Soft tissue injuries are damage to the parts of the body that connect, support, and move everything else – muscles, tendons, and ligaments. In a car accident, the sudden force of impact stretches and tears these tissues and can lead to serious injury, even if there are no broken bones. These injuries are common, genuinely serious, and, as many Missouri accident victims discover, surprisingly difficult to prove to an insurance company.
Reach out to an accident lawyer in St. Louis to get compensation for your injuries.
Call (314) 300-6260.
Common Types of Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue damage takes several forms, and a single crash often causes more than one. The most common include:
- Sprains, which stretch or tear ligaments, frequently in the wrists, ankles, and knees
- Strains, which affect muscles and tendons, especially in the back and neck
- Tendon injuries, where the tissue connecting muscle to bone is stretched, torn, or inflamed
- Ligament injuries, which can destabilize joints and often heal slowly
- Muscle tears, ranging from minor damage to complete ruptures requiring surgery
Whiplash, the most familiar car accident injury of all, is considered a soft tissue injury, as it’s a combination of strained muscles and stretched ligaments in the neck. These injuries are especially common in high-speed highway crashes, including those that occur on I-44 in St. Louis.
Symptoms to Watch For
Soft tissue symptoms often build over the first days after a crash rather than appearing immediately. Watch for:
- Pain that develops or worsens after the accident
- Swelling around joints or injured areas
- Bruising, sometimes appearing days later
- Limited movement or stiffness
- Muscle spasms
Anyone experiencing these symptoms after a crash should see a doctor promptly, both for treatment and because early documentation matters more in these cases than almost any other.
Why Soft Tissue Injuries Can Be Difficult to Prove
Soft tissue injuries are very real and can be serious, but the unfortunate reality is that they can be difficult to prove and downplayed by insurance companies. Here’s why:
Delay in Symptoms and Medical Treatment
Soft tissue symptoms often take days to fully develop, and many people understandably wait to see a doctor until the pain becomes impossible to ignore. Insurance companies use that gap against the claim, arguing that anyone truly injured would have sought treatment immediately.
X-Rays Often Appear Normal
X-rays capture bone, not muscle or ligament. Without a visible fracture on film, insurance companies frequently treat the claim with skepticism, suggesting the injury is exaggerated. An MRI can often reveal the soft tissue damage that X-rays miss, which is one reason getting the right diagnostic imaging matters so much in these cases.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Almost everyone has some history in their medical records – an old back problem or a previous sprained ankle, for example. Insurers comb through those records looking for anything they can blame instead of the crash, arguing the accident didn’t actually cause the injury.
Missouri law allows you to hold negligent drivers responsible for aggravating a pre-existing condition, not just for causing new ones, but it can be a difficult case to win.
Injured in a Missouri Crash? Get Help Proving Your Claim
A soft tissue injury deserves to be taken as seriously as any other, by doctors, by insurers, and by the law. If an accident left you with this kind of injury and the insurance company is already downplaying it, our St. Louis injury lawyers can help you build a strong case so you can recover the compensation you need for your road to recovery.
Call our firm for a free consultation with a soft tissue injury in Missouri.