Average Soft Tissue Injury Settlement in California

Soft tissue injuries refer to damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments throughout the body.

Sprains, strains, and contusions are just a few of the most common types of soft tissue injuries.

These injuries are often sustained in car crashes, slip and falls, and other accidents. If you have been injured and someone else’s negligence was to blame, you may be entitled to compensation.

When helping accident victims file their Riverside personal injury claim, people often ask ‘What are soft tissue injury settlement amounts?’ No one can determine the value of your case without a full review of the facts. However, some averages can provide guidelines, as well as other factors you can use to estimate the value of your claim.

What is the Average Soft Tissue Injury Settlement?

A soft tissue injury settlement can range anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 or more. The amount available in a claim largely depends on the severity of your injury. Soft tissue injury settlement amounts are typically as follows:

• Minor injuries: $5,000 to $15,000
• Moderate injuries: $15,000 to $50,000
• Severe injuries: $50,000 to $100,000

Again, the above only refer to the average soft tissue injury settlements for varying degrees of injury.

It is important to speak to a Riverside personal injury lawyer after any accident. An attorney can review the facts of your case, account for all losses you suffered as a result of the accident, and accurately value your claim.

Common Injuries Resulting in Soft Tissue Injury Settlements

Many different types of soft tissue injuries can result in varying soft tissue injury settlement amounts. The most common of these are as follows:

• Whiplash: Whiplash is perhaps the most common soft tissue injury suffered after an accident, particularly car crashes. Whiplash is caused by the neck rapidly moving back and forth, damaging the soft tissues within.
• Tendonitis: Tendonitis refers to inflamed tendons, typically caused by overuse.
• Herniated discs: A herniated disc occurs when one of the discs in the spine slips from the spinal column. These are also referred to as bulging discs. This type of injury causes severe pain in the back or neck.
• Concussions: Concussions are caused by a sudden blow to the head, such as if an accident victim bangs their head into an object during an accident. Many people think concussions are minor injuries but they are classified as a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
• Muscle tears: When the fibers of the muscles are torn, it causes immense pain and swelling for accident victims.

If you start experiencing any of these injuries after an accident, it is critical to document them. This can ensure you receive the full damages you are entitled to.

How to Obtain More than the Average Soft Tissue Injury Settlement

By taking a few steps after your accident, you may be able to obtain a soft tissue injury settlement amount that is higher than average. These include:

• Obtain medical treatment: Obtaining medical treatment immediately after your accident will document your injuries and help prove the nature and severity of them. Keep all medical documentation, including reports, invoices, and receipts.
• Collect evidence of lost wages: Your medical documents may indicate that you are unable to return to work right away due to your injuries. Keep previous paychecks that establish the wages you would have earned, as well as any other evidence of lost bonuses, sick pay, vacation pay, and other employment benefits.
• Keep a pain journal: Over time, your memories may fade, and you may not remember the full impact your injuries initially had on your physical and mental well-being. Keeping a pain journal can document the amount of pain you felt during the first days and weeks of your recovery and how your injuries impacted your daily life.
• Expert testimony: A Riverside personal injury lawyer will have a network of experts they can contact to testify about your ability to work, the severity of your injuries, and more. Expert testimony can greatly increase soft tissue injury settlement amounts.
• Contact a Riverside personal injury lawyer: Studies have shown that accident victims who have legal representation obtain soft tissue injury settlement amounts that are three times higher than injured individuals who go through the process alone.

Factors that Could Reduce a Soft Tissue Injury Settlement Amount

Just as there are factors that can increase soft tissue injury settlement amounts, there are also factors that can reduce the damages received. These include:

• Pre-existing conditions that were not caused or exacerbated by the accident
• Failure to seek medical attention
• Failing to follow recommendations from medical professionals
• Inconsistencies or gaps in medical records
• A lack of evidence linking the soft tissue injury to the accident
• If the accident victim contributed to their injuries
• Insurance policy limits
• Agreeing to a below-average soft tissue injury settlement to get the process over with

Our Personal Injury Lawyer in Riverside Can Help You Claim a Full Settlement

At The JLF Firm, our Riverside personal injury lawyer knows how to help accident victims obtain the full soft tissue injury settlement amount they deserve, and we will put that expertise to work for you, too. Contact us to schedule a free case evaluation and to get the legal advice you need.