Soft Tissue Injury
Where bodily trauma is limited to damage to muscles, ligaments or tendons, it is generally referred to by attorneys as soft tissue injuries. For example, a wrist sprain, ankle sprain, back sprain or whip lash to the neck, would be viewed as damage to your body's soft tissue. Similarly, bruises, for example from hitting the dash board with your knee in a car accident, would also be classified as soft tissue.
Although in many cases injuries to the softer tissues in your body can be serious and cause a tremendous amount of pain, and may even cause infection from bleeding, they are generally viewed as less severe than broken bones, organ failure, burns, and disfigurement. In making monetary awards for pain and suffering, a bone fracture, an organ failure, a burn, or disfigurement (especially on the face) is viewed as causing greater pain and generally receives a much higher monetary compensation award. The commonly accepted view among judges, juries, insurance adjusters, and attorneys in California, is that broken bones, organ failure, burns, and disfigurement result in a much greater amount of pain and anguish suffered by the victim.
One of the primary reasons that fractured bones, damaged organs, burns, and disfigurement are considered to cause greater pain and hurt is that the recovery time that is associated with them. There is usually a greater recovery time for these medical issues than there is for soft tissue injuries, which also correlates to more prolonged and more severe pain.
Damaged organs are arguably the most painful and have the greatest effect upon your health. When you suffer damage to a vital organ, such as the brain, the heart, the lungs, a kidney, or other vital organs, these are considered very serious health issues. Your lawyer will be able to obtain payment for all of your medical bills and a substantial monetary recovery to compensate you for your pain and suffering, lost wages, and future loss of earning capacity, among other things.
But if you have suffered a soft tissue injury, the reality is that, even with our dedicated and aggressive personal injury lawyers on your side, the amount of financial recovery that you can expect to receive will typically be far less than in other types of cases. In rare cases, involving very debilitating trauma, we may be able to obtain a monetary recovery that is similar to what you would ordinarily expect in a case involving a bone fracture or damaged organ.
If you have suffered a soft tissue injury, call to set up a free attorney consultation to determine your rights and available remedies. There is no fee for the consultation and free legal advice.
