Common Types of Serious Injury Claims in St. Augustine, FL (2024)

It can be daunting and stressful to have to deal with a serious injury. Serious injuries can change the course of your life, force you to adjust to a new normal, and cause you to have to make decisions in life that you never thought you’d have to make. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you build a case to try and be compensated for your injury. Knowing the common types of serious injury claims in St. Augustine, FL, can help you make a decision.

Nearly every serious injury claim in Florida must be filed within the statute of limitations, which is two years. You’ll have two years to start developing a case to seek damages in a personal injury case. However, once those two years are up, your opportunity to seek those damages will have passed.

Common Types of Serious Injury Claims

A serious injury, or catastrophic injury, is defined under state law as a permanent impairment. Depending on your situation, you may not be able to fully recover from some of these injuries. An experienced personal injury lawyer can make sure you aren’t taken advantage of by helping you build a solid case that supports your claim. Here are some of the most common types of serious injury claims that come about in the state:

• Spinal cord injury. Few injuries can be as traumatic to your body as a spinal cord injury. The spinal cord’s primary job is to send and receive messages from the brain to the rest of the body. The slightest bit of injury to the spinal cord can cause serious damage to the body. If the spinal cord is severed, it cannot heal. Such an injury would cause paralysis and other detrimental health problems.
• Traumatic brain injury. A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, occurs when the brain is injured so severely that it causes additional damage throughout the body. A violent blow to the head or a sudden jolt through the brain tissue by a bullet or a knife can cause permanent brain damage in the form of a TBI. While it is sometimes possible to heal from a TBI, the degree of healing depends largely on the person and the nature of their injury.
• Severe burns. Few injuries can be as painful as a severe burn. A bad burn can be a critical injury and require considerable time to heal. They often leave behind visible scarring and disfigurement, and you may need physical therapy to adjust to a new normal. Third- and fourth-degree burns are the most traumatic. They burn through the outer layers of skin to penetrate muscle and bone, resulting in sometimes permanent damage.
• Amputations. In some cases, such as in a bad car accident, the only way to save you is for a doctor to amputate a limb. An amputation can be a life-altering experience that causes you to change your daily routine, affects the way you are perceived, and can have a significant impact on your mental and emotional health as well as the physical. If a body part cannot be saved, it will likely be amputated.

FAQs

Q: What Is Considered a Serious Injury?

A: A serious injury, under state law, is any injury that results in a permanent impairment, leaves behind disfigurement and significant scarring, causes a loss of certain bodily functions, or results in someone’s death. Serious, or catastrophic, injuries can cause irreparable damage to one’s emotional and mental health. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you develop a case for compensation if your injury was the result of someone else’s negligent behavior.

Q: How Much Is Usually Awarded for Pain and Suffering?

A: Outside of cases involving medical malpractice, there is no limit to how much can be awarded for pain and suffering in Florida. However, that also means there is no set amount to how much is awarded for pain and suffering in a personal injury case. It will depend entirely on the details of the case, the severity of your injuries, and how much the jury feels you deserve in pain and suffering.

Q: When Can You Seek Compensation From a Serious Injury?

A: You may be able to seek compensation for a serious injury whenever your injury is the direct result of someone else’s negligent, malicious, or reckless behavior. You may want to consider reaching out to an experienced personal injury or catastrophic injury lawyer. They can help you talk through your options for a personal injury lawsuit and help you determine who exactly was at fault for the injuries you received.

Q: How Are Pain and Suffering Damages Calculated?

A: In Florida, pain and suffering damages are often calculated at the discretion of the judge or jury presiding over the case. Many different factors are taken into consideration when determining the value of pain and suffering, such as the severity of your injuries, the impact your injuries will have on your daily life, the emotional distress you may have experienced since the accident, any pre-existing conditions you may have, and how long you’ve been in pain.

Reach Out to an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Today

The more serious your injury is, the tougher the road to recovery will be. If you are seriously injured in an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligent behavior, you may be able to develop a case against them and pursue compensatory damages with the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer. After all, you should reconsider pursuing damages on your own without counsel.

The legal team at Spohrer Dodd Trial Attorneys can help you build your case while you focus on recovering from your injuries. We can provide you with peace of mind that your case is being handled by legal professionals who know what kind of guidance and dedication your case will need. Reach out to schedule a consultation with one of our valued team members and learn more about how we can help you and your case.