Car accidents can lead to serious injuries like soft tissue injuries. These injuries can result in emotional, financial, and physical distress for victims. A car accident lawyer understands that sustaining injuries in a car accident can be traumatic.  A victim may deal with property damage, in addition to an injury, and navigate insurance claims. If you have sustained soft tissue injuries in this type of accident, you need to understand your legal options and protect your rights. You must seek proper medical and legal assistance to ensure your best interests are protected. 

Understanding Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries occur when the connective issues in your body like tendons, muscles, and ligaments are damaged. They can happen because of sudden trauma or repetitive motion. Aside from lacerations, a lot of soft tissue injuries may not present immediate symptoms and can become worse eventually when left untreated. 

Kinds of Soft Tissue Injuries that Can Happen in a Car Accident

Below are common tissue injuries that car accident victims may sustain:

• Whiplash. This soft tissue injury takes place when your head is forcefully jerked forward and backward, stretching and straining neck muscles and ligaments. Whiplash symptoms include neck pain, cognitive challenges, dizziness, and headaches. It can be mild or serious, and recovery time depends on the severity of the injury. 
• Strains and sprains. These injuries usually impact back, limb, and shoulder muscles and ligaments. Strains develop when a tendon or muscle is stretched or torn. Sprains occur when a joint ligament is damaged. Their symptoms include pain, difficulty moving, bruising, and swelling. 
• Contusions. These injuries take place because of damaged blood vessels that result from blunt force trauma. With these injuries, the affected area will experience tenderness and discoloration. In general, these injuries are minor, but they can lead to pain and discomfort, particularly when they happen in the abdomen, chest, or other sensitive areas. 
• Cerebral contusions. Blunt force trauma to your head can cause cerebral contusions. The extent of the contusion can depend on factors like the impact’s force and the part of the brain affected. Their symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, confusion, seizures, loss of consciousness, vomiting, limb numbness and weakness, and cognitive function changes. 
• Lacerations. These injuries take place when sharp objects like metal debris and broken glass tear or puncture your skin. The accident’s impact and force can cause people inside a vehicle to come into contact with different objects inside. This results in lacerations on exposed body areas like legs, arms, and face. Lacerations cause discomfort and pain and puts you at an increased risk of scarring and infection.

Soft Tissue Injury Symptoms

Recognizing soft tissue injuries may be difficult because a lot of symptoms do not manifest right after a car accident. Some signs and symptoms to pay attention to include the following:

• Pain and stiffness. A soft tissue injury may leave you experiencing discomfort, stiffness, and soreness in the affected area. These symptoms can become worse with movement. 
• Limited range of motion. You may have difficulty moving the affected part of your body due to a soft tissue injury. 
• Swelling. Usually, a soft tissue injury can lead to swelling around the affected area as the natural response of your body to trauma. 
• Bruising. Discoloration or bruises may occur around the affected area because of damaged blood vessels. 
• Tenderness. The affected area may be tender to the touch, which indicates tissue damage and inflammation. 

Pursuing a Personal Injury Claim for a Soft Tissue Injury

Bringing a soft tissue injury claim that results from a car crash can be a complex process. Prevailing in your case requires an understanding of personal injury law, the legal process, and the kinds of damages you can recover. A soft tissue injury can result in different damages like medical expenses, rehabilitation services, ongoing care, and lost wages. To effectively navigate the claims process, consult a skilled personal injury attorney.