A soft tissue injury can seriously affect your day-to-day life and long-term well-being. Depending on the severity of your injury, you might be faced with a long course of medical treatment and rehabilitation. On top of that, you may be unable to work while recovering. If the injury is severe, you could even permanently restrict your ability to earn a living and perform daily tasks.
However, if you suffered soft tissue damage from an accident someone else caused, you could be owed compensation for these and other losses. So let a soft tissue injury lawyer from Stokes Stemle, LLC fight for your interests.
Our personal injury law firm was founded to help clients whose lives have been affected by injuries that weren’t their fault get the compensation and accountability they deserve. We take a full-service approach to our legal representation. We’re here to help whenever you have questions, need help finding a doctor, or want to know your options. Furthermore, we’ll take the time to get to know you and your needs so that we can pursue a legal strategy that fits them.
At Stokes Stemle, LLC, we believe you shouldn’t be left paying for someone else’s mistake. Find out how we can help you demand the compensation you need. Contact us today for a free consultation with our firm’s soft tissue injury lawyer.
What Is Soft Tissue Damage?
Soft tissue damage is any injury that affects bodily tissues softer than bone. Soft tissue injuries commonly involve damage to tissues such as ligaments, tendons, muscles, cartilage, and bursae. This can lead to bleeding if blood vessels and capillaries are damaged or may involve the tissues themselves tearing.
What Can Cause Soft Tissue Damage?
Soft tissue damage is typically the result of sudden trauma or repetitive motions. Some of the most common causes of soft tissue damage include the following:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Boating accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Sporting accidents
Compensation Available for a Soft Tissue Injury
If you sustained a soft tissue injury in an accident that was someone else’s fault, you might be entitled to pursue a personal injury claim to recover financial compensation for the losses you suffered. Financial recovery in a soft tissue injury claim can provide you with money for:
- Medical expenses, including emergency room and hospital care, surgeries and other medical procedures, physical therapy, prescriptions, and medical devices and equipment
- Loss of income from time taken off work to recover from soft tissue injuries
- Loss of future earning capacity if a chronic injury restricts your ability to work
- Physical pain and anguish
- Loss of enjoyment and quality of life
Examples of Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue damage includes a wide variety of injuries, such as the following:
- Contusions — Commonly known as bruises, contusions result from blunt force trauma causing tissue bleeding. More severe contusions can lead to significant pain and swelling.
- Sprains — Ligaments are elastic tissue strings connecting bones at the joints. Ligament sprains often occur when the joint is extended past its usual range of motion.
- Strains — Tendons are the tissues that connect muscles to bone. Like sprains, strains typically occur when body parts are extended past their normal range of motion.
- Tendonitis — Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon. It can occur in any tendon in the body and is usually caused by overuse, repetitive motions, or physical stresses.
- Bursitis — Bursitis is inflammation in the bursae, which are tiny fluid-filled sacs that cushion in and around the joints. Like tendonitis, bursitis is often caused by repetitive motion.
- Stress fractures — Hairline cracks can form in the bone from the repetitive force over time. Stress fractures are painful and can require crutches or a foot brace.
Specific examples of soft tissue injuries include the following:
- Knee sprains or tears
- Ankle sprains
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Tennis elbow
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Hamstring or calf strains
- Back strains
- Groin injuries
- Pectoral muscle injuries
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Whiplash
Symptoms of Soft Tissue Injuries
You may have a soft tissue injury if you experience the following symptoms:
- Swelling
- A lump or knot at the injury site
- Instability of the affected joint
- Muscle cramping, spasms, or weakness
- Bruising
- Tightness or difficulty moving the affected area
- Clicking sensation in the affected joint
- Reduced range of motion
- Pain, especially when moving the injured area
Soft Tissue Injury Treatment
Treatment for a soft tissue injury will depend on the specific injury and severity. Mild soft tissue injuries can often be treated with the RICE method, an acronym that stands for:
- Rest — Resting the injured area
- Ice — Applying ice or cold pads to the injury for up to 20 minutes at a time
- Compression — Compressing the wound using a compression sleeve or bandage
- Elevation — Elevating the injured area above the height of your heart
Over-the-counter or prescription pain medication may be used to relieve pain symptoms. A doctor may also prescribe muscle relaxers to help with muscle stiffness or spasms.
A longer, more intensive course of treatment may be required in more severe cases of soft tissue injury. Physical therapy is typically prescribed for moderate to severe soft tissue injuries. It can help rebuild strength and stability in the affected soft tissues. Surgery may also be needed to repair or rebuild damaged structures.
For soft tissue injuries that lead to chronic symptoms, treatment may include a long-term course of anti-inflammatory medication, exercises to help maintain strength and range of motion, or corticosteroid injections to help relieve pain.
Contact the Soft Tissue Injury Lawyers at Stokes Stemle, LLC to Fight for You
At Stokes Stemle, LLC, we want to help you get the compensation you deserve for an injury that wasn’t your fault. Contact us today for a free consultation with one of our soft tissue injury lawyers to see how we can pursue the money and justice you’re owed.
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