When we think about injuries after an accident, soft tissue injuries might seem less serious. Sprains, muscle tears, bruising and stress injuries seem less traumatic than broken bones, head injuries and paralysis.
However, soft tissue injuries can be quite painful and cause long-lasting conditions. If you’ve been injured in an accident or at work, it’s important to include any soft tissue injuries in your claim.
Here are some of the most common soft tissue injuries and how they can affect a personal injury claim.
Common Soft Tissue Injuries
- Sprains: Sprains are partial tears to ligaments. If the ligament is completely torn, it can require surgery to repair. Whiplash is a type of sprain, which can affect you for years to come.
- Strains: Strains involve damage to muscles and tendons, and can take weeks to heal completely.
- Bruises: Bruises are also known as contusions. They occur as a result of blunt trauma to the body.
- Lacerations: Lacerations are cuts, which can range from mild to severe. Small cuts may require simple first aid treatment, but large lacerations may require stitches. Severe cuts can be fatal.
- Tendonitis: Tendonitis occurs when tendons are strained and become inflamed, often due to overuse. This is an extremely painful condition that often occurs in tandem with stress fractures.
- Bursitis: Bursitis develops when the fluid-filled sacs between bones and muscles become inflamed. The sacs are meant to provide cushion. They can become inflamed from repetitive use or acute trauma.
Personal Injury Claims and Soft Tissue Injuries
It’s important that you see a medical doctor after an accident or injury—even if you think it’s just muscle stiffness or bruising. Serious soft tissue injuries may not present right away. They can also worsen over time.
Not only is early medical treatment the key to preventing injuries from worsening, but it’s also key to your personal injury claim. If you fail to see a doctor right away, and then claim that your injuries are severe, insurance companies and juries may doubt the extent of your injuries. After all, if it wasn’t bad enough to see a doctor right away, how bad could it really be?
While many soft tissue injuries are treatable with rest, ice and elevated the affected limbs, some require surgery or other medical intervention. It’s better to be safe than sorry—and it’s better to let any negligent parties cover the bills.
Contact an Ohio Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Have you suffered soft tissue injuries as a result of someone else’s negligence or recklessness? I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call me today at 877.944.4373 for a consultation, and we’ll discuss whether you have a case.