Foot and Ankle Injuries Related to Car Crashes

Have you ever tried to balance on one foot? Unless you have incredible core strength, it is tough to maintain for more than a few seconds. That’s because our balance is designed to be shared across both of our feet. In fact, each part of our foot contributes an important role to our ability to stand, walk, move up and down steps, and raise or lower ourselves to sit. Pretty much any motion you make requires some sort of stability provided by your feet and subsequently your ankles.

When you have been involved in a violent car accident, your feet and ankles can easily become so badly injured that your mobility is affected long-term. If this has happened to you, then you are acutely aware of how trying it is to get through your daily routine without the ability to move with the same ease you used to. In some cases, the damage may be a permanent life change that requires learning how to navigate new challenges.

Most common foot and ankle injuries

While our feet and ankles have the capacity to take the beating we inflict on them through our daily routines, they are surprisingly fragile when it comes to motor vehicle accidents. Bones, muscles, and ligaments can withstand a lot of pressure when they move the way they are intended to. They are simply not meant to withstand thousands of pounds of pressure from a high-speed impact, nor are they forgiving when bent in the wrong direction due to being pinned by a crushed seat, door, or the front cabin folding in on you.

The injuries seen most often in these auto accidents include:

• Lateral, medial, & posterior malleolus fractures when the ankle is twisted or rolled resulting in severe pain, swelling, and bruising.
• Bimalleolar fractures results in damage to both the tibia and fibula making your ankle joint unstable. Surgery is the likely solution, and in many cases, arthritis can set in.
• Bimalleolar equivalent fracture of the fibula and tears to the inner ankle ligaments can lead to ankle instability and
• Trimalleolar fractures are similar to bimalleolar fractures only the breaks occur to the tibia and bone in back of the fibula.
• Talus and heel (calcaneous) fracture affect your ability to walk because they connect your foot to the lower part of your leg. Surgery is usually a given when these breaks occur because of the potential for complications to set in and permanently affect your mobility.
• Lisfranc fracture is when there are torn ligaments or broken bones in the midfoot – or arch – and bruising on the bottom of your foot will be a common tell-tale sign. Because your weight directly sits on that area of your foot, it makes walking or standing with this fracture incredibly painful. Treatment can range from ice and elevation to surgery depending upon the severity.
• Toe fractures, as with other breaks, can cause a lot of pain, and if it doesn’t heal properly, it can affect your ability to walk or run.

It takes a lot to recover from a foot or ankle injury

Diagnosis alone can mean costly x-rays, CT scans, or MRIs in order to detect even the smallest fracture that can cause future complications if not quickly treated. Once doctors know what they are dealing with, you could require anything from crutches to assist you in walking to a complicated surgery to have pins placed to allow you to eventually walk again. Frequently, physical therapy is required no matter how minimal the break is in order to regain your full range of motion.

You may need to take time off from work in order to heal. This also means that you won’t be able to:

• Play with your children
• Participate in physical activities that you enjoy
• Handle your share of the housework, yardwork, or home maintenance
• Drive a car
• Run your normal errands

Fractures of the foot or ankle may seem like a minor injury because it’s such a small area of your body; however, those bones and ligaments are some of the most important when it comes to maintaining your independence.

If you have broken an ankle or foot during a motor vehicle accident, you need to seek help that is tailored to your own injury and your particular needs. Learn how the caring Memphis car accident lawyers at Bailey & Greer, PLLC will present your claim in the manner best suited to meeting your financial needs.  To schedule your free, no-obligation consultation in our Memphis or Jackson office call 901-475-7434, or we invite you to reach out to us through the firm’s contact page to tell us your story.