Many people do not realize that one of the riskiest things they do each day is step inside their motor vehicle. There are numerous ways you can become involved in a car accident that is not your fault, and many different consequences such an accident can have on you and your family. Soft tissue injuries are just one example.
A soft tissue injury refers to damage to your muscles, tendons, or ligaments – the parts of your body that hold your bones together. Whiplash, joint dysfunctions, and slipped discs are common examples of soft tissue injuries suffered by car accident victims.
If you have been involved in a car accident in the past four years, a personal injury lawyer from our law firm can help you to recover the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve. You may be reimbursed for medical bills, lost income, your pain and suffering, and more.
The injury attorneys at The Law Place in Port Charlotte have 75 years of combined experience dealing with car accidents and can give you a free consultation at no obligation right now over the phone.
Call today for a free consultation to find out how we can help you maximize your soft tissue damage claim. Our office telephone number is (941) 444-4444.
What Exactly Is a Soft Tissue Injury?
As briefly mentioned above, soft tissue injuries encompass any physical damage to the body’s muscles, ligaments, or tendons. These are the body parts that hold our bones together and enable us to move freely and without pain. As such, soft tissue damage can range from relatively minor to serious injuries.
The most common types of soft tissue injuries are strains, sprains, and impact injuries like bruising. Swelling is also a common symptom of a soft tissue injury – and in worse cases, it can lead to reduced or even complete loss of certain bodily functions and mobility.
One problem with soft tissue injuries is that they are often either not visible externally or appear less severe than they really are. Additionally, even if you seek medical attention as advised, they will not show up on an x-ray as broken bones would.
On top of this, the adrenaline and shock natural to a car accident situation can make subtler injuries like these more difficult to notice. This means that soft tissue injuries often go unnoticed or undiagnosed, which can often cause them to worsen and cause victims more significant complications further down the line.
No matter the severity of your soft tissue injury, as long as it was due to someone else’s negligence, a personal injury attorney can help you unlock the compensation you deserve.
The Different Types of Soft Tissue Injuries Explained
Now that we have outlined what a soft tissue injury is, we will take a deep look at the different types of specific injuries they encompass.
The following is a list of the most common soft tissue injuries our personal injury attorney team see from our clients:
- Contusions – This is the technical term for a deep bruise. Contusions are most commonly caused by the significant blunt force trauma involved in a substantial impact. They often take a long period to heal completely and cause pain, swelling, and skin discoloration.
- Sprains – This is another term for a torn ligament. These are caused when the ligaments connected to your joints become stretched or tear as a result of sudden overexerting movement. The most common places for sprains to occur are in the wrists, knees, and ankles. In extreme cases, surgery may be required by a medical professional to reattach a ligament.
- Tendonitis – This refers to inflamed tendons that cause irritation and pain to a joint. Due to overlapping symptoms, this can often be misdiagnosed by medical professionals as a simple sprain.
- Whiplash – This is the most common soft tissue injury suffered by auto accident victims. Whiplash is a non-technical umbrella term for many different injuries caused by the sudden jerking motion of the neck and spine that often occurs in a car accident. It is not uncommon for the problems caused by whiplash to last a long time after the accident, causing headaches, muscle pain, and reduced mobility.
- Lacerations – This is the medical term for cuts and usually refers to more severe and deep damage to the skin, often requiring stitches to safely stop the bleeding and allow the healing process to take place properly.
- Abrasions and burns – These are friction-related injuries on the surface of the skin, which are especially common when someone is thrown from their vehicle and skids along the surface of the road, causing road-rash. Infections and scarring are common results, and more extreme cases may require skin grafts to be carried out.
No matter whether you have sustained minor whiplash, a sprained wrist, or serious neck trauma, you are entitled to claim for the consequences you have received from somebody else’s negligence.
In case you are unsure of the definition of negligence under Florida law, the details can be found contained in Florida Statute 768.81. Or, if you do not want to waste your time combing through the complicated legal jargon, you can simply contact us today for a free case evaluation and inform us of your situation and the injuries you have received as a result.
What Should You Do Immediately After Being Involved in a Florida Car Accident?
Many people do not realize that certain steps should always be carried out after a car accident to ensure that the victim can maximize the amount of compensation they receive. Some of these steps are so important that, if missed, they can directly prevent your claim from being successful.
We have put together the following list, in order, of what car accident victims should do immediately after the aftermath of their crash:
- Get to safety – Your first priority should be your safety. Get clear of your vehicle and anything else that could cause you further potential harm or injury. You should also try to ensure all other people involved in the accident have made it to a safe position.
- Alert the authorities – Once you are safe, you should alert the relevant authorities. Florida Statute 062 requires that any serious accident is made known to the police, and failing to do so may not only damage your claim but could also land you in legal trouble yourself. You should also contact medical authorities if anyone at the scene is injured and requires medical attention.
- Collect details – You should now attempt to collect as many details from everybody involved or witnessing the accident as possible. While you will definitely need the insurance details of the other people involved in the crash, eyewitness accounts can do wonders for reinforcing your compensation claim. You should try to collect full names, telephone numbers, addresses, and registration plate numbers.
- Never admit fault – Most of us are polite people, and it may seem natural to take a bit of the blame for the accident in a verbal conversation. It is incredibly important that you do not do this, as this can be held against you to devalue your claim or even be used to pin liability upon you.
