Soft Tissue injury

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Soft Tissue Injury Lawyer in Wheeling, WV

Soft Tissue Injury Lawyer

It’s crucial to seek medical treatment immediately after an accident, even if you don’t feel hurt. You could have a soft tissue injury and not know it yet. Symptoms of soft tissue injuries are often imperceptible at first but can arise days or weeks after an incident. If you need to file a soft tissue injury claim seeking compensation for your injuries, medical records showing that you sought prompt treatment could play an instrumental role in the outcome of your case.

A soft tissue injury may seem minor, but treatment can be costly and could leave you with permanent limitations and chronic pain. At Jividen Law Offices, PLLC, we want to hear your story and determine whether you have a valid legal claim. To learn more about your legal options, contact us for a free case review with a Wheeling soft tissue injury lawyer.

What is a Soft Tissue Injury?

A soft tissue injury is any physical injury that affects the muscles, tendons, nerves, or ligaments. Many soft tissue injuries come from sudden or uncontrolled movements that result in blunt-force trauma to the skin and underlying flesh. These injuries are prevalent in unexpected events like car accidents, slip and falls, and animal attacks.

Common Symptoms of a Soft Tissue Injury

The symptoms of a soft tissue injury might not appear right away but commonly include:

  • Pain at and around the injury site
  • Swelling and stiffness in the affected area
  • Contusions (bruising)
  • Instability in affected joints

The Different Types of Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries can take many forms but are commonly classified as follows:

  • Sprains – A sprain is a damaged ligament. If a ligament stretches beyond its limits, the resulting injury might be classified as a sprain. Sprains often occur in the knee, ankle, or wrist.
  • Strains – A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon rather than a ligament. Overuse, overstretching, or accidental injuries can cause soft tissue strains. Whiplash, a common injury in rear-end car accidents, is a type of neck strain.
  • Stress fractures – A stress fracture, or hairline fracture, is a small break in a bone. Stress fractures can quickly worsen if left untreated and cause serious health complications.
  • Bursitis – Bursae are fluid-filled sacs between bones and muscles or tendons. Bursitis is the inflammation of the bursae. Direct trauma to the joint, such as a kneecap hitting a dashboard, can cause bursitis.
  • Tendonitis – Tendons are flexible bands that connect muscle to bone. Inflammation of the tendons is called tendonitis, which is common in the elbows, hands, feet, knees, and ankles.
  • Contusions – A contusion is a bruise. Bruises appear when blunt-force trauma damages blood vessels and causes bleeding beneath the skin’s surface, leading to visible discoloration.

The severity of the accident typically dictates the severity of a resulting soft tissue injury. Soft tissue injuries could be minor nuisances that cause mild discomfort or debilitating injuries that require surgery.

Many people with soft tissue injuries require continuous medical treatment, such as long-term physical or occupational therapy. This usually amounts to higher medical expenses, more time off work, and more significant wage loss. If someone else is to blame for the accident that caused your soft tissue injury, you might be eligible to file a personal injury claim seeking compensation for these losses in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Main Causes of a Soft Tissue Injury

The leading causes of soft tissue injuries are:

  • Blunt force trauma – If a body part comes into direct contact with an unforgiving surface, the force of impact can severely damage soft tissues. Blunt-force trauma often causes sprains, strains, tears, and contusions. Blunt-force trauma is common in motor vehicle crashes, slip-and-fall accidents, sports injuries, pedestrian collisions, and any other incident that causes an individual to slam into a hard surface.
  • Repetitive motion strain – Repetitive motions, overuse, and overexertion can all cause inflammation injuries like tendonitis or bursitis. The simple act of typing on a keyboard or using a computer mouse for extended periods can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, one of the most common types of repetitive motion injuries.

Treatments for Soft Tissue Injuries

Appropriate treatment for a soft tissue injury varies based on the nature and extent of the damage.

For a mild contusion, sprain, or strain, your doctor might recommend rest, ice, compression, and elevation (R.I.C.E.). Tendonitis often requires R.I.C.E. coupled with anti-inflammatory medication. Bursitis is treated nearly the same way as tendonitis, but your doctor might also prescribe antibiotics if bursitis leads to an infection.

More serious soft tissue injuries, like muscle or ligament tears, often require more intensive treatment, like steroid injections, prescription medications, or physical therapy. With a stress fracture, your doctor might prescribe a brace or cast the affected area. Surgical intervention might be necessary if a hairline crack in the bone continues to grow and causes a complete break.

Regardless of the classification of a soft tissue injury, victims often face unexpected medical bills, lost wages due to time away from work, and considerable pain and suffering. If the incident that caused your soft tissue injury was not your fault, a personal injury lawyer could help you demand accountability and fair compensation for your personal and financial losses.

Average Settlement for Soft Tissue Injury in West Virginia

Although there is no average soft-tissue injury settlement in West Virginia, your attorney can place a reasonable value on your case by examining certain factors, such as:

  • The nature of your injuries – The severity of your injuries dramatically affects the value of your soft tissue injury claim. The greater the injuries, the higher the medical costs and the more time you could be off work.
  • Who is liable for the incident – Your attorney will investigate the circumstances of the accident and assess the liability for all parties involved. Determining who is at fault for the accident will allow your lawyer to identify potential sources of compensation for your losses.
  • Available insurance policy limits – If the party that caused your injuries is insured, you could recover compensation by filing a claim against their liability insurance policy. But suppose the at-fault party carries only minimal insurance or no insurance at all. In that case, your recovery might be limited by their policy limits or the value of their personal assets. Your lawyer can advise whether it is worth filing a lawsuit against an at-fault party in these circumstances. They can also help you review your own insurance policy to determine whether your provider might cover some of your losses after a soft tissue injury.

At Jividen Law Offices, PLLC, your recovery is our top concern. We work hard to pursue full and fair settlements from the available insurance policies, but we will not hesitate to take your case to trial if that’s what it takes to get the results you deserve.

Our attorneys can help you seek compensation for  losses like:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential
  • Pain, suffering, and lost quality of life

Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury In West Virginia

A statute of limitations law dictates how long you have to file certain types of lawsuits, including personal injury lawsuits. In West Virginia, the personal injury statute of limitations says you have two years from the date of the accident to sue

Although this might seem like a long time, those two years can go by faster than you’d think. And in some cases, the time limit could be even shorter. That’s why you should always contact a soft tissue injury lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney can investigate the accident, collect the necessary documentation and evidence, and attempt to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company.

If the insurance company is unwilling to settle your soft tissue injury claim for a reasonable amount, your attorney can file a timely lawsuit on your behalf. With a personal injury lawyer handling your case from Day One, you can rest assured that your case is in good hands and avoid stressing over dates and deadlines while you recover from your injuries.

Schedule an Appointment with Our Soft Tissue Injury Attorneys

If you sustained a soft tissue injury due to someone else’s wrongdoing, you need help from a soft tissue injury lawyer at Jividen Law Offices, PLLC. When you come to us for help, you can expect personalized, one-on-one attention and intelligent legal representation every step of the way. We look forward to discussing how we can help you. Contact us today for a free consultation.