A variety of accidents can cause a soft tissue injury, though when another person’s negligence causes these accidents, you have the right to seek compensation. Soft tissue injuries may not seem as severe as some other types of injuries, though they can be painful and plague you with mobility issues for years to come. This may make simple, daily tasks unbearable as well as cause you to be unable to perform tasks for your job or enjoy your hobbies.
You mustn’t be forced to endure expensive medical bills and other financial losses when someone else is to blame. At Jacobs and Jacobs Personal Injury Law, we are dedicated to helping victims navigate the complexities of soft tissue injury cases. With over 100 years of combined experience, let us put it to work for you to fight for your fair compensation. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation with a soft tissue injury lawyer in Washington.
Understanding Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries, also called connective tissue injuries, are any trauma caused to the muscles, tendons, or ligaments. They’re not fractures or internal organ injuries, and while they tend not to be life-threatening, they can cause pain and chronic mobility issues.
The most common causes of soft tissue injuries in personal injury cases are motor vehicle accidents and slip and fall accidents. Since these injuries are complex, it is ideal to discuss your case with a Washington personal injury attorney to determine your next steps.
Types of Soft Tissue Injuries
If you are in a car accident or suffer a slip and fall at a business or another person’s property, you may experience a soft tissue injury. They may not have any visible signs, though the pain and discomfort they cause can be extreme. The most common types include:
Sprains
Sprains occur when ligaments are stretched or torn, usually in joints. You may have soft tissue injuries in your ankles, knees, or wrists after a car crash or slip and fall incident.
Strains
Strains are similar to sprains, though they involve stretches or tears with muscles or tendons rather than ligaments. You may experience these in your neck or back in one of these personal injury accidents.
Contusions
Contusions are bruises that cause damage to the blood vessels under the skin as a result of direct impact. Car crashes are commonly caused by seat belts, airbags, or steering wheels.
Whiplash
One of the most common soft tissue injuries caused by car accidents is whiplash. This injury causes your head to jerk back and forth suddenly, causing the soft tissues in the neck to suffer damage.
Bursitis
The tiny sacs of fluid that surround your joints can become inflamed, known as bursitis, when they absorb the shock of a car crash or other injury.
If another person caused you these injuries, you should contact a personal injury lawyer or a car accident attorney to find out more about your legal rights and how to recover compensation.
Legal Rights and Compensation for Soft Tissue Injury Victims
Not every soft tissue injury is mild. Many accident victims endure painful mobility issues and lifestyle limitations because of them. When soft tissue injuries are caused by the negligent actions of another person, personal injury law allows you the opportunity to seek compensation.
However, in Washington State, certain laws apply:
At-Fault State
Washington State is an at-fault state, which allows injured victims to seek compensation from the person determined to have caused the accident. This will require an investigation and presenting proof that the other party was negligent.
Pure Comparative Negligence
Even though another party may cause your injury, you could face partial blame with the pure comparative negligence rule. You can be up to 99% at fault for your involvement in the accident, though the percentage of blame assigned to you could drastically reduce your compensation.
Statute of Limitations
Personal injury cases in Washington State have time limits in place, known as the statute of limitations. In this state, you have three years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit.
Right to Compensation
With the help of a soft tissue injury lawyer in Washington, you’ll be better poised to recover the compensation you deserve. At Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group, we work diligently to prove the elements of negligence and file within the allotted time frame to help you get a full and fair settlement. You may be entitled to medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages resulting from your soft tissue injuries.
Common Challenges in Soft Tissue Injury Cases
There are a variety of challenges that arise when soft tissue injuries are present in personal injury cases. Since these injuries are often not visible, it is harder to prove a causal link between the accident and the injury.
These injuries also may not develop immediately after an accident, which means the insurance company will do everything it can to claim your injuries were caused in another way. They often offer a low settlement or deny the claim altogether.
Since you may not realize you’re hurt after the accident, you may have delayed getting medical treatment, which can pose challenges of its own. It is always best to protect your legal rights by taking care of your health and well-being and, in doing so, creating medical records. However, even doctors can miss a soft tissue injury prior to the onset of its symptoms. If you find yourself in this situation, make sure you contact our legal team to get help with tissue injury compensation in WA.
How Jacobs and Jacobs Can Help with Tissue Injury Compensation in WA
When another person causes you to suffer harm in an accident, leading to soft tissue injuries, Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group can help. We provide comprehensive legal support and representation through our experienced and knowledgeable attorneys.
You should first seek medical treatment, then contact our team to connect with a soft tissue injury lawyer in Washington to get started on your case.
Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation
It all starts with a free initial consultation, during which we will help you determine whether negligence caused your soft tissue injuries. We will then discuss your legal options, allowing you to decide how to proceed.
Filing a Lawsuit
If negligence was a factor in the accident that someone else caused, we would negotiate with the insurance company to get a fair settlement. Should they issue a low settlement or a denial, we will file a lawsuit, sending a complaint to notify them of our intent to bring legal action. Once they respond to the complaint, the discovery process can begin where evidence is shared, and we build a strong case on your behalf.
Negotiations and Potential for Trial
Armed with evidence, we can leverage the maximum level of compensation you deserve. Negotiations often resolve these legal matters prior to trial, though in some cases, when there is no agreement to the terms, a trial is set. We prepare for this from the start and work to get a favorable outcome.
What most people don’t realize when they have a soft tissue injury is that it can be challenging to prove under the law. You should not be stuck paying all of those medical bills or enduring financial hardships due to lost wages when another person behaved negligently and caused these events.
In some cases, soft tissue injuries may cause such pain at the scene of the accident that victims must immediately go to the hospital. While it is always best to put your health first, you may not have been able to gather evidence on the scene. Hiring a Washington personal injury attorney ensures you have someone who will dive into the investigation, gather the evidence, and negotiate tirelessly to get you what is fair.
Conclusion: Why Engage a Soft Tissue Injury Lawyer in Washington
Tissue injury compensation in WA isn’t easy to fight for on your own. It takes specialized legal knowledge to help you protect your rights and maximize your compensation. At Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group, we take a client-focused approach and work to make the process as simple as possible.
Our consistent communications are aimed to reduce your stress and help you know what to expect. Choosing our attorneys means that you have legal representatives who thoroughly understand the challenges you have faced since enduring this injury. When an injury isn’t your fault, it is our passion to help you fight for justice and hold the responsible parties liable.
We remove the stress of navigating the legal landscape, allowing you to focus on your health and recovery. Let us help you see a brighter future in the aftermath, as we have done for tens of thousands of injured victims over the past years.
Contact us today to get legal support from a soft tissue injury lawyer in Washington, starting with a free initial consultation!