When a car accident causes painful injuries, you’re most likely worried about ones that will have permanent consequences. You may be surprised at the injuries that can cause chronic issues. Soft tissue injuries are often difficult to see and also can have ongoing complications long after the accident. It’s important to get treatment as soon as possible for these types of injuries.
Even if the symptoms start out minor or in a delayed fashion, it may be possible for soft tissue injuries to be long-lasting or permanent. Here’s what you need to know about soft tissue damage:
Soft Tissue Damage
Soft tissue injuries harm the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Typically, they result in strains, sprains, or tears. These can be more dangerous than something like a broken bone. A doctor can reset the broken bone in a cast and it will heal over time. Soft tissue injuries can affect joint and limb use.
There are different levels of severity when it comes to soft tissue damage: Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III. Grade I injuries are minor and can heal on their own within weeks. When the injury is Grade II, there is a slight tear that could affect the joints. While these can heal on their own, sometimes surgery may be required. Grade III is a complete tear that causes pain and can affect your ability to use the limb that was injured. At this level, you will need surgery for the injury to heal.
While Grade I injuries aren’t typically catastrophic, Grade II and III can have lasting affects that you’ll have to deal with. You may feel pain or numbness at the injury site. You may also not be able to regain your full use of the limb, so mobility and strength will be limited.
Losing the full use of a limb and living with chronic pain is difficult and will affect your everyday life. Depending on your job, you may find that you won’t be able to return to it even when you’ve healed. It’s in these times that your financial situation may start to worry you, but that’s what we’re here for. When you’re in financial difficulty because someone injured you, it’s not fair for all the responsibility to fall on you. We’ll investigate your case and connect your injury and its consequences to the person’s negligence. You’ll have the compensation you need so you don’t have to worry about finances.
However, in order for you to have your best chance at recovering your damages, there are certain steps you should take when you’ve been injured.
Seek Treatment Immediately
After a car accident, you may find that you don’t know the full extent of your injuries right away. Adrenaline and other shock hormones can mask these symptoms so you don’t feel any pain or have any indicators that something is wrong. You may find in the week after an accident that you’re experiencing pain. It’s important to get to a doctor quickly so they can diagnose the injury and start treating it.
This is especially true with soft tissue injuries because they’re difficult to detect and if they’re left untreated, they can worsen considerably. An injury that could have taken a few weeks to heal could develop into something that takes months or causes chronic pain because you didn’t see a doctor.
When you wait to see a doctor and allow the injuries to worsen, you can potentially risk getting less compensation than you deserve. Think about it this way: you’re in an accident and you immediately see a doctor for your injuries and start treatment. You’re taking care of your injuries. Waiting could suggest that your injuries weren’t that bad or you weren’t taking care of yourself and as a result your injuries got worse than what they originally were. You don’t want to do anything that could possibly affect your claim. This is why it’s so vital to get a medical evaluation and see a personal injury lawyer after.
The Law Office of Todd W. Burris Is Here for You
With medical bills, future medical costs, lost wages, possible loss of earnings, and everyday expenses, your claim will be your way to getting the compensation you deserve. But you need a skilled attorney at your side to keep the insurance companies for giving you less than what you’re owed. We’ll fight for you to get a fair settlement so you can recover from what you’ve been through.
Starting as soon as possible will lessen your time worrying about whether or not you should take legal action and will get you to your settlement more quickly. Give us a call today for a free initial consultation.
