Knee Injuries

The knee is one of the most important joints in the body, connecting the upper and lower legs. Serious knee injuries can result in loss of mobility, severe pain, and even difficulty with standing in one place, reducing a patient’s ability to engage in work or everyday activities.

If you’ve suffered a serious knee injury, the State of New York allows you to seek financial recovery if your injuries were caused by someone’s wilful or neglectful action. Should you suffer a knee injury, contact The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel for a free consultation. In a free case evaluation, we can explain whether you may have a case and address your questions, so you can decide whether a legal claim is warranted in your situation.

Common Causes of Knee Injuries

Knee injuries can happen in any situation where you twist the knee, fall, or suffer a direct impact to any part of the knee. Common causes of knee injuries include:

• Car accidents.
• Trip and fall accidents.
• Industrial accidents.
• Bicycle accidents.
• Pedestrian accidents.
• Motorcycle accidents.
• Sports injuries.
• Assault and violence.

No matter what has caused your injury, it’s important to evaluate what caused the trauma. In New York, if the incident was caused in whole or in part by someone’s intentional action or negligent action (or failure to act) you may be able to file a legal claim and seek compensation for damages, including pain and suffering, lost wages and earning potential, medical expenses, and more.

At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we work with independent board-certified medical consultants, including orthopedists, orthopedic surgeons, vocational rehabilitation experts, engineers, investigators, accident reconstruction experts, and other professionals. These experts can investigate what caused your injuries, can evaluate how those injuries will affect your life and earning potential, and can present their findings before insurance companies or the courts, helping our team establish your right to fair financial recovery.

Common Types of Knee Injuries

The knee is comprised of tendons, which connect muscles to bones, ligaments, which is strong connective tissue that connects the ends of bones, and cartilage, which has no nerves or blood supply. Cartilage acts as a shock absorber between the femur and the tibia. Three bones come together to create the knee joint: the thighbone, or femur; the shinbone, or tibia; and the kneecap, also known as the patella. Damage to any of these parts of the knee can cause painful and debilitating injury. Knee injuries vary widely, but some of the most common types include:

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries. The anterior cruciate ligament supports and stabilizes the knee, and a rupture of this ligament can require complex surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
• Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injuries. The PCL is located at the back of the knee, and PCL injuries usually happen when the knee is bent and a direct impact happens. This type of injury is painful and can make even walking impossible.
• Collateral Ligament Injuries. When the knee is pushed sideways, collateral ligament injuries can occur. For example, in a slip or trip and fall accident, when a person slips and twists his or her knee in an awkward manner, this can result in tears of the medial collateral ligament. This injury can cause instability of the knee, swelling, and pain.
• Meniscal Tears. The meniscus is a cartilage, a rubbery disc that cushions the knee. There are two menisci in each knee, a lateral meniscus, on the outer edge of the knee, and a medial meniscus on the inside of the knee. Meniscus tears are generally caused by a twisting or turning rapidly.
• Tendon Tears. When a tendon in the knee tears, you may hear a popping or snapping sound. This type of injury can cause pain, swelling, and an inability to straighten out your leg. This is a serious injury that often requires surgery and physical rehabilitation.
• Fractures. Knees contain bones, and these can break, destabilizing the joint. The patella and the ends of the tibia and femur are susceptible to breaks, especially in car accidents or falls. In some cases, bleeding caused by the injury creates a medical emergency, where intervention is needed to drain fluid from the joint. Fractures may be treated with a cast and rest. More complex fractures will require surgery.  In both cases, pain management and physical rehabilitation may be necessary.
• Dislocations. These injuries happen when the patella or the tibia and femur are pushed out of place. In some cases, this self-corrects, and in other situations a healthcare provider can manually relocate the kneecap so you can use your knee. This can be a very painful injury, however.

No matter what kind of injury you’ve sustained, it’s important to seek medical attention as soon as you realize there is any mobility concern, swelling, or serious pain. A doctor can diagnose you and send you to an orthopedic surgeon or other specialist for treatment.

The good news is that New York has the top three orthopedic hospitals in the country, so patients have access to the most advanced treatments as well as research-focused specialists who are the leading authorities in their field. However, access to top treatment is expensive, even with a strong health insurance policy. These additional costs come at a time when many patients lose income because they need to take a leave of absence at work, as their injuries prevent them from performing the key tasks of their job.

This is why consulting with an experienced knee injury attorney is useful. An attorney can find any liable parties in your case and can represent you as you pursue a legal claim. The role of your lawyer is to secure compensation for you so you can pay for quality medical treatment and can pay your bills after a serious injury.

Treatment of Knee Injuries

Some knee injuries heal on their own, with adequate rest and pain management. Others require more intensive treatment and ongoing rehabilitation to increase muscle strength and to restore function and movement.

For example, the repair of a torn meniscus is a much simpler procedure than the surgical repair of the anterior cruciate ligament, and the patient can return to full activity in a matter of weeks, rather than the several months that is required in the repair and rehabilitation of an anterior cruciate ligament tear.

For more severe knee conditions and injuries, and in cases where there have been repeat or multiple knee injuries, sometimes knee replacement is necessitated. This generally entails several days in the hospital, followed by one to two weeks of inpatient rehabilitation, including aggressive occupational and physical therapy. Often, following the inpatient rehab, the person requires continuing therapy at home with a visiting nurse or therapist.

Contact Us Today

Have you suffered a knee injury in a slip and fall, car accident, or any other situation where someone’s actions could have contributed to your injuries? Contact The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel for a free consultation to discuss whether you could have a claim or have some avenue to seek compensation.

At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we have represented numerous clients since 1986 who have suffered severe knee injuries in auto accidents, trip and falls, motorcycle accidents, construction accidents or as the result of medical malpractice. Our team has the necessary knowledge and background to prepare our clients’ cases to maximize their compensation for pain and suffering, lost earnings and earnings potential, past and future medical and hospital expenses, and loss of enjoyment of life.

We also take into account in our assessment of many cases that there is the possibility that the client will no longer be able to engage in rigorous activities such as playing basketball, football or other activities which require a stable knee joint. Further, we know that it is often inevitable, even in the best of outcomes, that the client will develop arthritis, and this must be factored into the damage calculations.

Our law firm has intentionally chosen to maintain a small team, which means that our founder, Mark A. Siesel, will be personally involved in your case and you will be able to discuss your situation with him. Whether you have been injured in Westchester County, the Hudson Valley, NYC, or the surrounding communities, we may be able to help.

For a free consultation to discuss your case in detail and how our firm can provide legal assistance, contact us anytime at (914) 428-7386 or online.