How To Claim For Tennis Elbow After A Car Accident
If you’ve experienced golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow from a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be able to claim compensation. Injuries like this can result in you needing tennis elbow surgery, potentially leaving you unable to work while recovering. Therefore, based on the severity of the injury, you could receive thousands of pounds in compensation after suffering a tennis elbow from a car accident.
This guide answers important questions like:
- What is tennis elbow?
- How can you make an elbow injury claim?
- What is golfer’s elbow?
- How can you suffer an elbow injury from a car accident?
- What is the personal injury claims time limit?
- What are tennis elbow symptoms?
- How can our No Win No Fee lawyers help you make a personal injury claim?
- What is the general tennis elbow recovery time?
Our advisors offer free legal advice and are available 24/7 so, if you have any questions about the claims process or want to know if you’re eligible to claim, please contact us using the details below.
- Call us on 0800 073 8804.
- Provide us with details of your injury at info@legalexpert.co.uk.
- Contact us through our online claim form.
- Use our live chat function on the right-hand side of your screen.
To learn more about making personal injury claims for injuries, such as suffering tennis elbow after a car accident, please read on.
Select A Section
- What Is Tennis Elbow?
- The Structure Of The Elbow Joint
- Causes Of Tennis Elbow
- Why Do Car Accidents Cause Tennis Elbow?
- Tennis Elbow Symptoms
- How Is Tennis Elbow Diagnosed?
- Tennis Elbow Treatment
- What Complications Could Victims Suffer?
- Calculating Compensation For Tennis Elbow From A Car Accident
- Calculating Special Damages
- No Win No Fee Claims For Tennis Elbow From A Car Accident
- Start Your Claim
- Claims Related To Tennis Elbow After A Car Accident
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Your three arm bones are your humerus, ulna and radius. Given our reliance on lifting and moving using our arms, a tendon, such as your bicep, tricep or the muscle, extensor carpi radialis brevis, can be injured. The extensor carpi radialis brevis is particularly significant, as, if you’re suffering from a tennis elbow, this has likely been injured.
Tennis elbow is a condition that causes pain and discomfort around the outside of your elbow. It can usually be caused by repeated action of the muscle. It can make it difficult to lift and bend your arm due to the pain caused. However, you can also suffer tennis elbow from a car accident due to your arm muscles and tendons becoming strained by the incident.
What Is Golfer’s Elbow?
Golfer’s elbow, referred to medically as medial epicondylitis, could also result in you researching how to use a personal injury lawyer. The nature of the injury is very similar to a tennis elbow. However, the main difference with this elbow injury is that the pain is experienced on the inside part of the elbow, as opposed to the outside.
The pain may occur when you’re using that part of your arm. Therefore, it can make it painful to clench or twist the arm and generally lift or move objects. However, in extreme cases, the pain can be persistent, much like with a tennis elbow.
If you did suffer a permanent elbow injury from a car accident, it could greatly affect the amount of compensation you would receive should your claim be successful. This is because the compensation is based on the extent and severity of your injury. If you’d like more guidance regarding potential compensation amounts, please contact us for free legal advice via our website or call us using the details above.
The Structure Of The Elbow Joint
The elbow joint connects the two bones in your forearm, the radius and ulna, with the arm bone that extends from the joint to your shoulder, the humerus. The elbow is classed as a hinge-type synovial joint. It allows the arm to extend and flex. With that in mind, as with other joints, its mechanism means that undue pressure can be applied, resulting in potential injury.
The reason that tennis elbow can be caused by overusing the elbow is because the muscles damaged are the ones used to straighten your wrist. Tiny tears and inflammation can develop near the radial collateral ligament. This extends to the lateral epicondyle and then blends with one of the ligaments in your radius.
This whole section of ligaments in the elbow is vulnerable and potentially inflamed when suffering from a tennis elbow. This is what can lead to you struggling to bend and move your arm.
Causes Of Tennis Elbow
Causes of a tennis elbow include:
- Playing sports that involve throwing, such as javelin or discus, due to the strain it can put on your arm.
- Playing racquet sports, such as tennis or squash.
- Using particular tools while plumbing, decorating or bricklaying.
- Repetitive tasks resulting in you bending the elbow (like playing the violin) or putting strain on your wrist (like sewing).
It’s important to note that you can also suffer tennis elbow from a car accident. Depending on the severity of the incident, you may have also suffered other injuries. If you’re able to prove that someone else’s negligence caused the incident, you could receive compensation for every injury caused. Therefore, you won’t need to file different personal injury claims for different injuries.
Why Do Car Accidents Cause Tennis Elbow?
