Workers Comp for Knee, Hip, and Leg Injuries

Knee injuries are among the most common serious work injuries, from sudden trauma on ladders, stairs, and vehicles to years of kneeling and repetitive strain. Frequent diagnoses include:

• Cartilage injuries, such as chondromalacia and meniscus tears.
• Ligament strains and tears, including ACL tears and MCL injuries.
• Fractured kneecaps and other fractures of the leg and ankle.
• Aggravation of arthritis in knees and hips from work duties.

If you injured your knee, hip, or leg on the job in Missouri, you are generally entitled to workers’ compensation benefits covering medical expenses, surgery, rehabilitation, and lost wages.

Summaries of actual knee injury settlements and awards from the firm. Every case is different; results depend on the facts.

1. 2013 Settlements:
   • Correctional Officer, St. Louis: Settled after the officer struck her knee on a locker room bench, causing pain.
   • Roofing Worker, St. Louis: Received compensation for fractures to his right foot, left ankle, and left knee after falling from scaffolding.
2. Significant Individual Settlements:
   • Truck Driver, Missouri: Obtained a settlement for a right knee meniscus injury and cartilage damage after falling from an 18-wheeler.
   • Store Worker: Settled for future medical costs and approximately 55% permanent partial disability (PPD) for a fractured kneecap needing surgical wiring.
3. Trial Awards and Complex Cases:
   • Permanent Partial Disability Claim: An employee with a medial meniscus tear won medical bills, past TTD, and PPD against the employer and the Second Injury Fund.
   • Carpenter’s Knee Injury: Initially denied, the claim was accepted after expert testimony, resulting in two additional surgeries and pain management after hardship hearings.
4. Multiple Injury Settlements:
   • Combined Knee and Concussion Injuries: Settlements included cases against the employer and the Second Injury Fund for related knee and concussion injuries.
   • Hand Injury and Arthritic Knees: Settlement covered a hand injury and a second injury fund claim for arthritic knees.
5. General Workers’ Compensation Settlements:
   • Knee Injury Settlements: Various cases settled for knee injuries, with specific compensation for permanent partial disability and necessary medical treatments.

Knee surgeries heal on their own schedule, and hardware, revision surgery, and post-traumatic arthritis can mean care that continues for years. Whether future medical care stays open in the settlement is often the biggest question in a knee case, and it is decided when you sign.

The rating and release come from a doctor chosen by the insurer. If your knee still cannot climb, kneel, or carry the shift, a second opinion before you settle may change the rating, the restrictions, and the number.

In 2025 alone, our firm spent over $700,000 on expert witnesses. Knee cases are proven the same way they are won: physicians who connect the work incident to the injury, and preparation that treats every disputed claim as one that may need a judge.

Our firm handled roughly 1 in 4 of recent workers’ compensation trials at the St. Louis Division of Workers’ Compensation, out of hundreds of attorneys representing Missouri workers. Insurers know which firms will actually try a case, and it changes how they negotiate.

When the claims administrator knows a trial firm is on the file, refusals of care get reconsidered.

What is a knee injury worth in Missouri workers’ comp?

It depends on the facts: the diagnosis and surgical outcome, your permanent rating and restrictions, your wage rate, and whether future medical care stays open. The factors are the same ones behind what any Missouri workers’ comp case is worth.

Is an ACL or meniscus tear covered by workers’ comp?

A tear caused or aggravated by work is generally compensable in Missouri, whether it came from a single incident or repetitive duties. Insurers often argue tears were degenerative, so early diagnosis and clear documentation of the work incident matter.

What if I already had arthritis in my knees?

Pre-existing conditions do not automatically defeat a claim. The work injury must be the prevailing factor in the current condition, and where a prior disability combines with the new injury, the Missouri Second Injury Fund may provide additional benefits. The firm has settled Second Injury Fund claims involving arthritic knees.

What if my leg injury keeps me from my old job?

If the injury prevents a return to your former position, you may be entitled to vocational rehabilitation, new job placement support, or compensation for lost earning capacity, and permanent restrictions can raise the value of the claim. Every case is different; results depend on the facts.