Car accidents in Florida can result in significant injuries to drivers and passengers, including chest injuries. In some cases, this can cause life-threatening internal damage. If you or your loved one’s injuries resulted from a negligent driver’s actions, you could seek the counsel of a Tampa chest injury lawyer.
We know the after-effects of a severe car accident can be challenging. You likely are worried about your health, medical bills, vehicle replacement, and ability to return to work. In times like these, we are here for you and ready to handle the legal and financial issues stemming from your collision.
Our personal injury attorneys can manage these aspects of your accident while you concentrate on getting well.
Chest Impact Effects and Motor Vehicle Accidents
Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reports that more than 341,399 traffic crashes occurred in 2020, resulting in over 211,000 injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes that chest injuries are among the most severe individuals suffer in motor vehicle accidents.
The report also stated that older individuals are more likely to suffer from chest injuries during car crashes than younger drivers.
Chest-Related Wounds Vary Based on Severity
Car accident-related chest injuries differ according to type and severity. Common injuries can range from minor chest contusions to broken ribs to damaged internal organs, including the lungs and heart, and all are surrounded by muscles subject to bruising.
One of the most common ways you could sustain severe injuries to the chest in a car crash is through the steering wheel.
For example, the impact from a car crash could result in your chest slamming into the steering wheel. The impact can later evolve into chest pain and even torn muscles. After a crash, you should immediately seek medical care from a doctor to diagnose your pain because unknown chest pains can cause a severe threat to your health.
Compensation for Chest Wounds in a Car Accident
Florida has a no-fault insurance system, but state law also permits insurance and civil legal claims against parties who cause accidents that injure others. As a result, you may have various options for recovering compensation for your accident-related losses, including the physical harm and property damage you have suffered.
One of our accident lawyers can explain these options to you in detail and help you determine which avenues of legal recourse are best for you. There are two types of damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages
Economic damages hold a dollar amount and are calculable. Our team can help you recover economic damages such as:
- Medical bills
- Transportation costs for doctor visits
- Loss of future earnings
- Loss of income
- Physical therapy
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, have no value and are usually related to the long-term effects of your injuries. You may also be eligible for non-economic damages such as:
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish or emotional distress
- Loss of companionship
What Are Punitive Damages?
Compensation that is awarded to victims of intentional harm is called punitive damages. These damages are meant to punish the at-fault party for their actions and deter them from engaging in similar conduct in the future.
Our accident lawyers will review your case to determine if the negligent parties’ actions may qualify you for this damage. Still, a judge or jury usually determines if you receive them.
Although this damage type is rare, our legal team could find evidence of the negligent party intentionally hurting you. If this is the case, you may be eligible.
Our Tampa chest injury lawyers understand how difficult it can be to deal with the aftermath of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. We are here to help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses.
No-Fault Personal Insurance Claims
Since Florida has a no-fault insurance system, Florida Statute § 627.736 and Florida Statute § 627.7275 require all drivers to carry minimum insurance coverage of $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 in property damage liability (PDL).
Therefore, when you get hurt and suffer property damage, regardless of fault, your insurance company must compensate you for your pain up to these amounts.
However, if your injuries do not rise to the level of needing emergency medical treatment, such as a simple muscle strain, your PIP compensation is limited to $2,500. PIP coverage can pay for up to 80% of your medical costs and up to 60% of your lost income due to pain.
Third-Party Insurance Claims
In some cases, your injuries in a car accident may go well beyond the $10,000 in PIP that your insurance policy provides. You might be eligible to file a third-party insurance claim against the parties responsible for causing your accident. Another driver is the most commonly liable third party in a car accident.
However, other third parties, such as car parts manufacturers or government entities that failed to maintain roads, could also be liable.
Under state law, you only can seek compensation from third parties if your injuries are sufficiently severe. In other words, you must have suffered substantial and permanent loss of bodily function, significant and permanent scarring and disfigurement, or other permanent damages to hold others accountable for your losses.
Florida Statutes § 627.737(2) also permits filing claims against third parties when car accident victims suffer fatal injuries.
Third-Party Personal Injury Lawsuit
Suppose you cannot satisfactorily resolve an insurance claim against a third party and receive fair compensation for your pain. In that case, you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit against the third parties at fault for your accident.
For example, the insurance company may dispute which parties are at fault for the accident. Alternatively, the insurance company may try to say that your pain is not as severe or permanent as you claim and refuse to offer you a sufficient settlement.
Additionally, Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a) limits your time frame after your accident to formally file a claim related to your injuries.
You have four years to file a personal injury claim and may need to file a lawsuit within that time to preserve your legal right to seek compensation if you can’t settle your claim. Missing this deadline could mean losing the opportunity to hold the person who caused your Tampa chest injury accident responsible.
Contact Our Chest Injury Attorneys Today
After a serious car accident in which you have suffered chest or other injuries like muscle sprains, it may be unclear what to do first. Allow a Tampa, FL, chest injury lawyer to assess your situation, present your options, and assist you in making the right decisions for you and your family.
Working with the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help ease your legal and financial concerns, allowing you to focus on recovering from physical and emotional trauma. We will help you hold at-fault drivers and other parties accountable for their roles in your accident. Contact us today and get your questions answered during a free consultation.
We Can Help.
