After an accident of any kind, injury victims may be hesitant to contact a lawyer for help when they believe their injuries are not severe enough to warrant legal action. However, even a seemingly minor injury can pose long-term health risks, depending on the details of your case.
For example, one of the most overlooked types of injury is soft tissue injuries, like whiplash. Many victims are surprised to find that soft tissue injuries can turn into lifelong health issues. You’ll want to seek medical attention for any accident injuries you suffer and consider consulting with a law firm about your potential personal injury case.
What Are Soft Tissue Injuries?
Soft tissue injuries can occur anywhere in the body where there is no bone or organ. This often includes the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Generally, soft tissue injuries can be categorized as ligament sprains, muscle or tendon strain, and whiplash. We’ve further outlined these types in the following sections.
Ligament Sprains
Ligament sprains occur when there is stretching or tearing in tissues. This often occurs when the tissues are hit by an outside force or twisted out of their traditional positioning. Individuals suffering from ligament sprains may have trouble bearing weight on the affected area, making it difficult to continue living life normally.
Muscle or Tendon Strains
Tendon and muscle strains occur when muscles and tendons become stretched or stressed and forced to contract. Often referred to as pulled muscles, tendon and muscle strains can cause chronic pain, making it difficult for people to cope in their day-to-day lives without debilitating spasms.
Whiplash
While sprains and strains can occur anywhere in the body, whiplash is a type of soft tissue injury specifically in the neck area. It occurs when the neck and head are violently jolted back and forth or side to side. The sudden movement in the neck causes the soft tissues to become hyperextended.
Individuals suffering from whiplash injuries have reported chronic pain, memory issues, and other brain injury symptoms. Whiplash injuries have been known to take months to reach maximum medical improvement.
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How to Recover Maximum Compensation Following a Soft-Tissue Injury
After suffering a soft tissue injury due to another party’s actions, you have options for seeking compensation. To start, your attorney will need to figure out who is responsible for causing your accident.
Your attorney will carefully analyze the details of your case to establish liability. For example, if you were involved in a car accident, your attorney may look to one or more of the following parties for fault:
- Negligent motorists
- Motor vehicle technicians
- Auto parts or vehicle manufacturers
- Government agencies
- Other third parties
Once your lawyer identifies all potentially liable parties, they can begin to build a case for damages against each of them. To recover maximum compensation for your damages, you may need to file insurance claims or civil lawsuits against multiple liable parties.
What Damages Can You Recover in Your Case?
You have the right to seek compensation for every loss you suffered as a result of your soft tissue injuries when another party was at fault. This might include financial, emotional, and physical damages. Some of the more commonly awarded types of compensation for soft tissue injuries include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Property damages
- Hospital bills and ambulance fees
- Costs of prescription medications
- Physical and occupational therapy fees
- Other medical treatments
- Diagnostic imaging costs
- Loss of income
- Diminished earning capacity
- Skin scarring and disfigurement
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Personal Injury Laws that Could Affect Your Soft-Tissue Injury Settlement
Several Texas personal injury laws could significantly impact your ability to recover maximum compensation for your soft tissue injuries. Some of the most important include:
- Texas outlines a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003. If you do not file your lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out, you no longer have the right to pursue your case in the Texas civil court system.
- Texas follows a modified comparative negligence system. Also commonly referred to as proportionate responsibility, you can share as much as 50% of the liability for an accident and still recover compensation. Expect your injury settlement to be reduced in correlation to your proportionate responsibility.
- Texas is a fault state for car accidents and insurance purposes. When you were involved in an accident and someone else is responsible, you can file a claim with their insurance company to recover certain types and amounts of damages.
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Get Help from a Personal Injury Attorney in Texas Today
Soft tissue injuries can have a significant impact on your life. When you retain a Texas personal injury lawyer from Loncar Lyon Jenkins, we’ll make sure every loss is taken into consideration and advocate for your right to maximum compensation.
Our firm is proud to offer complimentary, no-obligation consultations to personal injury victims throughout Texas. Call our office today to get started.
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