fractures and can be removed when you sleep or to apply ice to the affected area. Casts are applied for fractures below the knee or at the level of the knee. Surgery is usually done to fix fractures of the femur or of the hip joint itself.
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.