Neck & Back Injuries In Florida Accidents
Some of the most common personal injuries in all types of accidents are those that affect the neck and back. The spinal cord controls so many of the body’s functions that any damage to it (or, often, to the vertebrae protecting it) can lead to life-changing injury. If that injury occurs because of the negligence of another person, it can feel like adding insult to injury, in a very literal sense. Enlisting a knowledgeable attorney can help to clear up any questions about where to go from here.
Can Happen Anywhere
When the average person thinks of neck or back injury, they often default to whiplash, which is damage to ligaments, tendons, or other soft tissue; this most often occurs in vehicle accidents. However, neck and back injuries can run the gamut from cracked vertebrae to a sheared spinal cord, and they can occur in any situation from a slip-and-fall to a work injury. If you genuinely believe that your injury happened because of another person’s recklessness or negligence, you have the right to try and hold them accountable.
If your neck or back is injured in an accident, it is important to act as quickly as possible in terms of informing the relevant people and seeking medical treatment. For example, if you are injured at work, you must inform your employer ASAP (up to 30 days from the date of the accident). If you were injured off the clock, you will generally have the right to file suit against the allegedly negligent person. You must be able to show that they owed a duty to exercise reasonable care, and that their action (or inaction) was the direct cause of your injuries, with no other intervening cause responsible.
Injured In A Car Accident
If you were injured in a vehicle accident, it is important to keep in mind that Florida has a no-fault auto insurance system, which means that unless one’s injuries pass a severity threshold (that is, unless they are serious enough), they cannot sue the person who allegedly caused them. Rather, they must file an insurance claim under their personal injury protection coverage (PIP). Each driver must carry at least $10,000 worth, and if it is used, it will cover 80 percent of “all reasonable expenses for medically necessary” care.
This system is designed to keep cases where the stakes are relatively minor from cluttering up state court dockets. However, if someone’s injuries do meet the severity threshold – usually, if the injury is “significant and permanent” – they are permitted to file suit against the alleged wrongdoer in court as normal. If someone suffers serious, potentially life-changing injuries in a vehicle accident, Florida’s legislature assumes that the amount of PIP coverage will not be enough to keep their family afloat, allowing them to file suit and seek more money damages.
Contact An Orlando Neck & Back Injury Attorney
Sustaining an injury to the neck or back will often immobilize a person and put their family into financial jeopardy. An Orlando neck & back injury attorney from the Hornsby Law Group can help to answer any questions you and your family may have about the process, and work hard to get you your day in court. Call our office today at (407) 499-8887 for a free consultation.
Source:
myfloridacfo.com/Division/wc/Employee/reportaclaim.htm
