Naples is a popular vacation spot, with its sugar-like sand and upscale shopping and dining. If you were involved in an auto accident in Naples, you may have suffered whiplash. Whiplash is arguably the injury most associated with motor vehicle collisions. If you are living with whiplash after a car accident, you could seek monetary damages from the person that caused the crash.
Recovering from whiplash can be a long, challenging process. Working with one of our attorneys could allow you to offload the stress of litigation and focus on healing from your injuries. A Naples car accident lawyer from our firm can help you lighten the load after your Collier County accident.
Understanding Whiplash Injuries
According to Mayo Clinic, whiplash is a type of neck injury caused by rapid back-and-forth movement. This injury earns its name because this movement is similar to the cracking of a whip. Whiplash is especially common among car accidents, as the sudden force of a vehicle’s impact can cause the head to whip in one direction, and the restraint of the seat belt can cause the head to whip back again.
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury that involves stress and strain to the neck, shoulders, and upper back. While this injury often clears up on its own in a matter of weeks, serious cases could require months of medical intervention before the symptoms go away entirely. These symptoms could include:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Fatigue
- Loss of range of motion
- Numbness or tingling in the arm
- Headaches
- Shoulder pain
- Blurred vision
- Depression
- Sleep disturbances
If you are suffering from any of these conditions due to a whiplash injury, you have the right to pursue legal action against the person responsible for your accident.
The Damages for a Whiplash Injury Could Be Significant
The impact of whiplash could follow you for weeks, months, or years. In addition to pain and discomfort, this injury could cause you to miss work or be unable to enjoy life as you normally would.
Monetary compensation cannot undo these injuries, but it could reduce some of the hardships that come with whiplash injuries. Some types of compensation available in a whiplash injury case include:
Medical Expenses
The cost of medical care related to whiplash can be significant. For many people, it can take months or longer for the symptoms of whiplash to resolve. The cost of treatment will continue to grow for as long as this treatment becomes necessary.
You could be able to recover compensation for expenses related to your emergency room visit, hospital care, physical therapy, or other treatments.
Lost Wages
Missing time away from work is common for people suffering from whiplash, especially for individuals involved with physical labor.
Missing work due to an injury could cost you the income that you rely on. A personal injury lawsuit could replace both your past and future lost wages.
Pain and Suffering
Whiplash is known for being a painful condition that can last for a long time. Dealing with chronic pain is never easy and can hamper your ability to enjoy life or maintain your employment.
You could recover monetary compensation for the physical pain and agony you sustained due to your whiplash injury.
Mental Anguish
One of the hardest parts of suffering a traumatic injury is living with the aftermath. It is not uncommon to relive the traumatic experience of being in an accident long after your injuries are healed. You could be entitled to compensation for this mental anguish.
There is a Deadline for Filing a Whiplash Injury Lawsuit in Naples
There is a firm legal deadline – known as the statute of limitations – that applies to every type of lawsuit filed in Naples. A personal injury lawsuit stemming from a case of whiplash is no exception. This deadline is one of the primary pitfalls that can come with an injury case.
The statute of limitations is governed by Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a). According to the statute, you generally have four years from the date of the injury to file your lawsuit. Once this four-year statutory period expires, you could lose out on the right to pursue legal action. This is true even if your underlying case for compensation is strong.
If you file your lawsuit after the deadline expires, you can expect the defendant to file a motion to dismiss your case with prejudice.
Exceptions to the Statute Are Rare But Possible
There are a handful of exceptions that could extend this statutory period. While understanding these exceptions is helpful, you should never assume that they apply without first speaking with our firm.
The safest strategy is to work with legal counsel that could help you file your lawsuit long before the statute of limitations is set to expire.
What Does a Whiplash Attorney from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Cost?
Ready to pursue compensation for your whiplash injury but concerned about the cost of legal counsel? The Naples personal injury lawyer has good news for you. Our firm operates on a contingency-fee basis, meaning that we keep part of anything we recover on your behalf as our fee.
This arrangement works in your favor in multiple ways. For starters, we do not charge any legal fees up front. That gives you the opportunity to pursue your whiplash injury case regardless of your current financial position. We believe that everyone should be able to pursue justice for their injuries, whether they can afford an attorney or not.
A contingency-fee agreement also helps you avoid much of the risk of pursuing a lawsuit. If we are unsuccessful in securing compensation on your behalf, you will not owe us a dollar for legal fees. This means you will never be in a position where you are paying attorney fees on an unsuccessful injury case.
Our Lawyers Could Recover Compensation for Your Whiplash Injuries
If you suffered a case of whiplash through no fault of your own, you could be entitled to monetary compensation. Holding the other party responsible for your neck injury accountable is not always easy, but the guidance of our attorneys could help you succeed.
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine is prepared to advocate on your behalf as you seek compensation for your injuries. Our Naples whiplash injury lawyer could have the experience needed to help you maximize your financial recovery. Call us for your free consultation as soon as possible.
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