- Take photographic evidence – One advantage the modern accident victim has is that they more than likely have a high-quality camera in their mobile phone. You should use this to take photographic evidence to back up your personal injury claim. You should try to capture: vehicle damage, environmental damage, registration plates, skid marks on the road, and your injuries as soon as they occur. Obviously, you should ensure it is safe before you start snapping pictures.
- Contact your attorney – Or, if you do not already have one, it is time to get one. It is difficult to achieve the same amount of compensation without a personal injury lawyer. They will also be able to inform you of the next correct move and warn you against any potential pitfalls that could impact your claim amount.
- Alert your insurance company – Most insurance companies will require that you let them know an accident has occurred within a set time frame. Ensure that you only disclose what is absolutely necessary, as insurance companies will use extra information to devalue your claim. You should also never sign anything from an insurance company without your Florida personal injury lawyer present.
- Seek medical attention – If you have sustained any injuries, it is important to seek appropriate medical care. Not only can neglected injuries become much worse if not treated, but Florida law also requires anyone making a personal injury claim to have visited a medical professional within 14 days in order to raise a personal injury claim. The details of this can be found in Florida Statute 627.736. Try not to worry about your medical expenses; your personal injury lawyers will be able to fight to get you reimbursed for these if you were not at fault for the accident.
Due to the shock and adrenaline of being involved in a motor vehicle accident, we understand that it may not be possible to remember and carry out every item on this list. However, doing so will give you the best chances of maximizing your injury claims under Florida law.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience
What Are Different Types of Compensation Available to a Florida Client Making a Soft Tissue Injury Claim?
There are a number of different damage types that can apply to soft tissue injury claims. These will differ depending on the specifics of the situation and its consequences. Generally speaking, the more severe the consequences, the higher amount of money you can expect in compensation.
We will detail the most common damage types associated with soft tissue injury claims below, but remember that the best way to get a good idea of your legal roadmap is to schedule a free case evaluation with our law firm today.
Claiming for the Cost of Medical Treatment
It is probably no surprise to hear that the leading cause of bankruptcy in American today is debt from medical treatment.
However, your Florida lawyers will be able to fight to get the cost of treating your soft tissue injuries reimbursed. All you need to do is retain a copy of the itemized bill you receive after your treatment and allow our personal injury lawyer team to do the rest.
Claiming for the Cost of Lost Wages
Medical expenses are not the only way that soft tissue injuries can become financially debilitating. In addition, your injuries may require you to spend time off work recovering, especially if you have damaged an area like your neck that will cause you mobility difficulties.
Unfortunately, fewer and fewer companies these days are willing to pay their employees for time spent off from work recovering from injuries that weren’t their fault. Luckily, the lawyers at our office can help you get this money anyway – all we’ll need is a copy of your correspondence with your lawyer detailing the time you have been forced to spend off work.
Claiming for Pain and Suffering
While it may sound dramatic, pain and suffering damages are the technical term for compensation that considers the total length and pain level of your recovery process, as well as taking into account any permanent lifestyle changes you may have suffered as a result of your accident.
These damages are especially relevant to severe soft tissue injuries, like those to the neck, that require long periods of recovery and may impact mobility for the rest of the victim’s life.
If you are making a pain and suffering claim for a soft tissue injury that has caused you long-term damage, there is one thing you can do to help the success rate of your claim. This is to gain a copy of your medical history. Unfortunately, insurance companies often try to pass off long-term damage as a pre-existing medical condition to try to get out of paying more money than they have to.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers.
What Is the Timeframe for Making a Claim for Soft Tissue Injuries?
With soft tissue injuries, like any other car crash accident-related claim, you have a window of exactly four years in which to make your claim. Unfortunately, this period of time begins to elapse on the exact day on which your accident occurred.
The specifics of the Florida law detailing the statute of limitations for soft tissue injury claims are detailed in Florida Statute 95.11.
However, it should be noted that you should not delay just because you have a whole four years to raise your claim. Delays may impact your ability to get the compensation you deserve, as evidence becomes lost, and your insurance company has more time to solidify their case against you.
How Much Will Claiming for Your Injuries Using the Law Place Cost You?
Many people are understandably afraid that they will be unable to afford a high enough quality lawyer to make raising a claim worthwhile. This is understandable, as lawyers have a reputation for being expensive and accidents and injuries are often the times when we are at our most financially precarious.
However, the good news is that claiming The Law Place will cost you absolutely nothing upfront. In fact, you will only have to pay any fees if your case is successful – and even then, these fees will only be taken out of your final settlement once it has been finalized.
Here at The Law Place, we believe that nobody who has suffered an injury that was not their fault should have to risk anything to seek financial justice and compensation. All of our contingency work is monitored by the Florida State Bar Association, so you don’t need to take our word for the fact that there will be no hidden costs, extra charges, or nasty surprises waiting for you further down the line.
Contact The Law Place Today
If you have been involved in a car accident that has resulted in any level of soft tissue injuries in the last four-year period, you need an experienced lawyer. It will be almost impossible for you to achieve a fair level of compensation for your injuries without one.
The lawyers at our law firm have 75 years of combined experience maximizing people’s compensation in your exact situation. We have the skillset, compassion, and tenacity needed to maximize your claim amount.
All you need to do is call our office and arrange a free consultation and free case evaluation, all at no obligation and completely confidential, so you don’t need to worry about what you tell us impacting your claim. Whether it is assistance with dealing with your insurance company or taking your case to trial, the attorneys at our office can help. A large percentage of the attorneys at our firm are AVVO rated a perfect 10.0.
Our telephone lines are always open, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us on (941) 444-4444 and tell us about your situation to get the process started!