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St. Louis Auto Accident Attorney - Compensation for Dashboard Injuries
Car accidents can make an individual susceptible to numerous injuries. The extent of injuries differs depending upon the direction and speed of the crash. One of the most common injuries car accident victims complain of is a knee injury. For the driver and passengers sitting in the front of the car, the dashboard is placed right above their knees, which increases the chances of a knee injury if the knees get smashed against the dashboard due to the impact of the collision.
Dashboard injuries can lead to two common knee injuries called Chondromalacia Medial Femoral Condyle or Infrapatellar Saphenous Nerve Injury.
1. Chondromalacia Medial Femoral Condyle
This type of knee injury occurs when the protective articular cartilage (chondromalacia meaning “soft cartilage” in German) that connects the shin bone (tibia) to the knee joint (the patella) near the end of the thigh bone (the femur) gets damaged as it wears away or fragments. This leads to inflammation of the cartilage and painful fluid accumulation in the knee.
While the symptoms of Chondromalacia Medial Femoral Condyle most often include internal or lateral pain in the knee area, popping or cracking sounds from the knee and knee effusions, there are many other conditions like softening of the cartilage, thickness loss of cartilage, blister-like swelling on the surface, etc. that can indicate Chondromalacia Medial Femoral Condyle. An MRI or an MRA scan can typically correctly diagnose the extent of damage to the knee, and help determine if surgery is necessary. This damage is categorized into four grades based on severity. As such, the intensity of these symptoms do not indicate the progression of the injury, condition of the knee and if surgery is required.
2. Infrapatellar Saphenous Nerve Injury
The Infrapatellar Saphenous Nerve is situated in the lower part of the leg and is part of the saphenous nerves that originate in the middle of the thigh. Any injury or damage caused to the peripheral saphenous nerves cause pain. This pain though, is not localized and patients suffering from an IPS injury generally complain of a stiff knee with pain in the frontal area or sides. Other symptoms include inability to flex the knee, making it difficult to walk straight or squat. A number of tests or combinations of tests like the Tinel’s test, the Von Frey filament Testing or Nerve Conduction Studies can be conducted to deduce Infrapatellar Saphenous injury, though an exact location or area of concern cannot be ascertained for treatment. IPS injuries are often seen as causes for chronic pains along with other forms of trauma and there is no formal treatment for an IPS injury.
Treating Dashboard Injuries
Chondromalacia Medial Femoral Condyle or Infrapatellar Saphenous Nerve Injury, both have been causes for discussions and controversies for quite some time. While earlier, surgery was considered as the best option to treat these dashboard injuries, poor results of surgeries have made many doctors question the success of surgeries for these conditions. Most doctors now prescribe the RICE treatments of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation to slowly alleviate these conditions.
Due to the lack of emergency surrounding these injuries, it can often get difficult to file claims for compensation for such car accident injuries. If you have been involved in an automobile accident, get in contact with an experienced St. Louis auto accident attorney to ensure that your right to compensation is protected! Call (314) 361-4242 today to schedule a free consultation with a highly experienced attorney at The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C.
