Why You Need to Have Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys
You are probably wondering why you need to have a personal injury attorney if you have been involved in a car accident. This guide will cover the most common questions people have regarding seeking representation after an automobile accident.
Every year, almost half of automobile accidents that occur in the Tampa area as well as the rest of Florida have a similar outcome, where at least one person involved in the accident suffers serious injuries. Regrettably, numerous car accidents involve fatalities. Despite the fact that cars today are built better, have extensive safety features, and undergo rigorous testing for continuous improvements, careless negligence of automobile drivers, truck drivers, and motorcycle drivers can result in serious injury to fellow drivers, pedestrians, bicycle riders, and passengers.
Car accidents are the primary cause of injuries in the United States with almost 6.2 million reported automobile accidents in 2016. Almost 2 million of these car accidents included other injuries. In the United States, the economic loss caused by car accidents is calculated to be around $280 billion per year, which amounts to around $900 for each person living in the United States.
Although some accidents are foreseeable, the majority are unpredictable. Many factors can be the cause of the accident including but not limited to; texting and driving, impairment caused by alcohol or drugs, careless and/or reckless driving, speeding, and many others. What is likely to happen if you are involved in a car accident is that you will become familiar with insurance adjusters, chiropractors, doctors, and many other possible medical professionals who will be treating your injuries. Before too much time elapses after your accident, you should contact a competent and experienced personal injury attorney who can explain the rights that you have as a result of being injured in your car accident.
The primary goal for most insurance companies is to pay as little as possible and if a payment is to be made to drag out making the payment as long as possible. The regrettable fact is that insurance companies have little concern for your current and future medical needs, especially in the event that your injuries continue to worsen. For these reasons, it is recommended to seek the help of experienced personal injury attorneys if you have been hurt in a car accident.
Common Injuries That Occur From A Car Accident
Although injuries from car accidents differ from each individual and crash, because of the sheer number of data available from accident and medical reports there are some injuries which are most common to car accidents.
Car Accident Injuries To The Head And Back
The most dangerous and severe injury from a car accident is a head injury. Drivers and passengers that are injured as a result of a collision caused by speeding, can sustain head injuries from hitting their heads against dashboards, steering wheels, and/or windows. This type of an impact can have dire consequences and produce traumatic injuries to the brain, varying from minor concussions to comas and permanent cognitive brain damage. Brain injuries are usually the most expensive car accident injuries due to the complexity and duration of the medical treatment along with the continued medical care that is often necessary with these types of injuries. Loss of hearing, skull fractures, and loss of vision can also occur as a result of head injuries.
The second most common injury associated with car accidents are back injuries. Generally, damage to the spinal cord may cause substantial nerve damage. Injured persons may possibly experience decreased feelings and control in their hands, feet, arms, legs, as well as other parts of their body. In some cases, more severe injury to the spinal cord can result in permanent paralysis. Back injuries can also result in a herniated disk. A herniated disk is usually less serious than damage to the spine or head, but can produce pain and discomfort that can last for years. Finally, people injured from a car accident frequently feel numbness and/or tingling sensations, arm and/or leg pain, and weakness in the muscles.
Car Accident Injuries To The Chest And Neck
Perhaps the most common injury associated with a car accident is whiplash. The impact that is caused by a car crash creates a sudden jerking movement of the neck and head, causing severe muscle and ligament damage to the neck. Whiplash occurs from car accidents involving a rear-end collision. Whiplash is often not noticed by the injured person right away, because most people usually tense up upon impact. Additionally, whiplash is sometimes dismissed because it can often be hard to see in an MRI, similarly to other soft tissue injuries. Generally, pain and swelling is common in the neck after an accident as well as short-term paralysis of the vocal cords.
A car accident can also cause trauma to the chest area such as broken ribs and even collapsed lungs. Furthermore, people injured from a car accident who have heart issues can possibly go into cardiac arrest as a result of the crash. Some of the most severe injuries to the chest area include internal bleeding, internal organ damage, and require urgent medical attention.
Other Common Injuries Caused By Car Accidents
Arms, hands, legs, and feet injuries can also result from a car accident. Typically, pedestrians injured by a car most commonly experience the aforementioned damages. Car accidents involving motorcyclists generally suffer greater injuries with more serious consequences. People injured on motorcycles have a higher incidence of broken bones, severed limbs, torn ACL, and damage to ligaments. It should also come as no surprise that the rate of fatalities for motorcyclists is considerably greater than those injured in an automobile.
Another common injury as a result of a car accident is emotional distress occurring after the accident. Life-threatening car accidents can cause emotional traumas for seriously injured drivers and/or passengers as well those person that witnessed the accident. Emotional distress can sometimes manifest into post-traumatic stress disorder which may require intense psychological counseling.
How An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You?
If you’re still wondering whether you need a lawyer to help you after a car accident, the answer is a resounding yes! A personal injury attorney will help you establish who is liable for the car accident, help you get compensation for your vehicle damage, medical bills, lost wages, as well as other economic and non-economic losses.
Recovering compensation from the liable party can be a long process, however an experienced personal injury attorney will help navigate you through the process. Your attorney will understand the medical treatment dynamics associated with your case and will work close with your treating physicians in properly documenting your injuries to get you the compensation for your damages that you need.
How Much Time Do You Have To Sue After Your Car Accident In Florida?
In Florida, the state of limitations is four years for filing a suit in a car accident. In cases where death resulted from the car accident, the statute of limitations is only two years and is known as a wrongful death suit. The time for a wrongful death action begins to toll at the time of death.
Can I Afford To Hire Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys In Tampa Bay?
A big consideration for those injured as a result of a car accident is the cost of hiring a personal injury attorney. Personal injury is one type of practice that allows attorneys to work on a contingency basis. What this means is that you don’t pay a retainer or any fees to your attorney unless they win your case, at which point your attorney will receive a percentage of the recovery amount. Your personal injury attorney will go over the contingency fee agreement during your consultation so that you will know exactly how they will be paid.
What You Will Need During Initial Consultation With Your Personal Injury Attorney?
You might be wondering what to expect at your initial consultation with your personal injury attorney. Mainly you need to bring paper work concerning your car accident that will help your attorney most effectively represent your interests. The paper work will include the accident report that was written by the law enforcement officer who was dispatched to the scene of your accident, any witness statements that are attached to your accident report, the insurance policy for your automobile, your medical insurance documents, any communication that you have had with the other party, and all of your medical bills that have accrued as a result of your car accident.
You may also be asked to write a narrative in your own words of what happened just before the accident through the present day. Typically, when you make your appointment for your initial consultation, your personal injury attorney you will be given instructions on how to write the narrative and encouraged to bring it to the initial consultation.