Being involved in a car wreck could cause you serious injuries. The most common injury experienced in Kentucky auto accidents are strain or sprain injuries.
A sprain is an injury to a tough, thick and fibrous tissue that connects bones together called the ligament. The ligament’s purpose is to hold your skeleton together in a normal alignment.
If too much force is applied, it will cause the ligaments to be stretched and torn. This could cause a sprain injury that will usually arise. A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon. These muscles are made to stretch, but if stretched too far, or if stretched while contracting, a strain injury may result.
The three grades of strains and sprains
A strain or sprain injury can be permanent. They are commonly graded according to the extent of the injury. There are three different grade levels. Here’s a list of the grades and what they mean:
- Grade I is overstretching of the ligament.
- Grade II is partial tearing of the ligament that does not heal. This tear wound repairs itself with internal scar tissue called adhesions and leaves the joint unstable. The two grades can usually be treated with physical therapy.
- Grade III is a complete tear of the ligament. This type of injury may require surgery.
What should I do if I have a strain or sprain injury?
Strain or sprain injuries need to be checked up by a chiropractor or an orthopedic doctor. These injuries should not be taken for granted. They can be a permanent injury that can affect you for the rest of your life. It is best to be examined immediately after a car accident to determine if you are injured and can receive the treatment you need.
If you don’t get checked out right away, and an injury starts to bother you later, this could be bad news if you took this accident to court. Why? That’s because the insurance company will notice the gap between the accident and when you went to see a doctor. They will try to make your injury sound like it was caused by another event and not the accident.
The insurance company will say that if your injury was caused by the accident, then you would have seen a doctor right after the crash.
This argument usually results in you receive no money from your case. So, to prevent that from happening, please see a doctor as soon as you can after an accident. Not only will it help your case if you decide to take legal action, it will also help you recover. Speak to a Louisville Kentucky personal injury attorney today for help with your injury.