Automobile Accidents
Studies involving people have demonstrated that a motor vehicle accident of as little as 5 mph can induce cervical (neck) injury.
Approximately 15% to 40% of those injured in automobile accidents will struggle with chronic pain for the rest of their life. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Who Pays for Injuries Sustained in Motor Vehicle Accidents?
According to the Insurance Research Council,
- 63 percent of injuries are paid by the injured individual’s own automobile insurance company.
- 55 percent of injuries are paid by the auto insurance company of another vehicle.
- 36 percent of injuries are paid by health insurance.
- 20 percent of injuries are paid by government programs.
- 19 percent of injuries are paid workers’ compensation insurance.
Close to 60 percent of those injured reported to have used 2 or more sources of payment.
The longest-running study ever done on whiplash patients, reported by Accident Analysis and Prevention in 2002, studied the overall health of whiplash patients twenty years after their automobile accidents. It was found that 55% of those people still dealt with chronic pain.
Work Related Back Injuries
According to OSHA, the costs of work related back injuries are estimated to be $7.4 billion annually. However, these numbers are tricky because the actual costs of back pain include so many factors, such as the cost to employers in missed work days, and, by extension, the loss of employee productivity. In fact, leading organizations can’t settle on an exact dollar amount for the price of back pain. Estimates range from “at least $50 billion per year” (American Chiropractic Association), to $86 billion per year (WebMD), to more than $200 billion dollars per year (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons).
Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office and is only succeeded by upper-respiratory infections.
According to the US Department of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 there were 222,290 work related incidents involving back injury in the US.
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in 2004, back injury incidents accounted for 24 percent of occupational injuries and illnesses resulting in missed days from work.
If you find yourself involved in an accident or with a workplace back injury, the best thing to do is to contact a qualified attorney.
Many times Insurance companies will try to pay out the minimum amount possible on a claim. They are all too aware that an injured person is missing work and has mounting bills because of their back injury and that the injured person will many times – out of desperation – settle quickly to find financial relief. A good qualified attorney will be able to help navigate this process and will help make life more manageable for their client because of their expert knowledge about how to manage this entire process.
Parrish Law Firm, PLLC Personal Injury Attorney, located in Manassas and Fairfax works with Northern Virginia citizens who have suffered and are looking for fair compensation for their suffering. Contact us today for a free case consultation, or call us at 703-906-4229.
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A representative of the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC researched and wrote this article with Mr. Parrish’s consent. If you have any questions regarding the legal implications of what you have just read, please send us your question by clicking here so we can have our attorney review it.
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