Carrollwood Back Injury Attorney
Contrary to popular myth, the spine is not a single, long bone. In fact, it isn’t even entirely bone. Instead, the spine is a delicate combination of vertebrae (small bones) which are filled with disks (a jelly-like cushioning substance) and joined together by nerves. The slightest impact could knock the spine out of alignment. The repercussions of such injuries could include severe pain or even total paralysis. The lifetime medical bills in back injury claims could exceed $5 million.
The dedicated Carrollwood back injury attorneys at Moore Law understand that medical expenses are only the beginning in these cases. Back injury victims and their families must often cope with serious lifetime injuries. They should not pay related expenses out of their own pockets and they should not carry the emotional burden alone. So, compensation in these cases usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.
What Causes Back Injuries?
Car wrecks are the leading cause of back injuries in Florida. Today’s cars have advanced airbags, seat belts, and other safety features. However, these restraint systems cannot possibly absorb all the force in a high-speed car crash. Other times, the motion of a wreck knocks the spine out of alignment. So, back injuries are very common in rear-end and head-on wrecks, even if the collision was not otherwise very serious.
Trauma-related back injuries, like whiplash, are very difficult to diagnose and treat. This head-neck injury is a soft tissue injury. MRIs, X-rays, and other common diagnostic tests don’t detect it. Making matters worse, the initial symptoms, which include soreness and slight disorientation, are easy to blame on shock from the accident.
Therefore, many of these victims don’t get the help they need until their injuries are more advanced and more difficult to treat. Advanced symptoms include pain which starts around the shoulders and radiates down the arms. Eventually, whiplash can cause permanent paralysis.
Falls also cause a number of serious back injuries. Even if victims don’t land on their back, the impact often knocks the spine out of alignment.
Your Claim for Damages
Driver error causes over 90 percent of the vehicle collisions in Florida. Legally, these errors are usually negligence, or a lack of ordinary care. A higher duty of care applies in commercial driver claims, like Uber drivers, truck drivers, and bus drivers.
Usually, property owners have the same duty (reasonable care) when it comes to visitor safety. If owners know, or should know, about fall hazards, like uneven walkways or wet spots on floors, they must immediately address them.
Comparative fault is perhaps the most common insurance company defense in negligence claims. This doctrine shifts accident blame from the tortfeasor (negligent party) to the victim. In terms of car wreck, comparative fault is especially common in “who had the light” intersection collisions. In terms of falls, comparative fault is basically a failure to watch where one is stepping.
In these cases, jurors must divide fault between the parties on a percentage basis. Florida is a pure comparative fault state. If the tortfeasor is only 1 percent responsible for the injury, the victim is still entitled to a proportionate share of damages.
Contact a Dedicated Hillsborough County Lawyer
Injury victims are usually entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced back injury lawyer in Carrollwood, contact Moore Law by going online or calling 813-510-5400. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.
