Shoulder Pain After a Car Accident: Injuries, Symptoms, and When to See a Doctor

Shoulder pain is common after a Florida car accident, especially if you were rear-ended or hit on the side. Depending on the severity of the crash and other injuries you may have suffered, you might not even realize right away that you’ve injured your shoulder. If symptoms develop hours, days, or weeks later, you may wonder about your legal rights and if you can seek compensation.

It’s important to note that even low-speed crashes can cause shoulder issues, which is why we recommend talking to a car accident lawyer and getting checked out by a doctor right away. Let’s discuss your next steps and legal options. Contact MattLaw Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers to set up a consultation now.

Why are shoulder injuries common in car accidents?

The shoulder is a complex and mobile joint, traits that make it strong but also make it susceptible to injury during a collision. Shoulder injuries are often the result of:

• Bracing against the steering wheel (especially if you lock your arms, as this can cause the arm to jam into the shoulder joint)
• The force of the seatbelt across the upper body
• T-bone collisions
• Airbag deployment
• Whiplash, which can also cause harm to the shoulders, arms, and head

When your vehicle stops moving in a crash, your body continues moving for a fraction of a second. That force, especially pushing against a seatbelt, is enough to cause serious pain and harm to a joint. It’s important not to assume that you’re fine just because your vehicle looks undamaged or only has minor bumps and dents. Your body can absorb a ton of force in an accident.

Common car accident shoulder injuries

While shoulder injuries can be caused by a number of issues in Florida, shoulder injuries themselves vary quite a bit. This is due to the significant flexibility and mobility of the joint. Injuries commonly reported include:

• Rotator cuff injuries: The rotator cuff is made up of several muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder. A sprain or strain of the rotator cuff may leave you with pain when you lift your arm, weakness, pain that gets worse at night, and difficulty reaching overhead. If your rotator cuff is partially torn, it may resolve with physical therapy—but if it’s completely torn, surgery may be required.
• Shoulder sprains and strains: A sprained ligament, strained muscle, or strained tendon may cause significant pain. You may experience swelling, tenderness, loss of range of motion, and pain that worsens with activity. Chronic stiffness may occur if you don’t get your sprain or strain treated.
• Dislocated shoulder: If the upper arm bone pops out of the socket, you’ve experienced a shoulder dislocation. This one is typically easier to diagnose because it causes visible deformity. Additionally, you may experience severe pain and be unable to move your arm.
• Labral tears: Labral tears occur when the cartilage that stabilizes the shoulder joint is torn. Common symptoms include clicking sounds and sensations, general shoulder instability, intense shoulder pain, and weakness on the affected side.
• Fractures: Broken bones are a dangerous outcome of car accidents, and depending on the severity of your break, you may recover with a cast, a sling, or surgical intervention.
• Nerve injuries: Nerves may be compressed or stretched during a collision, resulting in numbness, tingling, and weakness in the affected arm or hand.

You’ll notice that there is a lot of overlap in these diagnoses. That’s why it’s important to prioritize medical care after a car accident. You don’t want to assume your injury is one of the more minor ones on the list, only to find out down the road that you’ve now suffered permanent harm to your shoulder as a result.

Symptoms to watch out for

A little bit of soreness is common after an accident, but there are symptoms that are a bit more urgent, including:

• Persistent shoulder pain
• Reduced range of motion
• Clicking or grinding sensation
• Swelling or bruising
• Weakness when lifting objects or raising arms overhead
• Numbness and tingling
• Pain that gets worse at night or radiates into the neck or upper back

Symptoms may worsen significantly in the first few days after an accident.

When is shoulder pain serious?

It can be difficult to tell when shoulder pain is serious, since all of these conditions involve some degree of pain. Typically, it’s more serious when it does not resolve with rest and gets worse with time instead of improving. But since there’s no clear-cut way to know if an issue is serious or minor, a medical checkup is the best way to get a straightforward answer.

Florida’s 14-day PIP rule and what it means for you

Another reason we recommend a prompt checkup is Florida’s personal injury protection requirements. Under Florida state law, personal injury protection covers reasonable medical expenses if you start seeking treatment within 14 days after an accident. But if you are worried about overreacting to shoulder pain and decide to wait until you know it’s something serious, it’s very easy to miss that 14-day deadline—and at that point, you generally lose eligibility for PIP benefits.

Florida’s no-fault system means you may receive limited benefits for medical expenses and lost wages through your own PIP coverage, regardless of who caused the accident. If your injuries meet Florida’s serious injury threshold, such as permanent injury, significant loss of bodily function, or significant scarring, you may be able to pursue a claim against the other driver. But that starts with you seeking medical care in a timely manner and protecting your legal rights.

Explore your car accident legal options with MattLaw Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers

If you’ve suffered a shoulder injury in a Florida car accident, it’s time to find out whether you may be eligible to pursue compensation and how you can protect yourself. Get more guidance on your shoulder injury claim by connecting with us online.