In a car accident, soft tissue injuries are those involving supporting, non-bony parts of the body. Such parts can include muscles and tendons. Ligaments are considered soft tissue as well. Soft tissue injuries are quite common in car accidents. Often, they are present in the form of tears, sprains, strains, and general soreness.

When a car accident occurs, the impact of the crash can cause the the people inside the car to be jolted around. Hard braking and bracing against the impact lead to even more jolting. As a result, a large number of people experience soft tissue injuries in car accidents.

The force of impact in a car accident can cause soft tissues to stretch considerably, resulting in significant damage. As a result of this damage, individuals often experience pain, swelling, and loss of function. Bleeding may result as well.

Though soft tissue injuries are very common, they cannot be detected using x-rays. For this reason, it is more difficult to detect soft tissue injuries quickly than it is to detect bone injuries. Often, an individual with soft tissue injuries will not experience symptoms for hours after a car accident. In some cases, it takes days for car accident victims to begin experiencing symptoms.

Once a person with soft tissue injuries begins having symptoms, he or she may experience persistent pain. Often, inflammation is present. This is a natural result of soft tissue injury and helps to make the accident victim aware that a body part has been damaged. The pain, however, can be significant and can stall or inhibit healing if left untreated.

One of the most common soft tissue injuries is whiplash. This injury occurs when a person in a car is hit from behind in a car accident. In this type of collision, the head of the accident victim often snaps forward and back again. The head weighs a considerable amount, and when it snaps backward, it exerts significant force on the neck. The resulting whiplash can lead to a range of serious conditions, including but not limited to chronic pain, joint dysfunction, and herniated discs of the spine.

Symptoms of whiplash can include neck pain, stiffness, headache, and burning sensations. Shoulder, back pain, and dizziness may be present as well. Some sufferers also report memory loss, depression, fatigue, and nervousness.