What to Know About a SLAP Shoulder Tear From a New York City Car Accident 

Shoulder injuries are one of the most common types of orthopedic injuries in the United States.  According to statistics from orthopedists, approximately 7.5 million people go to the doctor’s office for shoulder injuries each year.  While there are many causes of shoulder injuries, motor vehicle accidents are one of the most common causes.  This is due to a combination of factors, including the complexity of the shoulder which makes it more vulnerable to injury, and the fact that a seatbelt places pressure directly over the shoulder joint in a collision.  One of the most common types of shoulder injuries is a SLAP tear from a car accident.  Unlike other types of shoulder injuries, our car accident lawyer in New York City knows that a SLAP tear is a type of injury that will not heal itself due to the damage to the cartilage.

Here at the O’Connor Law Firm, our personal injury lawyers know how to navigate both the law and the medicine to maximize the compensation that a victim and his or her family may be entitled to under New York law.  We will not let aggressive defense lawyers and overreaching insurance adjusters try to argue that your shoulder injuries like a SLAP tear will heal on their own, therefore undermining your recovery.  Our compassionate and skilled staff has both the resources and experience necessary to advocate for victims who have suffered serious or catastrophic personal injuries, including a SLAP tear from a car accident in New York City.  If you or a loved one were seriously injured in any type of personal injury accident, call our personal injury law firm to schedule a FREE consultation to learn more about our services by dialing (718) 948-3500.

What is a SLAP Tear?

A SLAP tear is medically known as a “Superior Labrum Anterior and Posterior” Tear.  It is damage to the cartilage that forms the “ball and socket” part of your shoulder.  This cartilage is made from the end of the biceps longhead tendon that is closest to the center of your body (the proximal end).  The tendon becomes more fibrous and thicker at the very end, curling up and forming the cup or socket on the inside side of your shoulder blade (or scapula).  It allows the upper arm bone (the humerus) to sit in that socket and be rotated or moved by various other muscles and tendons (including the rotator cuff tendons).

What happens in a SLAP tear is that the cartilage forming that socket is ripped or damaged.  It could be pulled off of the shoulder blade, meaning that the cartilage is no longer attached.  It could also be torn in half meaning it is ruptured, or have a partial thickness tear meaning a portion of the end of the tendon has a “hole” or rip in it. 

But the most defining characteristic of a SLAP tear is that the damage is widespread to the socket, meaning damage is caused at the top of the socket (superior aspect) and extends down and around the cup (anterior to posterior aspect).  This damage is what creates instability in the entire arm, as well as widespread pain, range of motion decreases, and other debilitating symptoms.

Prognosis for a SLAP Tear

In order to restore full strength and stability to the shoulder, a SLAP tear requires surgical intervention to debride (remove frayed tissue), re-vascularize (bring blood to the area by causing little cuts to the tendon and cartilage), and suture it back together.

This is done as an arthroscopic surgery which is labeled as “minimally invasive.”  However, this type of surgery still requires a patient to undergo anesthesia and have three to four deep surgical incisions on the arm and shoulder.  Most times these incisions will never fully heal and will scar or form other unsightly, raised marks. 

Thus, the term “minimally invasive” is a misnomer used by insurance adjusters or defense lawyers to undervalue or depreciation what it really is—a surgery to repair damage caused by their insured’s negligence.

The Prognosis Trick Defendants Use and We Won’t Accept

While it is true that—sometimes—the pain may go away or range of motion for a SLAP tear may appear to return, that does not mean that the injury has been truly healed.  Indeed, the inflammation and initial trauma may go away after several weeks or months, including after pain injections, but the damage is still there.  This is often a point that defense lawyers and insurance adjusters will argue against a victim who did not want surgery. 

But this is a bad argument that takes advantage of a common misconception that no pain means no injury.  

The truth is that a SLAP injury is still there and the debilitating symptoms can always return.  Just because the damage to the cartilage may be stabilized enough to return to some normal activities, without a proper surgical repair, a victim is always at risk of the SLAP tear ripping worse or causing debilitating harm.  This can happen at dangerous times, such as climbing a ladder, driving a car, carrying heavy equipment, or even just carrying a baby—all of these scenarios pose serious risks to you or a loved one.

If You Suffered a SLAP Tear From a Car Accident in New York City, You Need to Call The O’Connor Law Firm

Our experienced car accident lawyers in New York City at O’Connor Law will not let defense lawyers and insurance adjusters use common tricks and defenses to wiggle out of liability or paying you the fair share of compensation that you deserve.  Our compassionate personal injury law firm understands what you are entitled to under New York law and how to get it, including by working with your treating physicians and sometimes hiring medical experts to support your case.  SLAP tears after a car accident are always serious injuries that require surgery to fully heal.

If you or a loved one were harmed in a personal injury accident in Staten Island, Brooklyn, New York City, The Bronx, Queens, and in surrounding areas, call to schedule your FREE consultation by dialing (718) 948-3500 or using our “Contact Us” box available here.  We are here to help you and we will stand up to defense lawyers and insurance adjusters to recover the compensation that you deserve.