You could suffer a serious shoulder injury in a Windsor car accident, especially if your shoulder hits something during the collision. The ligaments and other tissues in your shoulder could also suffer damage if you tightly grip the steering wheel. The force of the collision could transfer up to your shoulders and cause the joint to stretch beyond its capacity.
You should never take a shoulder injury lightly. You need to get treatment right away. You should also give serious thought to calling an experienced Windsor car accident lawyer.
Greg Monforton and Partners does not charge upfront fees. We have obtained millions for victims of motor vehicle accidents in Ontario.
Were you injured by another driver? Call us today: (866) 320-4770.
10 Shoulder Injuries Caused by Car Accidents in Windsor
If you suffered any of the shoulder injuries below, or another type of shoulder injury, Greg Monforton and Partners may be able to help you seek compensation.
1. Fractured Shoulder
The trauma from a car crash could fracture any of the bones in the shoulder. For example, you could suffer a broken collarbone, also known as a broken clavicle. You could also fracture the humerus, which is the upper arm bone, or your shoulder blade (scapula).
2. Dislocated Shoulder
Sometimes a car crash does not break bones, but it causes dislocations. This simply means the bones move out of their normal position. These injuries must be treated as soon as possible to avoid damage to the surrounding muscles.
3. Torn Rotator Cuff
Your rotator cuff is the part that attaches your shoulder blade and upper arm bone. The rotator cuff helps stabilize the shoulder joint. The rotator can either be partially or completely torn. This can be an extremely painful injury.
4. Impingement
This is an injury that involves the shoulder blade and the rotator cuff. The blade of your shoulder rubs on the rotator cuff, resulting in inflammation.
5. SLAP Tear
This is a tear of the superior labrum from the posterior to the anterior. The labrum is the cartilage protecting your shoulder joint.
6. Whiplash
While whiplash frequently involves the neck, it can cause damage to your shoulder. Tendons in your neck and shoulder could get torn during impact.
7. Separated Shoulder
This could be considered a type of shoulder dislocation. A separated shoulder occurs when the bone is completely ejected from the socket where it is supposed to be.
8. Brachial Plexus Injury
There is a cluster of nerves that send signals from your brain to your shoulders and arms. This cluster is known as the brachial plexus. This cluster of nerves could suffer damage if your shoulder gets hit hard or moves too much during a car crash. The damage could be so bad you lose use of your shoulder, hands, wrist or arm.
9. Deep Tissue Bruises
While you may dismiss a bruise as a minor injury, a deep bruise can be a significant injury. There could be damage to the muscles and tissues in your shoulders.
10. Strained Shoulder
Your shoulder could move in awkward ways during a crash, causing the soft tissues to suffer strains or sprains. The front of your shoulder could feel weak and unstable.
What are the Signs of a Car Accident Shoulder Injury?
Often, the most obvious sign of a shoulder injury is pain in your shoulder, particularly pain when you move the affected arm. Sometimes you will feel pain right after the crash and other times it may take days or weeks for pain to make itself known.
These are other common symptoms of a shoulder injury from a car accident:
- Less range of motion
- Popping noise when you move your shoulder
- Cracking noise when you move your shoulder
- Stiff feeling
- Numbness in the shoulder
- Muscle spasms in your arm or shoulder
- Pain in your neck and upper back
- Bruises on your shoulder
- Your shoulder feeling weak or tender to the touch
- Pain when you lie on your shoulder
- Inflammation and swelling
- Bulge in your shoulder, which could indicate a broken bone or dislocation
- Internal bleeding
- Struggling to reach up above your head
- Loss of use of your shoulder, arm, hand or wrist
- Concussion-like symptoms (headaches and dizziness), which may be a result of a whiplash injury that damaged your shoulder
What to do After Suffering a Shoulder Injury in a Car Crash
The most important step to take after suffering a shoulder injury is seek medical treatment. You may think the injury is no big deal, but minor pain could get much worse in the days to come. Sometimes symptoms of an injury are delayed, as adrenalin flows after a traumatic incident and masks pain and other symptoms.
The goal of quick medical care is to get your injuries diagnosed and stabilized. If you suffered a separated shoulder, you need to have the injury immobilized to promote healing. If you continue to use the shoulder, you could make the injury worse.
When you see a doctor, make sure to report all your symptoms, no matter how minor you think they are. Doctors may need to do an X-ray or MRI to determine what happened to your shoulder during the collision.
Can I File a Claim for Compensation?
If the crash was caused by the other driver’s negligence, you may be able to seek compensation from the driver’s liability insurance. You may also be able to seek Statutory Accident Benefits for medical costs and other damages.
It is important to contact an experienced lawyer to learn about your potential legal options. Accident victims who attempt to handle the legal process alone are at a significant disadvantage.
What is the Cost of Treating a Shoulder Injury From a Car Accident?
Crash victims who suffer shoulder injuries need compensation to cover their medical treatment. Shoulder injuries can affect so many aspects of your life and medical treatment is the only way you are going to have a chance to regain function in your shoulder.
Shoulder injuries can prevent you from performing many daily activities you take for granted, like combing your hair, bathing yourself, helping around the house, and more. Shoulder injuries could make it harder to do your job.
If you hire an experienced lawyer, he or she may be able to recover compensation for medical treatment and other damages. Some of the damages that may be available include:
- Prescription medication
- Surgery on your shoulder
- Medical tests
- Future medical treatment, such as shoulder replacement surgery
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Reduced ability to work
Contact Greg Monforton and Partners to Discuss Your Accident
If you think the crash was caused by the other driver’s careless actions, give us a call as soon as possible. If we determine you may have a case, you can schedule your free legal consultation with an experienced lawyer.
We know you have many questions about the legal process and your rights, and we are here to help. There are also no upfront costs with our services. That means there is no risk to you.
Call us after a car accident that injured you. (866) 320-4770