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Leg Crush Injury From Auto Accident

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The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C.

Car accidents often cause debilitating and long-term injuries. Some of these injuries, including leg crush injuries, require extensive treatment and involve long recovery periods.

A broken bone injury is one of the most common injuries that can result from a car accident. It is not uncommon to see a cast on a car crash victim’s leg, but in some cases, it can be worse.

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While broken bones are severe, more severe injuries, such as a crushed leg, can occur from a car accident. A crushed leg means that it is fractured in several places, and it is needless to mention that the overall damage and pain caused are much more significant compared to a simple fracture. A crushed leg can have severe and even life-threatening consequences.

A crush injury occurs when two heavy objects compress or squeeze a body part. For example, a passenger’s legs may get pinched under the dashboard in a head-on collision. A crush injury may damage the muscles, obstruct or completely stop an organ’s blood flow, and even cause tissue death. Some common symptoms of crush injuries include heavy bleeding, bone fractures, bruising, and loss of consciousness.

Common Causes of Crushed Leg Injuries in Car Accidents

Several scenarios in car accidents can lead to crushed leg injuries:

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Consequences of a crushed leg after a St. Louis car crash

Various car accident scenarios can result in a crushed leg. The victim’s leg may become trapped under the dashboard or caught under the steering wheel. After a rollover crash may even become pinned entirely beneath the vehicle’s metal frame. A fractured thigh bone or femur is one of the most common consequences of a crushed leg injury. This often requires surgical treatment, and the victim is immobile for weeks. 

Other serious complications can follow a crushed or twisted leg injury. These include:

  • Hip fracture: If you have suffered a hip fracture due to a crushed leg injury, you may need a partial or complete hip replacement to restore the joint’s full function.
  • Hip dislocation: A crushed or twisted leg injury can cause hip dislocation, and doctors may have to insert screws in the hip joint to ensure that it heals properly.
  • Rhabdomyolysis: A medical condition that causes rapid destruction of skeletal muscles due to extensive muscle damage.
  • Amputation: If the leg is crushed severely and is beyond repair, or if a fragment of the broken bone has severed a critical artery, surgical amputation may be necessary below or above knee level to save a life.
  • Paralysis: If trauma to the pelvic region affects the spinal cord, the victim may suffer a complete loss of function below the waist.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Crushed Leg Injuries

Proper diagnosis and treatment of crushed leg injuries are crucial for recovery:

Diagnosis:

  • Physical examination
  • X-rays, CT scans, or MRI to assess bone and soft tissue damage
  • Compartment pressure measurements to check for compartment syndrome

Treatment:

  • Emergency trauma care to stabilize the patient
  • Surgical interventions, which may include:
    • External fixation to stabilize fractures
    • Fasciotomy to relieve pressure in compartment syndrome cases
    • Debridement of damaged tissue
  • Pain management
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitation
  • In severe cases, amputation may be necessary

Long-Term Impact and Rehabilitation

Recovery from a crushed leg injury can be a long and challenging process:

  • Extended hospital stays and multiple surgeries may be required
  • Chronic pain management is often necessary
  • Physical therapy to regain strength and mobility can last months or years
  • Occupational therapy may be needed to adapt to daily activities
  • Psychological support to cope with trauma and lifestyle changes
  • Potential need for assistive devices or prosthetics
  • Possible career changes or adaptations due to mobility limitations

Other Common Leg Injuries Caused by Car Accidents

Leg injuries generally require immediate treatment. In most cases, the victim needs to be hospitalized and undergo surgery. In some cases, long-term treatment will be required. Some symptoms may arise at a later stage, and thus, the patient needs to watch out for any long-term complications under the guidance of an experienced doctor.

  • Bursitis – occurs when the bursae, the cushion-like sacs responsible for padding the muscles, tendons, and knee bones, become inflamed. People with bursitis have problems moving the knee and experience pain and swelling.
  • A.C.L. Injury – The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (A.C.L.) connects the femur bone to the tibia and helps maintain the stability and flexibility of the knee joint. An A.C.L. injury is usually excruciating and may cause swelling, weakness, and a popping sound in the joint. Surgery is often required to treat A.C.L. injuries. Patients also have to undergo physical therapy to restore the function of the knee.
  • Broken leg – may refer to the fracture of any of the three bones in the leg, such as the tibia (shinbone), femur (thighbone), or fibula (runs parallel to the tibia). When a person suffers a broken ankle injury in a car accident, the bones that are broken are usually in the ankle joint, for example – the talus (beneath the tibia and fibula), fibula (runs parallel to the shinbone), and tibia (shinbone).
  • Broken foot – This usually occurs in the car accident victim’s toes or in the bones that connect the toes to the rest of the foot, known as “metatarsals.”
  • Common symptoms of a broken leg, foot, or ankle:
    • Pain that increases with activity and subsides with rest
    • Immediate, throbbing pain
    • Deformity
    • Swelling, bruising, tenderness
    • Cuts, open wounds, or protruding bone fragments
    • Inability to walk or bear weight
  • Torn Meniscus: The knee joint contains semi-circular, shock-absorbing cartilage, which can tear due to an unnatural rotating or twisting motion.
  • Common symptoms of a torn meniscus:
    • Pain
    • Stiffness
    • Swelling

Depending on the severity of the injury, the victim may have to undergo surgery, followed by physical therapy. However, minor cases are usually treated with pain medications, rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy.

Contact The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C.

The victims of a crushed leg injury often require prolonged hospital stays and long-term medical care. They also suffer debilitating restrictions concerning their ability to earn a livelihood. Substantial medical expenses combined with a loss of income can put anyone in a state of financial despair. 

If another person’s negligence caused the car accident that resulted in your injuries, you might be able to recover all your losses, including medical expenses, therapy and rehabilitation costs, loss of income, and pain and suffering from the party at fault.

An experienced St. Louis car accident attorney can help you get the compensation you are legally entitled to and protect you from the insurance company’s tactics to minimize your claim.

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Updated: December 12, 2024