Don’t overlook minor injuries when you are involved in a car accident. These seemingly minor injuries are easy to dismiss following an accident. You are running on adrenaline and possibly still in shock in the minutes that follow. Since it can take a couple of days before you start noticing these aches and pains, more people are inclined to ignore their symptoms. However, soft tissue injuries can develop into more serious conditions and cause you additional problems down the line.
It’s crucial to seek medical treatment following an accident, even if you don’t think your injuries are severe. Minor injuries are worth something if you were injured in an auto accident caused by someone else’s negligence. To learn more about what types of compensation may be available to you in a Pennsylvania auto accident, contact the personal injury lawyers at O’Donnell Law Offices today.
What Is a Soft Tissue Injury?
Your body’s soft tissue includes your skin, fat, connective tissues, muscles, ligaments, and blood vessels. Your bones are not included here as they are considered hard tissue. Soft tissue injuries usually involve sprain and strains. When a ligament moves beyond its normal range of motion—which happens in most car accidents—it can result in a sprain. A strain occurs when there is an injury in your muscle or the band of connecting tissue, which is also common in auto accidents. Bruises also fall under soft tissue injuries and are easily identified by their black and blue markings on your skin.
Common Types of Soft Tissue Injuries in Car Accidents
We see numerous types of soft tissue injuries in auto accident claims, but some are more common than others. These include:
- Whiplash—When your head suddenly experiences a back-and-forth movement, which is especially common in rear-end collisions, you could develop whiplash. It is essentially a sprain of your neck, and the pain can take days to develop.
- Back Sprain—You can sprain your upper back, or thoracic spine, due to the forces of a car accident. When your discs and ligaments sustain trauma in an impact, you could feel severe back pain and limited movement. In severe cases, you could have nerve damage if your injuries are left untreated.
- Herniated Discs—Your discs are the cushions in between each vertebra in the spine. During an accident, they can become displaced, resulting in numbness in your back and legs and nerve pain.
- Contusion—When your soft tissue is bruised, you may see it referred to as a contusion in your medical reports. A contusion results from blood rushing into your tissue and leads to the inflammation and visible discoloration on your skin.
These are only four of the most common soft tissue injuries we see in auto accidents. If you were injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, let us review your case and help you determine the best course of action.
Contact a Pennsylvania Auto Accident Attorney
Don’t make the mistake of assuming if your injuries are minor that you don’t need to see a doctor or contact an attorney. You deserve to be compensated for your injuries, even soft tissue ones. Schedule a free initial consultation with the personal injury attorneys at the O’Donnell Law Offices serving clients in Kingston, Wilkes Barre, Hazleton, and Pittston at 570-821-5717 or online today. There is no fee or costs until we win your case.
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