Neck Injuries

Neck injuries following a motor vehicle collision or another accident may not be readily apparent until hours, days, or even weeks later. Sometimes these injuries may seem symptomatic of another ailment, and therefore they take longer to diagnose. If you have sustained harm to your neck in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Advocating for victims in the Miami area and beyond, the injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon can guide you along the path of pursuing legal action so that you can focus on recovering physically and emotionally.

Harm to the neck often occurs as the result of a motor vehicle collision, which could involve cars, motorcycles, trucks, or all-terrain vehicles. However, these injuries can also be sustained in a slip and fall accident, such as in a swimming pool or in a variety of other instances in which a dangerous property condition is created. Unfortunately, symptoms of a neck sprain or strain may not always manifest in a recognizable way. However, some common signs include:

• Stiffness or a decreased range of motion in a victim’s neck,
• Pain near the back of the neck,
• Headaches,
• Muscle spasms or shoulder pain, and
• Numbness or weakness in a victim’s arms, shoulders, or hands.

If you have been involved in an accident, it is important to seek medical attention as quickly as possible to assess and treat your injuries.

Many accidents that result in a neck injury would not have happened without negligent actions by another person or entity. This opens the possibility of pursuing proper compensation through a personal injury claim. To prevail in this type of lawsuit, a victim usually must establish that the defendant owed a duty of care to him or her. Although this standard varies in some situations, it is typically defined as acting with the same amount of caution that a reasonable and prudent person would use under similar circumstances. The plaintiff must also prove that the defendant fell short of this standard and that the breach was a proximate cause of his or her neck injury. Quantifiable damages must have arisen from the defendant’s breach.

In Florida, even if a victim is partially at fault for the accident in which he or she is hurt, recovering damages remains a possibility. The state uses the pure comparative fault system, meaning that damages are awarded in proportion to each party’s degree of responsibility. For instance, a victim who is found to be 40 percent responsible for causing a car crash might still be entitled to 60 percent of the total damages from other negligent parties who bore the remainder of the fault. Once liability is shown, available forms of damages may extend from medical bills and the costs of future treatment to more subjective forms of harm like pain and suffering.

Victims of careless conduct by other parties may have rights to assert. People who have been hurt in car accidents or other preventable events can consult the Miami attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon. Our firm handles all types of personal injury claims and can provide you with the compassionate, individualized attention that you deserve. We represent accident victims throughout South Florida, including in Miami and other cities throughout Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties. Call 877.499.4878 or contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation.