Soft tissue damage after an accident can be permanent depending on the severity of the injury, its location, and the effectiveness of the medical treatment. If you suffer permanent soft tissue damage due to someone else’s negligence, you may have a right to seek compensation through an injury lawsuit.
You should have an Atlanta personal injury attorney review your accident and discuss whether pursuing a soft tissue injury claim is advisable. You might be eligible for a car accident settlement.
What Is a Soft Tissue Injury?
A soft tissue injury affects muscles, tendons, and ligaments that connect different parts of the body. Examples include whiplash from a car accident, bruises, sprains/strains, and tendonitis. Regardless of the type, severe soft tissue injuries can cause chronic pain, limited mobility, and loss of strength.
What Are the Symptoms of a Soft Tissue Injury?
If you sustained a soft tissue injury, you may experience the following symptoms while you recover:
- Stiffness and lack of mobility
- Reduced range of motion
- Numbness, dull pain, or tingling in the affected area
- Bruising around the affected area
- Sharp pain when touching or putting weight on the affected area
- Increased fatigue
If the symptoms persist, it could signify a complication or permanent soft tissue damage.
What Are Some Examples of Permanent Soft Tissue Damage?
Many accident victims ask, “Can soft tissue damage after an accident be permanent?” The answer is yes. Some soft tissue injuries can be permanent, especially if they don’t heal properly.
For example, tearing the soft tissues in your knee during a slip-and-fall accident could cause permanent joint instability. If you don’t stretch or use a tendon or ligament for too long after an injury, it can contract and become permanently tighter.
Other permanent soft tissue injuries include chronic inflammation of the affected areas, frequent tears caused by tissues not fully healing before becoming damaged again, and persistent tendonitis.
Different Levels of the Soft Tissue Damage Scale
Soft tissue damage can be categorized into three levels, depending on its severity:
- First-degree damage is a sprain or strain that pulled the muscle, tendon, or ligament, but didn’t cause it to tear.
- Second-degree damage is a partial muscle, tendon, or ligament tear. This damage usually heals with time, but may require physical therapy to prevent lasting effects.
- Third-degree damage is a complete muscle, tendon, or ligament tear that may require surgery to reconnect the tissue.
What Factors Can Cause a Soft Tissue Injury to Become Permanent?
Your soft tissue injury could become permanent depending on several factors, such as:
- The severity of your injury. Tears are more likely to cause permanent damage than sprains or strains
- The location of your injury. Torn ligaments and tendons often experience more long-term damage than muscles
- The effectiveness of your treatment. Receiving proper, timely medical care can reduce the formation of scar tissue and prevent contracture
- Whether you have previously sustained a similar injury. Repetitive injuries are more likely to lead to permanent damage
Are Soft Tissue Injuries Difficult to Prove?
Soft tissue injury cases can be difficult to prove. Unlike broken bones, they might not appear on medical imaging tests. A personal injury lawyer may need to rely on other evidence, such as medical records and doctor testimony, to establish a claim.
Testimony about your injury from medical professionals can be very compelling. A medical professional can explain your medical records, discuss the severity of your soft tissue damage, and provide insight into how soft tissue injuries may affect your future.
How Can a Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer Help with a Soft Tissue Damage Claim?
A Georgia personal injury lawyer can handle a soft tissue damage claim on your behalf.
Some of the ways an experienced personal injury attorney can assist are:
- Investigating the incident to identify the at-fault parties
- Gathering medical documentation and other evidence to support your claim
- Calculating the value of your losses
- Identifying the insurance companies with financial liability and determining the insurance policy limits
- Negotiating with the insurers for a fair settlement that covers your losses
- Taking your case to trial if the insurer refuses to make a fair settlement offer
What Forms of Compensation Could I Receive for a Soft Tissue Injury Lawsuit?
A soft tissue injury settlement should cover the various losses you experienced related to your injury. Some of the most common losses that injury victims seek compensation for include:
- Past and future medical expenses, including surgeries, physical therapy, prescription medications, medical devices, and other medical treatments
- Past and future lost wages caused by the soft tissue injury, such as if the injury prevents you from returning to your pre-injury job or limits the types of work you can do
- Physical pain and emotional suffering experienced because of your injury and its impact on your life
- Diminished quality of life caused by an injury preventing you from engaging in activities you once enjoyed
- Accommodations for any permanent disability caused by your soft tissue injury
Contact a Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer
The personal injury lawyers at Bayuk Pratt in Atlanta, Ga., have over 50 years of combined legal experience helping injured people demand fair compensation. We’re battle-tested lawyers who know how to hold big insurance companies accountable. Our legal team has experience handling personal injury, wrongful death, and civil litigation cases. Our firm has recovered more than $300 million for our deserving clients.
Our founding partners served as senior partners for two of the world’s largest defense law firms, which represented insurance companies. That experience gives us insight into the tactics that insurance companies use to deny injury claims and avoid payouts. Our legal team uses that knowledge to help our clients pursue maximum financial compensation for their injuries.
Contact our firm today for a free consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer to discuss your legal options. Bayuk Pratt handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. If we provide you legal representation, you will not owe any legal fees unless we obtain compensation for you through a negotiated settlement or court award.
