What Is A Whiplash Claim Worth In Florida?

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers | Personal Injury

What Is A Whiplash Claim Worth In Florida?

If you are experiencing pain, stiffness, or tightness in your neck, pain when moving your neck, or tenderness in your back or upper neck after a car accident or slip and fall, seek medical attention immediately. You could be suffering from a serious injury called whiplash. You could also be owed significant compensation. 

What Is Whiplash?

Whiplash is a physical injury that occurs when the neck bends forcibly forward and backward. It often impacts the neck’s muscles, discs, tendons, and nerves.

This injury is common in rear-end accidents because the head may jerk forward and then backward due to the force of impact from behind the vehicle. The force of this motion can stretch or tear the muscles and tendons in the neck. 

Because whiplash is a soft tissue injury, it does not always appear in imaging tests. This can make it difficult for accident victims to show they have suffered this injury and to recover fair compensation from the insurance company. However, these injuries have a very real impact on victims, and victims should be fairly compensated for their injuries. 

Florida’s PIP Insurance

Florida is a no-fault insurance state for car insurance. After an accident, each injured party turns to their own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) for coverage, regardless of who is responsible for the accident. The minimum amount of PIP coverage is $10,000, which covers a percentage of your medical expenses, lost wages, and replacement services. 

If you suffer economic damages that exceed this amount, you can pursue a legal claim against the at-fault party. 

Whiplash injuries can be expensive to treat. 

Your immediate medical expenses may include:

  • An emergency room visit
  • Diagnostic tests
  • Ambulance charges
  • Medication 
  • Medical supplies, like a neck brace
  • Hospitalization (in some cases)

Follow-up care may include rehabilitation, physical therapy, and visits with your primary care provider or a chiropractor. 

Additionally, you may have to miss work while you attend medical appointments and recover from your injuries. 

If your injury occurred during a car accident, you could pursue compensation for the costs to repair or replace your damaged vehicle. The minimum amount of Property Damage Liability coverage in Florida is $10,000. 

Non-Economic Damages

Whiplash is a leading cause of chronic pain after a car accident. However, to recover compensation for pain and suffering or other non-economic damages in a Florida car accident case, you must be able to show that the injury meets the injury threshold. 

Besides death, the only injuries that qualify for this classification are those that involve:

  • Significant and permanent loss of an important body function
  • Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical certainty
  • Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement 

Most whiplash injuries will not meet this threshold. However, some severe injuries can, so it’s important to work with an experienced car accident lawyer to learn whether you may be entitled to compensation for your non-economic damages.

Also, if your injury involved an accident other than a motor vehicle accident, these restrictions do not apply. Therefore, you may be able to obtain compensation for the fair value of your pain, suffering, distress, discomfort, disability, impairment, and reduced quality of life.

Find Out What Your Whiplash Claim Is Worth During a Free Case Review

If you were injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you should be fairly compensated for your injuries. However, it can be difficult to estimate the potential value of your legal claim without the help of an experienced personal injury attorney. A skilled legal team can review your case and specific circumstances to estimate the value of your claim during a free case review.

Contact the Clearwater Personal Injury Law Firm Of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for Help

For more information, please contact the Clearwater and St. Petersburg personal injury law firm of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We serve Pinellas County and its surrounding areas:

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater
1875 N Belcher Rd. STE 201,
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 796-8282

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg
2560 1st Ave S,
St. Petersburg, FL 33712
(727) 349-1728