Car Accident Related Shoulder Injuries

Introduction to Car Accident Related Shoulder Injuries

When people think of car accident injuries, most people’s minds automatically picture the “big injuries” – head trauma, neck and spine injuries, amputations, severe burns, and other similar, catastrophic injuries. Yet oftentimes it is the smaller, less severe injuries that can cause people the most difficulties and challenges following a car accident. In no situation is this observation truer than in the case of shoulder injuries resulting from a car crash. A shoulder injury can be incredibly painful and require a considerable amount of time to heal. This alone can make shoulder injuries as costly as other, more severe injuries. Fortunately, as is true in most other cases of car accident-related injuries, individuals whose shoulders have been injured may be able to obtain compensation from the driver who caused or contributed to the crash.

Limitations After a Shoulder Injury

Like some other joints and body parts, we often take our shoulder for granted and do not consider all of the activities which a healthy shoulder enables us to do. Once a shoulder injury occurs, however, we become very aware of the significant limitations such an injury imposes upon us.

After a shoulder injury, you may find it difficult to:

• Lift objects. A shoulder injury would certainly preclude you from lifting heavy boxes or pieces of furniture, but it may also keep you from performing simple household chores like picking toys up off of the ground and putting them away. You may even be prevented from lifting your harm above a certain height, regardless of whether you are holding or lifting an item.
• Play sports. A shoulder injury is almost always accompanied by a decrease in that joint’s range of motion. You would not be able to lift a baseball bat or tennis racket. Nor would you be able to throw a ball. Even if you are not on a sports team, consider the impact this would have on your ability to play with your kids while your shoulder heals.
• Because shoulder injuries decrease the affected shoulder joint’s range of motion, you may find it difficult to write legibly or type if the shoulder on your dominant side is injured. If your job involves a considerable amount of writing (such as an inventory clerk) or typing (such as a receptionist), it may be impossible to complete your daily job tasks without significant pain.

These limitations will gradually improve as your shoulder injury heals, but it is not uncommon for car accident-related shoulder injuries to limit the victim for weeks or months after the accident.

Shoulder injuries in which there is a dislocation or fracture tend to require more healing and therapy than simple bruising of the shoulder and its component muscles.

Expenses Associated with a Shoulder Injury

Individuals whose shoulders are injured in a car crash quickly find out that there are a considerable amount of expenses associated with their injury. These can include:

• The costs of initial medical treatment, including setting of a dislocated shoulder joint or fractured arm;
• Prescription drug costs for pain medication;
• Assistive devices such as slings;
• Physical therapy sessions to assist the person in regaining range of motion and strength in his or her shoulder;
• Time missed from work in order to attend medical or therapy appointments;
• Lost wages due to not being able to perform the same job he or she did before his or her car crash. The victim may need to accept a lower-paying job in a different department until his or her shoulder heals;
• Loss of enjoyment of life as the person may be unable to participate in some of the activities that he or she had previously enjoyed;
• Pain from his or her injury.

Where a victim’s shoulder injury is the result of a car crash caused by the careless actions of another, each of these losses (and, potentially, other related losses) may be compensated through a car accident injury lawsuit. Injury victims pursuing claims for compensation must generally show that the other driver or some third party behaved in a negligent manner, that this behavior caused or contributed to the crash, and that the victim’s shoulder injury was sustained in the crash.

Compassionate Legal Counsel for Shoulder Injury Victims

Did you suffer a shoulder injury in a car crash? Contact Stern Law, PLLC to review your legal rights and options today. We will listen to the facts of your case and help you understand what steps you must take in order to protect your rights to compensation. Our firm zealously advocates on behalf of our injury clients – we are committed to helping them obtain the compensation they need in order to move forward with their lives. Protect your legal rights by calling Stern Law, PLLC at (844) 808-7529 as soon as possible following your car crash and the discovery of your shoulder injuries.