Soft tissue injuries refer to trauma or damage to any skin, muscle, tendon, or ligament in the body, often resulting from trauma such as car accidents or falls. These injuries are not fractures, which injure bones, nor do they injure internal organs.
In some cases, acute traumas can cause serious soft tissue injury that requires immediate medical attention and may result in long-term damage. Some soft tissue injuries cause permanent and, at times, catastrophic injuries.
If you suffered a soft tissue injury in an accident, you may recover compensation to pay for your medical bills and lost income. Contact a qualified Florida personal injury attorney at Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, for a free consultation and evaluation of your accident injury case.
Why Choose Holliday Karatinos Law Firm?
If you suffered severe soft tissue injuries in a Florida accident, the legal team at Holliday Karatinos Law Firm can help you. Our experienced trial lawyers have a proven track record of success both in and out of the courtroom. We have recovered more than $125 million in compensation for our clients, and we are prepared to provide you with aggressive legal representation. We make your recovery our personal commitment. Contact us today to discuss your case in a free consultation.
What are Some Common Soft Tissue Injuries?
Several soft tissue injuries can result from accidents, including:
- Sprains: A sprain injures a ligament, which connects the bones to each other. A joint forced into an unnatural position, such as twisting an ankle, may cause a sprain. These injuries can occur in any joint, but most commonly afflict the ankle, knee, and wrist.
- Strains: A strain injures the muscle or tendon, which connects muscles to bones. Sometimes called a pulled muscle, strains occur when a muscle stretches too much and tears. Strains can occur in any muscle, but most commonly afflict the back, neck, and hamstrings.
- Contusions: Also referred to as a bruise, a contusion injures the soft tissue through a direct blow or impact. Contusions can occur anywhere on the body.
- Tendinitis: As the name suggests, tendonitis inflames a tendon through overuse or strain on a joint. Tendinitis can occur in any tendon, but is most common in the shoulder, elbow, and knee.
- Bursitis: Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa, the small fluid-filled sac that cushions and lubricates joints. Repetitive, low-impact movements or a sudden, more serious injury can cause bursitis. These injuries can occur in any joint, but are most common in the shoulder, elbow, and hip.
- Whiplash: Also called neck strain or neck sprain, a sudden back-and-forth movement of the head, such as in a car accident, causes whiplash. Whiplash can cause pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion.
What Accidents Can Cause Soft Tissue Injuries?
Unintended injuries, including those that affect the soft tissues of the body, send 24.2 million people to emergency departments annually.
Many accidents can cause these injuries, such as:
- Motor vehicle accidents: The impact and jarring of a car accident can cause whiplash, sprains, and strains.
- Slip and fall accidents: Falling from a standing position, from a slight height, or down a flight of stairs can cause bruises, sprains, and strains.
- Sporting injuries: In sports, sudden movements or collisions can cause contusions, strains, and sprains.
- Workplace accidents: Certain occupations that require repetitive motions or heavy lifting can cause tendinitis, bursitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Assaults: Physical assaults can cause various injuries, including bruises, contusions, and lacerations.
How Do I Know If I Suffered a Severe Soft Tissue Injury?
Serious soft tissue injuries require immediate medical attention. Otherwise, you may risk long-term tissue damage.
Some indications of a severe tissue injury include:
- You hear a crack or pop when the injury occurs
- You feel numbness or tingling around your injury
- You develop limited range of motion in the neck or back
- It hurts to put weight on a leg or arm
- You experience severe pain at the injury site
- The injured area looks deformed, indented, or unusual
What Are the Symptoms of a Soft Tissue Injury?
Soft tissue injuries are often involve:
- Swelling and tenderness around the injury site
- Lump or knot at the injury site
- Muscle cramps, spasms, or weakness
- Bruising
- Tightness or difficulty moving the affected area
- A clicking sound in a joint
- Sudden limited range of motion
- Pain in the affected area, especially when moving
What Are the Long-Term Consequences of Severe Soft Tissue Injuries?
If severe soft tissue injuries occur or you don’t treat less serious ones, they can cause permanent damage,disfigurement, or leave scars. Occasionally, accident victims with damaged tendons or ligaments may lose muscle function.
These injuries may prevent some people from returning to work or their previous level of physical activity. Some may require medical procedures or ongoing physical therapy. In more severe cases, accident victims may require nursing home or in-home care to help them with daily activities, such as eating or personal grooming.
Chronic injury-related pain may cause anxiety, depression, stress, and sleep disturbances.
What Compensation Can You Recover for Soft Tissue Injuries?
