If you’ve suffered a trauma injury and you’ve broken a bone, you’d likely know it immediately. Most broken bones can heal on their own or with a cast with no long-term effects. Broken bones are not the only sign of injury, however. The tissue around your joints and the discs in the spaces between your spinal column are called “soft tissue” and it is very susceptible to tearing and permanent, life-long pain, even from minor impacts. Soft tissue injuries can also be harder to detect. Soft tissue injuries usually don’t show up on x-rays, only on the more expensive MRI scans, which the doctors don’t always order after an injury. They can also take several days to manifest and can often be confused with simple muscle strains and left untreated.
In the back, where soft tissue injuries are common after a trauma injury, the gel-like disc that separates and acts as a cushion between the vertebrae can become herniated, meaning it breaks and is pushing out the side. In many cases, that means it is pushing against the nearby spinal cord, which can cause pain either in the back, or radiating out into the arms or legs. Once a disc is herniated, it will never heal. If it is pushing against your spinal cord, the pain might go away for a week or a month or six months, but in most cases, it will come back and can cause back pain for the rest of your life.
Most insurance companies know this and might get an injured worker to settle a claim quickly with an amount that might entice you to sign your rights away quickly. That is why it is important to talk to a lawyer who is experienced in traumatic injuries and who will fight for your rights.
