Knee Injuries in a Traumatic Ottawa Accident

Serious injuries to the knee may be a result of a fall or a motor vehicle accident.  Many of our Ottawa personal injury clients suffer knee injuries in their accidents.

In slip and fall accidents, the fall could have occurred because of a wet floor, uneven surface in an office complex, a trip on a drop off or uneven surface, broken and irregular pathway or sidewalk,  due to missing or broken step or steps that do not comply with the Ontario Building Code.

In a car accident, you may suffer a knee injury if your knee gets pushed against a console or the dashboard or if it twists upon impact.  In a bicycle accident, there are many ways you knee could be injured, including falling directly onto it.  Similarly, a pedestrian could be struck in the knee, land on a knee or twist a knee while falling to the ground after being hit by a vehicle.

These injuries are more often than not a result of landing with full force on the knee and the knee cap taking the full brunt of the victim’s weight.

If your injury is a mild one, it might just involve a slight damage to the medial meniscus or the ligament in the knee. Injuries might also result in damaging the medial collateral ligament of the anterior cruciate ligament. In some case surgery is the only option for a lasting cure.  Surgery is normally followed by an intensive physiotherapy session.

It is also a fact that no other part in the body experiences as much stress as the knee.  Injuries to the knee are often fairly painful and treatment courses available today are useful in mitigating the injury only to a certain extent.  The effect is normally on the movement of the knee and its rotation and hinging movement. Some of the common injuries to the knee are as follows:

  • ACL Tear due to an accident: The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is located deep inside the knee and tear on the ligament can be fairly painful. Surgery is normally the only solution to this ailment.
  • MCL Tear due to an accident :  The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is also located on the side of the knee and supports the knee in its sideways movement and preventing it from buckling. A heavy fall or a sudden impact to the side of the knee can result in a damaged MCL. It can lead to restricted movement of the knee and a protracted treatment process.
  • Meniscal Tear due to an accident: The articular disks (joint disks) of the knee are also called “menisci.” These two disks consist of connective tissue made up of collagen fibers. Their main utility lied in preventing the bones from rubbing against each other and also aids in shock absorption.

If you have suffered a knee injury due to a traumatic accident caused due to a fault of someone else, you may be entitled to damages for pain and suffering, future care costs, and any loss of income.   Consider contacting an experienced Ottawa personal injury lawyer to assist you to assess your case.  Call us at 613 233-4529.

About the Author: Brenda Hollingsworth

Brenda Hollingsworth co-founded Ottawa’s Auger Hollingsworth in 2005 with her husband Richard Auger. Together, their mission was to create a personal injury law firm for Eastern Ontario that is unrivalled in the province for customer service and legal expertise. Brenda was named an Ottawa Business Journal Forty Under 40 award recipient and took home the Women’s Business Network’s Businesswoman of the Year award in the Professional category. She was also recognized as one of Ottawa Life Magazine’s “Top 50 People in the Capital.” She is often quoted as an expert and has appeared in media outlets such as CTV, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Sun Media, CBC, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette, CFRA and many legal publications.

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