Soft Tissue Injury Lawyers
Are you struggling with pain and financial hardships after a soft tissue injury? Many soft tissue injuries, such as sprains, strains, and contusions, can significantly impact a person’s quality of life, making everyday tasks challenging and overwhelming. The medical expenses, lost wages, and other difficulties that often accompany a soft tissue injury can be debilitating. You should know that if your soft tissue injury resulted from an accident or incident that was not your fault, you could be entitled to compensation.
At Deering Hedrick, we understand that a soft tissue injury can affect your physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Our experienced attorneys, Mike Deering and Chris Todd Hedrick, can advocate for your rights and help you pursue fair compensation for your losses. If you suffered an injury caused by another person, you deserve justice and accountability. Contact us today to speak to our soft tissue injury lawyers during a consultation.
What Is a Soft Tissue Injury?
Soft tissues are the non-bony, non-cartilaginous tissues in the body. Soft tissues work with bones, joints, and other bodily structures to allow for movement, sensation, and the protection of vital organs. Common types of soft tissues include the following:
- Muscles – Muscles are soft tissues responsible for movement and generating force. Muscles are composed of fibers that contract and relax to create movement.
- Tendons – Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect muscles to bones. Tendons transmit the force generated by muscles to the bones, which allows for movement.
- Ligaments – Ligaments are fibrous tissues that connect bones to other bones. Ligaments provide stability to joints and prevent excessive or uncontrolled movement.
- Fascia – Fascia are connective tissue surrounding muscles, organs, and other structures in the body. Fascia helps to support and protect these internal structures.
- Bursae – Bursae are small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion the spaces between bones, tendons, and muscles. Bursae reduce friction and protect us during movement.
A soft tissue injury is any injury that affects these tissues. A soft tissue injury can lead to a limited range of motion, impaired bodily functions, and severe pain.
Common Types of Soft Tissue Injuries
At Deering Hedrick, we often see the following types of soft tissue injuries in the personal injury cases we handle:
- Sprains – A sprain is an injury that affects a ligament. Sprains can occur when a joint is twisted or stretched beyond its normal range of motion. Common areas for sprains include the ankle, knee, and wrist. Symptoms of a sprain include pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the affected joint.
- Strains – A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon, which is the tissue that connects muscle to bone. Strains can occur when a muscle is stretched or torn due to overuse or sudden forceful movement. Common areas for strains include the lower back, hamstring, and calf muscles. Symptoms of a strain include pain, muscle spasms, and weakness in the affected muscle.
- Contusions – A contusion is a bruise, which is an injury to the blood vessels under the skin. Contusions can occur when a direct blow is delivered to the skin, causing blood vessels to rupture and blood to accumulate under the skin. Symptoms of a contusion include pain, swelling, and discoloration of the skin.
- Whiplash – Whiplash is a soft tissue injury that occurs when the head suddenly jerks forward and backward, such as in a car accident or slip-and-fall accident. Whiplash damages the soft tissues in the neck, resulting in pain, stiffness, and headaches.
- Tendonitis – Tendonitis involves the inflammation of a tendon due to overuse or repetitive motion strain. Tendonitis is a common injury among athletes and workers who do manual labor. Symptoms of tendonitis include pain, stiffness, and weakness in affected areas, which commonly include the elbow, shoulder, and knee. Tendonitis can lead to chronic pain and a limited range of motion without proper treatment.
Compensation for Soft Tissue Injuries
The compensation you can seek in a soft tissue injury case can vary depending on the injury’s location, severity, and cause. If your soft tissue injury case is successful, you could be compensated for the following injury-related losses:
- Hospital bills and medical expenses you incur due to the soft tissue injuries
- Incidental expenses, such as out-of-pocket costs you incur for medical travel
- Reduced income from any time you miss at work due to the soft tissue injuries
- Projected losses in future earning potential, if you are permanently impaired
- Subjective losses, such as physical pain, suffering, emotional distress, and lost quality of life due to permanent injuries
When You Should Hire a Soft Tissue Injury Lawyer
Some people do not need a lawyer after a soft tissue injury. A relatively minor soft tissue injury, such as a small bruise that does not require medical care, is likely not worthy of legal action. However, you should think about hiring a soft tissue injury lawyer if any of the following characteristics apply to your situation:
- Your soft tissue injuries are severe or extensive
- You suffered emotionally due to your soft tissue injuries
- Your injuries are so severe that you cannot return to work
- It’s unclear who is responsible for your soft tissue injuries
- Multiple parties could be liable for your soft tissue injuries
- You got hurt by someone who does not have proper insurance
- You have trouble finding or preserving evidence for your claim
- The insurance company tries to minimize or deny your claim
- An insurance company representative asks you for a statement
- You don’t feel confident about negotiating for compensation
- You feel uncertain about your legal rights or next steps
Contact a Virginia Soft Tissue Injury Attorney
Don’t let the pain and frustration of a soft tissue injury prevent you from seeking the compensation you deserve. The experienced attorneys of Deering Hedrick can help you pursue financial relief for your medical bills, lost wages, and other injury-related losses after a soft tissue injury. We can provide you with the compassionate, effective legal representation you deserve. Contact our Virginia soft tissue injury attorneys today to learn more about your legal rights during a consultation.
