If you’ve suffered a meniscus tear injury in Tampa, you should not underestimate the true long-term effects this could have both financially and on your mobility.
Our Tampa Personal Injury Accident attorneys have experience working with people who have experienced these knee injuries and have provided the following advice:
What Are Meniscus Tears of the Knee?
In the knee, there is a padded structure made of fibrocartilage called the ‘Meniscus’. There are two types of (the medial and the lateral) structures that divide the knee’s joints and they keep things stable.
A tear of the meniscus, also known as a cartilage tear, occurs when the structure tears due to an injury. This is often the case in anterior cruciate ligament (ASL) injuries or medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries.
These injuries are very common in sports, (you may have heard of professional athletes who have to end or slow their careers as a result) but also in accidents such as car accidents and slips and falls.
Types of Meniscus Tears
There are three types of Meniscus Tears:
- Minor Tears: Resulting in swelling in pain. Usually can be resolved in around three weeks.
- Moderate Tears: Pain is felt in the middle or side of the knee. Swelling increases and the knee becomes stiff. Sharp pains are felt during twisting and/or squatting. Pain will dissipate but return without proper treatment.
- Severe Tears: Occur when there are pieces of the meniscus floating in the joint space. The knee is prone to popping or locking. Straightening is difficult.
Can I Win Compensation for a Meniscus Tear Injury?
If you’ve suffered a Meniscus Tear injury in your knee that wasn’t your fault, you can gain compensation via a Tampa personal injury claim. The settlement you win will cover your damages.
The type of claim you’ll make will be determined by how you were injured. For example, if you were injured in an auto accident then your PIP will cover the first $10,000 of medical bills.
If the costs of your bills exceed that amount, which is common in Meniscus tear injuries, you will either have to use your health insurance or pay out of pocket.
Alternatively, you can pay via a ‘Letter of Protection’ (LOP). An LOP is an agreement made between you and your medical provider. The agreement ensures that the medical provider will continue to treat you, and that payments will be repaid out of a settlement of the case.
An LOP is a common solution for non-motor vehicle accidents or those who don’t have sufficient insurance coverage.
Either way, you will need to file a claim against the insurance provider or a lawsuit against the at-fault party.
Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
It is highly advised that you work with a reputable Tampa personal injury lawyer for a Meniscus tear injury.
You’ll be up against an insurance company that frankly doesn’t care about anything but limiting their expenses. They’re for profit, after all.
While you want to focus on resting and recovering, they’ll be trying every trick in the book to make you admit fault or accept a low-ball offer that leaves you out of pocket.
Let our award-winning Tampa personal injury lawyers take care of all communications and negotiations. We’ve been on the other side of the table and know the manipulation and delaying games they play. We don’t fall for them.
With our extensive resources, we can also prove the true cause of your accident and if required use expert testimonies to show the true effect it’s had on your life.
The Importance of Calculating the True Damages
Meniscus tear injuries get expensive fast. But still, many Meniscus tear injury victims underestimate the true extent of their damages.
Damages are not just the bills you’ve paid for medical treatment. It’s anything that was forced upon you, from transportation to clinic to medication and missed wages.
There is also potential to negotiate for ‘non-economic damages’, such as those for pain and suffering and mental anguish.
Our Tampa personal injury lawyers know how to calculate the true cost of your injury. The last thing you want is to be left paying out of pocket!
Potential damages include:
- Medical costs
- Lost income
- Future lost income due to diminished earning capacity
- Future medical costs
- Nursing care
- Assistive devices
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of companionship
Keep Your Evidence
Evidence is critical in a Meniscus tear injury in Tampa. Your insurance company or opposing party will want proof that your damages were caused by the accident and that they’re the correct value.
We urge you to keep:
- All receipts of expenses related to the accident
- Photos of your injury, from the day of the crash onwards
- All doctors’ or specialists notes and reports
- X-Rays
- Photos of the accident scene
- Documents that detail missed wages and any other losses
Are You Aware of the Long-Term Consequences?
We don’t wish to scare you, but we urge you to not underestimate the common long-term consequences of a Meniscus tear injury in the knee.
That’s because we see people underestimate the true cost and accept low-ball offers from their insurance companies. Don’t settle for anything less than you deserve. Here’s why:
- Meniscus damage can be permanent.
- Complications can result in osteoarthritis.
- Knee pain
- Difficulty walking or moving as before
- It can last years, or even for the rest of your life.
If you are an athlete or work in a field where you need to move a lot, then you should not underestimate the true cost of a meniscus tear injury.
What Is The Common Treatment of a Meniscus Tear of the Knee Injury?
Treatments for a Meniscus tear injury vary depending on severity and patient age.
- Initial treatment is usually conservative, such as:
- Physical therapy.
- Rest
- Strengthening the surrounding muscles
- Medication such as tylenol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory is likely.
- If the knee is locking or physical therapy fails, then surgery is often suggested.
- Surgery is done arthroscopically.
- Inside knee tears will require partial or total meniscectomy, as blood flow does not exist there and a natural repair is impossible.
- This surgery procedure sees the damaged meniscus replaced with an artificial cushion.
- It is not favored in younger patients, due to the increased risk of developing osteoarthritis.
- Significant rehabilitation programs are required post-surgery.
- The length and extent varies.
- Patients may take months to walk again.
- The knee will likely never feel or move the same again.
- Rehab is often intense and requires specialist equipment to allow you to move until the knee is up to strength.
Hire a Tampa Meniscus Knee Injury Lawyer in Tampa, FL
Free Consultations
If you’ve suffered a knee Meniscus tear injury in Tampa, Florida, please contact our experienced Tampa personal injury lawyers for a free consultation.
We have decades of experience helping people who have suffered significant injuries, such as meniscus tears, to gain the true compensation they deserve.
Sean McQuaid and Jonathon Douglas are award-winning Personal Injury Lawyers with vast experience, a proven track record, a strong reputation and impressive resources. We believe we provide the strongest chance of winning the maximum possible settlement to help you move forward.
