Soft tissue injuries refer to any type of injury to soft tissues in the body such as
muscles, tendons and ligaments. These injuries are extremely common in car accidents and often don’t get much attention because they are not life threatening. However, it is important to remember that even injuries that are not critical or life threatening may leave car accident victims unable to work for an extended period of time and result in chronic pain.
A number of these injuries may also require continuing treatment and rehabilitative therapies, which may prove costly. Here are some of the most common soft tissue injuries that result from car accidents.
Whiplash Injuries
This is an injury that routinely affects car accident victims and is particularly common in rear-end accidents. Whiplash is a non-medical term used to describe neck pain as a result of injury to the soft tissues of the neck. It is caused by an abnormal force that extends the neck beyond its normal range of motion.
The most common symptoms of whiplash are neck pain and muscle stiffness. However, depending on the severity of the injury, signs and symptoms may also include tenderness along the back of the neck and shoulders, swelling, muscle spasms, headache, difficulty rotating the head and jaw tightness. A whiplash injury requires a lot of rest as well as treatments that might include a neck collar and later, physical therapy.
Soft Tissue Sprains and Strains
Sprains happen during car accidents when a sudden impact jolts your body with such force that your ligaments become overstretched. Ligament tears also occur in severe crashes. Symptoms of sprains include bruising, swelling, and impaired flexibility. X-rays will likely be required to rule out fractures.
Strains, like sprains, occur when there is an abnormal or sudden movement such as in a car accident. These are injuries to the tendons that connect the muscles to the bones or to other muscle tissues. Lower back strains are common in car accidents and may result in bruising, pain, inflammation, muscle spasms and other symptoms. These types of injuries also require rest and rehabilitation for recovery.
Contusions
The impact of a car accident can cause contusions or bruising to a victim. While they are commonplace in such collisions, they may also indicate other injuries such as fractures, sprains or strains. Symptoms of bruises include skin discoloration, areas that are tender to touch and swelling. Contusions are typically diagnosed with a physical exam and an X-ray to rule out additional injuries.
Cerebral contusions and concussions are closed head injuries and these may actually prove life threatening. These types of injuries are extremely dangerous because there are no visible signs of injuries on the outside. Symptoms include loss of memory, confusion, loss of speech and numbness. These injuries are diagnosed with a neuropsychological exam, CT scan and MRI.
It is critical that you seek immediate medical care after a car accident. This helps not only to get a prompt and accurate diagnosis of your condition while putting you on the road to recovery, but also documents the types of injuries you suffered and the treatment you received.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For nearly 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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