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    soft tissue injury

    Soft tissue injuries affect the supporting parts of the body, such as muscles, ligaments, and tendons. They can cause pain, swelling and permanent damage that adversely affects mobility. If someone sustains a soft tissue injury that requires medical attention or hospitalization from a wreck they didn’t cause, they may be entitled to seek compensation to help with what could be a life-long issue.

    Because soft tissue injuries can be caused by cumulative wear and tear, it is not unusual for insurers to deny a soft tissue injury claim. They’ll try to claim that your injury was caused by something other than the wreck, and you may have to challenge the insurer’s decision in order to obtain a just outcome. You will need to substantiate the fact that your losses are due to a soft tissue injury were, indeed, caused by someone else’s negligence. That’s where a lawyer comes into play.

    Joye Law Firm can help you seek compensation for a serious soft tissue injury. Since 1968, our South Carolina personal injury lawyers have been fighting for accident victims who have suffered soft tissue injuries in falls, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and other personal injury cases due to other’s negligence or carelessness. We want to help you seek the compensation you need to rebuild your life after a serious injury. You will get the respect, compassion and care you deserve, as our team works to help you make things right. Reach out to Joye Law Firm today at 877-941-1019 or through our online form for a free review of your legal options.

    Causes of Soft Tissue Injuries

    A direct blow, sudden jolts or strong twisting of any joint (knees, shoulders, ankles) can strain or tear muscle, tendons or ligaments. In your back or neck, trauma can rupture spinal disks, fracture vertebra or even tear the spinal cord, which causes paralysis.

    Common accidents that cause soft tissue injuries include:

    Soft Tissue Injury Treatment

    A soft tissue injury will cause immediate pain along with swelling of the joint or area around the injury. You may be unable to use the affected body part(s), such as your arm if you have an injured shoulder. Stiffness from a soft tissue injury in the back or neck can cause immobility.

    For minor strains and sprains, the treatment is rest, ice, compression, and elevation. A more serious injury should be examined by a doctor. With severe trauma, there may also be a fracture. In some cases, surgery and physical therapy may be necessary to repair the soft tissue damage.

    Recovery may take from a few weeks to several months depending on the severity of injury as well as your age, general health and occupation.

    You should see a doctor if you experience:

    • Inability to use or put weight on an affected joint without pain
    • Unusual shape or deformity
    • A pop or cracking sound at the time of injury
    • Pain in any surrounding bony structures
    • Neurological signs like numbness or pins and needles, either at the injury site or elsewhere, such as radiating down a leg.

    Have You Suffered a Soft Tissue Injury in an Accident?

    A soft tissue injury caused by sudden trauma, such as a blow to the body or intense stress on a body part, will be diagnosed as an acute soft tissue injury.
    Injuries that occur gradually over time and/or due to repeated activity are knowns as overuse injuries.

    The most frequently seen soft tissue injuries are:

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    Strains
    Muscle or tendons may be strained through trauma or extreme stretching. Tendons are fibrous cords of soft tissue that attach muscles to bone. A severe tear in muscles or tendons may require surgery.
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    Sprains
    Ligaments may be sprained because of extreme twisting or rolling of the area, such as twisting an ankle. Ligaments are bands of soft tissue that connect one bone with another and stabilize the body’s joints. Most sprains occur to ligaments in the ankles, knees or wrists.
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    Contusions
    Contusions are more commonly called bruises. They are usually caused by some form of blunt force trauma that crushes underlying muscle fibers and connective tissue.
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    Tendonitis
    Tendonitis is typically caused by small stresses that repeatedly aggravate a tendon and cause it to swell and become painful. The swelling and pain of tendonitis typically worsens with renewed activity. Persistent inflammation can damage the tendon to the point that corrective surgery is needed.
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    Bursitis
    The bursa are small sacs filled with fluid that provide cushioning between a bone and a tendon or muscle. Repeated stress and overuse can cause the bursa in the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, or ankle to swell. Bursitis is the swelling and irritation of nerves around the bursa.
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    Stress Fractures
    Stress fractures are tiny breaks in bones caused by the stress of overuse or trauma. The bones of the lower leg and foot, which bear the weight of the body, are particularly prone to stress fractures. A stress fracture is treated with rest and alleviation of stress on the damaged bone but may require a cast to immobilize and set the bone or, in rare cases, reparative surgery.
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    Pinched nerve
    Cervical radiculopathy, or a “pinched nerve,” occurs when a nerve in the neck is compressed or irritated where it branches away from the spinal cord. This may cause pain that radiates into the shoulder and/or arm, as well as muscle weakness and numbness. This may be a wear-and-tear injury, but in younger people, it is most often caused by a sudden traumatic injury that has caused a herniated disk.
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    Herniated disk
    The spinal “disks” between each vertebra in the backbone are made of flexible, elastic tissue. They act as shock absorbers and allow the spine to flex. A disk herniates or ruptures when part of the center nucleus pushes through the outer edge of the disk. This can put pressure on the nerves, causing pain. Repetitive strenuous activities or a sudden blow to the back may rupture a disk.
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    Whiplash
    This is an injury to the soft tissue of the neck that occurs when the neck is violently stretched beyond its normal range of motion and snaps back. A whiplash injury may be formally diagnosed as a cervical strain or sprain, a vertebral stress fracture or herniated disk.

    Seeking Compensation for Soft Tissue Injuries

    Insurance companies often balk at paying settlements for soft tissue injuries. Because soft tissue injuries can be caused by the natural wear and tear of an active lifestyle or labor-intensive occupation, insurers may argue that your injury is not due to the accident you suffered. The primary issue with soft tissue damage is chronic pain, which can’t be objectively measured or proved.

    Often, an insurer will offer a low-ball settlement that is based on what the company has previously paid out to close a soft tissue injury cases and limit its liability.

    Joye Law Firm will investigate your soft tissue injury accident and help you seek just compensation. We will document the evidence of the other party’s liability, as well as the costs of the injuries you have suffered. We will submit a demand letter to the insurance company that details your claim and evidence for compensation to you for:

    • Medical expenses from the date of the accident onward, including for future needs anticipated by medical specialists and/or for adaptive medical devices, home nursing care or even transportation to and from the doctors’ offices.
    • Lost income if your injuries required you to lose work, if you cannot return to work because of your injuries, or if you have to take a lower-paying job due to your injuries.
    • Pain and suffering resulting from the injury.
    • Emotional distress resulting from the accident and/or from the injury.

    If our aggressive negotiations with insurers do not result in a settlement that is fair and proper, we will file a formal lawsuit and will work to secure a win your case in court.

    Our attorneys at Joye Law Firm attorneys have nearly 250 years of combined litigation experience. Eleven of our attorneys have been selected for inclusion as either Best Lawyers® or Ones to Watch in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.

    Contact Our South Carolina Soft Tissue Injury Attorneys

    If you are suffering from a soft tissue injury sustained in an accident in South Carolina that was not your fault, you can rely on the attorneys of Joye Law Firm to fight aggressively to recover full compensation for your costs and losses. We are proud of our track record of success fighting for the rights of accident victims in South Carolina and we are ready to help you, too.

    Contact Joye Law Firm at 877-941-1019 or online now for a free, no-obligation legal consultation about how we can help you.

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