Shoulder Pain After a Car Accident: Injuries & Symptoms to Look Out For

Drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders can all suffer shoulder injuries when a car accident occurs. The injuries may be due to hitting a door, dashboard, or other parts of the car. Victims may collide with other occupants or fall to the hard ground. Glass, metal, and other objects can penetrate the shoulder.

Car accidents can cause many different types of shoulder injuries. Our San Antonio car accident lawyers have more than 30 years of experience holding drivers and others responsible when driver negligence causes shoulder injuries. We work with your doctors, and our network of doctors when necessary, to verify your shoulder injury diagnosis, the medical care you will need, the cost of your medical care, and your pain and suffering due to your shoulder injuries.

The symptoms and treatments for shoulder pain after a car accident vary depending on the specific shoulder injury you have. Accident victims should seek immediate medical care after a car accident, usually at a local emergency room, so a doctor can conduct the proper physical, oral, and diagnostic tests to determine their specific type of shoulder injury. Shoulder injuries require a careful diagnosis because they are ball-and-socket joints that include several bones and soft tissues.

Common shoulder injuries due to car accidents

Some of the injuries car accident victims may suffer include the following:

Dislocated shoulder

A shoulder dislocation occurs when a car accident pushes or moves the bones in your shoulder joint out of their usual places. A joint is where two bones meet. In a shoulder joint, “the round ball at the top of your upper arm bone (humerus) fits into the socket (glenoid) of your shoulder blade (scapula).” In a shoulder dislocation, the ball and socket separate. A shoulder dislocation can also damage the tissue that surrounds your shoulder joint. Tissue includes nerves, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

A total shoulder separation is called a complete dislocation (luxation). A partial dislocation is called a subluxation. Shoulders are the most commonly dislocated joint. The symptoms include extreme pain, the inability to move your arm, weakness, swelling, bruising, numbness, and muscle spasms. “Your shoulder should be visibly out of place.”

Separated shoulder

A separated shoulder  “is an injury to your acromioclavicular joint, which is the area where your collarbone (clavicle) meets the highest point of your shoulder blade (acromion). A shoulder separation doesn’t actually involve damage to the main ball-and-socket joint of your shoulder.” About 40 percent of all shoulder injuries are acromioclavicular joint injuries.

The symptoms of a shoulder joint injury include pain at the top of your shoulder, a “bump on the top of your shoulder at the end of your collarbone, limited shoulder movement, bruises, swelling, and tenderness.”

Shoulder fracture

A shoulder fracture is a broken bone in your shoulder joint. A fracture is a broken bone. Car accident victims who have a shoulder injury may require a brace, sling, or cast. Victims may also require surgery. The recovery process depends on which bone breaks and other factors. The three types of shoulder breaks are breaks to your shoulder blade, collarbone, or upper arm bone. Victims should seek immediate medical care.

The symptoms of a shoulder fracture include shoulder pain, swelling, discoloration/bruising, loss of function of the shoulder (including loss of movement), and a “deformity or bump that’s not usually on your body.”

Rotator cuff tear

A rotator cuff tear is an injury to the group of muscles and tendons in your shoulder. These parts of your anatomy help you lift and move your arms. “Your rotator cuff keeps the ball of your upper arm bone (humerus) in the shoulder blade socket.” Rotator cuff tears are classified as either partial (the tendon still attaches to the arm bone) or complete (the tendon completely separates from your arm bone).

The symptoms of a rotator cuff injury include:

• “Difficulty, pain, and weakness caused by raising, lowering, or rotating your arm.”
• “Popping, clicking, or crackling sounds or sensations when moving your arm in certain positions.”
• Shoulder pain that gets worse when you rest your arm.
• Difficulty lifting items.

Some car accident victims with a torn rotator cuff experience a dull ache, while others feel like they’re being stabbed with a knife. Car accidents can cause a torn rotator cuff. The wear and tear of age is a common contributing factor.

SLAP tear

The formal name for a SLAP tear is a Superior Labrum, Anterior to Posterior tear.

When your labrum tears, “your upper arm bone loses its cushion and your bicep tendon loses its connection to your shoulder blade socket. As a result, your shoulder hurts and feels unstable.”

Car accidents, sports accidents, and the wear and tear of time can all cause SLAP tears.

Common symptoms of a SLAP tear include:

• Shoulder pain:
  • “That can be a persistent dull ache or a sharp pain deep in your shoulder.”
  • “In certain positions, like raising your arm or stretching your arm behind your head.”
  • “When you do certain things, like throwing a ball or reaching overhead.”
• Popping noises, a grinding feeling, or a feeling that your shoulder may pop out of your shoulder blade.

Other types of shoulder injuries that may be due to car accidents or may make it more difficult to treat another type of shoulder injury include:

• A frozen shoulder
• Shoulder bursitis
• Tendinitis
• Shoulder instability
• Shoulder impingement syndrome
• Soft tissue injuries

Additionally, whiplash injuries can also cause shoulder injuries due to torn tendons. A common cause of shoulder pain is arthritis, which is generally due to wear and tear as we age. Coping with arthritis can make managing other shoulder injuries more difficult.

The diagnostic tests for shoulder injuries, generally, depending on the specific injury, include X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and various physical movement tests such as range of motion tests.

Our car accident lawyers demand that negligent drivers, and any other responsible parties, compensate shoulder injury victims for all of their medical bills, pain and suffering, loss of income, car damage, loss of use of the shoulder, inability to enjoy life’s pleasures, and any other personal or financial damages.

To discuss your right to compensation, please call Pat Maloney: Accident & Injury Attorney, or complete our online contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle Texas car accident claims on a contingency fee basis.