Rear-End Collision Injuries in Tampa

by Martin J. Hernandez, Esq.+ | Tampa Automobile Accident Injury Attorney

Rear-end collisions usually occur at intersections or in heavy traffic.  With all of the traffic in Tampa or near you, you can imagine that this scenario of a rear-end collision occurs frequently.  And, of course, you can imagine somebody could get injured from a rear-end collision.

Not much good that can come out of a rear-end collision. Generally, the most positive aspect of any automobile accident is getting out of it with only minor injuries, or better yet, completely unharmed.  Usually, property damage and the associated medical bills from an injury need to dealt with after a rear-end collision.

But those innocent drivers who follow the rules of the road, but are injured by a distracted driver or careless driver, are the ones left in pain, with medical bills, a damaged car, and possibly emotional distress.  All from an accident that was not their fault.  Unfortunately, some of these accidents can even take someone’s life.

Common Injuries from a Rear-end Collision:

• Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash describes pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulder area that occurs when a accident victim is suddenly and violently thrown forward by the force of a collision. The movement, sometimes characterized by a snap forward then backward, forces the neck and spine well beyond their normal range of motion. This sudden movement of your neck, shoulders, and spine is the “whip” motion that forms the term “whiplash”.

According to the NHTSA, 20% of all people involved in rear-end collisions suffer a whiplash injury. Of those, almost 80% experience pain and soreness that lasts longer than a week. Additionally, 50% have pain and soreness that lasts more than a year.

• Back Injuries

When your car is hit from behind in a collision, the force of the impact can seriously injure your spine. That’s because the human spine is a delicate formation that hasn’t developed to be able to withstand impacts from automobiles. The impact from a rear-end collision can compress the spine, causing injury to your neck and back.  Since the spine and neck are so critical to the functioning of the human body, this can be a big deal. Likewise, the vast amount of nerves connect to the spine causes these injuries to be especially painful and distressing.

• Head and Face Injuries

Almost every car on the road today is equipped with airbags that are designed to protect the head and face in the event of motor vehicle collision. These devices are an extreme important in automobile safety.  This is only second to the seat belt. However, just because you have an airbag does not mean that it will protect you from any injury.

In fact, most rear-end collisions occur at relatively low speeds. Since airbags usually only deploy at collisions above 20 mph, there is a chance that it may not show itself at all. If an airbag doesn’t deploy, your face may slam into the steering wheel or dash. The force of your face impacting one of these hard objects could break your nose, fracture your cheek or jawbone, damage your eye socket, burns or even cause traumatic brain injuries.

In addition to these more serious consequences, impacting the steering wheel, dash, or even the airbag may cause cuts, bruises, and scrapes to your face and head. If the rear-end collision occurs at high speeds, and the airbag does deploy, it poses it’s own serious risks.

• Arm and Hand Injuries

Since most people are holding onto the steering wheel when they’re impacted from a rear-end collision, injuries to the arm, shoulders, hands, fingers, and wrists are a very real possibility. The force can cause these body parts to jerk violently, jam into something, get pinned, or even fractured. These injuries may not sound as serious as other injuries, but going through life with a seriously disabled arm or hand can be extremely tough.

• Seatbelt Injuries

Seatbelts are no doubt our saving grace when it comes to safety in a motor vehicle; but nothing is full proof. A rear-end impact causes your torso to thrust forward against the seatbelt. This may prevent your face from hitting the steering wheel or dash, but the strap itself may lacerate your skin, bruise your body, or contribute to whiplash.

Rear-end Collision Damage

It is very possible to be involved in a rear-end collision in which there is little damage to the vehicle, yet the driver is seriously hurt. If you have been injured in a rear-end accident in the Tampa Bay area, contact a qualified and experienced auto accident injury attorney to speak about seeking damages.

Rear-end Collision Settlement

No amount of apologies or car repairs can make up for causing serious injury nor replace the life of a loved one. Additionally, it can’t pay for your medical debt which you incurred as a result of somebody else’s negligence.  These bills that you are responsible for will begin to drastically accumulate after your accident. However, even if you may never be quite how you were before the accident, there’s certainly help out there that can put you in the best position after a rear-end accident.

Medical recovery through your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is usually limited with $10,000 policy. With an experienced and aggressive lawyer, you could end up receiving significant financial compensation well over the cost of your medical bills and even recover for areas such as lost wages, emotional and mental distress, and more. The stress of your physical injuries and losses is hard enough to deal with as it is, so being stuck with a lifetime worth of medical debt and financial hardship is the last thing any rear-end collision victim wants.

Florida law has almost always presumed that the second driver in a rear end collision is the negligent party, but recent cases presented to the Florida Supreme Court has helped to decide that this may need to change a little.

This decision has opened up the possibility for the rear driver to pursue damages against the person they collided with in front of them. This fault may be complete or partial.

The Florida Supreme Court said, “the presumption of negligence that attaches to a rear driver in a rear-end motor vehicle collision case can be rebutted or avoided by the production of evidence from which a jury could find negligence on the part of the front driver that contributed to bring about the injury-producing collision.”

This is part of Florida’s comparative negligence law which allows juries to determine the amount of fault each party should be responsible for. Damages are then based of this ration. For example, a driver may be 90% at fault, making them reliable for paying 90% of the damages.

Get Lawyered Up Now by calling Tampa Auto Accident Injury Attorney Martin Hernandez at 813.755.9500 or read more at: InjuryLawyersOfTampa.com.  Our firm can help you with your rear-end accident issues and help you with your injury needs after your rear-end accident in Tampa, Florida.

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