Orange County Knee Injury Lawyer

Tendon Tears

Tendon tears are usually not as serious as meniscus or ligament tears. There are caused by falls that stretch the tendons. Tendon tears are also known as tendonitis.

Symptoms of a Knee Injury

Knee injuries are not always immediately symptomatic. It’s not unusual at all to have little to no pain until several hours, or even days, after a knee injury. Here are some of the symptoms to look for if you suspect that you’ve sustained a knee injury:

• Swelling
• Heat
• Pain
• Redness
• Tenderness
• Difficulty bearing weight
• Difficulty walking
• Difficulty with bending the knee
• Clicking or popping
• Instability
• Bruising
• Locking

If you experienced any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

How Do I Treat My Knee Injury?

Some knee injuries will heal on their own, but many require medical treatment to achieve a full recovery and regain full range of motion. Fractures and dislocations usually require immediate medical attention and sometimes require emergency surgery. Soft-tissue injuries to the knee are usually treated initially with a combination of conservative therapies such as physical therapy and acupuncture, with assistance from anti-inflammatory medications. If conservative therapy is not successful, the next course of action is often injections of cortisone, a powerful anti-inflammatory, directly into the injured area. Therapy is sometimes more successful after cortisone injections reduce the pain and swelling of the knee. If physical therapy and cortisone injections are not successful, the next course of action is to consider surgical repair. Many types of knee surgery can be done arthroscopically on an outpatient basis. The repairs are accomplished with the use of a tiny video camera and small punctures used to insert instruments. Some types of knee surgery do require traditional open methods. After surgery, physical therapy is usually necessary to achieve a full range of motion, stability, and proper gait.

How Long Does It Take for a Knee Injury to Heal?

Some knee injuries heal very quickly, but others may never completely heal. The most severe knee fractures, dislocations, and tears can require multiple surgeries and years of rehabilitation. During this time a victim may accumulate large amounts of medical bills and be unable to work. In some cases, knee injuries can be catastrophic, requiring the use of a wheelchair for mobility or for the leg to be amputated from the knee down.

How Much Is My Knee Injury Claim Worth?

The value of a claim for a knee injury in Orange County will vary greatly based on the amount of treatment required, the time it takes to heal, how much time was lost from employment, and the degree of permanent loss of use. Claimants with more serious knee injuries and long-term disability can often collect multi-million dollar settlements or verdicts for a combination of medical costs, lost earnings, pain, suffering, and mental anguish.