As a personal injury attorney in Brooklyn, New York, I am often asked about different types of injuries sustained after an auto accident. It is no secret that New York roads are constantly packed to the max,leading to all kinds of crashes, and unfortunately, a variety of resulting in injuries.
One of the most common injuries I see with clients who were involved in a car accident is soft tissue injury.
To most easily define a soft tissue injury, I recently found a helpful article from wiseGEEK.
Soft tissue injuries are those involving supporting, non-bony parts of the body. This includes muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Soft tissue injuries are quite common after a car accident, often experienced as tears, sprains, strains, and general soreness.
The impact of the crash will typically cause the driver and passengers to be jolted around. This
effect is multiplied if the vehicles are traveling at a decent speed, with hard braking and bracing against the impact.
Many individuals who have suffered a soft tissue injury experience pain, swelling, and bleeding. Though common, an x-ray can’t detect these types of injuries, so they are more difficult for physicians or emergency medical crews to diagnose. Sometimes, a car accident victim may not experience pain due to a tendon or ligament injury until hours after the crash. In rare cases, it may even take days for the pain or irritability of a soft tissue injury to set in.
One common soft tissue injury that occurs in a car accident is whiplash. Whiplash occurs when a person is hit from behind, with his or her head snapping forward and back again. Because of the considerable weight of the head, there is a significant amount of force placed on tissues in the neck.
Chronic pain, joint dysfunction, and herniated discs of the spine can result form whiplash.
If you have recently been involved in a car accident in New York, you may be experiencing lasting soft tissue pain. Don’t suffer through medical bills and missed work while your bank account takes a major hit, especially if the crash was not your fault.
Contact an experienced Brooklyn car accident injury attorney today if you are suffering from a soft tissue injury after a crash.