When you have been in a car accident, your first concern is if you are physically okay. Unfortunately, even if you feel generally fine immediately after the accident, an accident can do a lot of damage in a split second, and it can be easy to overlook serious injuries.
Sometimes a Louisiana car accident that leads to major injuries is the result of the carelessness of another driver. For instance, perhaps this other motorist was driving while distracted or was driving too quickly for road conditions. In this situation, it is within your rights to take legal action.
Soft tissue injuries
Injuries to any of the soft areas of your body are called soft tissue injuries and can be common in car accidents. These soft areas include muscles, ligaments and tendons, for example. Typical soft tissue injuries include the following:
- Contusion: A bruise.
- Strain: An injury that occurs when a tendon or muscle is overused.
- Sprain: An injury that occurs when a joint has been overextended, thus causing damage to a ligament.
Soft tissue injuries may cause a great deal of discomfort and pain in the form of stiffness, bruising, soreness and swelling. You can easily suffer these injuries following a motor vehicle accident due to the impact of the collision.
Injuries that are commonly overlooked
Several other injuries are easy to overlook following a motor vehicle accident. They include the following:
- Occipital and temporal nerve damage: Your temporal and occipital nerves may end up stretching when you suffer a neck injury, such as whiplash. This leads to occipital neuralgia, which can cause numbness, inflammation and pain at the base of your skull.
- Joint dysfunction and jaw injuries: You may suffer temporomandibular joint disorder, commonly known as TMJ, or dislocate your jaw in a car collision. This can lead to tightness and soreness in your jaw, ringing in your ears and even temporal headaches.
- Nerve damage and carpal tunnel: You can experience nerve damage, carpal tunnel, and elbow and wrist injuries as a result of holding onto a steering wheel too tightly during an accident. If you brace yourself against your dashboard, you can develop these problems as well. Radiating pain and numbness are a couple of symptoms of these injuries.
If you have been hurt in a car accident stemming from another person’s negligence in Louisiana, you have the right to file a personal injury claim, seeking damages. A monetary award in a successfully fought claim may help you to cover the cost of the medical treatment required for addressing your injuries, even often overlooked injuries.
