Did You Hurt Your Shoulder in an Accident?
Posted November 24th, 2019 by Morgan.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Shoulder injuries can happen from a multitude of accident types. It could be that you fell down a set of stairs or tripped while walking on a slippery sidewalk. An involvement in a motorcycle accident or a motor vehicle accident of any kind could lead you to issues with your shoulder as well. Shoulder pain can be distracting and take away from the quality of your life. That’s why you need to take action and protect yourself if you’ve ever been involved in an accident that led to a shoulder injury.
Not All Shoulder Injuries Come from Individual Accidents
In some cases, your shoulder injury may not even be related to a specific incident. Unfortunately, if you’re someone that lifts things at work, you may suffer what’s known as a repetitive motion injury. The condition may not even manifest immediately.
There’s a chance you’ll feel some minor aches and pains along the way. However, you may discount them as nothing really critical. It’s not until your physician explains that you’re suffering from a rotator cuff injury that you need to worry about your rights concerning a workers’ compensation claim.
You’ve undoubtedly heard reference to a statute of limitations. Quite simply, the law dictates the last date you can file legal action or forego your rights. In the case of workers’ compensation, there are several prospective dates.
For example, if you dislocated your shoulder on a particular date, you could have two years from the day the incident occurred. However, consider this: The statute of limitations for work-related accidents may be extended until the last date you received authorized medical care or money from the workers’ compensation carrier.
That said, repetitive motion cases fall under the auspices of occupational exposure. They’re no different than making a claim for your employer’s failure to protect you from substances such as asbestos or other deleterious substances. Like these types of legal actions, you are bound by the date that you learn your disease or injuries are related to your employment. You have two years from the date the doctor advises you to the correlation.
Different Types of Shoulder Injuries
In some cases, what seems like just a minor shoulder sprain or strain turns out to be much more. As you most likely realize, it’s not just that you can’t handle the pain. You also may have problems raising your arm. Additionally, you could experience times that your shoulder pops out of the socket.
While dislocation and rotator cuff injuries are the most well known problems related to accidental shoulder injuries, there are more. You could suffer a separation where the collarbone meets your shoulder. Meanwhile, if you break your collarbone, you’ll also suffer intense pain.
Like other joints in the body, your shoulder has protective cartilage designed to act as a shock absorber. However, that doesn’t mean an accident can’t cause a tear.
Each case will require treatment tailored to the individual injury. Some of the treatment options may include:
- Isolation (such as a sling or cast)
- Physical therapy
- Injections
- Surgical intervention
Contact Us
The bottom line is that if you’ve suffered a shoulder injury as a result of an accident, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. With over three decades of experience, the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone is here to assist you. Give us a call to schedule an appointment. There’s no cost for our representation unless we’re successful on your behalf.
