Obtaining Compensation For Your Back Injury

Back injuries are among the most common types of harm reported after an auto accident. However, defining exactly what type of back injury has occurred can sometimes be quite difficult, and it is this ambiguity that can lead insurance companies to delay and stonewall when it comes to paying compensation to accident victims. A good attorney can help you get the records you need and push your insurance company into paying the compensation you are rightfully due.

Back Injuries Can Be Hard To Identify

Even for experienced medical professionals, certain types of back injuries can be hard to pin down. The most difficult are what doctors call soft tissue injuries, such as whiplash, simply because the tissue may become less visibly damaged depending on when the person is able to be examined. Soft tissue injuries can also be problematic to diagnose because significant damage may occur with what appears to be only minor tearing or inflammation – for example, a nerve plexus injury can lead to a host of issues while visually presenting as inconsequential.

Somewhat more visible injuries are slipped or herniated discs, which are when a spinal disc slips out of alignment with the rest of the spine, or injuries to the vertebrae themselves. There are multiple ways that this may occur, but damaged discs make up a significant portion of all spinal injuries, and can lead to everything from sciatica to quadriplegia.

Seeking Compensation

It is important to keep in mind that in Florida, auto accidents fall under a no-fault system. This means that in most cases, unless serious injury has been done to you (examples include “significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function”), you cannot bring suit against the driver that hit you. That means that compensation will come from your own insurer, if at all. While the temptation can be great to simply accept a settlement from an insurance company without consulting an attorney, this is almost never your best option, simply because insurers want to pay as little as possible in as many claims as possible.

If you have sustained serious injury, be advised that there is a statute of limitations in terms of how long you have to file your suit. Florida allows four years for a negligence lawsuit, meaning that within those four years you must bring suit, otherwise your claim will be barred. Statutes of limitations like this exist because after a certain period of time, memories fade and evidence is lost, misplaced or discarded. Without evidence or testimony, no acceptable case can be mounted.

Contact An Orlando Back Injury Attorney

Back injuries can be debilitating, and without compensation, you may be left with a very lean recovery period. An experienced attorney can help you obtain what you need from your insurer or from the other driver so that you can focus on healing. The Orlando back injury attorneys at the Hornsby Law Group will work hard for you. Contact our office today to set up an initial appointment.

Resource:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0600-0699/0627/Sections/0627.737.html