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A torn ACL can keep you out of work and normal activities for a better part of a year. Many Iowans don’t realize that what happens in the first few weeks after the crash, including your medical bills, insurance calls, and treatment, can shape your ACL compensation as much as the injury itself.
How an ACL Car Accident Injury Happens
Car crashes are violent, with the knee taking a lot of that force. ACL injuries are especially common in side-impact crashes such as T-bone collisions, where the knee can be twisted or driven into the door or dashboard. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) connects your thigh bone (femur) to your shin bone (tibia). It keeps the shin from sliding too far forward and gives the knee rotational stability.
If you tear your ACL in an Iowa car accident, you will almost always need surgery. A partial tear is sometimes managed without it, but a full or near-full tear, reconstruction is usually needed. For a broader look at how crashes damage the knee, including MCL, PCL, and meniscus injuries, see our car accident knee injury compensation guide.
What ACL Injury Recovery Looks Like
Recovery can be long and painful, and it’s the reason ACL injuries carry real weight in a claim. A typical path looks like this:
- First few weeks: You manage pain and swelling, use crutches, and start PT (physical therapy), where you will do gentle range of motion exercises to keep the leg from losing range of motion.
- Weeks 2 to 6: You use crutches as needed, work toward fully straightening the leg, and begin building basic muscle control.
- The next few months: You build leg strength and balance and add low-impact exercise, like a stationary bike.
- After four to six months: Most people can begin light jogging and straight-line running, so long as their muscle strength tests are met.
- After six months: Most people can start working on their sport of choice, including high-impact sports that require pivoting and cutting.
It usually takes a total of 9 to 12 months after surgery before someone is returned to full duty. That is a long recovery, will have lost work hours, ongoing therapy, and months of limited activity are all part of your damages, and the insurance company knows it.
ACL Compensation in Iowa: Why Insurance Limits Matter
If your ACL tear was caused by the fault of another driver, you should be able to seek compensation for your injuries. Many factors affect how much you recover, but one of the biggest is how much insurance the at-fault driver carries.
Unfortunately, Iowa hasn’t updated its insurance laws in more than 40 years, so the minimum policy limit is only $20,000 per person for bodily injury. That limit is unlikely to cover your medical bills, let alone an ACL surgery followed by months of therapy. When the other driver is underinsured, you may need to turn to your own underinsured motorist coverage to fill the gap.
Mistakes That Can Shrink Your ACL Compensation
Insurance companies won’t walk you through the rules, and the wrong move early on is hard to undo. These are the mistakes we see most often.
Mistake 1: Waiting to Get Care, or Stopping Treatment Early
Some people feel fine after a crash and don’t develop knee pain until hours or days later. If that happens, see a medical provider right away and explain that your symptoms started after the accident.
Once you have a treatment plan, follow it, including every physical therapy session prescribed after ACL surgery. Skipping care can delay your healing, and the insurance company may point to the gap as proof you have already recovered.
Mistake 2: Telling Providers to Bill the Other Driver’s Insurance
This one catches a lot of people. The at-fault driver’s insurance company may tell you to send your bills to them, but that doesn’t mean they will pay those bills as they come in. Often they won’t.
If your case takes a year or longer to resolve, unpaid ACL surgery bills can go to collections and damage your credit. That pressure can push you to accept a settlement below fair value.
If you have health insurance, give your providers that information and ask them to bill it. Your health insurer may have a right to be repaid from your eventual recovery (known as subrogation), but at least your bills get paid in the meantime.
Mistake 3: Using Up Your Medical Payments Coverage Too Soon
Many Iowa drivers carry medical payments coverage on their auto policy, anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000 depending on what they bought. It can pay for copays and deductibles, which keeps the crash from costing you out of pocket.
The mistake is handing your car insurance information to the hospital right away. Providers often submit the full bill to that coverage, and it can be exhausted immediately. It’s usually best to bill health insurance first and save medical payments coverage for what health insurance doesn’t pay.
Mistake 4: Giving a Recorded Statement to the Other Driver’s Insurer
After the crash, the at-fault driver’s insurance will likely call and ask for a recorded statement. They may even imply they can’t process your claim without one. That usually isn’t true, because the police report generally shows who was at fault.
The real goal of the call is to get you on the record. Adjusters ask questions designed to catch you off guard, such as whether you’ve ever had knee pain before. If you answer “no” because you’ve never had pain like this, but old records show a prior complaint, your credibility takes a hit. Credibility is a major factor in personal injury cases.
You’re generally not required to give this statement to the other driver’s insurer. Talk to an attorney first so you know how to answer accurately.
What to Do After an ACL Car Accident in Iowa
- Get medical care promptly and tie your symptoms to the crash.
- Follow every treatment recommendation, including all of your physical therapy.
- Give providers your health insurance information first.
- Hold your medical payments coverage in reserve for copays and deductibles.
- Decline the recorded statement until you’ve received legal advice.
Talk to an Iowa Car Accident Attorney Before You Settle
An ACL injury is a long road, and you shouldn’t have to navigate the insurance side of it alone. If you or a loved one was hurt in a crash, call Walker, Billingsley & Bair at 641-792-3595 and ask to speak with one of our experienced Iowa car accident attorneys. We offer a free car accident evaluation, and we’ll tell you honestly whether you can handle the claim yourself or should consider legal help.
The personal injury attorney team at Walker, Billingsley & Bair works hard to level the field between injured Iowans and insurance companies. That's why we provide this FREE book: The Legal Insider's Guide to Iowa Car Accidents: 7 Secrets to Not Wreck Your Case. To learn more about what our legal team will do to help you protect your Iowa injury claim, contact Walker, Billingsley & Bair to schedule a no-cost consultation. Call 641-792-3595 to order your free accident book today.
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