Protect Your Rights After a Car Accident Ankle Injury

Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer Preet Kode Can Help You Receive Fair Compensation for Your Accident-Related Expenses

Ankle injuries from car accidents often occur when the foot is caught or twisted during impact, or when the ankle is subjected to extreme force. If you’ve suffered an ankle injury in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, Seattle personal injury lawyer Preet Kode and her team can help you maximize your compensation and protect your legal rights.

Types of Ankle Injuries in Car Accidents

The severity and type of car crash ankle injury typically depends on the force of impact, the position of the foot during the collision, and whether the ankle was compressed or twisted.

Crush Injuries

In severe accidents, such as those involving large vehicles like semi-trucks or delivery vans, the ankle may be crushed. Crush injuries to the ankle are particularly serious because they can involve:

Complex fractures of multiple bones

Severe soft tissue damage, including muscles, tendons, and ligaments

Vascular injury, potentially compromising blood flow to the foot

Compartment syndrome, a dangerous condition where pressure builds up in the muscles

Dislocations

Ankle dislocations occur when the bones of your ankle are forced out of their normal position. This can happen due to high-impact forces in car accidents—especially if the foot is planted firmly at the time of impact.

Posterior dislocation. The foot is displaced backward.

Anterior dislocation. The foot is displaced forward.

Lateral dislocation. The foot is displaced to the side.

Superior dislocation. The foot is pushed upward between the tibia and fibula.

Fractures

Fractures in the ankle involve breaks in one or more of the three bones that make up your ankle joint: the tibia, fibula, and talus. Types of ankle fractures include:

Lateral malleolus fracture. A break in the fibula.
Medial malleolus fracture. A break in the inner part of the tibia.
Posterior malleolus fracture. A break in the back of the tibia.
Bimalleolar fracture. Breaks in both the lateral and medial malleoli.
Trimalleolar fracture. Breaks in all three malleoli.

Sprains and Strains

Sprains occur when the ligaments connecting bones are stretched or torn. The most common type is a lateral ankle sprain, which happens when the foot rolls inward, stretching the ligaments on the outer part of the ankle.

Strains, on the other hand, affect the muscles and tendons. They can range from mild overstretching to partial or complete tears of the muscle fibers or tendons.

Nerve Damage

The impact of a car accident can cause nerve damage in your ankle—leading to chronic pain, numbness, or weakness in the affected area. This can occur due to direct trauma to the nerves or as a result of swelling and inflammation pressing on the nerves.

Common nerves affected in ankle injuries include:

Tibial nerve
Peroneal nerve
Sural nerve

Kode Law Is Here to Help

At Kode Law, we believe you shouldn’t have to pay the price for another driver’s negligence. Here’s how we can help you receive compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering:

Evaluate your case. We can assess the full extent of your injuries and their impact on your life to determine fair compensation.
Handle insurance companies. Dealing with insurance adjusters can be overwhelming. Let us manage these interactions on your behalf so you can focus on recovering from your injuries.
Gather evidence. From accident reconstruction to medical expert testimony, we can compile the evidence needed to support your claim.
Negotiate a settlement. Many cases are settled out of court. We can negotiate to ensure you receive fair compensation for your accident-related damages.
Represent you in court. If a fair settlement can't be reached, we can take your case to trial.

A Case Study: Our Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer in Action

Our client, a 37-year-old woman, suffered a severe crushing injury to her left foot and ankle when a cement truck ran over her leg twice while she was commuting to work on her electric bike. Her injuries were catastrophic, resulting in multiple surgeries, including the amputation of her big toe. She also developed chronic regional pain syndrome and faced significant mobility challenges.

Kode Law took swift action to help her get the compensation she needed to move forward with her life:

We invested early in expert witnesses, including an accident reconstructionist and vocational assessment specialists.
We documented the client's recovery journey through videos and photos, creating compelling evidence of the injury's impact.
We scheduled mediation before filing a lawsuit, aiming for a quick resolution without added stress for our client.

The result? A $5.75 million settlement was achieved at mediation, without the need for a lengthy court battle. This outcome allowed our client to access the resources needed for her ongoing care and to adapt to her new circumstances.

Want to learn more? We encourage you to review our case results and testimonials to see how we’ve helped Seattle area residents just like you with their car accident claims.