I was diagnosed last year with a bulging disk by my orthopedic doctor. While receiving treatment for my back I decided to visit a Chiropractor because I heard that they can help with my problem. So I went online and did my research and found what I thought to be a good place to help me. I made an appointment a week later.
On my first visit the Chiropractor started working with me. He started stretching and pulling on my legs and knees. I could feel something on the back of my legs, pulling like straws were tearing from a broom and popping. After that session he said I will begin to feel better in my back. He recommended that I come twice a week.
After the second visit my left knee began to swell and I brought that to his attention. He ordered me to go for an MRI and I did. He also had that office send a copy of the report to my orthopedist. The nurse soon called and told me they had received my results. I had an upcoming appointment with my orthopedist and at that visit he asked me if I played some kind of sports because I had a torn ligament (ACL) in my knee. I told him “No.”
Three weeks went by before the Chiropractor called me with the MRI results and he stated that I had arthritis. Mind you I never ever had knee pain in my life until I went to him and he twisted my body and knees to the point of no return. This injury to my knee has caused me time from work and lost wages.
Can I sue the Chiropractor for hurting my knee? I went to him for my back and not my knee, and got the knee injury while receiving treatment from him? It certainly seems like he should be responsible for this knee injury and all resulting costs.
Disclaimer: Our response is not formal legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is generic legal information based on the very limited information provided. Do not rely upon the information in our response, or anywhere else on this site, when deciding the proper course of a legal matter. Always get a personalized case review from a local attorney.
Answer
Dear Winifred,
Before deciding to file a lawsuit there are some considerations to be reviewed. From the facts you present the chiropractor’s actions certainly merit close scrutiny. Your orthopedist obviously found a torn ligament. Because you’ve never had a knee injury, there are only two events which could have caused it.
First: You may have injured your knee some time ago and didn’t realize it; or more likely,
Second: The chiropractor injured you during your initial visit.
The latter seems the correct scenario. Because a torn knee ligament is considered a serious injury, you would be well-advised to seek the advice and counsel of a medical/chiropractic malpractice attorney. Without an experienced attorney you will have little, if any luck convincing the chiropractor he was the cause of your knee injury.
It’s quite rare for a physician or chiropractor to admit he or she committed malpractice. While you may be able to accuse the chiropractor, without an attorney you won’t be able to go much further than that accusation. Experienced attorneys have the financial and professional resources to go well past an accusation, and on to an actual settlement or, if necessary, a jury verdict after trial.
Learn more here: Physician Malpractice Claims
The above is general information. Laws change frequently, and across jurisdictions. You should get a personalized case evaluation from a licensed attorney.
Find a local attorney to give you a free case review here, or call 888-972-0892.
We wish you the best with your claim,
How Much is Your Injury Claim Worth?
Find out now with a FREE case review from an attorney…