Car crashes put victims’ bodies under incredible stress, causing many kinds of injuries. For example, you could suffer a shoulder injury. You could also suffer an injury elsewhere in your body that causes pain in one of your shoulders.
Below, Galloway Jefcoat’s experienced Lafayette auto accident lawyers discuss shoulder injuries from car accidents in Lafayette. We also discuss medical treatment and filing insurance claims or lawsuits to attempt to recover compensation.
We have been helping those injured in car crashes in the Lafayette area for decades. We can take on every aspect of the legal process on your behalf.
Shoulder Injuries That Could Be Caused by Lafayette Car Crashes
The trauma from a car crash can cause a wide range of injuries to your shoulders. These injuries could happen in many types of crashes, even if your shoulder is not directly impacted. However, a side-impact crash may be more likely to cause a left shoulder injury because your left shoulder may suffer blunt force trauma.
These are some of the shoulder injuries you might suffer in a car crash in the Lafayette area:
Broken Collarbone/Clavicle
Your collarbone, or clavicle, connects your shoulder to your breastbone. These injuries often heal without the need for surgery, but severe or complex fractures may require surgery to hold the bone together while it heals.
Doctors may need to insert plates, screws or rods.
Dislocated Shoulder Joint
Blunt force trauma to one of your shoulders could cause one of the bones to pop out of position. This is known as a dislocation. There is a risk of muscle damage from this type of injury.
Torn Rotator Cuff
Your rotator cuff is composed of four muscles that connect the shoulder blade and humerus. Your rotator cuff allows your arm to rotate. Your rotator cuff is also utilized when you lift your arm.
Superior Labrum Tear
This is also known as a SLAP (superior labrum from anterior to posterior) tear. A SLAP tear is a tear of the cartilage that protects your shoulder joint.
Impingement
This is inflammation of the rotator cuff, which occurs when the top of your shoulder blade rubs those tissues.
Strained Shoulder
A car crash could cause your shoulder to extend too far beyond its capacity, resulting in sprained or strained muscles.
Separated Shoulder
When there is a tear in the ligaments that connect the shoulder blade and the clavicle, your shoulder blade could separate from your collarbone.
Deep-Tissue Bruise
Many people dismiss bruises as minor injuries. However, a deep tissue bruise in the shoulder could result in significant damage to your muscles and other connective tissue.
While shoulder pain is almost always caused by a shoulder injury, it could sometimes be a symptom of whiplash. This is an injury that often happens in rear-end crashes when the victim’s head and neck are thrown forward and whipped backward. Pain from whiplash could radiate into your back and your shoulders.
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What Are the Telltale Signs of a Shoulder Injury?
If you feel pain in your shoulder, you likely have a shoulder injury. However, there are many other symptoms to watch for, including:
- Limited mobility or range of motion
- Pain when you use your shoulder a certain way
- Bruising
- Muscle spasms
- Popping or cracking noise when you move your arm
- Bulge on your collarbone or your shoulder
- Instability in your shoulder joint
- Weakness in your arm
- Feeling numb or having a tingling sensation in your shoulder or arm
- Worsening pain as the days pass
- Being unable to sleep on one side of your body due to the pain
Should I Go to the Hospital?
No matter how minor you think your car crash injury is, you should not make any assumptions. It is best to go to the hospital to find out how serious it may be. If you wait to see a doctor, the injury could get worse, and you may need more invasive treatment. You may also increase the risk of long-term complications.
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Treatment For Shoulder Pain/Shoulder Injuries
You may need to undergo diagnostic imaging tests (X-ray, MRI, etc.) to determine the type of injury you suffered. Doctors are also likely to do a physical evaluation to determine where you are feeling pain and if your range of motion has become limited.
Often, shoulder injuries can be treated with non-invasive methods. For example, if you broke your collarbone you may need to keep your arm in a sling for a few weeks. Doctors may also recommend using ice and anti-inflammatory medications to control pain and reduce swelling. Physical therapy may be necessary as well to help you rebuild strength and regain mobility.
In some cases, you may need arthroscopic surgery to remove damaged cartilage. More serious injuries may require reconstructive surgery. Severe broken bones may require the use of screws, plates or rods to help the bones come together and heal.
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Filing a Claim For a Car Crash Shoulder Injury
Louisiana crash victims have the right to seek compensation if they were injured because of another driver’s negligence. It is also important to note that shoulder injuries can be expensive to treat, and many people are unable to pay for this treatment on their own.
Galloway Jefcoat can help you pursue compensation if the crash was the result of negligence. Make sure to seek treatment right away to help connect the injury to the crash. Make sure to follow through with your treatment – if you stop treatment, the insurance company is going to argue they should not have to pay for any more treatment.
Injured in a Crash in Lafayette? We Are Here to Help
Shoulder injuries can be debilitating, making it hard to do simple things you took for granted before the accident. If you were injured in a crash caused by another’s negligence, you may be eligible to receive compensation to pay for your medical care. This includes medical care you may need in the future.
Call Galloway Jefcoat to learn more about the potential next steps in the legal process. Our attorneys have the legal knowledge and wealth of experience to take on the insurance company.
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