Soft Tissue Injuries
If you suffered a soft tissue injury and it’s the result of another person or entity’s negligence, intentional act, or any wrongdoing, you could be entitled to compensation. To recover damages, though, you need to prove the injury and that it was someone else’s fault.
Proving soft tissue injuries can be difficult, and so many attorneys turn these types of personal injury cases down. We, however, know you suffered pain and should recover damages for the same. We will connect you with a personal injury attorney in Los Angeles who will be committed to your cause of action. Contact us today to learn more and get fair and just compensation.
What are Soft Tissue Injuries & How are they Caused?
Soft tissue injuries refer to damage done to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Soft tissue injuries are classified as one of the following:
- Contusions
- Sprains
- Strains
- Stress injuries
- Bursitis
- Tendonitis.
These types of injuries can occur in just about anyone, whether you are an athlete, non-athlete, or someone involved in an accident.
Contusions
Contusions are more commonly referred to as bruises. Bruises are soft tissue injuries caused by blunt force from a:
- Kick;
- Fall; or
- Blow.
So, a person can suffer a bruise from bumping into a kitchen table, tripping while running, or by the impact of a car accident.
Sprains
A sprain refers to a partial tear to a ligament that has been somehow twisted or stretched beyond its normal range of motion. Typically, sprains affect ankles and wrists more so than any other part of the body. These types of injuries often happen while engaging in recreational activities or some kind of sport but can also occur in accidents, like slip and falls. Car accidents––especially head-on collisions, rear-ends, and side-impact collisions––are known to cause unnatural twisting or stretching of knees and ankles.
Strains
Strains are pretty common injuries to just about anyone. Strains are close to sprains but involve injuries to a muscle or tendon as opposed to ligaments. Strains are caused by overuse, stretching, and sometimes force. An auto accident or a slip and fall type accident can cause strains––these are typically strains to the neck or back muscles.
Stress injuries
Stress injuries or stress fractures are small cracks or tiny hairline breaks in a bone. This type of injury is most associated with the lower extremities, like hips, legs, and feet. Stress injuries are caused by overuse but sometimes are also caused by accidents. For example, in a car accident, a leg or foot may be bent enough to crack slightly but not enough to break completely.
Bursitis
Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa; a bursa is a fluid-filled sac acting like a cushion between bones, tendons, joints, and muscles––there are 160 bursae in a person’s body. Bursitis mostly affects the shoulders, elbows, ankles, hips, and feet, and can be caused by both overuse as well as trauma to a joint. Any type of accident can be the source of the type of trauma that can cause bursitis of its caused by sudden force or a strike and leads to damage or inflammation. Shoulder and knee bursitis are common in auto accidents where the victim’s shoulder or knee strikes the dashboard or car door and absorbs the impact.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendon; a tendon is a flexible tissue connecting muscle and bones. Tendonitis is caused by overuse and repetitive motion. As such, this type of soft tissue injury is caused mostly by participation in sports with the exception of shoulder tendonitis, which is a common consequence of accidents. Shoulder tendonitis is caused by repetitive heavy lifting and overuse as much as it can be caused by:
- Direct impact to the shoulder when a person slips and falls;
- Dislocation of the shoulder when a person slips and falls; or
- Vehicular ejection or blow to the shoulder resulting from an auto accident.
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How are Soft Tissue Injuries Diagnosed & Treated?
Typically, the doctor diagnoses a soft tissue injury via a physical examination, and that’s often because this type of diagnosis is difficult using diagnostic tools––soft tissue injuries simply don’t show up in X-rays. After an exam by your doctor, certain tests may be conducted to confirm the soft tissue injury and rule out other issues, like:
- MRIs; or
- Ultrasounds.
Treatment is relatively consistent for most soft tissue injuries, too. Treatment involves the RICE approach:
- Rest: You must rest to avoid additional stress on the injury. Rest means avoiding activities that could induce pain, swelling, or overall discomfort.
- Ice: To reduce pain and inflammation, ice should be applied to the injury. This can be done simply by using an ice pack or creating a slush bath (ice and water). Ice should be applied to the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes. Icing should be repeated every two to three hours for several days after the injury was sustained.
- Compression: To reduce or prevent swelling, the injured area should be compressed using an elastic bandage. Be sure not to wrap the bandage too tightly to prevent circulation issues.
- Elevation: To reduce swelling, the injured area should also be elevated above the heart level. This practice is most beneficial at night.
When the injury requires additional care, physical therapy may be required. Physical therapy is used to help stabilize and strengthen the injured bone, muscle, ligament, tendon, or joint. A brace or splint may also be necessary to help the healing process.
How are Soft Tissue Injuries Diagnosed & Treated?
Typically, the doctor diagnoses a soft tissue injury via a physical examination, and that’s often because this type of diagnosis is difficult using diagnostic tools––soft tissue injuries simply don’t show up in X-rays. After an exam by your doctor, certain tests may be conducted to confirm the soft tissue injury and rule out other issues, like:
- MRIs; or
- Ultrasounds.
Treatment is relatively consistent for most soft tissue injuries, too. Treatment involves the RICE approach:
- Rest: You must rest to avoid additional stress on the injury. Rest means avoiding activities that could induce pain, swelling, or overall discomfort.
- Ice: To reduce pain and inflammation, ice should be applied to the injury. This can be done simply by using an ice pack or creating a slush bath (ice and water). Ice should be applied to the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes. Icing should be repeated every two to three hours for several days after the injury was sustained.
- Compression: To reduce or prevent swelling, the injured area should be compressed using an elastic bandage. Be sure not to wrap the bandage too tightly to prevent circulation issues.
- Elevation: To reduce swelling, the injured area should also be elevated above the heart level. This practice is most beneficial at night.
When the injury requires additional care, physical therapy may be required. Physical therapy is used to help stabilize and strengthen the injured bone, muscle, ligament, tendon, or joint. A brace or splint may also be necessary to help the healing process.
What are the Challenges of Soft Tissue Injuries?
As implied, soft tissue injuries can pose serious challenges in two ways:
1. These injuries can be caused by a number of reasons, including an accident, and the treatment for these injuries may seem to be relatively simple and straightforward; and, as such
2. Insurance adjusters resist by all means possible compensating victims for soft tissue injuries, and when they do compensate, they try to apply a firm dollar amount on a “take it or leave it” basis.
With that said, you still suffered an injury due to someone else’s negligence, intent, or otherwise wrongful act or inaction. You deserve to recover damages for the same. To recover damages, however, you must prove the soft tissue injury was a direct result of the accident, and that the injuries you suffered are not as simple and straightforward as the insurance adjusters would like to introduce.
The Importance of Evidence & Proving Soft Tissue Injuries
Proving that your soft tissue injury was caused by another party’s negligence or intentional act is critical to recovering damages. If successful, you can seek damages for things like lost wages, medical expenses, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, and even lost earning capacity since these types of injuries can affect a person’s ability to perform certain work-related tasks. The catch is proving:
1. You have a soft tissue injury; and
2. The soft tissue injury was the direct result of an accident or an intentional act; and
3. The alleged at-fault party caused the accident or performed the intentional act.
Things you’ll need to prove your injury and fault include:
- Police reports
- Medical records
- Eyewitness testimony
- Expert testimony
- Videos
- Photographs
- Accident reconstruction report
- Other.
You’ll also need to prove how the injury has detrimentally impacted your life if you want to seek non-economic damages.
To help your case, always get immediate medical attention and treatment. The key problem with soft tissue injuries is the lack of specificity and clarity. A defense attorney or insurance adjuster can make a successful argument that the injury and subsequent pain aren’t as serious as you allege. These types of arguments can often be successful depending on how persuasive the adjuster or defense attorney is and how well you and your attorney counter the argument and prove your case. You’ll need a rock-solid argument with rock-solid evidence. Only an experienced attorney will know when medical and other evidence is sufficient enough and will be able to connect the evidence with the injury and wrongdoing.
Get Fair & Just Compensation for Soft Tissue Injuries in Los Angeles
You will face challenges in a personal injury claim or lawsuit for soft tissue injuries. You need to know what your options are and what to expect. We can help you by aligning your case up with the right personal injury attorney in Los Angeles. We have a network of experienced and smart personal injury attorneys in the greater Los Angeles metro area who will passionately uphold your rights and advocate your interests. Contact us today to learn more or to find a personal injury attorney.
