Whenever a car accident is serious enough to shock and throw the occupants’ bodies, there is the danger of soft tissue damage resulting. The soft tissues are the muscles, ligaments, tendons and other non-bony parts of the body, and when these areas get torn, strained or sprained, they can cause chronic aches and pains, inflammation, bleeding and other symptoms. Kentucky residents will want to know more about this condition.
It is difficult for doctors to detect soft tissue damage as X-rays will not uncover them. The symptoms could appear immediately after the accident or even a few days afterward. When symptoms are delayed, victims may not feel as urgent a need to seek medical help, which could lead to improper healing.
Soft tissue damage is common in rear-end collisions. When the head is snapped back by the impact, it can tear the tissues in the neck and cause a condition known as whiplash. The symptoms of whiplash range from tingling, burning and swelling to shooting pains in the neck that extend to the back and shoulders. Some people may experience dizziness, increased fatigue, memory loss and perhaps a greater tendency towards nervousness. It could also cause herniated discs in the spinal cord.
Getting immediate medical attention is important for car accident victims if they want to file a claim. If they delay seeking treatment, the other side could assert that the injuries did not result from the crash. Once they do, victims can speak with a lawyer who concentrates on personal injury law.
An accident attorney could bring in experts to reconstruct the crash from police reports and evidence found at the scene. After the investigation brings up enough evidence to accuse the defendant of negligence, the lawyer can move forward to the negotiation phase. If an informal settlement cannot be reached, the victim can litigate.