If you suffered soft tissue damage in a car crash due to someone else’s negligence, call Tiemann Law Firm right now to discuss your legal options for recovering compensation. We might be able to help you hold the at-fault driver or another party liable for their actions.
You deserve the opportunity to hold the negligent motorist accountable for the suffering they caused. You could face a long road to recovery after sustaining injuries to soft tissue. You might experience limited mobility, chronic pain, and other debilitating symptoms. It can be a challenge to complete your job-related duties and routine tasks. Many accident victims require medical treatment to manage symptoms and heal from the injury.
Medical bills are often expensive. Unfortunately, most people can’t afford to pay out of pocket for the costs they incur following a car crash. If you don’t have the financial means to pay for your medical care, you could face significant debt. Someone else should be financially responsible for the losses you suffered if their actions caused your injury. You can depend on the Northern California car accident lawyers of Tiemann Law Firm to fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.
For a free same-day consultation with one of our Northern California soft tissue damage lawyers, call (916) 999-9000, or contact us online right now.
Types of Soft Tissue Damage
A soft tissue injury involves soft tissue within the body. Soft tissues surround internal organs and support and connect other tissues. Nerves, tendons, muscles, and other structures surrounding joints and bones can suffer damage, causing pain and impairing physical function. Car accidents are one of the most common causes of soft tissue damage. The violent impact of two vehicles colliding and the resulting sudden stopping forces inflicted on the body can cause severe trauma to the body.
Soft tissue injuries typically affect the ligaments, muscles, and tendons. This type of injury falls under two main categories – overuse and acute.
Acute injuries result from sudden trauma, such as a car accident, while overuse injuries occur when someone repeatedly uses a body part without allowing time to recover from the physical damage caused by the activity.
The most common types of soft tissue damage include:
- Sprains – A sprain occurs when the ligament, connective tissue in the body, tears or stretches. This type of injury can cause swelling, pain, bruising, and inflammation.
- Strains – A strain involves damage to the tendon or muscle. The muscle or tendon could stretch or tear, leading to muscle weakness, inflammation, spasms, and pain.
- Contusions – Contusions, also called bruises, happen when a blunt object strikes the body, damaging connective tissue and muscle fibers beneath the skin. Most people heal with rest, but severe contusions might require medical intervention to prevent permanent damage.
If you were involved in a car accident and suffered soft tissue damage, you should seek immediate treatment and call Tiemann Law Firm, or reach out to us online. We can handle the legal aspects of your case while you focus on recovering.
Compensation for Soft Tissue Damage from a Car Accident
State law requires all drivers to purchase and maintain auto insurance with minimum limits of liability. Since California is a fault state, the other motorist could become financially responsible for your soft tissue injury and resulting losses.
The compensation you receive from an insurance claim could cover the losses you suffered from the accident, such as:
- Medical expenses
- Physical impairment or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
If the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage doesn’t compensate you for your total losses or the insurance company denies your claim, you could file a lawsuit. You must file your lawsuit by the two-year statute of limitations deadline. That means you have two years from the date of the accident to initiate your lawsuit if you want to seek compensation through the courts.
You could end up with less compensation than you need if the jury determines that your actions contributed to your soft tissue injury. California’s pure comparative negligence statute allows the jury to reduce a plaintiff’s financial award by their percentage of fault. In other words, if you suffered $100,000 in losses but were 20 percent at fault for the car accident, you wouldn’t be allowed to receive more than $80,000 for your losses.
The jury might award you exemplary damages if you can show clear and convincing evidence that the other motorist acted with malice, with the intent to commit fraud, or the intent to oppress you. This financial award punishes the defendant for their actions and aims to deter similar behavior in the future.
What You Should Do After a Car Accident in Northern California
You need to take immediate action following a car accident. That means instead of going home to rest, you should follow the steps below to protect your rights to compensation from the at-fault driver.
If you suffered soft tissue damage, go to the hospital after leaving the crash site. A doctor can examine you to determine the extent of your injuries and the type of treatment plan you need to heal. Listen to their recommendations and follow up with your medical providers regularly until you recover.
You should also hire a Northern California soft tissue damage lawyer from Tiemann Law Firm. You shouldn’t be forced to take on the responsibility of an insurance claim or lawsuit when you’re in pain and trying to heal. We can handle every legal aspect of your case so you can take the time you need to attend your doctor’s appointments.
Be sure to maintain all records during your ongoing case. Keep copies if you receive medical bills from your physicians, written prescriptions, and medical records. We could use them as evidence to prove you sustained an injury in the accident and should receive compensation.
Contact Us
Tiemann Law Firm has represented clients injured in car accidents since 1998. We have the resources to investigate and obtain all available evidence to prove someone else caused your soft tissue injury.
You will have a skilled and compassionate legal team in your corner from start to finish of the process. We will treat you as a priority and provide the legal services necessary to hold the at-fault party accountable for their wrongdoing.
Call us at (916) 999-9000, or reach out to us online for a free consultation with one of our Northern California soft tissue damage lawyers if someone else caused your soft tissue injury in a car accident.
