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The sudden force and trauma of a car accident can cause injuries to multiple parts of your body. Shoulder pain can be constant, taking away from the quality of your life. You may find yourself unable to do what you did before the accident, including being able to work fully. The driver responsible for your car accident would have a legal obligation to pay you total compensation if you prove they were to blame for what happened. In the meantime, here are six common shoulder injuries you may suffer from a car accident.
When your car has been struck, your body may remain still while your head and neck lurch forward. Sudden movement can cause strains and injuries to your head and neck. Whiplash can injure your shoulder, too, as it is located near your neck. Whiplash may result in a limited range of motion in your shoulder and continuous pain.
Your body tightens right before a car accident’s moment of impact. Then, the muscles and tendons absorb the shock of the accident. The rotator cuff comprises several muscles that attach the humerus to the shoulder. A sudden impact can tear any of these muscles, leading to a loss of motion in the shoulder.
Your upper body can impact various hard surfaces in the car. The force of the car accident could cause your body to move violently within the car, especially if you were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. You may suffer a fracture of the clavicle or humerus, which can be both painful and cost you motion in your shoulder. Fractures may require surgery to repair the bones and set them.
Although soft tissue injuries may not be as serious as the other types of injuries listed here, they can still cause pain and reduce your range of motion in your shoulder and arm. The shoulder has ligaments and tendons that may become strained or sprained because of your car accident injury. There is still a healing period during which you may not be able to live the life that you did before the accident entirely.
The direct impact of the accident could hit your shoulder. The trauma could cause a bone to become dislocated. The bone would need to be put back into place, but you would still feel a considerable amount of pain in the meantime.
A bundle of nerves runs from the neck through the shoulders and down to the arms. These nerves are called the brachial plexus. Trauma can either impinge on these nerves or tear them up entirely. A brachial plexus injury can cause shooting pain in the arm and the loss of strength and motion.
It is essential that you get medical care for your shoulder as soon as you begin to notice any symptoms. The failure to properly diagnose and treat your injuries in a timely manner may affect your legal case. The insurance company may claim you made your injuries worse by delaying medical treatment. Thus, it is always better to err on the side of caution and see a doctor when you even think you could have been injured.
If you have suffered a shoulder injury or any other type of injury from a motor vehicle crash, contact our Wilmington car accident lawyers at Jacobs & Crumplar, P.A. Our lawyers will review the facts of your case. Call 302-656-5445 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation. We have offices in Wilmington and Millsboro, Delaware, and we serve clients in Dover, New Castle County, and Sussex County.