How Much is a Soft Tissue Injury Claim Worth?
November 4, 2019 | Catastrophic Injuries
It is hard to prove the value of a soft tissue injury claim before your lawyer has a chance to evaluate all your losses and sources of compensation. You and your lawyer have to analyze how your soft tissue injury has affected your life to determine how much your case is worth.
While soft tissue injuries are common after high-impact personal injury accidents and make up the majority of injury claims, these injuries can be difficult to prove. They require knowledge of Missouri’s statute of limitations, injury claims, and negotiation tactics to recover a St. Louis soft tissue injury settlement.
Average settlement for a soft tissue injury claim in Missouri
If you are wondering whether you can sue for whiplash or have persistent pain or numbness while walking after an accident caused by another party, you could recover compensation for the cost of care, pain and suffering, and other expenses caused as a result of your soft tissue injuries.
Other out-of-pocket expenses are generally included in soft tissue injury settlements. For instance, if you lost a loved one, you could recover damages unique to that kind of case. These can include funeral expenses and final healthcare expenses.
Your settlement amount hinges on the types of treatment you need
As noted, it can be challenging to determine how much a soft tissue injury claim is worth. Soft tissue injuries are typically minor, but in more severe cases, such as muscle hematomas and chronic whiplash, victims can often recover settlements akin to settlements for hard injuries.
Hard injuries can include burns and broken bones. To prove the severity of your injuries and the cost of your damages, it’s essential to have proof. Evidence can include your medical records, X-rays, and imaging scans.
Johns Hopkins states that your injury could require steroid injections to stop or minimize pain. Some soft tissue injuries could lead to infections that require antibiotics. All of these necessary treatments can be included as part of your claim’s overall value.
Your quality of life could affect your settlement amount
The following factors could add to the value of your soft tissue injury claim:
- You need assistive devices to help with daily tasks, like walking or bathing.
- You suffer from chronic pain.
- Your limitations prevent you from engaging in activities you once enjoyed.
- Your injuries affect your relationships with your spouse, friends, and family members.
- You can no longer make a living and support yourself financially due to your condition.
- You struggle with mental illness related to the accident and its effects, like flashbacks from anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. You might have depression because of low self-worth caused by having to take a lower-paying job.
- You regularly have to travel long distances to see a specialist far from your home because of your injuries.
We will consult with psychologists and those close to you to understand your quality of life after getting hurt. We can use the information we find to assert that you deserve compensation.
We can use the following information to prove the cost of your soft tissue claim
We can use these pieces of information to learn more about your case’s value:
- Your medical records. This will give us an idea of how badly you were injured and what treatments you required.
- Your medical bills. These documents will verify the cost of your necessary treatments and care.
- Your own written testimony. By providing firsthand information regarding the severity of your condition and quality of life, we can put a “price tag” on your pain and suffering.
- The accident report. If you filed an accident report after getting hurt, we can use these details to show how your accident happened, how negligence played a role, and how that should translate into compensation for your losses.
What losses could be accounted for in your personal injury claim?
You could pursue damages for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Lost bonuses, tips, and benefits
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Childcare costs
- Rideshare and transportation expenses
- Disability, whether mental or physical
- Scarring, disfigurement, and the loss of a limb
You could pursue other losses depending on the nature of your situation.
Soft tissue injuries | St. Louis soft tissue injury lawyers
Soft tissue injuries can vary significantly, from minor sprains to damaged tendons, ligaments, and muscles that could require surgery, medication, and long-term therapy to treat. Many different types of accidents can cause soft tissue injuries, such as slip and falls (whether at work or on public property), car accidents, and truck crashes.
If you are experiencing prolonged neck pain, severe headaches, blurred vision, back pain, or other ongoing symptoms after an accident, you could be entitled to compensation.
Common soft tissue injury claims in Missouri include:
- Whiplash
- Sprains and strains
- Chronic back pain
- Torn ligaments or muscles
- Severed or displaced tendons
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
What to do after an accident
After an accident, it’s essential to the outcome of your soft tissue injury claim to stay calm, get examined by a doctor, obtain a copy of the medical report (which will include X-ray results), and discuss the possibility of recovering compensation with a Missouri personal injury lawyer.
Your lawyer may ask you to keep a journal discussing your healing process and pain while gathering your documents. This can make it easier for your lawyer when they go to search for evidence. Take photos of your injuries on the day of the accident and as you heal.
You can also take down the names and contact information of people in your life who could attest to how the accident has affected you. We could interview them and use their statements to make your case.
Missouri soft tissue injury settlement lawyers can help you regardless of how you were injured
Missouri soft tissue injury victims are typically eligible to recover financial and emotional harm and losses after an accident. Some accident types we see in our practice involve car accidents, premises liability incidents, dog bites, and work injuries.
Here are some examples of how you could have suffered a soft tissue injury worth compensation:
- A negligent pet owner could have failed to secure his dog behind a secure fence or on a leash. The dog could have broken out of its yard and attacked you and severed tendons in your arm or leg.
