How Serious Are Soft Tissue Injuries?

Soft tissue injuries are those that impact the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other supportive tissues running throughout the body. They can occur as a result of even a minor accident and are one of the most common types of personal injuries. How serious are they? Before settling your claim, it is important to be aware of the long term impacts soft tissue injuries can have on both your health and your future financial security.

Common Types of Soft Tissue Injuries

Injuries to soft tissues can occur due to car crashes, slips, trips, and falls, or as a result of being struck by and against objects. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that the most common types of soft tissue injuries include:

• Sprains: These involve stretching and partial tears of ligaments, which are soft tissues connecting and supporting the bones throughout the body. Sprains commonly impact the ankles, knees, and wrists.
• Strains: This involves stretching of the muscles or tendons. Tendons connect muscles to bones. Strains often occur near joints and frequently impact the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.
• Contusions: Often referred to as bruising, this is when blood pools in soft tissues under the surface of the skin. In severe cases, it can result in nerve damage.
• Tears: This is when ligaments, tendons, or muscles are completely torn in two. Depending on the severity, surgery may be required to repair the tear.

When soft tissue injuries do occur, regardless of the cause or the severity, it is important to follow all of your doctor’s instructions. These will likely include refraining from using or putting weight on the affected area, taking medications to alleviate pain and inflammation, and eventually attending physical therapy to regain flexibility and muscle strength. Not getting adequate rest or failing to follow other instructions can aggravate soft tissue injuries, resulting in potentially permanent impairments.

Seeking Compensation For Soft Tissue Injuries

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), it can take several months to uncover the full extent of the damage caused by soft tissue injuries and up to a year or longer for the actual injury to heal. It is important to be aware of these time frames when seeking compensation in a personal injury claim.

In personal injury cases, the reckless actions of others are often to blame. Depending on the situation, insurance policies may cover a portion of your damages. However, it is important not to rush in accepting a settlement, particularly if you suffer soft tissue injuries. Not giving your doctor adequate time to uncover the extent of your injuries or to determine any lasting damage you are likely to suffer as a result could cause you to incur hundreds of thousands of dollars in out of pocket costs.

Contact Us Today for Help

At Bundza & Rodriguez, P.A., we act as a strong legal advocate on your side when personal injuries happen, helping you get the maximum amount you are entitled to in a claim. Call or contact our Daytona Beach personal injury attorneys online and request a consultation today.

Source:

orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/sprains-strains-and-other-soft-tissue-injuries/