Knee injuries from car accidents are painful, expensive, and frequently require surgery. Dashboard impacts in frontal crashes and door intrusion in side-impact crashes are the most common mechanisms. At Simmons Law, Chris Simmons handles knee injury cases across Mobile County and Baldwin County and builds the damages record that accounts for surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term joint health.
Types of Knee Injuries From Car Accidents
ACL tear: the anterior cruciate ligament stabilizes the knee — a complete tear almost always requires surgical reconstruction. MCL sprain or tear: the medial collateral ligament is commonly injured in side-impact crashes — partial tears may heal without surgery; complete tears often require repair. Meniscus tear: the cartilage cushions in the knee can be torn by the twisting forces of a crash — many require arthroscopic surgery. Patellar fracture: a direct dashboard impact can fracture the kneecap. Tibial plateau fracture: a high-energy impact can fracture the top of the tibia at the knee joint, often requiring ORIF surgery.
Dashboard Knee Injuries
In frontal crashes — common on I-10 and I-65 — the knee strikes the dashboard with enormous force. This mechanism can cause patellar fracture, tibial plateau fracture, posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears, and hip fractures simultaneously. These dashboard injuries are serious, high-cost claims. Simmons Law handles the full scope of these injuries and the resulting damages.
Treatment and Costs
ACL reconstruction surgery: $20,000-$40,000 plus 9-12 months of physical therapy. Meniscus repair surgery: $15,000-$30,000. Tibial plateau ORIF surgery: $30,000-$70,000. Total knee replacement (for post-traumatic arthritis): $30,000-$50,000. Physical therapy following any knee surgery: $5,000-$20,000. Future surgery risk — post-traumatic arthritis developing years after injury — is a recoverable future damage that must be documented now.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis
Knee injuries involving joint surface damage — tibial plateau fractures, severe meniscus tears — significantly increase the risk of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. This can mean total knee replacement surgery decades later. Simmons Law works with orthopedic experts to document this future risk and include it in the damages calculation, not just the immediate surgery cost.
