(150+)The body’s soft tissues include muscles, ligaments, tendons, and the fascia, which is the connective tissue surrounding organs and joints. Soft tissue is flexible and pliable—up to a point. Collisions can be so violent, however, that motorists can suffer a serious soft tissue injury from a car accident.
Contact a Greenville car accident lawyer to discuss your car wreck, including who is possibly at fault. Our firm can review the facts surrounding your car accident soft tissue injury and help you through this process. We are committed to doing everything possible for our clients and will use all our experience to effectively protect your legal rights.
What Are Common Soft Tissue Injuries?
These are the most common soft tissue injuries:
- Sprains. Any stretching or tearing of a ligament can lead to a sprain. Ligaments are bands of tissue that connect bones to each other, and traumatic accidents can damage the ligaments. Common symptoms include swelling in the affected area, as well as tenderness or sharp pain when moving.
- Strains. Muscles and tendons can also suffer injury. Muscle strain after a car accident might take a few hours to fully manifest, but eventually, you will feel a throbbing or sharp pain. A person can suffer a torn pectoral muscle or injured abdominal muscles, which are common strains.
- Contusions (bruises). A bruise might not seem like a major injury, but severe bruises are quite large and put pressure on surrounding tissue, such as muscles and veins. In extreme cases, a bruise can cut off the flow of blood and lead to the death of healthy tissue.
- Whiplash. This is a common soft tissue injury involving the neck and shoulders. A motorist’s head can whip violently back and forth (or side to side), stretching the muscles in the neck. Common symptoms include neck stiffness and intense headaches. A victim might also experience ringing in their eyes or balance issues.
- Rotator cuff injury. Any injury to the shoulder could damage the rotator cuff, which is the medical term for a group of muscles that keep the shoulder in place. Your shoulder harness might cut into these muscles.
- ACL tear. The anterior cruciate ligament connects the femur to the tibia and stabilizes the knee. Unfortunately, a violent accident can stretch or twist the ACL to the point that it snaps. Those who have suffered ACL tears describe unimaginable pain.
- Meniscus tear. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee that provides cushion so bones do not grind against each other. Any car accident injury can damage the meniscus. Unfortunately, knee injuries like these can become degenerative and lead to arthritis, even in young people.
This list is not comprehensive, but it should give you some idea of the most common soft tissue injuries. Go to the hospital if you feel any pain following a car crash. A doctor can ask questions and order appropriate tests.
Treatment often involves resting, icing, and elevating the affected body part. However, more serious soft-tissue injuries like meniscus or ACL tears often require surgery and extended recovery. When injuries are degenerative, then victims can suffer with life-long disabilities.
How to Receive a Soft Tissue Injury Settlement
Cases involving soft tissue injuries can be hard to win. One issue is that claims adjusters often minimize soft tissue injuries, wrongly arguing that they are not serious. These insurance representatives might even boldly claim you are exaggerating the pain you feel and refuse to offer a fair settlement.
We can help your claim by:
- Compiling medical evidence to show the full extent of your injuries. We usually rely on certain imaging tests, like an MRI, to show where you have suffered injury.
- Documenting your pain and suffering. These damages can make up a large portion of a settlement for soft tissue injuries. Some evidence includes proof of pain medication, as well testimony from friends and family about how the injuries have changed your life for the worse.
- Establishing fault for the crash. South Carolina follows comparative negligence principles. If our client is in any way responsible for the crash, then their compensation will be reduced no matter the severity of their injuries. It is also possible to be barred from receiving anything if they are more than 50% at fault. We fully document accidents and might even work with a reconstruction expert to minimize your contribution to the crash.
Our firm knows how to negotiate for fair compensation. A settlement should ideally cover all losses, including lost income. The pain and immobility resulting from soft-tissue injuries often require bed rest to heal. Although mild soft tissue injuries might heal in a few weeks, more serious injuries could leave someone bedridden for months.
Preventing a Car Accident Soft Tissue Injury
These injuries are difficult to prevent. Any time the body bangs into something, there is a risk of injury to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Even sudden “jolts” or twisting motions can damage your soft tissue. As mentioned above, stretching muscles and tendons can ultimately cause injury. Seat belts and airbags are also responsible for contusions and muscle tears. They save lives, but they can also cause soft tissue injuries.
Perhaps the best way to avoid injury is to minimize the risk of an accident in the first place. We strongly encourage everyone to drive as safely as they can. Defensive driving skills include not driving while distracted and ensuring you have enough rest before getting behind the wheel.
Schedule Your Free Consultation Today
If you suffered muscle strain after a car accident or other bodily injury, please call Elliott Frazier—Family, Personal Injury, & Car Accident Attorneys, LLC. Our firm will get to work identifying the person or business responsible for the collision. Then we can arrange the evidence in a way that shows you are entitled to the maximum compensation under the circumstances. We have helped clients hurt in all types of wrecks, so please contact us today to schedule your own free consultation.
