woman holds injured elbow

Watch Out for Soft Tissue Injuries After a Car Accident

The soft tissues in your body’s tendons, muscles, ligaments, and fascia are particularly vulnerable to injury in a car accident. Many of these injuries aren’t apparent immediately after the accident but can lead to pain later on.

Although they frequently cause painful and debilitating systems, soft tissue injuries can be challenging to prove. The personal injury attorneys at Peters Law Firm can guide you through the complexities involved in substantiating a soft tissue injury and help you obtain any compensation you’re entitled to.

What Is a Soft Tissue Injury?

Any injury to your body’s muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia is classified as a “soft” tissue injury. Examples include:

  • Contusions or bruises
  • Sprains, including ligament damage due to joint overextension
  • Strains or overuse of a tendon or muscle

Damage to soft tissue can be just as painful as a broken bone or herniated disk and can be just as long-lasting. Soft tissue injuries like bruises, joint and ligament sprains, muscle strains, and damage to the fascia or connective tissue often lead to painful symptoms like soreness, inflammation, and swelling. They can also cause headaches and visceral pain.

Most Common Soft Tissue Injuries After a Car Accident

Soft tissue injuries generally fall into two categories: overuse injuries and acute injuries. Acute injuries are caused by sudden trauma to the body, including automobile accidents. 

Certain types of car accidents are more likely to cause soft tissue injuries. For instance, if you’re rammed from behind while your car’s at a standstill, the impact can throw your body forward and backward with such intensity that it leads to whiplash, causing damage to your soft tissue.

Medical Attention for Soft Tissue Injuries

As soft tissue injuries aren’t always immediately apparent, many people put off seeing a doctor after a car accident if they don’t show any symptoms. Even when you go to the doctor, soft tissue injuries aren’t as easy to identify as broken bones, damaged organs, or brain injuries. Complicating matters is that soft tissue injury symptoms are inconsistent from person to person, and they can be distant from the injury’s actual location.

Professional medical attention is critical after any car accident to diagnose and treat any type of injury. Your doctor may want to perform MRI or CT scans to identify any neck pain or injuries. Most importantly, they’ll produce the medical records you need for any future car accident injury claims.

Fault in an Accident With Soft Tissue Injuries

Compensation for injuries from a car accident is based on who is at fault. While the police might not show up to every car crash, insurance companies and juries frequently rely on police reports to prove fault. They can also help your personal injury attorney negotiate with insurance companies and other attorneys.

Hire Professional Legal Help After Your Car Accident

If you’ve recently suffered soft tissue injuries from a car accident, you could be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering. Be sure to seek medical care and then contact one of the personal injury lawyers at Peters Law Firm to assess the facts and determine whether you have a claim.

Contact us online or call (712) 328-3157 to begin the process and get the justice you deserve.

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