Neck, Back & Spinal Injuries After Car Accident
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The content on this page has been produced and reviewed in accordance with our editorial guidelines. This content has been reviewed and approved by founding Personal Injury Attorney Jack G. Bernstein who has over 40 years of legal practice experience.
According to the World Health Organization, as many as 500,000 people have a spinal cord injury each year. The vast majority of spinal cord injuries are preventable and come from car accidents, falls, and intentional violence.
When you get a spinal cord injury in a car accident, you have rights. You may deserve financial compensation, and your Miami car accident attorney can help you understand what you need to do. Here’s what you should know about neck, back, and spinal injuries after a car accident.
Neck, Back and Spinal Cord Injuries After a Car Accident
Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries are common car accident injuries. They almost certainly significantly impact your daily life. In fact, a neck, back, or spinal injury may change the rest of your life, including your career path and personal life. When you have injuries, you should get medical attention right away. You may also deserve financial compensation if the accident occurs because of another party’s driving error.
Types of Neck, Back and Spinal Injuries in Car Accidents
Here are some of the types of neck, back, and spinal injuries that you may have in a car accident:
- Neck pain
- Whiplash
- Headaches
- Joint dysfunction
- Stiffness
- Fractures
- Bulging discs
- Bruising
When you have spinal cord injuries in a car accident, it’s critical to seek medical attention. The medical attention that you receive is vital to addressing these serious injuries. In addition, you must thoroughly investigate the extent of your injuries to make sure that your legal claim fully represents your damages and losses both now and in the years to come.
Legal Liability for Neck, Back and Spinal Injuries in a Florida Car Accident
When a car accident in Florida results in serious injuries, the victim may have the right to sue the responsible driver for monetary compensation. There are two steps to determining whether you can bring a third-party claim for a spinal cord injury in Florida:
Qualifying injuries – Florida uses a no-fault system for minor accidents. The no-fault system means that minor accidents are handled without lawsuits between the drivers. Instead of lawsuits, each party makes a report to their own insurance company. The drivers don’t have to prove that they’re not at fault to get paid from their own insurance.
To bring a claim against a third-party claim for neck, back, and spinal injuries, you must have serious injuries that meet the injury threshold. The injuries must be serious or permanent. A spinal cord injury that causes a loss of feeling qualifies as a serious injury. But an accident that causes whiplash that hurts for a week does not qualify. A skilled Miami car accident lawyer can help you understand if you meet the injury threshold.
Negligence – The next step to determining whether you qualify to bring a legal claim for a neck, back, or spinal injury is showing the negligence of the other party. You must show that the other driver caused the accident because of their carelessness. They must make a driving error on the road that leads to the crash. You may still be able to bring a claim if you’re partially at fault for the accident. If your accident is based on a defect with the car, you may not need to prove negligence to bring a claim against the car manufacturer.
Complete and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries in Car Accidents
A spinal cord injury may be complete or incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury severs the spine to the point that there’s a loss of feeling. The victim of a complete spinal cord injury has a loss of motor function below the point of injury. When a spinal cord injury is incomplete, the victim may still have some sensation and motor function below the point of injury. Either type of spinal cord injury may qualify for financial compensation.
Why Are Spinal Cord Accident Injuries So Serious?
Spinal cord accident injuries are so severe for two reasons: First, they cause immediate, catastrophic damage. You may lose feeling in your body. You may no longer be able to walk. Second, spinal cord accident injuries often lead to secondary damages. Spinal cord accident victims have higher mortality rates than the general population. They may suffer from chronic pain, pressure ulcers, muscle spasms, and urinary tract infections that result from the initial injury.
A spinal cord accident injury impacts the entire family. Victims often become dependent on loved ones for daily care. The impact of a spinal cord injury can be far-reaching for both the victim and the loved ones they rely on for help after the accident.
Getting Compensation for Neck, Back and Spinal Injuries After a Car Accident
To get fair compensation for neck, back, and spinal injuries after a car accident, you must work carefully to fully explore your current injuries. But you must also look at your recovery prognosis. You need to know what your medical expenses and financial losses are now and in the future.
To identify your current and future medical needs, you work with medical experts. Your medical experts can carefully examine you and rely on their medical training to provide an informed opinion about your physical health and injuries. If your case goes to trial, you can call your medical expert to explain your medical needs to the jury. Your attorney for car accidents can help you find the right expert and help you coordinate the care that you need to build your case.
Contact Our Attorneys for Neck, Back and Spinal Injuries After a Car Accident
Do you have neck, back, and spinal injuries because of a car accident? Our attorneys can help. At Bernstein & Maryanoff Injury Attorneys, we can help you identify your legal rights. We can help you aggressively pursue your claim for full compensation after a car accident.
Any case that involves neck, back, and spinal injuries is complex. Our experienced team can help you build your case in an effective way. When we work for you, we handle the legal case so that you can focus on your recovery. We help you explore all avenues for compensation.
There’s no cost to call for a free consultation, and there’s no obligation. You have a limited amount of time to bring your claim. Contact us today to speak with a member of our friendly team.