How Much is a Torn ACL Worth?
Like all other injuries, there is no set standard amount when it comes to an injured ACL. The amount of your settlement will depend on the severity of your injury and the events that led to you being injured.
An experienced personal injury attorney will work with your doctors to fully understand the extent of your injury and will fight with the insurance company to make sure that your settlement amount is fair and is enough to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Can you tear your ACL in a Car Accident?
An ACL injury is a sprain or tear in the anterior cruciate (KROO-she-ate) ligament (ACL). The ACL is a small structure, less than 1.5 inches long and .5 inches wide, and is one of the major ligaments in your knee. Its job is to stabilize the knee and prevent the knee from buckling.
Though commonly considered a sports injury, ACL tears often occur in car accidents and slip, trip, and fall accidents. When the knee is moving and then suddenly stops, pivots, or changes direction, an ACL tear can happen.
If you were in a car accident or other accident and experience the following symptoms, you may have a torn ACL.
- Hearing a loud pop or feeling a popping sensation in the knee
- Severe pain
- Swelling in the knee
- Instability, or the inability for you to put weight on your knee
What Kind of Settlement Can I Expect for a Torn ACL?
If you were in a car accident and suffered a torn ACL, you may have a good personal injury case. Unfortunately, there is no set amount, but two main factors in determining a settlement value are how severe is your injury, and how likely is it that the jury will find the defendant liable if the case does go to trial.
If you were in a car accident and suffered a torn ACL, you may have a good personal injury case. Unfortunately, there is no set amount, but two main factors in determining a settlement value are how severe is your injury, and how likely is it that the jury will find the defendant liable if the case does go to trial.Some damages, like medical bills, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity are easier to predict because they are based on the amount that the victim has paid or lost and/or will continue to pay or lose. Knee surgery verdicts and settlements will most likely be higher than those that only required some physical therapy.
Other damages like pain and suffering are more difficult to determine and are based on the severity of the torn ACL injury and the injury’s contribution to the victim’s loss of quality of life. For example, if an accident victim was very physically active – enjoying sports and other outdoor activities – and suffered a disabling ACL injury, their damages based on “loss of quality of life” will likely be higher than if the victim had been relatively sedentary prior to the injury.
Give Your Torn ACL Claim a Fighting Chance!
After your accident, the insurance company will want you to settle right away, often for the lowest possible amount. That’s why we highly recommend hiring an experienced personal injury attorney. An experienced local attorney will be better able to predict what your settlement amount should be by working with your doctors to fully understand the severity of your torn ACL injury and the circumstances involved that led you to be injured.
