As you get behind your car’s wheel and head to town, you focus on your day’s agenda, with ambient music playing in the background. All of a sudden, the sound of your thoughts and of your music is replaced with the sound of a large crash. By the time the noise stops, you surmise that you have just been involved in a motor vehicle collision.
A car accident can easily cause you to suffer serious injuries, including injuries to your soft tissues. Here is a glimpse at what soft tissue injuries are and what your rights are if you have suffered these types of injuries due to a fellow motorist’s carelessness.
A rundown on soft tissue injuries
Your body has multiple soft areas that could get hurt in a motor vehicle crash. These include, for example, your muscles, ligaments and tendons. Injuries to these areas of the body include the following:
- Strains, which may happen if you overuse your tendon or muscle
- Contusions, also known as bruises
- Sprains, which are damage to a ligament because you have overextended a joint
Injuries to your soft tissues can lead to intense discomfort and pain, leaving you feeling stiff, sore and bruised. You may also experience some swelling. These kinds of injuries are not uncommon in motor vehicle collisions because accidents can cause you to be violently jolted and bumped around.
Whiplash injuries
Whiplash is among the most common types of soft tissue injuries. You can also call this type of injury a hyperextension injury or a cervical strain or sprain. Whiplash is especially common in rear-end car accidents, where your neck and head move back and forth in a violent manner. Symptoms of whiplash are as follows:
- Concentration or memory problems (cognitive issues)
- Sharp pain in your neck
- Neck stiffness
- Back trouble
These symptoms may not show up right away following your accident. However, if you do experience them at some point following the crash, you may want to have a doctor examine you so that you receive the necessary treatment as soon as possible.
Your rights as a car accident victim
If somebody else’s negligence has caused you to suffer injuries to your soft tissues, you have the right to file a personal injury claim against this person, seeking the reimbursement of monetary damages. In a successfully fought suit in a Texas civil court, you may receive monetary compensation to help you address your medical bills and other losses associated with your injuries.