Auto & Work Injuries

AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS:

In the United States, it is estimated that every ten seconds a person in
involved in a motor vehicle accident. Automobile accidents can cause
suffering pain and have financial impact on your life.

Often an accident with minor symptoms and little damage can cause
major joint, ligament, muscle and disc damage leading to severe pain
and financial hardships. Little or no car damage does not always mean
minor symptoms. Motor vehicle accidents cause sprain and strain
injuries and apply to front ,side and rear end collisions. Strain injuries
cause over stretching of the muscles,  while sprain injuries cause
damage to the ligaments. Bumper construction, head restraints, seat
backs, seat belts and harnesses, speed and other factors are all keys
in the amount of injury sustained.

When you are involved in a collision your body always moves in the
direction of the impact first then recoils in the opposite direction. This
is the "whiplash phenomenon". The initial movement weather froward,
backwards or side to side puts the neck past its normal limits tearing
ligaments and disc material. The initial impact to stopping of the car
and your movement inside in the car happens between 400-800
milliseconds. Sprain/strain injuries can be permanent depending on
the grade, with grade 1 being the least damaging. Complete tears of
ligaments due to the over stretching effect of a whiplash can present
severe symptoms, with no neurological symptoms present. Over time
though the supportive tissues around the ligaments will become lax
and joints will malposition followed by neurological compromise and
clinical findings and over time the joint will prematurely degenerate.
This is why it is extremely important to have your spine examined as
soon as possible following a whiplash involving soft tissue damage.

Keep in mind that under Florida law, PIP pays 60% of disability benefits
for any loss of gross income and loss of earning capacity from an
inability to work because of injuries sustained in the accident.
Disability also covers all expenses reasonably incurred for household
services that, if not for your injury, the injured person would have
performed. In addition your injury protection benefit is $10,000 per
person for loss sustained as a result of bodily injury form the accident.

Do you have questions concerning your rights under automobile
accident (PIP) law? Under Florida law you have $10,000 dollars of
medical coverage.

Do you want to schedule an appointment to be evaluated for your
automobile accident? Save time and fill out your forms.

WORK RELATED ACCIDENTS:

In the United States, more than 6 million people get injured on the job
with 6,000 more losing their lives. Retail and services have the
greatest number of incidents, or about 32% of the reported cases. All
employers are required to provide a safe workplace for their
employees. Many times the work related injury is a result of the
negligence, connected and unconnected with the employer. If it is an
incident that is unconnected with the employer a suit can be brought
against the person responsible for the employees injuries. These suits
can be economic and noneconomic damages. Your employer cannot be
subject to a civil suit, instead the employee must handle his or her
injuries through workers compensation.

There are different disabilities associated with a work related accident.
If you have a permanent or temporary total disability you can get 66 2/3
of your weekly average weekly wages. Under Temporary total disability
you can only get this up to 104 weeks. In other circumstance the
employee may be entitled to 75% of 80% of his average wages, but
certain conditions apply as to his or her earnings.