You may be wondering, “How can you suffer tennis elbow from a car accident?” Similar to other elbow injuries that can be caused by a car accident, such as a sprain, dislocation or fracture, it depends on how your arm has been affected by the crash. If your arm has been pulled and stretched or had excessive pressure on it from, for instance, a car door, it could cause you to develop tennis elbow.
Other ways you could suffer tennis elbow from a car accident include:
- The force of impact jolting your braced arm as you’re crashing.
- Your elbow striking part of the car during the moment of impact.
- Your arm becoming strained due to debris falling on it. This could result in your arm being in an awkward position, leading to you making an elbow injury claim.
The Highway Code And Personal Injury Claims
You may be able to claim for this because every road user has a duty of care to one another. Every road user should follow the rules set out in The Highway Code. The Code is designed to make sure road users act responsibly and carefully when conducting themselves to limit accidents.
By defining what is considered careful driving, the Code establishes reckless or careless driving as any road conduct that goes against or breaches these rules. If you’re conducting yourself in a reckless manner while using the road, it could be argued that you’re going against your duty of care.
This means that you have a right to claim if you’ve suffered tennis elbow after a car accident if another road user’s negligence caused the accident and your injuries. You can also claim for other arm injuries, such as a broken arm. To learn more about this, please contact our advisors. They offer free legal advice and are available 24/7 by using the phone number at the top of this page.
Tennis Elbow Symptoms
NHS guidance clarifies the nature of tennis elbow symptoms. They include:
- Pain and tenderness on the outside of your elbow.
- Pain in your forearm
- Potentially, you could also suffer from pain in the back of your hand.
The intensity of the injury can vary. You may only experience mild pain while using your elbow. However, you could also suffer intense pain while your elbow isn’t being used. This is the more debilitating version of the injury, as it could leave you in constant pain. This is one of the reasons you may be looking to gain compensation after suffering a tennis elbow from a car accident.
You may also be in the process of developing tennis elbow when you experience a car accident. This could cause you to develop a particularly severe case of it upon the accident occurring. Warning signs include:
- Tenderness on the outside part of your elbow
- Elbow stiffness occurring in the morning, causing persistent aching.
- Your forearm muscles becoming sore.
The condition can progress gradually. Therefore, over time, what began as a mild nuisance could develop into absolute agony. With that in mind, it’s important to note that you would only be able to claim for the injury if it was caused or exacerbated by the accident that someone else caused.
How Is Tennis Elbow Diagnosed?
You may be wondering, “how is tennis elbow after a car accident diagnosed?”
Tennis elbow isn’t a condition that can be confirmed using an X-ray. As such, while an X-ray can rule out other causes of the pain, such as fractures, it’s usually not used in this instance.
Instead, your doctor or GP may perform a physical examination on the arm, applying pressure to identify where it hurts. In many cases, the examination, which includes testing your ability to use your arm, can be sufficient in diagnosing the condition.
Tennis Elbow Treatment
The NHS also provides guidance regarding the different types of tennis elbow treatment. In some instances, your doctor may request that you don’t perform any activities that could exacerbate the injury. This is so you don’t cause further strain to the relevant muscles and tendons.
Other potential treatments include:
- Painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Physiotherapy, if the injury is causing persistent pain
- Steroid injections may be used for short-term pain relief
- Shockwave therapy
You may also require surgery. Your doctors may only recommend tennis elbow surgery if the injury is causing persistent and constant pain. The surgery will remove the damaged part of the tendon, which should lower the amount of pain caused.
Regarding tennis elbow recovery time, the condition usually lasts between six months to two years, with most people finding that their symptoms have almost completely disappeared within one year. The best treatment for tennis elbow depends on your condition. As such, you should always consult with your doctor or a medical professional to confirm you are on the correct treatment plan.
What Complications Could Victims Suffer?
Potential complications of a tennis elbow from a car accident include:
- Overusing the tendons in your arm, causing it to reoccur.
- Rupturing tendons due to the steroid injections.
- Suffering from nerve entrapment in the forearm. This could mean that various non-operative or operative treatments or procedures do not work.
Calculating Compensation For Tennis Elbow From A Car Accident
There are two potential heads of claim when making a personal injury claim.
- General damages relate to the physical and psychological harm caused by the injury, as well as its impact on your quality of life.
- Special damages relate to the financial losses caused by the injury, which you may be able to claim back with sufficient evidence.
The amount of compensation you could receive depends on how much you’re able to claim. Just because you receive general damages compensation upon your claim being successful doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll receive special damages compensation. This is because they are independently calculated based on the evidence provided.
