Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries can have a serious effect on your ability to work, perform everyday activities, and lead a normal lifestyle. Whether it is whiplash, muscle strain, a sprain, or serious bruising, soft tissue injuries can be extremely painful and take a toll on your normal life.
When it comes to soft tissue injuries, it is crucial to have an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side. These injuries are often harder to prove, more difficult to put a monetary value on, and insurance companies don’t always take them as seriously as they should. Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi have more than 80 years’ worth of combined trial experience, and we are prepared to investigate your claim and hold the negligent party accountable.
If you or a loved one has suffered a soft tissue injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, contact us to discuss your legal options. Call (201) 585-9111 or contact Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi online to schedule your free and confidential consultation today.
About Soft Tissue Injuries
Any injuries to ligaments, tendons, or muscles qualify as “soft tissue injuries.” The most common types of soft tissue injuries are:
- Sprains: damage to a ligament due to joint overextension
- Contusions: internal bleeding (bruises)
- Strains: overuse of a tendon or muscle
- Whiplash: a cervical strain/sprain or hyperextension injury
Whiplash is particularly common in car or truck accidents. In medical terms, whiplash is usually caused by “cervical acceleration-deceleration,” which can result in hyperflexion and hyperextension of the neck. The sudden strain to the bones, muscles, and nerves in the neck that results when the head is suddenly jolted can cause severe pain and damage to the bones and tissues in the region, including areas of the upper back and spine.
While some people mistakenly believe that whiplash is not a serious injury, if left untreated, soft tissue injuries can have long-lasting, serious effects; in fact, nearly 65 percent of whiplash victims find it difficult to work at the same level of performance, even many years later.
The most common symptom of whiplash is chronic pain in the neck, back, and shoulders. Other symptoms include sensory disturbance, frequent headaches, and even spinal damage. In serious cases, the sudden movement of the neck muscles can lead to paralysis (approximately 5,000 cases per year) or even death (approximately 6,000 per year).
Compensation for Soft Tissue Injuries
Damages in a personal injury case are divided into two categories: compensatory and punitive damages. The vast majority of personal injury cases deal with compensatory damages, which are designed to compensate the injured person for losses suffered as a result of the accident. Compensatory damages in an accident could include:
- Current and future medical treatment: includes hospitalization costs, ongoing treatment expenses, rehabilitation costs, and any expected future medical expenses
- Lost wages: compensation for wages lost while out of work due to the accident, as well as decreased earning capacity in the future if the injuries will continue to affect the victim
- Property damage: compensation for damage to the victim’s car, clothing, or other personal effects as a result of the accident
- Loss of enjoyment of life: covers loss of enjoyment of day-to-day activities, recreation, hobbies, and exercise
- Pain and suffering: the physical and emotional pain caused by the accident, including the pain of the physical injuries and ongoing emotional trauma
- Emotional distress: the psychological effects of an injury, such as anxiety, sleep loss, or fear (typically awarded in severe accidents)
- Wrongful death: compensation for the family or estate of someone killed by a negligent driver
Contact Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi
Since opening our doors in 1974, Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi has been committed to protecting the injured throughout New Jersey and New York. We are proud to represent our clients with passion, experience, and a commitment to justice.
Our million-dollar and multi-million-dollar settlements have earned us inclusion in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, of which fewer than 1 percent of U.S. lawyers are members. Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi was named to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Law Firms list of 2019, and Michael Maggiano and Christopher DiGirolamo have received the highest possible ratings as car accident attorneys by the AVVO Lawyer Ratings service.
With more than 80 years’ worth of combined trial experience, we are prepared to investigate your claim and fight to hold the negligent party accountable for their actions. If you or a loved one has suffered a soft tissue injury due to someone else’s negligence, contact us to discuss your legal options. Call (201) 585-9111 or contact Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi online to schedule your free and confidential consultation today.
