The neck is one of the most dangerous areas of the body for you to suffer injury. If the impact to your arteries, vertebrae, muscles, and spinal cord isn’t enough to kill you, it can still make your life painful and/or difficult for years to come. Unfortunately, it is also relatively easy to sustain a neck injury – especially if you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident due to another driver’s reckless or negligent actions. In these situations, it is imperative to have the guidance of a Fort Lauderdale neck injury lawyer.
If this is the case, don’t face the financial repercussions of specialty medical care alone. An experienced Fort Lauderdale injury lawyer can help you pursue damages so that all you have to worry about is healing.
Specific Causes of Neck Injury in Fort Lauderdale Car Accidents
On average, more than half of bodily or personal injury insurance claimants who report neck injuries attribute the damage to a motor vehicle accident. This is because the unique conditions in an automobile accident create several different hazards causing injury to your neck, including:
- Amount of kinetic energy
- Sudden change of vehicle velocity
- Multiple changes of motion
- Multiple collisions
- Muscle tension while bracing for impact
- Position of the head rest
- Position of the steering wheel
- Whether seat belt was fastened properly
- Force of impact with one or multiple vehicle features
Injury Victim
Most of these conditions have to do with the motion of the neck during the course of the accident. This means that you can suffer a neck injury even in the most minor of accidents. Whether you’ve been in a fender bender, T-bone accident, head-on collision, or have been rear-ended, it is always recommended that you seek medical care at the first sign of neck pain or discomfort. Neck injuries can be serious even if the symptoms are minor.
Types of Neck Injuries in Broward County Automobile Collisions
Medically, a neck injury is an injury to any of the tissues, bones, or nerves in and around the cervical area defined by the C1-C8 vertebrae. However, there are specific neck injuries that occur more often that others in a motor vehicle accident due to the motions, force, and impact involved. These include:
- Strain of the neck muscles
- Neck sprain
- Whiplash
- Herniated cervical disk
- Cervical fracture
- Cervical dislocation
- Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
- Quadriplegia
Many of these conditions require expensive, specialty medical care such as a spine specialist, chiropractor, or physical therapist. Quadriplegia can cost in the 100s of thousands of dollars a year, both for initial and ongoing treatment. An experienced and caring Broward County personal injury attorney will be able to help you pursue appropriate compensation for medical costs and other damages in your case.
Recoverable Damages for a Neck Injury in a Weston Auto Accident
Since neck injuries can be anything from minor to severe, the recoverable damages depend on the negligence or recklessness of the other driver, the circumstances of the accident, and how badly your neck is injured. Additionally, direct causation for the injury can be a tricky thing to nail down, especially if you carried any fault in the accident. A qualified auto accident injury attorney will be able to use expert medical witnesses and explore your case in detail to fight for one or more of the following damages in your case:
- Emergency Response Team expenses
- Initial and ongoing medical expenses
- Alternative care expenses
- Disfigurement and/or disability
- Pain and Suffering
- Lost wages
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of consortium
Frequently Asked Questions About Neck Injuries
How Long Do Personal Injury Lawsuits Typically Last?
The length of time a suit last depends on the severity of the accident and the number of parties involved. Your personal injury lawyer can give you a better timeline depending on if settlement or trial is most favorable.
What Evidence is Helpful for a Neck Injury Lawsuit?
The key to a successful Florida injury claim is early investigation and preservation of evidence. In a personal injury lawsuit, the plaintiff is expected to prove their case. This means the victim must demonstrate that the parties being sued are guilty of the action that cause the injuries.
Some evidence that can be helpful:
• The accident victim’s medical records
• Police reports from the accident
• Photographs of the accident scene
• Photographs of the injuries
• Insurance documentation
• Documentation of lost income stemming from the accident
Should I Notify My Insurance if I Hurt My Neck in an Accident?
The short answer is Yes. Most insurance companies require policyholders to notify them of an accident soon after it happens so that they can gather basic information. But you should avoid making statements about who was at fault in the accident at this point. Just tell them the facts of the accident as they occurred. Consult a personal injury attorney before proving any other information to your insurance company.
Pursuing Compensation With Help From a Fort Lauderdale Neck Injury Lawyer
Neck injuries are both dangerous and easy to sustain – which is why in the general course of life we choose to avoid them. When a negligent or reckless driver hits you, however, that choice is taken from you in an instant. If you have suffered a neck injury from a car accident for which the other motorist is at fault in Fort Lauderdale, Weston, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, or the surrounding areas, contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Lisa S. Levine P.A.
Lisa Levine of Lisa S. Levine P.A. has over 35 years of pursuing maximum damages in personal injury cases like yours. Driven by a compassionate desire to help victims in need, Lisa and her team at Lisa S. Levine P.A. will do whatever is needed to get you the restitution you deserve – even if that means taking a big insurance company to court.
If you have suffered a neck injury due to the actions of another in counties of Broward, Palm Beach, or Miami-Dade, contact the experienced accident lawyers at Lisa S. Levine P.A.. Your first consultation is free, and we don’t collect payment until you do, so call us at (954) 256-1820 today.
