Pinellas County Car Accident Soft Tissue Injuries: 10 Ways To Protect Your Rights In A Claim
When a car accident in Pinellas County happens, some of the most painful and long-lasting injuries are those involving the soft tissues. They can cause ongoing pain and impairments long after, but symptoms are often subtle and may not show on X-rays or other types of scans.
Our Seminole car accident attorney helps clients in these cases and explains how to protect your rights to compensation for soft tissue injuries in an accident claim.
Soft Tissue Injuries Common In Even Minor Pinellas County Car Accidents
Close to 16,000 Pinellas County car accidents happen annually, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Soft tissue injuries can occur in even minor collisions or fender benders, causing pain and impairments for long afterward.
Unfortunately, in addition to being common in crashes, soft tissue injuries are also often difficult to diagnose. Symptoms can be subtle and may not arise until days afterward. Johns Hopkins Medicine advises that soft injuries involve damage to muscles, tendons, or ligaments and include:
- Contusions (or bruises) due to bumps or blows, which can cause pain, swelling, and bleeding in soft tissues;
- Sprains, which impact ligaments, often in the wrists, knees, or ankles;
- Strains, impacting muscles and tendons in the back, neck, and other parts of the body;
- Tears, which may require surgery to repair.
Because symptoms may not appear immediately and damage is difficult to determine in X-rays or other scans, insurers often try to downplay or deny claims involving soft tissue injuries. This can lead to heavy out-of-pocket costs.
How To Protect Your Rights When Soft Tissue Injuries Happen Due To Pinellas County Car Crashes
Soft tissue injuries can impact you years after a crash. To protect your health and your rights in a Pinellas County car accident claim, follow these 10 tips:
- Notify the police immediately if involved in a crash, even if it is relatively minor.
- Get contact information for drivers involved and any witnesses.
- Document the crash site by taking photos or videos.
- Avoid downplaying your injuries at the scene or admitting any fault.
- Get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible, regardless of your symptoms.
- Follow doctor instructions, undergo recommended testing, and keep copies of medical records.
- Avoid returning to work or resuming other activities until cleared to do so.
- Keep a journal documenting how your injuries impact your life.
- Avoid posting on social media, which is the first place insurers look for information to deny claims.
- Speak to our experienced Pinellas County car accident lawyer before giving any statements to insurers or accepting a settlement.
To Get Compensation For Soft Tissue Injuries, Contact Our Pinellas County Car Accident Attorney Today
At The Reep Law Firm, we understand the tactics insurers use to deny or downplay Pinellas County car accident injuries, particularly those involving soft tissues, and take the legal actions needed to protect you. To get the compensation you need to recover, contact our office. Request a consultation with our experienced Pinellas County car accident attorney today.
Sources:
flhsmv.gov/pdf/crashreports/crash_facts_2022.pdf
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/softtissue-injuries#:~:text=Soft%2Dtissue%20injuries%20are%20classified,Tendonitis
