Soft tissue injuries are some of the most difficult for doctors to diagnose because no X-ray can detect them. Furthermore, some of the symptoms may take several days to manifest. Damage to soft tissue, which includes muscles, ligaments and tendons, often occur in car collisions. These tissues can be strained, sprained, bruised or torn.
One serious form of soft tissue injury is whiplash. Because the head is actually quite heavy, it can seriously damage the neck tissues when it snaps back in a rear-end collision. Whiplash symptoms range from a burning sensation in the neck to shooting pains extending from the neck and shoulders to the back. Whiplash can lead to a slipped disc, muscle joint dysfunction and other serious issues.
Many whiplash victims also experience chronic headaches, dizziness, poor sleep and short-term memory loss. As with many other accident victims, they may develop PTSD as well; this is usually typified by depression, nervousness and a general fear of driving. The most common symptoms of soft tissue damage generally include pain and inflammation.
To those with soft tissue damage, the symptoms are real enough. However, auto insurance companies may not always pay out for a claim involving this type of injury. That’s why those who wish to file a claim may want to hire an auto accident attorney beforehand. An attorney could establish the negligence of the other driver with the help of investigators and the extent of the client’s injuries with the assistance of medical experts. The lawyer could then negotiate for the settlement.