Have you ever seen somebody walking around with white foam neck brace after a car accident? If the person said he had “whiplash,” then he probably suffered what’s called a “soft tissue” injury. A soft tissue injury can be any kind of problem that affects the soft parts of the body. These parts include tendons, muscles and ligaments.
Here are some of the most common examples of soft tissue injuries:
— Contusions: These are black and blue bruises that happen when we have blunt force trauma that doesn’t break the surface of the skin.
— Strains: These relate to the overuse or pulling and twisting of tendon or muscle.
— Sprains: Sprains happen when a joint is overextended and the relates to ligament damage.
As for whiplash, it’s a soft tissue neck injury that could involve both sprains, strains and contusions. Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries can result in extreme discomfort and pain caused by bruising, stiffness, swelling and soreness. Soft tissue injuries are the most common to occur in vehicle accidents, so most Maryland personal injury lawyers are highly familiar with this medical problem.
It’s important for car accident victims with soft tissue injuries to seek medical attention as soon as their symptoms appear. Keep in mind that unlike a broken bone, a soft tissue injury could take days to manifest in the body. As such, you might have returned home after your collision believing that you were okay, only to later discover that you’re seriously injured and never told the police about the injury after the crash.
Plaintiffs with soft tissue injuries caused by another party’s negligence in a car accident can file personal injury claims against the at-fault party in Maryland civil court. If you think you might have a viable claim relating to your soft tissue injury, you may want to reach out to a lawyer to discuss the possibility of pursuing such an action.
Source: FindLaw, “Soft tissue injuries,” accessed June 09, 2017