Injuries to your feet, ankles, and toes can cause difficulties in your life ranging from mild irritations to serious pain and restrictions on your mobility. The injury and the measures you take to try and cope and heal can limit or change your work and leisure activities.
The impact on your work can include changes to your tasks or work environment as well as not going to work for a few days or long term disability, depending on the type of job you have and the nature of your injury. Your leisure activities can be similarly restricted by having to change or limit your hobbies or sports you participate in or, for example, not being able to do certain types housework that requires you to stand.
What are foot, ankle and toe injuries from trauma?
An injury from trauma specifically refers to one that is caused by a harmful event, like a hit or a twist, and not damage from genetic abnormalities or long-term wear and tear. Foot, ankle and toe injuries from trauma include:
- Broken foot, ankle, or toe bones
- Ankle sprains
- Tears to the ligaments or tendons in the foot or ankle
- Toenail damage (completely or partially ripped off or cracked)
- Cuts, burns, or bruising to the skin in the area
- Muscle tears to the area
The injury can be on one or both sides and several injuries may happen at the same time.
The pain can be sudden and sharp or could start as a nagging pain that develops into something more serious and noticeable over time. The pain may be constant, whether or not you’re applying pressure to the area, or it may only be felt when you’re doing certain activities like walking or climbing stairs. Common symptoms, depending on the nature of the injury, include:
- Immediate sharp pain at the time of injury
- Swelling
- Redness
- Bleeding
- Tenderness when touched
- Throbbing pain
- Pain when you put your weight on it
- Pain when you move the joint
- Inability to move the joint
- Bruising to the skin or nails
What causes foot, ankle and toe injuries?
Foot, ankle and toe injuries can be caused by direct impacts, crushing, over-extension or pulling of one of the joints, or twisting or bending outside the joint’s normal range of motion.. For example, you can sprain or break your ankle by slipping and falling down, break your toe or its nail by tripping over an object, or break a bone in your foot from the impact of a car accident.
What should you do if you have suffered an injury to your foot, ankle or toe?
The first thing you should do if you think you have injured your foot, ankle or toe is get medical help. A doctor can examine you, take x-rays, and do other tests to find out what the damage is and set up treatment for your recovery.
Getting medical help is also important legally. If you think the injury is from a car accident or is otherwise someone else’s fault, the doctor’s opinion will be important if you go ahead with seeking damages. You will need to show that your foot, ankle or toe injury was caused by the accident as well as the extent of the injury and its impact on your activities.
Get legal advice from a personal injury lawyer if you think it was caused by an accident or someone’s careless or reckless behaviour.
What if I already had foot, ankle or toe problems, but now it’s worse?
You should go see your doctor if the pain or lack of mobility in your foot, ankle or toe has changed or gotten worse, even if you had a pre-existing injury or condition before the traumatic event. If the event made your condition worse or caused new injuries, you can still seek damages.
How are foot, ankle and toe injuries treated?
Your doctor will set up a treatment plan for you. This can include seeing other specialists like physical therapists, medication to help the pain and inflammation, protective measures like a cast for broken bones, supportive wraps or splints, antibiotics to prevent infections, limitations to your work and leisure activities, and, in very serious cases, surgery.
Most foot, ankle and toe injuries get better with treatment and you can get back to your regular activities in due time. How long this takes depends on the injury, but can range from days to years. Unfortunately, in some cases the injury never heals completely and becomes a life-long problem.
Free consultation with a BC personal injury lawyer
If you’ve suffered a foot, ankle and/or toe injury (or other injuries) and believe you have a legal claim, please contact us toll free at the number above or using the contact form to the right.