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What Are Soft Tissue Injuries?
Soft tissue injuries involve damage to a person’s muscles, tendons, ligaments, and the body’s other soft tissues. While these injuries can be caused by overuse, in many scenarios, they are the result of acute trauma, like a jarring car accident.
Both muscles and connective tissues are made up of individual fibers. If these fibers become torn, stretched, inflamed, or otherwise injured in a traumatic event like a car accident, they can cause a great deal of pain, discomfort, and even immobilization.
Soft tissue injuries can vary in severity. While more mild soft tissue injuries may resolve themselves in a matter of days with rest, ice, compression, elevation, and over-the-counter pain medication, accident victims who have sustained severe soft tissue injuries may feel their immediate effects for weeks, or even months.
Some accident survivors who have sustained severe soft tissue injuries may require ongoing courses of physiotherapy and other rehabilitative treatments. It might take several years to recover from and adapt to the pervasive symptoms of their injuries.
In Ontario, car accidents are among the most common causes of soft tissue injuries. Even collisions that seem relatively minor and inconsequential can cause an individual to sustain soft tissue injuries.
Some of the most common types of soft tissue injuries sustained by Ontario car accident survivors include:
- Strains
- Sprains
- Contusions
- Bursitis
- Torn ligaments
- Whiplash
- And more
The Ongoing Effects of Whiplash
Whiplash is one of the most common soft tissue injuries sustained by the victims of car accidents in Ontario. When the force of a sudden impact causes a driver or passenger’s head and neck to snap forward and then backward, it can cause damage to the soft tissues in the neck.
Whiplash associated disorders are often sustained in rear-end or side-impact collisions. During these sudden collisions, the force of impact can cause an accident victim’s head to jerk suddenly in one direction and then another, resulting in damage to their neck’s soft tissues and – in many cases – ongoing symptoms that impact all facets of their lives.
Whiplash can cause a range of symptoms that can be physical, psychological, and behavioral in nature. These often include:
- Pain, numbness, or tingling in arms, hands, legs, and feet
- Stiffness in the back and neck
- Mood swings, irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory loss
- Fatigue
- Ringing in the ears
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Vertigo
- Jaw pains
- Difficulty swallowing
- And more
Whiplash can have a significant impact on a car accident survivor’s daily life. In some cases, the effects of whiplash can be long-lasting, with victims experiencing chronic pain and reduced mobility for months or even years after the accident.
The pain and discomfort can make it difficult to carry out everyday tasks. However, accident victims who have sustained these particular soft tissue injuries may experience emotional, psychological, and financial hardships as well.
According to research made available by the National Library of Medicine, many people who have sustained a whiplash-associated disorder develop depression that persists for at least several weeks following their injury. This psychological side effect can be deeply impactful, negatively affecting an accident survivor’s social relationships, their feelings of self-worth, and their overall physical and mental health. The effects of depression can be overwhelming, ongoing, and pervasive, impacting both the injured accident victim and the people closest to them.
In addition to the physical and psychological effects of whiplash-associated disorders, many car accident survivors afflicted with these soft tissue injuries may face financial hardships as a result of their newly acquired conditions. Accident survivors with whiplash may need to take long stretches of time off work to recover from their soft tissue injuries, especially if they are unable to perform their duties because of their injury-related pain, discomfort, immobility, or mental health struggles. Their lost wages coupled with the high costs of necessary medical treatment– such as physiotherapy or chiropractic care – can cause people who have sustained these serious soft tissue injuries legitimate financial distress.
How an Ontario Car Accident Lawyer May Be Able to Help
Car accident survivors who have sustained compensable soft tissue injuries as the result of a motor vehicle collision may benefit from the legal assistance and support of an Ontario car accident lawyer. By working with our car accident lawyers serving all of Ontario, injured survivors of motor vehicle collisions may be able to recover compensation for their damages.
People who have sustained injuries in motor vehicle collisions should be entitled to accident benefits. The amount of benefits an insurer may provide an injured accident survivor is based on their injuries’ severity. Oftentimes, insurance providers find reasons to deny an injured accident survivor’s claim for accident benefits or search for excuses to withhold funds from them. That is why our Ontario car accident lawyers handle all aspects of our clients’ insurance claims and fight on their behalf to try recovering the maximum amount of compensation to which they should be entitled.
Additionally, if your soft tissue injuries were sustained in a collision caused by a negligent motor vehicle operator, our car accident lawyers serving Ontario may be able to help you recover compensation by pursuing a civil claim against the at-fault party. By taking legal action against the negligent driver whose wrongful actions caused you to be injured, our Ontario car accident lawyers may be able to help you recover the damages you are rightfully owed.
Call Preszler Injury Lawyers Today
Sustaining soft tissue injuries in a motor vehicle collision can be a traumatic experience. Many injured accident victims are unsure of what to do or where to turn for help. During a free initial consultation with Preszler Injury Lawyers, our car accident lawyers may be able to provide you with beneficial legal advice to help you navigate the aftermath of the accident and move forward with your life.
To learn more about the ways in which our Ontario car accident lawyers may be able to help you get the compensation you need to recover from your injuries, contact us and schedule a free initial consultation.
