Common Soft Tissue Injuries in Car Accidents

Soft tissue injuries are some of the most common types of injuries that drivers and passengers may suffer in a car accident. But it can be hard for accident victims to obtain compensation for these injuries from insurance companies because the companies may not take the injuries as serious as they should. Accident victims can file a lawsuit if they don’t receive fair compensation for their soft tissue injuries via an insurance claim.

Types of Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries are injuries that involve tissue like:

• tendons;
• ligaments; and
• muscles.

During an accident, the force caused by the deceleration of the vehicle and sudden jostling of the body can cause these types of injuries.

Whiplash, which is a strain of muscles in the neck, is a common soft tissue injury in a car accident. The condition causes pain and stiffness in the neck. Some might not feel the pain from this injury right away, but the discomfort can last several years in the most serious cases.

Strains in the lower back muscles are another common soft tissue injury. The lower back provides support for most of the upper back and body. These sprains can be a major inconvenience. Drivers and passengers may suffer knee, shoulder and ankle injuries in car accidents too.

These injuries might include injuries to the ligaments in the knee, for example, such as:

• ACL;
• MCL;
• PCL; or
• LCL sprains or tears.

Some of these knee ligament tears may occur when the knee strikes the dashboard or steering wheel during a car accident.

Effects of Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries can have a serious impact on the victim’s life, for example, it can be hard to:

• walk;
• lift objects; or
• reach above the head when suffering from knee injuries, whiplash, lower back strain, or shoulder injuries.

If the victim works at a manual labor job, he or she may not be able to complete job duties, resulting in lost wages. There are countless other daily tasks that they may not be able to perform because of these injuries.

Paying for Treatment

Treatment for soft tissue injuries can be expensive. Usually the injuries involve some sort of pain medication and possibly physical therapy too. If the injury results in a complete tear of a muscle, tendon or ligament, surgery may be necessary. This can result in serious medical bills and missed time from work.

Medical bills and lost wages are a common damages that car accident victims seek when filing an insurance claim or lawsuit against the at-fault driver. But one of the major challenges to receiving compensation for soft tissue injuries is that insurance companies may downplay their seriousness or even existence.

It’s easier to justify that a broken bone is the result of the car accident than a sprained ankle, even if the sprained ankle prevents you from working. Your doctor and medical records can thus be important evidence in establishing you suffered injuries, their severity, and that the injuries are related to the accident.

If an insurance company doesn’t offer fair compensation, you can proceed to a lawsuit. Hiring an attorney may be necessary if you suffered serious injuries and significant damages, and especially if the insurer is not offering fair settlements and you have to take the case to court.

The Law Office of D.J. Banovitz helps accident victims in Arvada pursue fair compensation for their soft tissue injury after a car accident. Contact our office at 303-300-5060 today.