If you suffered soft tissue injuries in an accident, you may recover compensation for damages through a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
The compensation available to Florida accident victims include:
- Medical expenses: This includes compensation for all medical bills related to your injury, including doctor visits, hospital stays, diagnostic tests, physical therapy, and prescription medication.
- Lost earnings: If your injury causes you to miss work, you may recover compensation for lost income.
- Pain and suffering: In some circumstances, you may obtain compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and lost enjoyment of life.
- Property damage: If a car accident caused your injuries, you might recover compensation for property damage, such as damage to your car or contents inside your vehicle, such as a cell phone or child booster seat.
- Punitive damages: In rare cases, you may get punitive damages if intentional or reckless behavior caused the injury.
The compensation available for soft tissue injuries depends on the specific circumstances of your case, including the severity of your injury, the extent of damages, and the degree of fault of each party involved. Speak with an experienced personal injury attorney who can evaluate your case and determine the amount of compensation to seek.
Do I Have an Accident Injury Claim?
If you suffered severe soft tissue injuries in an accident, you may recover compensation if you can prove that another party’s negligence caused your injuries.
Since car accidents cause the most unintended injuries, we’ll review the four elements of negligence as it relates to car accidents:
- Duty of care: Motorists must reasonably protect others from harm. In other words, all drivers have a duty of care to follow the rules of the road.
- Breach of duty: Drivers who speed or run a red light breach their duty of care because their actions increase the likelihood of an accident, which endanger other motorists.
- Causation: The driver’s breach of duty causes you harm. For example, the driver’s speeding causes him to lose control and ram his vehicle into yours, resulting in your injuries.
- Damages: You suffered personal and financial losses due to your injuries—damages such as medical bills, lost income, pain, and suffering.
In car accidents, you may recover compensation from negligent parties including the driver of the other vehicle, the owner of the vehicle if they knowingly let an at-risk person drive their car, or the parent company if the at-fault driver was working at the time of the accident.
In some cases, a defective product, part, or mechanical malfunction may cause an accident. In this case, you may hold the manufacturer strictly liable for your injury if the manufacturer knowingly allowed a product with a manufacturing or design defect on the market.
You will need a personal injury attorney to review your case, identify all liable parties, and seek compensation from them.
What if I Partially Caused My Accident?
In Florida, courts use a modified comparative negligence rule to determine fault. Comparative negligence reduces the amount of damages you can recover based on your percentage of fault in an accident. Florida's modified standard allows you to recover damages as long as you are less than 50 percent to blame for your injuries. However, your award will decrease by your percentage of fault. Under this rule, you cannot recover damages if you bear more than 50 percent of the fault for your injuries.
Is There a Deadline for Filing a Soft Tissue Injury Claim?
Florida’s statute of limitations allows you two years after the injury or discovery of the injury to file a personal injury claim. While two years may seem like a long time, gathering evidence and building a strong case for full compensation takes time. The sooner you retain a personal injury lawyer, the sooner they can begin working on your case.
While some exceptions may lengthen or shorten this deadline for filing claims, the court will likely dismiss your lawsuit if you miss this deadline to file a claim in civil court.
How Can a Florida Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me?
If you suffered soft tissue injuries in an accident, an attorney can assist you by:
- Determining the full extent and value of your damages.
- Advising you on laws and timelines that may affect your claim.
- Identifying all liable parties, including drivers, vehicle owners, companies, and product manufacturers.
- Negotiating with insurance companies to reach a fair financial settlement.
- Filing your case within the statute of limitations.
- Representing you in court, advocating for you, and helping you navigate the court system.
- Offering peace of mind that a legal professional will properly handle your legal matters so you can focus on your recovery.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney with Holliday Karatinos Law Firm Today
If you suffered sprains, contusions, whiplash, or other soft tissue injuries in a Florida accident, the experienced trial attorneys of Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, can help you. We have a proven track record of success both in and out of the courtroom and have obtained more than $125 million for our clients.
Our personal injury lawyers can help determine the value of your damages, identify all liable parties, deal with insurance companies for you, and file your accident claim in court within Florida's statute of limitations. And, if your injury case goes to trial, our experienced trial lawyers can provide you with aggressive legal representation. Contact us today at (813) 868-1887 for your free consultation and case evaluation.
James Wayne Holliday
James Wayne Holliday has been practicing law since 1995. He has been named as a “Best Attorney” Lifetime Charter Member in Florida, an honor awarded to less than one percent of the nation’s lawyers.
Mr. Holliday has earned a reputation as a relentless trial lawyer because of his outstanding work ethic and thorough preparation of his cases for trial.
Author's Bio
