Pain is often a symptom of a serious shoulder injury
Shoulder pain after a car accident can start immediately or be delayed. In some cases, it may take days or weeks to develop. Once it hits you, though, the pain can be agony.
Never ignore shoulder pain after a car accident. Crashes often destabilize shoulder joints causing tears, strains, and breaks. Left untreated, shoulder pain can develop into chronic pain and permanent disabilities. The pain often limits movement and disturbs sleep. It can make participating and enjoying some jobs, tasks, and hobbies nearly impossible.
Medical treatment for shoulder pain varies depending on your injury. You may need physical therapy or multiple surgeries to get relief. It's going to be expensive, but if someone else caused your injury, you have the right to seek compensation for all your losses.
At The Longo Firm, LLC, we can fight for the compensation your shoulder injury deserves. If you're experiencing shoulder pain after a car accident in the Colorado Springs area, contact us for a free case evaluation.
Painful shoulder injuries
The impact from a head-on collision, rear-end accident, broadside, or another type of crash can easily destabilize your shoulder. The resulting shoulder injuries are often classified as dislocations, breaks, and sprains or tears.
Symptoms of a serious shoulder injury include severe pain, swelling, bruising, inability to move the shoulder, a "grinding" sensation when moving the shoulder, and a bump or deformity.
Here are some of the most common injuries that cause shoulder pain after a car accident.
- Fractures. In a car accident, some of the most frequently fractured, broken, or cracked bones are your collarbone (clavicle), shoulder blade (scapula), and arm bone (humerus).
- Dislocation. Your shoulder is made up of three joints - Glenohumeral (the main joint), Acromoioclavicular (collarbone joint), and Sternoclavicular. In an accident, any one of these could be fully or partially dislocated. When the dislocation involves the collarbone joint, it is called a "separated shoulder."
- Muscle, tendon, ligament strains, sprains, and tears. Your shoulder is held together by soft tissues, like your deltoid muscle and shoulder bursa (fluid-filled sacs that cushion joints). Any or all of these may be damaged in an accident.
Injury treatment and shoulder pain relief
In Colorado Springs and the surrounding area, there are many medical facilities that can treat shoulder pain. Trauma care services are available at places like UCHealth Memorial Hospital and St. Francis Hospital.
Depending on your specific injury, treatment to relieve shoulder pain may include:
- Surgery - Typically arthroscopic surgery, reconstruction surgery, or replacement surgery.
- Pain medication.
- Physical rehabilitation and other therapies.
Talk to a Colorado Springs car accident lawyer today
Shoulder pain after a car accident is often a symptom of a more severe injury, and the cost of treatment can add up quickly. You deserve to be made whole again, but you're going to have to fight the insurance company to get the compensation you're entitled to.
If someone else caused your shoulder injury, we can handle every aspect of your claim and level the playing field. We'll aggressively advocate for your best interests throughout the entire process and keep you informed of what's happening every step of the way.
See what an experienced Colorado Springs car accident attorney can do for you. Contact us today to schedule your free case evaluation.