Personal Injury Medical Terms – Part 1 | Personal Injury Attorney
Medical Terms You May Hear From Your Personal Injury Attorney – Part 1
Even with the best personal injury attorney on your side, going through a personal injury lawsuit can be confusing and intimidating. Developing a familiarity with the medical terms used in such lawsuits can go a long way toward easing your worries and concerns. Read through this list of common medical terms used in personal injury cases to make sense of what you might hear as your case progresses. Next month we’ll provide Part 2 of common personal injury medical terms.
Common Personal Injury Medical Terms
Every personal injury case is different and not every injury will apply to every case, but some of the most common injuries we see include:
Whiplash
Whiplash is a medical term that is very common in cases involving car accidents and slips-and-falls. Whiplash happens when the head and/or body is subject to very sudden and abrupt movement. The force of the movement can damage neck muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissues as they are extended beyond their normal limits. Whiplash injuries range from very minor to permanent.
Herniated Disk
This injury is also associated with car accidents and slip-and-fall cases. A herniated disk can occur when the cushioning tissue between the spinal vertebrae become damaged. Symptoms include pain and/or numbness and weakness and radiating pain down an arm or leg. Again, the severity of the injury varies; some herniated disks must be corrected with surgery, others heal on their own. Still others are not even noticed by the injured party.
Soft Tissues
Soft tissue is a very broad term that is applied to many different areas of the body. Soft tissues are considered anything that covers, connects, or helps move other parts of the body like muscles, tendons, ligaments, and even nerves or body fat. Soft tissue injuries, while often painful, are usually not permanent.
Dislocation
Dislocation is a bone injury. It happens when bones become misaligned and out of place. In many cases, the bone is not damaged, but a dislocation can still be very, very painful. Car accidents, falls, and sports injuries often lead to dislocations.
Fracture
A fracture is another way to describe a broken bone. The fracture may be complete or partial and happens when bones can’t withstand the forces applied to them. That’s one reason why fractures are more common in the elderly whose bones often become more brittle with age. Depending on the location and severity of the fracture, surgery may be required. In many cases, the bone is able to heal itself with rest and proper care.
Spinal Column
The spinal column is your backbone. The spinal column is made up of vertebrae which are small, hollow bones that are stacked on top of one another. These bones protect the spinal cord which runs from the base of your skull all the way down your back. Damage to the spinal column can cause damage to the spinal cord.
Spinal Cord
The spinal cord is not just one long nerve, but rather a bundle of nerves that are protected by the spinal column. Since the spinal cord is made up of so many different nerves, a spinal cord injury can cause many different symptoms in many different areas of the body. Some symptoms are relatively minor while others are extremely serious. Spinal cord injuries may result in pain, loss of sensation, weakness, numbness, paralysis, and even death.
Do You Have Questions About Your Injury? Contact A Personal Injury Attorney At Eisenberg Law
If you have been injured in an accident and wonder if you have grounds for a personal injury case, schedule a free consultation with an Eisenberg Law Offices personal injury attorney. We represent clients throughout Wisconsin in many different kinds of personal injury situations. Contact us for a free case evaluation by calling 608-256-8356 or emailing Info@EisenbergLaw.org.