Milwaukee Car Accident Lawyer's Complete Guide to Car Crash Leg Injuries

Many different types of car crash leg injuries may occur after an accident. Any leg injury may cause significant pain, extensive medical treatment, time lost from work, and substantial changes to your life. Below, our skilled and experienced Milwaukee car accident lawyer breaks down everything you need to know after suffering one of these injuries, from how they happen to what to do after and how our team can help you recover financially.

Common Types of Car Crash Leg Injuries

Some of the car crash leg injuries you may experience after an accident include:

Broken bones. Any bone in the leg may fracture during a crash. Common car accident broken bones include the femur (thigh bone), patella (knee cap), tibia (larger of the two shin bones), or fibula (smaller of the two shin bones.)
Ligament injuries. Ankle or knee ligaments may be stretched or torn during a car wreck.
Muscle tears. If your muscle tears during a crash, you may be in significant pain and unable to bear weight on your leg.
Lacerations. Significant cuts or puncture wounds may occur during a car crash. In some cases, lacerations may require stitches and may lead to dangerous, potentially life-threatening infections.
Crush injuries. Your leg may be crushed in a car crash, causing devastating damage to your bones, muscles, ligaments, joints, and nerves.
Amputation. An amputation may occur if part of your leg is severed during the crash. Alternatively, an amputation may be necessary later if you suffer a crush injury, a severe infection, or another life-threatening injury that can only be managed by removing part or all of your leg.
Blood clots. Trauma may cause a blood clot to form in your leg after an accident. The clot may break away from its place in your leg and travel to your lungs, where it may become life-threatening.

A doctor will examine your leg and may order diagnostic tests such as X-rays or CT scans to evaluate the extent of your injury and develop a treatment plan.

How Car Accidents Cause Leg Injuries

The injury that you suffer will depend, in part, on what happened during your car accident. A car crash leg injuries may be the result after an accident if:

The force of the crash causes you to hit your leg on the dashboard, steering wheel, or another part of the car
Your leg becomes trapped, crushed, or amputated in the wreckage
Your leg is hurt while you are being extracted from your vehicle, despite the best efforts of first responders

Whether you can move independently after a crash or you need to wait for help will depend on the extent of your injury.

What to Do After Suffering a Car Accident Leg Injury

According to our Milwaukee car accident lawyer, the actions you take and the mistakes you avoid after a car crash will significantly impact your potential car accident recovery. If you are physically able to move and take action at the accident scene, you can:

Call 911. Dispatchers will send the police and first responders to the accident scene. The police will investigate the crash and secure the scene from secondary crashes while the first responders attend to your medical needs.
Take pictures. Your photos may provide important evidence in your accident case
Get witness contact information. Write down or record the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of anyone who saw the crash occur. These eyewitnesses may provide essential information about your accident.
Accept emergency medical attention. Prompt medical attention may help manage your pain and prevent your injuries from getting worse.

In the hours, days, weeks, and months following your car crash leg injuries, it’s essential to:

Report the accident to your insurance company. Do not engage in conversation about the crash. Instead, just report when the crash happened, where it happened, and contact information for your lawyer.
Continue getting medical care. This may help not only with your physical recovery but also with your legal case.
Call a Milwaukee car accident lawyer. Your attorney will make sure that all of your rights are protected.

While you take these steps, it’s just as important to avoid potential mistakes that could interfere with your recovery. Potential mistakes in a car accident case include:

Talking to other drivers, insurance adjusters, or on social media. Anything that you say or post on social media may be misconstrued and used against you.
Acting inconsistently with your injuries. The insurance company may follow you and deny your claim if it thinks you are exaggerating your injuries.
Failing to follow your doctor’s orders. You have a duty to mitigate your damages and to follow reasonable medical advice. The failure to do so could interfere with your legal recovery.

As you take these actions, it’s essential to keep in mind why you are fighting for a fair financial recovery.

What You May Recover for Your Damages

According to our Milwaukee car accident lawyer, your potential compensation after suffering car crash leg injuries includes your past, current, and future:

Medical costs including ambulance transportation, hospitalizations, surgeries, doctors’ office visits, medications, crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other healthcare expenses
Lost income for any wages, bonuses, raises, benefits, paid time off, or self-employment income that you could not earn because of your car accident injuries
Out-of-pocket expenses for any costs you incur because of your injuries, including but not limited to property damage, household help, and transportation costs
Pain and suffering for your emotional suffering and physical pain

However, your recovery won’t be automatic. Instead, you will need to prove that someone else’s negligence caused your accident injuries.

Contact Our Experienced Milwaukee Car Accident Lawyer

Our experienced Milwaukee car accident lawyers have helped more than 70,000 clients recover more than $1 billion in damages. Insurance companies know that we mean business and are often willing to fairly settle our clients’ claims. The insurers know that if they fail to make reasonable settlement offers, we won’t hesitate to go to court, which opens them up to an uncertain payout and additional legal costs.

Feel free to contact our Milwaukee attorney online now. We also invite you to download a free copy of our book, The Ultimate Guide for Automobile Accident Victims, to learn more about your rights and potential recovery.

Did Your Injury Take Place Somewhere Else in the Midwest?

If you've been injured in a car accident you should speak to an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible. You can contact us online or call our office directly at 800.800.5678 to schedule your free consultation with one of our car accident lawyers. We have been helping car accident victims since 1964 and service clients throughout Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.