Woman with a soft-tissue injury in Long Island & New york

Soft tissue injuries are common and may sound like a minor complaint, but they can impact a person’s life in the long term. Traumatic events like car accidents and workplace accidents can cause devastating soft tissue injuries that require ongoing medical care and rehabilitation. 

If you’ve suffered a soft tissue injury because of another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Pursuing a claim could result in you recovering compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and other damages. The experienced and compassionate attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC will provide you with tailored, experienced legal advice while pursuing the most compensation possible in your case. 

What Is a Soft Tissue Injury?

A soft tissue injury occurs when trauma occurs to a person’s muscles, tendons, or ligaments. Muscles make up nearly half of a person’s total body mass. The muscles most commonly injured in accidents are usually skeletal muscles that enable the body to move. Ligaments are the tough elastic tissue that holds a person’s bones together and allows joints to function properly. 

Soft tissue injuries can cause ligaments to become injured, making it difficult for a person to move without pain. These soft tissue injuries can impair bodily movement, making it difficult to work and engage in day-to-day activities. They can be painful and debilitating. 

Sprains and Strains

A sprain happens when a ligament stretches past its range of motion. A person’s ankles, knees, shoulders, and elbows are the most likely areas to suffer sprains. While minor sprains usually heal with rest and ice, more severe sprains can require surgery and rehabilitation. Strains, on the other hand, affect muscles or tendons. Some of the most debilitating strains happen to muscles that run across two or more joints, such as the neck and back. Severe muscle strains can be excruciatingly painful and render a person immobilized for weeks or even months. 

Ruptures and Hernias

Ruptures happen when a ligament or tendon partially or detaches from a person’s bone. Complete ruptures usually require surgery and have a lengthy recovery time. Not every tendon or ligament rupture can be treated through surgery alone. Severe ruptures could require a joint replacement or more invasive treatment.

Hernias are tears in the soft tissue surrounding an organ. The hernia causes the organ to slip out of place. Most hernias don’t cause pain or adverse effects. However, some hernias lead to a loss of blood supply to the protruding organ, which could result in organ death. 

Common Causes of Soft Tissue Injuries

Nearly every type of accident has the potential to cause soft tissue injuries. However, some types of accidents are more prone to cause severe soft tissue injuries. Car accidents are one of the main causes of soft tissue injuries. The force of the collision can stretch or tear muscles, ligaments, and tendons. When a person’s body collides with an airbag or seatbelt, they can suffer painful bruising. 

Slip-and-Fall Accidents

Slip-and-fall accidents are another common cause of soft tissue injuries. When a person falls, their joints can become hyperextended, injuring the ligaments and tissues around the joint. A fall can also cause a person’s knee to move in an unnatural position, resulting in a torn ACL or meniscus, which requires surgery and rehabilitation. 

Workplace Accidents 

Additionally, several types of workplace accidents can result in soft tissue injuries. For example, when an employee lifts and moves heavy materials, they can suffer soft tissue injuries by spraining their backs or knees. Other causes of soft tissue injuries in the workplace can include the following:

  • Falling from heights
  • Overexerting muscles when lifting, pulling, pushing, or carrying objects
  • Twisting and straining while bending, climbing, reaching, standing, and sitting
  • Being struck by an object, such as boxes, building materials, or tools
  • Performing repetitive motions 
  • Becoming caught between machinery
  • Becoming injured in a violent act, such as an assault

Recovering Compensation for a Soft Tissue Injury

Understanding the process of recovering compensation after a personal injury accident is crucial. Two main ways to recover compensation are through an insurance claim and a personal injury lawsuit. In both cases, you’ll need to prove the defendant’s negligence or recklessness caused the accident, resulting in your injuries. 

If you were injured at work, you are likely eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim. Speaking to an attorney before pursuing a claim is important. If your employer’s negligence caused your accident, a better strategy may be to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against your employer. You may be able to recover more compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.

Available Damages in Personal Injury Lawsuit

Soft tissue injuries can be painful and lead to more significant, long-term damage if they aren’t treated properly. Treatment may involve weeks or months of physical therapy, rehabilitation, and surgery. 

Victims could lose their mobility and have to cope with chronic pain lasting for months or even years. Unfortunately, some victims of soft tissue injuries may never fully recover. For example, pinched nerves can cause permanent pain and impairment. Through a personal injury lawsuit, victims can pursue compensation for the following damages:

  • Medical treatment, including hospitalization, medication, surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, and related costs
  • Lost income, including the loss of future earning capacity due to disability
  • Property damage, such as damage to your vehicle if you were in an accident
  • Pain and suffering

Contact Our Personal Injury Attorney in Long Island & New York 

Soft tissue injuries can turn a person’s life up or down. If you’ve suffered soft tissue injuries in an accident that wasn’t your fault or at work, you’ll benefit from speaking to an experienced personal injury attorney. The attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC have extensive experience successfully litigating personal injury cases. We’re committed to pursuing the most compensation possible in your case and won’t settle for less than you need or deserve. Contact Dell & Dean, PLLC to schedule a complimentary case evaluation.

Dell & Dean, PLLC, represents clients throughout Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Garden City on Long Island, as well as the boroughs of New York: Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan, and the Bronx.