The Judicial College analyses previous general damages payouts, comparing them to the severity and nature of the injury. As such, they’ve been able to create reliable compensation brackets that can help you understand the amount of compensation you could receive. We use this information so we can provide you with the most up-to-date compensation estimate.
Below is a list of injuries and their respective compensation brackets. The Judicial College has provided these figures.
| Type of Injury | Amount of Compensation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Elbow | £36,770 to £51,460 | A severely disabling injury. |
| Elbow | £14,690 to £30,050 | Less severe: Injuries in this bracket are ones that cause impairment to the elbow’s function. However, recovery doesn’t involve major surgery or serious disability. |
| Elbow | Up to £11,820 | Moderate or minor: The majority of elbow injuries fall into this category. They consist of tennis elbow, simple fractures and lacerations. |
| Arm | £18,020 to £36,770 | Less severe: Significant disabilities will be involved in the injury. However, a large degree of recovery has either occurred is expected to occur. |
| Arm | £6,190 to £18,020 | This bracket includes simple, uncomplicated forearm fractures. |
| Wrist | Rarely exceed £9,620 | (d) Full recovery from these fracture or soft tissue injuries will take longer than expected but will be achieved. |
| Wrist | In the region of £6,970 | A simple, uncomplicated Colles’ fracture. |
| Wrist | £3,310 to £4,450 | (f) This bracket is for simple undisplaced or minimally displaced fractures and soft tissue injuries leading to application of plaster or a bandage for a matter of weeks only. A full recovery will be made within 12 months or so. |
To prove general damages, you’d attend a medical assessment as part of the claims process. An independent medical professional would assess your injuries and create a report. The purpose of this is to:
- Prove that your injuries were caused or worsened by the accident.
- Assess the severity of your injuries.
Your solicitor can use the report to help them value your injuries.
You can also claim in other instances. We can also help if you’ve suffered a back injury from a car accident or if you want to claim for a family car accident.
If you’d like a free, accurate estimate of what you could claim, why not reach out?
Calculating Special Damages
Special damages are more about claiming for financial losses you’ve suffered because of the injury. Things you may be able to claim include:
- Loss of earnings
- Loss of future earnings
- Travel costs
- Medicine/prescriptions
- Recreational activities that you can no longer attend due to the injury (lost deposits, for example)
Please remember that your personal injury solicitor or lawyer will request evidence to validate the financial losses. In this regard, the evidence could include receipts, invoices or bank statements. If you’re unable to provide evidence, it may mean that you’ll be unable to successfully claim for the financial losses caused by tennis elbow from a car accident.
If you have any questions or queries regarding what you can or can’t claim, please call us to speak to one of our experienced, helpful advisors. They offer free legal advice, are available 24/7 and can be reached using the phone number at the top of this page.
No Win No Fee Claims For Tennis Elbow From A Car Accident
You may be unsure of what ‘No Win No Fee’ means. It means that, if you want to use the services of a solicitor to claim for an elbow injury from a car accident:
- Your personal injury solicitor will not request legal fees from you, either upfront or during the claims process.
- Instead, they will take a small, legally capped portion of your compensation as payment for the legal fees.
- They will also not request legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful.
Our solicitors offer all clients No Win No Fee agreements. Because of the nature of the agreement, they will not waste your time. They will only take on your case if they feel you have a reasonably good chance of success.
Start Your Claim
Our advisors offer free legal advice, are available 24/7 and have the expertise to provide you with a reliable compensation estimate. They can also connect you with a specialist personal injury lawyer who could be able to help you start your claim. Our lawyers work on a No Win No Fee basis, so you don’t have to worry about paying legal fees if the claim doesn’t succeed.
Therefore, if you want legal advice after suffering a tennis elbow from a car accident, contact us using the details below.
- Call us on 0800 073 8804.
- Provide us with details of your injury by using info@legalexpert.co.uk
- Contact us using our online form.
- Use our live chat function on the right-hand side of your screen.
Claims Related To Tennis Elbow After A Car Accident
For more useful information, use the links below.
To discover more about what could cause tennis elbow, read this guidance from the NHS.
Want to know the exercises that could help you recover from tennis elbow? If so, read the guide.
Read this guide to learn more about golfer’s elbow.
To see if you can claim for a tennis elbow injury from work, read this article on our website.
Suffered from below the elbow arm amputation? To see if you can claim, read this.
Read more about claiming for a forearm fracture.
- Hastings Direct Insurance Claims Guide
- Tesco Insurance Claims Guide
- Admiral Insurance Claims Guide
- Aviva Insurance Claims Guide
To learn more about how to claim for a tennis elbow from a car accident, call us using the contact details at the top of the page.
Written by Durdy
Edited by Victorine
