Attorneys
Last Updated: 8/17/2023
The post cruciate ligament, usually referred to as the PCL, is the ligament that runs along the back of the knee. It is responsible for keeping the thighbone connected to the shinbone. When a worker sustains trauma to the PCL, a PCL tear can occur. The injury is extremely painful and can take weeks to fully heal. If you suffered a torn PCL because of a work injury, you have the right to compensation.
Grades of PCL Injuries
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, doctors rate ligament injuries by grades on a severity scale. A grade one injury is the least severe PCL sprain, and usually only involves the ligament being slightly stretched.
A grade two injury is slightly more severe, and involves the ligament loosening and even partially tearing. A grade three injury, though, is extremely serious. In a grade three injury sprain, the PCL ligament tears in two, resulting in instability in the knee joint.
Causes of PCL Injuries
A worker may sustain a PCL tear when suffering severe trauma to the ligament. This can happen during any of the following.
- A workplace slip and fall accident
- A fall from a height
- A workplace automobile or machinery accident
- Any other workplace accident in which a blow to the knee occurs, or the ligament stretches or pulls in an unnatural fashion
Treatment for a PCL Workplace Injury
If the injury is a grade one or a grade two injury, noninvasive treatment may be sufficient.
- Immobilization
- Ice and rest
- Physical therapy
If a full tear of the ligament occurred, surgical treatment to rebuild the ligament may be necessary. Following surgery, the patient may need physical therapy for rehabilitation.
Full recovery from a torn PCL that requires surgery is typically six months to a year. Even then, the worker may never regain full use of the knee, a worker with a PCL injury may always have pain or complications.
Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim for a Workplace PCL Injury
If your injury happened while on the job, then workers’ compensation insurance should provide you with the compensation that is required to support you for medical expenses.
Other benefits provided by workers’ compensation include these.
- Disability benefits (temporary or permanent total disability, temporary or permanent partial disability)
- Healing period benefits
- Vocational rehabilitation benefits
Take Action Now to File Your Claim for Benefits
If suffered a PCL tear at work, the attorneys at Walker, Billingsley & Bair can help you file your workers’ compensation claim for benefits and will help you get the benefits that you deserve. Reach us today to get started, call us at (888) 435-9886 or contact us online.
