Knee injuries are among the most common and most complex of personal injury claims in Greenville, South Carolina. This is because many victims of knee injuries have the possible complication of having a pre-existing knee condition. Because the knee is a uniquely intricate joint with multiple bones connected to the same area, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and cartilage, it can be challenging to prove that your injury was caused by the negligence of another party rather than from prior sports injuries or even old age. Some knee conditions are degenerative, meaning that they get worse with time. This is particularly common in cases where the cartilage slowly disappears over time or where the joint becomes more damaged with time.  If you don’t have any pre-existing condition in your knee, then it will be easier to prove your damages. If you do have a pre-existing condition in your knee it is still very possible to recover compensation for a knee injury through a Greenville, South Carolina, personal injury claim.  You will just have to use your medical records from before and after the new injury to show that the injury actually did cause damage beyond the pre-existing condition.
How the Different Parts of Your Knee Combine to Create a Strong and Vulnerable Joint
It may sound like an oxymoron to describe the knee as both strong and vulnerable, but when you understand how the parts of your knee connect and function together it makes a lot more sense. The knee joint is strong because it is composed of multiple strong bones, including the thigh bone, the shin bone, and the knee cap. It includes the tendons and ligaments that hold things together and the cartilage that cushions the movement of the bones. Your knee helps to support your weight, and makes it possible to stand, walk, lift, and maneuver heavy objects. Yet, all of these combined parts make the knee vulnerable, too, because there are so many of them and any one of them can become damaged. When any one part of your knee is damaged, the whole knee can give out or it can cause tremendous ongoing pain.
Types of Knee Injuries that Involve Different Parts of Your Knee Joint
Because there are so many components involved in the functioning of your knee joint, there are multiple ways that your knee can become injured. Some of the injuries that may occur in your knee include bone fractures (of any of the three connected bones), sprains and strains, ligament tears, cartilage damage, and dislocation of the bones from the knee cap. You may have serious swelling, bruising, tenderness, weakness, and difficulty walking or supporting your weight. Many people will have a pronounced limp with a knee injury, while others won’t be able to walk at all. Still others may not have any noticeable limp or difficulty walking, but will experience general and consistent knee pain.  Many of these injuries will have similar symptoms, so it can be hard to tell exactly what is wrong without seeking medical treatment and diagnosis.. You will probably require x-rays to identify or rule out bone fractures, and your doctor will discuss the events leading up to the accident and the symptoms that were present. You may even require an MRI to check for damage to ligaments or cartilage.
Common Ways Knee Wounds Occur in Greenville, South Carolina, Personal Injury Claims
A bone fracture knee injury can occur with any of the bones that are connected to the knee. The kneecap itself can be fractured, or the thigh bone or shin bone could be fractured in the area of the knee. Fractures range from mild cracks in the bone to severe and complete breaks. These types of knee injuries occur in many different ways. They can be caused by sports accidents, by work accidents, by slip or trip and fall accidents, by auto accidents, by falls from heights, and more.
These accidents can also cause sprains or strains, ligament tears, or dislocation. In a knee dislocation injury, the knee cap becomes separated from the leg bones. When it comes to the cartilage in the knee, this can be worn down over time or damaged in a single injury. Some injuries will heal with time, while others will be ongoing and chronic. Some knee injury victims will have to use a brace to support their knee. Others may need crutches until the injury heals. You may also be treated with pain medications and physical therapy. In the worst cases, surgery may be required.
Do You Have a Valid Greenville, South Carolina, Personal Injury Claim for Your Knee Damage?
If your knee injury occurred through the negligence of another party, you may be unsure of whether or not you can successfully file a Greenville, South Carolina, personal injury claim. It is particularly confusing if you know that you have a pre-existing knee condition. Fortunately, having a pre-existing knee condition does not prevent you from being able to recover compensation for any additional damage that was caused through the negligence of another.
If the injury happened at someone’s house or business, and involved an unaddressed hazard, then you may have a premises liability claim. You can also file an auto accident claim for a knee injury that occurs in a motor vehicle collision.
If the injury happened at work, then your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance should cover it. With workers’ compensation, you won’t be able to recover compensation for pain and suffering, and only 2/3 of your lost wages will be covered. However, your medical expenses will be covered for work related knee injuries.
Start Preparing Your Personal Injury Claim With a Greenville Attorney
The most important thing that you can do after any kind of knee injury is to collect evidence of what caused the injury (such as photos and witness statements), and seek medical treatment right away. You should also write down everything that you experienced at the time of the injury, including whether your knee made a popping sound, whether it gave out completely, how much pain you experience when moving, and whether the knee was swollen or bruised. Then gather up your medical records from before and after the injury, and bring all of your evidence with you to your free consultation the Greenville, South Carolina, personal injury attorneys at David R. Price, Jr., P.A. The attorneys at David R. Price, Jr., P.A. are happy to help you sort through the details and evidence of your knee injury and get your Greenville, South Carolina, personal injury claim started on the right foot.
David Price is a Personal Injury, Civil Litigation, Collections, and Criminal Defense Attorney who practices in Greenville, SC. He graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law, and has been practicing law for 12 years. David Price believes in helping those who have been injured. Learn more about his experience by clicking here.