Fractures, Sprains & Soft Tissue Damage Michigan Injury Attorneys

Key Takeaways:

• Soft tissue injuries are injuries to ligaments, muscles, and tendons.
• Soft tissue injuries are graded as mild, moderate, and severe.
• Generally, ligament tears require surgery to repair.
• Many soft tissue injuries require physical therapy during recovery.
• Soft tissue injuries can have long-term effects, such as nerve damage or damage to blood vessels.
• Keep thorough records to help prove soft tissue injury claims.
• A car accident attorney can help you handle your claim and negotiate appropriate compensation with the insurance company.

Injuries often happen at the most inopportune times, and recovery is often physically and emotionally draining. The stress of receiving medical care and filing for insurance benefits can add to the physical and emotional toll. Whether you have minor or severe injuries, a Michigan personal injury lawyer can help guide you through the process of recovering fair and reasonable compensation. Contact Matz Injury Law for a free consultation.

What is a Soft Tissue Injury?

Soft tissue injuries affect the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They usually occur due to a sudden or sharp movement or a misdirected step and may be secondary to other serious injuries in some cases. Some examples of soft tissue injuries include bursitis and back injuries like herniated discs. Arthritis form an accident is not considered a soft tissue injury. However, you may be entitled to some form of compensation.

Classifications of Soft Tissue Injuries Based on Severity

There are three classifications based on the severity of a soft tissue injury. These classifications help with the diagnosis, treatment, and projected outcomes of soft tissue injuries. The three classes of soft tissue injury are:

• Mild (Grade I): The least serious of the three classifications, Grade I includes the severe stretching of ligaments, resulting in minimal swelling and tenderness. You may also experience minor instability (e.g., knee joint). Healing will typically take anywhere between one and two weeks.
• Moderate (Grade II): This intermediate grade consists of partial tearing of ligaments, causing moderate tenderness and minor instability. You may feel pain and experience issues when putting weight on the affected area. Recovery time is typically about three to four weeks.
• Severe (Grade III): Severe soft tissue injury involves the complete tear of ligaments, resulting in significant pain, moderate to severe swelling, discomfort with movement, and severe instability. Medical care and treatment are required. Recovery time will vary and may take months or longer.

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Common Bone and Soft Tissue Injuries From Car Accidents

The most common types of bone and soft tissue injuries caused by car accidents include:

• Whiplash: Neck injury that happens when your body is suddenly forced forward while the cervical area (neck) remains stationary
  • Whiplash may not present until several days after an accident, but it can cause neck pain and reduce your mobility.
• Contusions: Bruising injuries to soft tissue, usually caused by blunt force from a blow, fall, or kick
• Torn ligaments: The fibrous bands of soft tissue that connect and stabilize bones can tear during a car accident. Common tears include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).
• Sprains: A stretched or partially torn ligament. Common sprains include ankles, knees, and wrists.
• Strains: Muscle tendons and ligaments that suffered excessive stretching or overuse
• Fractures (broken bones): Fractures can be simple or complex and are often accompanied by secondary soft tissue injuries (e.g., contusions, lacerations, etc.)

In many cases, soft tissue injuries from car accidents don’t heal on their own. You’ll need medical attention to minimize the risk of soft tissue injuries affecting your nerves and blood vessels and causing permanent or long-term damage.

What Compensation Can I Seek For a Soft Tissue Injury?

You can seek compensation for economic and non-economic damages after a soft tissue injury. These include:

• Medical expenses: You can be compensated for medical bills and medical expenses for care already received and future medical care required as a result of the injury, including doctor visits, physical therapy, emergency room care, prescriptions, ambulatory aids, occupational therapy, surgeries, and follow-up appointments. Medical expenses may also include at-home care or nursing home care.
• Pain and suffering: Includes emotional distress, ongoing or chronic pain, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Lost wages: You can recover lost wages for the time you missed from work because of accident injuries. You can also recover based on your loss of future earning capacity if your injury prevents you from returning to work.

Average Settlement for Car Accident Soft Tissue Injuries

The average settlement for soft tissue injuries in Michigan is between $5,000-$40,000. This amount is highly dependent on several factors, including the severity of the injury, the available insurance policy limit, and whether you choose to work with a skilled Michigan personal injury attorney.

Factors That Affect Your Car Accident Soft Tissue Injury Settlement

Soft tissue injuries are hard to prove but start with proving negligence. Here are the most common factors affecting your soft tissue injury settlement.

• Proving negligence: Michigan, a no-fault insurance state, uses comparative negligence laws, which means you must prove that the other party was at least partially responsible or at fault for the accident. You must prove four elements to file a personal injury claim for negligence:
  • The driver owed you a duty of care.
  • The driver breached that duty of care.
  • The breach caused your injuries.
  • You suffered physical and financial damages due to that injury.
• Extent of your injuries: You can prove the extent of your injuries with evidence like medical expenses, including the following:
  • Medical treatment costs
  • physical therapy expenses
  • surgical fees
  • Ongoing therapy fees
  • Where applicable, you will also need proof of serious impairment to bodily functions.
• Policy limitations: Under Michigan’s no-fault law, policy limits are essential in personal injury lawsuits. The applicable insurance policy limits will most likely dictate the maximum amount you can receive. In some cases, people have recovered compensation over policy limits.
• Insurance: In addition to policy limitations, the insurance company can influence how much you receive, as they often downplay and even try to discredit injuries to offer the lowest settlement possible or deny your claim.
• Using an attorney: You may be tempted to accept the first settlement offer from the insurance company. However, the first offer is rarely fair to you and may only begin to cover some of your medical expenses and pain and suffering. Studies show that, on average, accident victims with legal representation receive a higher payout. Even after paying their lawyer, victims with representation walk away with approximately three times as much money as people who represent themselves.

Soft Tissue Injury Settlement Examples

• $1 million settlement for a 52-year-old woman in a rural county who broke both ankles and suffered a retrobulbar hemorrhage of her right eye after being struck by a gravel truck.
  • Client kept an additional $107,635 with Matz Injury Law’s “22, not 33” guarantee.
• $285,000 settlement on behalf of a 52-year-old woman who suffered from fibromyalgia after hurting her shin resulting from an auto injury
  • Client kept an additional $32,291 with Matz Injury Law’s “22, not 33” guarantee.

Related Article: Championing a Lower Attorney Contingency Fee

Why Choose Matz Injury Law

Choosing a skilled Michigan car accident lawyer is crucial for recovering a fair and reasonable settlement. At Matz Injury Law, we listen to you and keep you informed about your case, explain the legal process, and do what we can to help you get medical care without insurance company delays and the compensation you deserve.

We also identify all possible sources of compensation and handle all aspects of your case to give you time to focus on healing. We won’t leave money on the table. We work tirelessly to help you get full compensation for your losses, including medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Skilled Representation for Your Soft Tissue Injury Claim

Accident injuries that cause soft tissue injuries are complex, requiring thorough documentation and careful negotiations. Call our Michigan law firm today at 866-22Not33 or submit our online contact form to schedule a free case evaluation.