When you think about some of the most common car accident injuries, things like bone fractures, concussions, and, of course, whiplash probably come to mind. These are some of the types of car accident injuries that tend to occur the most.
But these aren’t the only kinds of car accident injuries that you’ll have to worry about sustaining if you’re ever involved in a car crash. There is also something called dashboard knee that a lot of people suffer from when they’re in car accidents.
So, what is dashboard knee, what causes it, and what kind of dashboard knee treatment will you have to go through to recover? You should learn the answers to these questions just in case you ever find yourself battling dashboard knee at some point in the future.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about dashboard knee below.
What Is Dashboard Knee?
There is a pretty good chance that you can guess what dashboard knee is based on its name. But just in case you’re not familiar with what dashboard knee is, let’s start there and talk a little bit about what it entails.
A dashboard knee car accident injury occurs when a person’s knee slams into the dashboard in a car during an accident. Depending on how a person is sitting, it’s not uncommon at all for their knee or, worse, both their knees to go crashing into the dashboard as a result of a crash.
When this happens, it’ll sometimes lead to a person’s shinbone getting pushed in, which can then cause their posterior cruciate ligament to tear. The PCL tear that they suffer during an accident can be very painful right from the start and it can cause all kinds of complications with their knee.
If you ever sustain dashboard knee, you’ll likely have to deal with:
- Swelling in and around your knee
- A lack of motion in your knee
- An inability to apply much weight to your knee
Just because your knee hurts following a car accident doesn’t always mean you’ve suffered dashboard knee. But it’s definitely worth getting it checked out to see if you do, in fact, have a PCL tear in your knee.
Can You Walk With Dashboard Knee?
One of the things that can make it a little bit difficult to diagnose dashboard knee on the spot following a car crash is that everyone will respond to this injury differently.
There are some people who won’t be able to put any weight on their legs when they sustain a dashboard knee. It’ll be very easy to tell that there is something seriously wrong with their knee when they have dashboard knee.
But there are also other people who will be able to put weight on their legs when they have dashboard knees. They won’t have any issues walking and maybe even running around despite their dashboard knee.
More often than not, you’re going to have some trouble getting around when you suffer dashboard knee. But just because you can walk with dashboard knee doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have it. You should still have your knee checked out for signs of trouble.
What Should You Do If You Suffer Dashboard Knee?
If you’re involved in a car accident and your knee hurts after it, you should get to a doctor right away so that they can check it out. They’ll be able to tell you if you sustained dashboard knee during the crash.
You should also think about trying to find a personal injury attorney to represent you just in case your dashboard knee injury turns into a more serious problem than you might expect. You don’t want to get stuck paying a bunch of medical bills if you didn’t cause the accident that resulted in your dashboard knee diagnosis.
What Does It Take to Heal Dashboard Knee?
The good news for those who sustain dashboard knee is that it’s not usually an injury that’s going to require surgery. Unlike an ACL tear, a PCL tear is something that will often heal on its own without any medical intervention.
But that doesn’t mean that you’re going to be able to go about your business following a car accident when you’ve been diagnosed with dashboard knee. Your doctor might recommend that you take time off from work to heal your knee. They might also suggest that you sign up for physical therapy sessions.
Both of these things will give you additional reasons to get a personal injury lawyer on the line since they could cut into your finances further. You should listen to your doctor, but you should also make sure that doing so isn’t going to be detrimental to your bottom line.
Can Dashboard Knee Turn Into a Long-Term Problem?
As we just mentioned, most dashboard knee injuries will heal on their own and go away without producing any further problems. But if you try to get back on your feet following a car accident too fast, it could prove to be problematic.
It’s always a good idea to listen to whatever advice your doctor gives you following a car crash. They’ll be able to speak with you further about what you’ll need to do to make dashboard knee go away for good.
You Don’t Have to Let a Dashboard Knee Injury Derail Your Life
Dashboard knee can be a very painful condition for some people. But you don’t have to let it slow you down for too long.
The key is getting a dashboard knee diagnosis from your doctor right away and then taking the necessary steps to allow your knee the time it needs to heal. With a little luck, you should be back up on your feet in no time at all and living your best life again without any pain in your knee.
Interested in reading through other legal articles that break down how you should respond after getting into a car crash? Find them by browsing around on our blog.