- You could have been hit by a drunk, drowsy, or distracted vehicle driver and involved in an accident. This could have caused your head and limbs to be thrown around the vehicle, resulting in whiplash and pain.
- A restaurant owner could have known about the rotten floorboard on the steps of their property but failed to fix it or place a warning sign for visitors. You could have stepped through the rotten board and fallen on top of your arm. You could have suffered strained or sprained muscles.
- A third-party contractor could have failed to build solid scaffolding. By neglecting your safety and violating site codes, they could have contributed to your injuries. You might have fallen and suffered whiplash and sprained a leg muscle.
Any of these scenarios could detail an accident similar to yours. We can help you obtain compensation to make up for your losses.
How to protect the value of your case
The steps you take immediately after getting hurt could affect your case’s overall value. By keeping the following measures in mind, you can prevent the insurer from unjustly delaying, devaluing, or denying your claim.
Stay off social media
The insurer might take your photos as “proof” that you are uninjured.
Follow through with your treatment plan
Do not stop taking prescriptions without the instruction of your doctor. Attend all follow-up appointments and physical therapy sessions, as well. Making your own decisions regarding recovery might cause the insurance company to argue that you are not as severely injured as you claim.
Do not speak to insurance adjusters without representation
Insurers are familiar with convincing accident victims to accept blame. Do not let this happen to you. We will handle these conversations on your behalf.
You do not have to accept the first offer you receive
You also do not need to take money from the insurers immediately. Your lawyer will estimate the true value of your accident-based losses. The insurance company might not be considering the accident’s effect on your job, mental health, and future physical abilities. Let us investigate before you accept a settlement.
How long do I have to pursue compensation after a soft tissue injury?
The insurance company will have its own timeline for filing a claim. When filing a lawsuit, however, you have to abide by the law imposed by your state. Your lawyer can inform you of how long you have. This timeline is referred to as the “statute of limitations.”
If you do not keep to the statute of limitations, you could lose your right to damages. Do not wait to retain representation. If you think the statute of limitations might have passed, you might still have an opportunity to take legal action. There might be exceptions to the timeline in your state.
How to choose the right lawyer for you
When looking to hire a personal injury lawyer, you will have priorities in mind. It can benefit you to know what your priorities are before you start your search. For instance, you might want a lawyer that will come to your home or hospital room. Other things to look for might include:
A contingency-fee-based payment plan
Some firms will not ask for upfront payment or a fee per hour. Instead, they offer to take a percentage of your award as payment for their help. This means that you wouldn’t have to pay your lawyer out of pocket.
What your loved ones say
We often get recommendations from our clients’ friends and family members. You can do this, too! Ask around your community to see who has helped accident victims like you get justice.
Check the internet
Your potential firm might have a website to browse so you can learn more about their firm and how they help their clients. You could also read client reviews from others in your situation that chose the firm to help them. Look at the firm’s website and other pages, like search engines or sites dedicated to reviews.
Call for a free consultation
Many firms offer clients a free call to discuss the case and figure out options. This is a good opportunity to learn how the staff would treat you after signing on.
You will want to speak to people who seem:
- Knowledgeable
- Friendly
- Cooperative
- Eager to call you back with updates
About our team and how we operate as a firm
If you suffered a soft tissue injury, Christopher Dixon and the St. Louis soft tissue injury lawyers at The Dixon Injury Firm can help recover damages for your case. Chris Dixon’s efforts have recovered over $35,000,000 in settlements. We have earned recognition as a “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” and a Lifetime Membership with the Million-Dollar Advocates Forum.
Our clients have left positive reviews for us that we value, as it proves we have done all we can to help them and their families.
These reviews affirm our commitment to our clients:
- “… From the very beginning, he gives an honest opinion and honest legal advice, evaluating the true worth of your case. I would recommend him over any other lawyer in Missouri.” – Julie G.
- “Many emails and calls were exchanged, and Chris always responded promptly and was always courteous… It took so much stress off of us knowing he was taking care of ‘behind the scenes’ stuff with insurance companies.” – Todd and Lisa F.
We have secured millions of dollars for our clients
Some past awards we have won for our clients include:
- $2.75 million: For a child who was blinded in one eye after sustaining an injury at a negligent paintball facility that did not give visitors protective glasses
- $2 million: For a victim of a bus crash that could no longer work due to his injuries
- $250,000: For the victim of a slip and fall who slipped on a puddle and broke her ankle
- $65,000: For the victim of a pedestrian accident who suffered spinal injuries and could not work
Not every accident case is the same, nor will yours have the same outcome as another’s. However, we will do all we can for you and your family. We want to hold the negligent party in your case accountable.
Retain the services of our lawyers today
When you choose The Dixon Injury Firm to represent your case, you know we will explore every possible avenue of seeking compensation. For more information on filing a soft tissue injury claim, call (314) 208-2808 to reach The Dixon Injury Firm now, or you can write to us through our contact page. We are based in St. Louis, but we also serve the Metro East of Illinois, St. Louis County, and beyond, and we offer free consultations.
The Dixon Injury Firm
9666 Olive Blvd #202,
St. Louis, MO 63132
Phone:(314) 208-2808