Neck injuries happen quickly but can cause long-term pain and disability. According to University of Florida Health, accidents and falls are common causes of serious neck injuries. These can include vertebral fractures, whiplash, blood vessel injuries, and paralysis. The medical bills and time out of work caused by a neck injury can put many families into a financial crisis.
If you incurred a neck injury in St. Lucie County because of someone else’s negligence, you might be entitled to financial compensation known as damages. Your Port St. Lucie neck injury lawyer from our firm can help you recover damages for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
Who is Responsible for Your Port St. Lucie Neck Injury?
Some neck injuries are just bad luck; for example, if you fall in your own kitchen and hurt your neck. Other times, however, another person is at fault. Neck injuries incurred in a motor vehicle accident or a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property are often caused by negligent behavior from an outside party. In these cases, the at-fault party can be held financially responsible for your injury.
Your lawyer will review the circumstances surrounding your injury to determine if someone else is at fault. In general, a valid personal injury case contains the following four elements:
- Duty of care: The other party owed you a duty of care or a reasonable expectation of safety. In terms of motor vehicle accidents, this means all drivers should follow traffic laws to keep others safe. In terms of slip and fall accidents, property owners should keep halls, stairwells, sidewalks, and parking lots free of hazards like spills, ice, potholes, and more.
- Breach of duty: The other party violated the duty of care.
- Causation: That violation directly caused your injuries.
- Damages: Your injuries impacted you financially and you deserve compensation.
Recoverable Damages in a Neck Injury Case
After a neck injury, you may be able to recover two types of damages: economic and non-economic. Economic damages provide coverage for losses directly related to your neck injury while non-economic damages provide coverage for intangible losses like mental anguish or pain and suffering. Here is more detailed information about damages:
Economic Damages
You may be entitled to economic damages if you have injury-related expenses such as:
- Medical bills for emergency care, diagnostic imaging, surgeries, follow-up appointments, rehabilitative therapies, prescription medication, and more
- Medical equipment such as braces, crutches, wheelchairs, scooters, and more
- Home modifications such as ramps, widened hallways and doors, accessible bathrooms, and more
- Future medical care if you will require ongoing therapy, additional surgeries, or other treatments
- Lost wages if you must take unpaid time off because of your injuries
- Future lost wages if you cannot return to work because of your injuries
Non-Economic Damages
You may be entitled to non-economic damages if:
- Your injuries are especially painful, disfiguring, or disabling
- Your recovery is extensive and requires multiple treatments or surgeries
- Your injuries cause you to develop mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, or more
- You lose the ability to participate in favorite hobbies or activities
- You suffer from a reduced quality of life
Estimating the Value of Your Damages
Your lawyer will use evidence to estimate the total value of your damages. He may collect evidence such as:
- Pictures of your injuries
- Medical bills and records
- Past wage statements
- Interviews with your doctors
- Interviews with you, your family, and your friends
How do Car Insurance Laws Affect Neck Injury Cases?
If you were injured in a car accident in Port St. Lucie, your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance will cover a portion of your medical bills. According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), all drivers in Florida must carry PIP. After a motor vehicle accident, PIP covers 80% of all reasonable and necessary medical expenses up to $10,000, no matter who caused the accident.
Unfortunately, a serious injury like a neck injury can quickly result in medical bills well over $10,000. Your lawyer in Port St. Lucie with the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you obtain damages for those excess medical bills.
Our Lawyers Can Help with Your Neck Injury Case
Our lawyers can help you with every aspect of your case, from scheduling a doctor’s appointment to filing a lawsuit. Your lawyer with the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine will:
- Maintain open communication. You will even have your lawyer’s direct phone number. Your lawyer will always take your calls, answer your questions, and provide you with frequent case updates.
- Take over all interactions with the insurance provider. Your lawyer will handle any phone calls and emails with the insurance company, submit an insurance claim for you, and negotiate a settlement on your behalf.
- File a lawsuit. If we cannot agree on a settlement that adequately compensates you for your injuries, we will file a lawsuit on your behalf and seek compensation in court.
We Have Successfully Resolved Neck Injury Cases
Here’s what one of our clients had to say about his neck injury lawyer:
“I was in Florida visiting relatives when I had a horrible car crash. Two weeks later, the day I was to return home and at the recommendation of a relative I contacted A&L just to see what they thought. I delayed my trip home because three days later I found out I had a serious neck fracture which could have resulted in complete paralysis if emergency surgery was not performed. A&L saved me and got my case resolved in no time.”
File Your Neck Injury Lawsuit Before the Florida Deadline
Florida Statutes § 95.11 sets the statute of limitations for personal injury at four years, which means that, in general, you have four years from the date of your accident to sue the at-fault party.
In certain situations, this statute of limitations can be extended or tolled, as described in Florida Statutes § 95.051. Your lawyer will help you meet these and any other important deadlines related to your case.
Turn to the Law Offices of Anidjar and Levine for Help with Your Neck Injury Case
You don’t have to go it alone when seeking damages after a neck injury caused by someone else in southern Florida. When you work with the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, your lawyer serving Port St. Lucie can help you navigate the legal and insurance system to recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Call our office today at 1-800-747-3733 for a free, no-obligation case consultation. You pay nothing unless we win your case.
We Can Help.
