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It is no surprise that drivers and front seat passengers suffer significant lower leg injuries in head-on collisions. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), moderate and severe injuries to the lower extremities occur in frontal crashes. In fact, lower limb injuries to drivers and front seat passengers are a main cause of hospitalizations and death in frontal collisions.
When a frontal crash on Florida State Road 45 takes place and serious damage to a vehicle occurs in which the car has to be towed from the accident site, it is pretty common for a driver and front seat passenger to suffer the following lower extremity injuries:
- Leg injuries – These injuries can include femur fractures, tibial plateau fractures, open fractures, and ligament injuries. It can also include crush injuries that result in limb amputations.
- Ankle injuries – These injuries can include anklebone fractures that includes the tibia, fibula or talus—the three bones that make up the ankle. Also, rupture of the ankle ligaments or laceration to the ankle joint can occur.
- Foot injuries – These injuries can include toe fractures, broken bones of the foot, soft tissue injuries, and rupture of major tendons and laceration of nerves.
Part of the cause of lower leg injuries in frontal crashes occurs from floor and toe pan intrusion, as well as contact with foot controls and the console. Although the majority of foot, ankle, and leg injuries aren’t fatal injuries, these types of injuries are often associated with impairment. This is because frontal collisions tend to be high-energy crashes that result in long-term disability.
When car accident victims can no longer perform their jobs, take care of themselves, or do the things they once loved as a result of their crash injuries, they should be compensated for their damages and changes to their lives in the following ways:
- Income – Lower leg injuries may make it impossible for car accident victims to return to work or hold down the same type of job that they did prior to the car crash. They should be compensated for lost wages and future lost income as a result of their injuries.
- Care costs – Sometimes lower leg injuries may require that victims need help bathing, getting ready, cooking, cleaning, and even driving. Victims of lower leg injuries should be compensated for lifestyle inconveniences and for the care they require.
- Loss of enjoyment of life – When victims can no longer do the things they loved doing—even hobbies like running or participating in other spots—they should be compensated for their loss of enjoyment of life.
Unfortunately, lower leg injuries can cause many victims of auto accidents to not be able to stand, walk, and function normally. Sadly, these types of injuries can disrupt a person’s life forever. If you or someone you love has been the victim of a motor vehicle collision in the Sarasota area, please order a copy of our free book, What You Need to Know After a Florida Auto, Truck, or Bike Accident.
