Soft Tissue Injuries Among Lasting Issues

Following Car Accidents.

The immediate effects of an accident often include damaged vehicles, injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to more serious problems, and ongoing battles with your insurance company. While these issues generally resolve fairly quickly, accidents often lead to lingering problems. One frequently overlooked dilemma is soft tissue injuries. These injuries are generally overlooked, whether it’s because you simply don’t feel any pain in the affected area following the crash or you’ve decided to wait and hope that the pain improves on its own. Many people suffer from hidden problems such as this after an accident, which can lead to financial issues, loss of employment, and mental health difficulties. These so-called hidden problems are often tough to resolve and can have lasting effects for the years to come.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Sprains and strains are some of the most common soft tissue injuries. However, this type of injury encompasses a wider range of problems beyond strains and sprains. Bursitis, tendonitis, and stress injuries are other problems that can affect the soft tissue. According to hg.org, it’s common for passengers in a car to incur soft tissue injuries in low impact collisions. These injuries generally involve stretching and tears within the connective tissue between bones and joints along with tendons, muscles, and ligaments. It’s possible to suffer from nerve damage as well with soft tissue injuries.
The same source also describes a common soft tissue injury in rear-end collisions: whiplash. This type of injury results from the body absorbing momentum from the impact with the other vehicle involved, which in turn causes the head to move quickly forward then back. The resulting soft tissue injury in one’s neck from the high impact can range from a ligament tear to a more serious problem, such as disc herniation or protrusion.
The NHTSA states that the number of people injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2013 dropped down to 2.3 million from 2.4 million the previous year.
Accidents and Long-Term Results
Serious car accidents often have long-term results, from the initial pain and suffering related to injuries from the event to the arduous task of dealing with insurance agencies and auto repair shops. While the lasting effects of more serious accidents are often obvious, the same isn’t always true for seemingly minor accidents. Studies have shown that nearly one out of every three people involved in nonfatal accidents suffer from anxiety, depression, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorders following the event. This is true even for accidents that are not medically serious. Not everyone loses their car, home, or job following an accident. However, this doesn’t mean that the affected individuals aren’t experiencing significant losses or problems of a different magnitude.
Whether you’ve suffered a soft tissue injury or are slowed down by other long-term results following an accident, you’ll need a helping hand. For those of us who live in New York, we know there’s no shortage accident lawyers. It’s just as easy to find an expert auto accident lawyer in San Diego or any major West Coast city. Wherever you are, it’s crucial to find a qualified individual with several years of experience in this field and who knows how insurance companies typically handle car accident claims. A fully qualified attorney can help clients recover significant benefits and even settlements to ease the negative results of long-term suffering.