Steps to Take After a Virginia Car Accident Foot Injury

Types of Car Accident Foot Injuries

Virginia Car Crash Foot Injuries | Virginia Car Accident Lawyer

Living with these foot injuries can be challenging. Mobility is often significantly reduced, and activities of daily living can become a struggle. Pain and discomfort might be constant companions, impacting a person’s overall quality of life. Here are some of the most common car accident foot injuries.

Fractures

The impact of a collision resulting in a foot fracture can cause severe pain, swelling, bruising, and difficulty bearing weight on the injured foot. Healing broken bones is often challenging, as it requires immobilization with a cast or brace, physical therapy, and extended periods of rest to heal properly. For complex fractures, surgery may be needed.

Sprains

Sprained ankles cause pain, swelling, bruising, and difficulty bearing weight on the affected joint. It also limits your mobility and makes it hard to walk or stand. Most sprains can be treated conservatively, while severe sprains may require surgery.

Crush Injuries

Crush injuries occur when a foot is compressed between objects or surfaces during a car accident. These injuries result in broken bones, tissue damage, and even amputation in severe cases. Living with a crush injury is physically and emotionally distressing, often requiring multiple surgeries, extensive rehabilitation, and adaptive devices like crutches or wheelchairs.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries in the foot include contusions, lacerations, or damage to muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Pain, swelling, limited range of motion, and difficulty walking are common. Treatment may involve rest, ice, compression, elevation, physical therapy or, in some cases, surgical repair.

Neuropathy

Nerve damage in the foot, known as neuropathy, includes symptoms such as numbness, tingling, burning sensations, and muscle weakness. For some car crash victims, neuropathy might cause problems with balance and coordination. Treatment may include medications, physical therapy, and lifestyle modifications to manage symptoms.

Foot Compartment Syndrome

Foot compartment syndrome can occur when there’s trauma to the lower extremities. It results from increased pressure within the compartments of the foot, leading to reduced blood flow to tissues and potential damage to nerves and muscles. Symptoms include severe pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, and skin color and temperature changes in the affected foot. If left untreated, compartment syndrome may cause permanent damage and disability.

How Foot Injuries Happen in Virginia Car Accidents

Whether it’s a head-on crash, a T-bone accident, or a rear-end collision, your feet are at risk of injury in many ways.

Impact With the Dashboard or Steering Wheel

Collision force can propel an individual's feet into the dashboard or steering wheel, resulting in fractures, sprains, or crush injuries.

Pedal Entanglement

In some accidents, a person's foot may become trapped between the floor pedals when they can’t remove their feet in time to prevent injury.

Flying Debris

Car accidents frequently generate flying debris, such as shattered glass or vehicle parts, which can strike a person's foot, causing lacerations, fractures, or other injuries.

Vehicle Intrusion

In severe accidents, feet are confined or crushed within the vehicle due to structural damage, resulting in crush injuries.

What to Do After a Foot Injury in a Virginia Car Accident

After a car accident, regardless of the severity of your foot injury, 911 should be your first call. You want to summon emergency personnel to the scene immediately and start the process of getting a complete medical examination. Delaying treatment can worsen your foot injury and complicate your recovery. Here’s what else you should do.

Call Law Enforcement

Report the accident to law enforcement and obtain a copy of the police report. This report documents the accident and can be used as evidence to support your claim.

Collect Contacts and Evidence

If you’re physically able, gather information from the accident such as photographs of the scene, your injuries, and any damage to the vehicles involved. This documentation may be crucial for insurance claims and legal purposes. You’ll also want to obtain contact information for other motorists involved and any witnesses to the accident.

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer

Car accident cases can be legally complex, involving negotiations with insurance companies, securing evidence, and navigating the legal system. Enlisting help from skilled Virginia car accident legal professionals like those at The Mottley Law Firm can protect your legal rights. We’ll evaluate the full extent of your damages to ensure you receive fair compensation for your car accident foot injury. You could recover damages such as medical bills and expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, property damage, and more.