Types of Injuries
There are four main types of injuries that commonly take place in accident cases.
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- Catastrophic injuries: These include death, spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries and can radically alter the lives of the people who receive them in fundamental ways as well as cause them to incur hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not over a million dollars, in medical bills. People who experience this type of injury also may suffer millions of dollars in lost wages and a lessened ability to enjoy life.
- Degenerative injuries: With these injuries, something is torn or damaged in the body, and with time and usage, the tear gets larger causing significantly more pain. This can happen to herniated discs and an assortment of other ligaments and tissues injured in numerous parts of the body including the knee, neck, back, wrist, shoulder, ankle and aorta. These injuries can be debilitating or even life-threatening if gone untreated.
- Aggravation to pre-existing conditions: This simply means that a condition existed in the body which was usually asymptomatic, or did not cause pain. However, due to an accident, such as an auto/motorcycle accident or other type of accident, the normal aging process becomes accelerated and causes something that is not painful to become painful, aggravating a pre-existing condition in the human body. All types of injuries can necessitate a surgery depending on the level of pain complaints and the type of injury someone sustains.
- Soft tissue injuries: These are injuries which cannot be seen on a diagnostic test, such as an X-ray, MRI or CAT scan and can occur from impact or contortion of the body in an unusual way as in an auto accident. Examples include injuries resulting from the head moving back and forth or extreme force applied to the lower back or other areas of the body. The corresponding swelling can cause the body to produce scar tissue over the injured area. As scar tissue begins to accumulate, it can press on nerves and cause constant pain. Generally, a permanent injury of this type cannot be treated with surgery and often requires a lifetime of therapy which can easily add up to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
All of these types of injuries have long-term economic impact (such as medical bills, lost wages, decreased earning capacity) and non-economic effects, which many people refer to as human damages or pain and suffering. They can easily change someone’s life forever and cause an incredible amount of financial and emotional hardship for the injured party and family members.
All of the above types of injuries require in-depth testing from MRIs and CT scans to diagnosis the actual cause of pain. If a doctor follows normal medical protocols, it could take a series of weeks or months before a doctor can determine if the injury is permanent in nature or a soft tissue sprain or strain injury that will go away after a few months of treatment.
If you or someone you know has received any of these types of injuries due to the negligence of another, call Christopher Ligori & Associates at 813-223-2929 for a free consultation.
