What constitutes a soft tissue injury?

What constitutes a soft tissue injury?

Everything you need to know about soft tissue injuries and how they affect compensation in a personal injury claim!

One car accident can cost you thousands of dollars. Depending on the severity of the crash and the extent of your injuries, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Most people associate car accident injuries with broken bones, head trauma, or blood loss, but soft tissue injuries can be just as serious, and are often more commonplace. The best way to make sure that you get the full amount you deserve is to work with a personal injury attorney or firm; research has shown that more than 91% of car accident victims with personal injury lawyers received a payout, and the amounts were $60,000 higher (on average) than those who had no representation.

Damages can be awarded for any costs incurred following the accident that were a direct result of the accident. The graver your injuries (including soft tissue injuries), the more the car accident will cost you, and the more likely you are to receive a bigger payout. These costs can include:

• Hospital stays
• Surgeries
• Medications
• Imaging tests (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, etc.)
• Rehabilitation/physical therapy
• Canceled travel plans
• Lost wages/loss of future earning potential
• Non-tangible costs like “pain and suffering”, “loss of enjoyment”, “post-traumatic stress”, etc.

So what exactly are soft tissue injuries, and how can they impact the amount you receive?

Soft tissue injuries are any injuries to the body that don’t affect the bones – specifically, the muscles, ligaments, or tendons (also the skin, for some injuries) . These are considered “soft tissue” injuries, or “acute trauma” injuries, and they result from external impact. Even a minor car accident can generate significant force, which places stress on joints.

These types of injuries may not be visible to the naked eye or to an X-ray. They may not even immediately recognizable by the victim, due to adrenaline that often follows a car crash. Symptoms of a soft-tissue injury, which include pain, swelling, reduced mobility, and more, may take days or weeks to materialize. Because of this, many car accident victims may make the mistake of not seeking proper medical attention immediately. Soft tissue injuries are difficult to diagnose anyways, and insurance companies will do whatever they can to discredit your claim. If you wait to seek medical attention, it will be harder to prove that your accident was what caused your injury and not another event.

Here are some of the most common types of soft-tissue injuries commonly associated with car accidents:

• Contusions (deep bruises) – injuries to the soft tissue caused by blunt force, which leads to swelling, pain and soreness, and discoloration due to blood in the tissue. Contusions, depending on the size and severity, may take a long time to heal.
• Sprains – partial tears to the ligament, caused by sudden twisting or stretching beyond the normal range of motion. Sprains most commonly affect the knees, ankles, and wrists. If the tear is severe enough, it may necessitate surgical repair.
• Strains – injuries to a muscle or tendon (the band of tissue that attaches muscles to bones). These are different from sprains.
• Whiplash – one of the most common soft tissue injuries resulting from a collision. Whiplash is the rapid back-and-forth motion of the neck that can lead to headaches, neck aches, back pain, and pain in the extremities. Pain from whiplash has been known to permanently alter mobility and last for years following a car accident. Technically, whiplash can be classified as a strain or sprain depending on the nature of the injury.
• Lacerations (deep cuts) – open wounds or damaged skin that exposes layers of soft tissue underneath the skin. These may require stitches or a greater level of medical attention.
• Burns/abrasions (friction burns) – open wounds where the tissue has been damaged, leading to a loss of blood, possible infections, shock, and scarring, as well as intense pain. These can be so severe that they may require skin grafts, synthetic skin, or IV antibiotics/fluids.
• Bursitis – inflammation of the bursa, which is a fluid-filled sac that provides a cushion between bones and muscles or tendons, caused by direct impact of a joint.

Any of these injuries may be incredibly painful and slow to heal. Soft tissue injuries can affect your ability to perform your job or participate in activities you once enjoyed. You may also require assistance from others during this time of healing. You shouldn’t suffer for someone else’s mistake without compensation, particularly since the costs of treating soft tissue injuries can be expensive. Many soft tissue injuries can be dealt with at home, but it is always important to see a medical professional following a crash for proper diagnosis and documentation purposes.

The Florida Law Group has over 100 years of combined experience advocating for car accident victims and recovering full compensation. If you have experienced soft tissue injuries or other injuries due to someone else’s negligence, we can guide you step by step through the frustrating and confusing claims process, stand up against intimidating insurance companies, file all necessary paperwork so that you can focus on healing, and make sure you never settle for a low offer.

Our personal injury law firm has been nationally recognized for our ability to obtain verdicts for our clients. Our lead attorney Chris Limberopoulos has achieved board certification as a Civil Trial Specialist, a distinction that only 1% of lawyers can claim. We know what it takes to win your case! Contact us today for a free case evaluation. The Florida Law Group proudly offers all of our legal services on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you only pay us if we recover damages.