Getting injured in a Naples, Florida car accident can be devastating to one’s life circumstances. According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV), there were just over 400,000 total car crashes in Florida in 2018. Of these accidents, more than 152,000 were injury accidents, causing some 236,000 injuries for those involved.
If you are one of those who have suffered chest injuries in a Florida car accident, then consider hiring Naples chest injury by a car accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine. Our Naples car accident lawyer can help you sort out the resources available to you after being hurt in a car accident. Call us today to secure an initial consultation with our team.
Suffering Injuries in Accidents
When a person gets into an accident, the first impulse may be to assess the physical condition immediately after the hit. One might check for immediate pain. If windows were shattered, they might check for cuts from the glass.
It may not be immediately apparent if there are any broken bones, chest contusions, cuts, bruises, and more. Some injuries, especially internal trauma injuries, may not appear immediately after an accident. The effects of the accident may not be fully known to someone until days or weeks after the initial impact.
Types of Chest Injuries in an Accident
There are a variety of chest injuries that a person can get in a terrible car wreck.
Broken or fractured ribs – In a car accident, a person can get thrown into the steering column and suffer painful injuries to the chest, ribs, or lungs. All three of these body parts can suffer great injury. If not wearing a seatbelt, the driver and passengers may be hit against the steering column and the dashboard. If wearing the seatbelt, the chest injury might happen from the seat belt itself.
Pain in the chest – The impact of a car crash can cause damage to the lungs, chest, and sternum. Pounding chest pains similar to heart attack symptoms can occur during these sudden crashes. Chest injury can also affect the liver, spleen, and kidneys.
Ruptured discs – A ruptured disc is another possible upper chest cavity injury that can occur in a car accident. This injury can cause a spinal cord rupture, numbness in the legs or arms, and possible internal trauma.
If you have suffered any of these injuries in a car crash, contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today. A Naples personal injury lawyer can help you with our responsive legal care. Call us to speak to our representatives in a free consultation.
Four Years to File a Lawsuit
During the period right after a crash accident, you may still be in the hospital. However, that will not stop your insurance company or the other driver’s insurance company from trying to reach you. They will try to convince you to accept a quick insurance cash payout. This is not an advisable move. If you take the payment offered by the insurance company, you forfeit your rights to a subsequent personal injury claim.
After any large-scale car accidents with people suffering multiple injuries, a lawyer may be able to help you figure out a legal claim for your costs suffered in the accident.
Florida Statutes § 95.11 dictates that you have four years after an accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. This period of 48 months will allow you to work through your injuries and get a clear prognosis from a doctor weeks later to learn the full extent of the injuries suffered in the crash. If you do not file within the four-year time limit, then you may not be able to receive any compensation for injuries and losses.
Determining Types of Damages
One of our key roles to help you in a car accident claim against an at-fault driver is to help determine the dollar amounts for economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are the estimated dollar amounts sought for compensation to reimburse you for your expenses due to the injuries you have suffered. Economic damages can pinpoint the amount of compensation you can receive in a personal injury car accident claim.
In general, economic damages sought in a personal injury claim usually include costs of all medical bills, rehabilitation for your injuries, in-home nursing/healthcare, and cleaning or maid services. Other types of specific damages could include:
- Lost job income/wages due to your injury preventing you from working
- Reimbursement for medical costs and expenses – covering the period from the date of the accident forward
- Compensation for lost business opportunities because of the injuries
- Costs around the damages to your property (car, phone, stereo, items in the car, etc.) from the accident
Non-economic damages are those intangible areas of life that have been impacted by the accident and the injuries, but they are difficult to put an exact dollar amount on for compensation. Florida Statutes § 766.118 caps $500,000 on non-economic damages to avoid excessive compensation. Some examples of non-economic damages are:
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Physical disfigurement,
- Loss of consortium (lost a loved one due to the accident)
Let Us Help You with Your Case
Recovering from chest injuries in car crashes may take weeks or months to overcome. During this time, we can be working on your behalf. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at (239) 900-3000. A Naples chest injury by a car accident lawyer can help you fight for your entitled compensation.
We Can Help.
