Torn Ligaments Lawyer Toronto

If you have torn ligaments that were caused by another party’s negligence, you have options. Don’t sign a settlement with your insurance company before you consult our experienced catastrophic injury lawyers in Toronto. At Grillo Law, we fight for accident victims and their families to ensure they’re getting everything they deserve. We can help you seek compensation for any serious injuries just as we’ve helped many other Toronto residents.

Torn ligament injuries

Ligaments are special tissues that connect two bones together or a bone to cartilage. Ligaments can experience different forms of damage including overstretching and tearing. Overstretching and tearing of ligaments can occur when there’s a forceful movement for instance after the impact of a car or motorcycle accident. A slip on the sidewalk can also result in an impact that tears the ligaments. When the ligaments are overstretched or torn, the injury is commonly referred to as a sprain. Sprains can cause severe pain, swelling, and bruising. In some cases, they cause immobility and the person is unable to resume day to day life activities including work.

Some common types of ligament injuries that we’ve experienced at Grillo Law include:

Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash injuries are common, especially in rear-end vehicle collisions. When a car is struck from behind, the vehicle occupants experience impact in three phases:

• A forward bending movement or neck flexion can occur, making the cervical spine lose the normal lordotic curvature
• The neck bones extend in an opposite direction due to the flexion, making the cervical spine assume an S-shape
• The impact can cause a forward extension that affects the entire neck

The symptoms of whiplash injuries do not manifest right away. At first, the victim is numb and still in shock from the experience. The symptoms set in several hours or days after the accident. Whiplash injuries can occur even when the impact speed is low, even lower than 15 miles per hour.

ACL and Other Knee Ligament Tears

ACL mainly occurs in athletes, but car accidents and falls can also produce severe knee injuries. Permanent impairment can happen because even if you undergo surgery, the knee will likely not regain the strength it once had or its former mobility. Any type of ligament tear in your knee, including the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial cruciate ligament (MCL), can lead to permanent impairment. An MRI can reveal the knee ligament tear clearly.

Around 90% of your knee’s stability comes from the ACL. An abrupt twisting or jerking motion, such as a car accident, can tear or severe the knee ligament. An ACL injury can be debilitating and prevent you from returning to work, especially if you were involved in physical labour. A knee ligament tear can also hinder you from engaging in recreational activities.

The other common types of torn ligament injuries that can happen in a car accident include:

• Ankle and wrist sprains as a result of a fall or motor vehicle accident
• Whiplash and neck sprains
• Torn foot ligaments
• Knee ligament sprains
• Torn meniscus
• Back sprains
• Elbow ligament tears
• Rotator cuff tears

Sprains and tears vary in severity. A mild ligament injury may not cause any joint instability and the pain goes away with time.

Three Categories of Sprains

Not all torn ligament injuries are serious. For example, a mild ankle sprain will likely not interfere with your life. On the other hand, a severe knee ligament or tearing of a shoulder can lead to incapacitation. Sprains and ligament tears are graded in three categories depending on the severity level:

Grade I is the mildest torn ligament injury. It occurs due to the stretching of the ligament. It causes a mild tear that does not cause instability.

Grade II sprains are more serious than grade I sprains, but the tearing is not complete. There is ligament damage, but it does not cause significant instability.

Grade III is a severe ligament tear injury. There is a complete ligament tear, usually known as a ruptured ligament. When you suffer from a grade III sprain, you might be unable to use that body part. You might also be unable to put any weight on the affected area.

The Common Symptoms of Torn Ligament Injuries

Torn ligament injuries, unlike bone fractures or other injuries, are difficult to record since they are hard to detect on an X-ray. Documenting the injuries on MRI can also prove to be challenging. That is why soft tissue injuries like torn ligaments are known as invisible injuries.

Often, torn ligament injuries are labelled as minor since there is no visible injury. However, the pain that results from torn ligament injuries is real and agonizing. Many victims don’t even recover fully. Your life might not be the same again if you suffer from a torn ligament. You might no longer perform your daily activities and lead a normal life. You will need an aggressive soft tissue injury lawyer in Toronto to help you seek damages for soft tissue injuries.

Now that torn ligaments are invisible, how can you tell that you have suffered the injuries? Here are the common symptoms of torn ligament injuries:

• Limited range of motion
• Swelling
• Back or neck pain
• Sleeplessness
• Headache, nausea, and dizziness
• Joint instability
• Muscle weakness and spasms

What damages can you claim?

If you have sustained a torn ligament, there’s a lot that you can’t do. You may be wondering if you’ll manage to pay bills, sustain your family, or just go on with normal life if this disability is permanent. This anxiety may interfere with your recovery and cause serious mental issues that impact your overall wellbeing.

In any car accident in Toronto, you must first seek accident benefits from your insurer, whether or not you are at fault. These benefits can be up to $400 weekly for lost income or income replacement. You can also recover up to $3,500 for physical therapy and other rehabilitation costs. You can still seek additional damages if these accident benefits do not cover your income and medical costs.

You can seek damages for:

• Pain and suffering including mental anguish
• Medical expenses (the ones you’ve paid and any future medical expenses you’re likely to incur)
• Loss of wages (including lost earning capacity if the disability is likely to be permanent)
• Household services (if you can no longer take care of your household as a result of the torn ligament)

You can only recover damages for pain and suffering if the court establishes that your injuries are serious and permanent. In a torn ligament injury case, you will require a medical opinion and supporting clinical evidence of your disability.

There will likely be a deductible on the amount the court awards. In Ontario, the deductible is $38,818.97. Therefore, if the court awards you a pain and suffering compensation of $75,000, you will receive compensation of $36,181.03. The maximum award for pain and suffering damages is also capped at $340,000. No cap is applicable for pecuniary damages, and no deductibles are applicable to compensation of at least $129,395.45.

Working with a Torn ligament injury lawyer

A good lawyer can help look into possible forms of compensation if you’ve suffered torn ligament injuries and need help catering for medical expenses and replacing lost wageFs. We can help you claim short term or long-term disability benefits if the torn ligament injuries prevent you from working. Talk to our soft tissue injury lawyers in Toronto today to help you file a claim if your injury is the result of an accident for which another party may be legally responsible.