Your entire life can change in an instant when you suffer a serious injury. Muscle and bone injuries in particular can lead to long-term, lingering effects that last well beyond the initial accident. If negligent behavior caused your pain and suffering, you deserve compensation from the at-fault party. The best way to ensure you receive the full amount owed is to work with a personal injury lawyer who has experience in Philadelphia bone and muscle cases across a wide range of accident types. 

Common Accidents Resulting in Bone and Muscle Injuries

Unfortunately, the human body is more fragile than many realize. It is all too easy for an accident to result in severe injury to bones or soft tissue that may cause you problems with everyday tasks. 

When hearing about broken bones or torn muscles, you may immediately think of a car crash. While that is a common cause, there are plenty of other ways to suffer these injuries, from improperly maintained sidewalks to accidents in Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) vehicles. Victims frequently suffer injuries to bone, muscle, or ligaments due to:

While broken bones typically require a direct collision, muscle injuries can occur even in cases where the impacted part of the victim’s body didn’t physically strike anything. The sudden, violent motion of a collision can sprain or tear soft tissue and muscle. In some accidents, bone and muscle injuries can take place in tandem, such as in cases of whiplash when someone is struck in a rear-end accident. 

Regardless of what type of accident occurred, victims can potentially suffer any of these specific types of bone/muscle injuries:

Effects of Bone and Muscle Injuries 

Whether you are dealing with shattered ankle bones, lower back strain, torn ligaments, or whiplash, any bone or muscle injury has the potential to massively impact your day-to-day life. 

Getting a thorough medical checkup is critical after any accident, from slipping and falling at the grocery store to being hit by a drunk driver. You may not realize you have a broken bone or damaged muscle after the accident. A medical professional can check for internal muscle or bone damage, as well as other possible effects from the accident like a traumatic brain injury. 

Early diagnosis of these injuries can help prevent worse problems down the line, and it also initiates official documentation of your injury. That’s important because broken bone or torn muscle injuries may lead to extensive recovery periods, surgeries, physical therapy, long-term pain management, and potentially even permanent disability. After an accident, bone and muscle injury victims may end up dealing with problems like:

  • Chronic pain
  • Difficulty with normal activity such as dressing, lifting objects, walking, etc.
  • Emotional damage like pain and suffering, depression, and PTSD
  • Inability to work or needing reduced hours and less physical activity during the workday
  • Mobility issues
  • Muscle spasms or weakness 

What to Do After Suffering a Bone or Muscle Injury in Philadelphia

The good news is that these long-term effects don’t have to be financially disastrous, as you have the legal right to recover damages stemming from the injury. Damages can include your medical costs, loss of wages while you can’t work, property damage, and emotional distress. Those damages may also include future medical bills, as these types of injuries frequently require ongoing physical therapy or additional surgeries in the future.

The key to recovering damages is to get in touch with an attorney early. Your lawyer needs to perform a full investigation and file a lawsuit against the at-fault party before the state’s statute of limitations expires. An attorney can prove negligence caused your injury by utilizing evidence like: 

  • Black box and logbook details in commercial truck accidents
  • Employer data
  • Eyewitness testimony
  • Expert witnesses
  • Medical records
  • Photographs and video of the scene
  • Police reports

After sustaining a life-changing injury, you want an attorney who will have your back during every step of the process and look for the best way to fight for your financial recovery. That may include handling negotiations with insurance, as well as helping you avoid common pitfalls that can prevent you from receiving the monetary recovery you are truly owed.

Protect Your Legal Rights With an Attorney Who Will Fight for Your Financial Recovery

Our passion is representing victims who deserve full and fair compensation for their injuries, and we want to hear more about your case. Reach out to Heslin Law Firm today to set up a free consultation.