Never Call 411-PAIN if You Have Serious Injuries

March 8, 2017 | Attorney, Matthew Dolman
Never Call 411-PAIN if You Have Serious Injuries

Almost everyone in Florida has heard the commercials telling them to “Call 411” as their next call after 911. This can be catchy and many people remember it in the wake of an accident and give it a try. For auto accident victims who have serious injuries, however, this can be extremely detrimental to not only your physical health but also to your financial recovery.

You Need Proper Medical Attention

411-PAIN is known for having its own network of over 100 chiropractic clinics. It is only natural that when you call, you will be directed to one of these clinics for your medical treatment. While chiropractic is completely adequate for many people, this type of treatment is not always sufficient to treat some of the serious injuries that can result from a car accident.

For example, car crashes can cause the following severe injuries and more:

  • Traumatic brain injury1
  • Skull fractures
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Internal hemorrhaging
  • Internal organ damage
  • Broken ribs or pelvis
  • Compound fractures
  • Head or facial trauma
  • Burns

These are all examples of injuries that require a trip to the emergency room and may even need hospitalization, surgical procedures, and other treatment that is simply not available at a chiropractic clinic. When you call a personal injury attorney, they will not pressure you into any certain type of medical treatment - except the treatment that is best suited for your type of injuries.

A Lawsuit may be Necessary

411-PAIN often promises car crash victims $10,000 because that is the minimal amount of personal injury protection (PIP) coverage mandated by Florida law.2 After an accident, the first step is often to see whether your PIP coverage will be enough to cover all of your losses. In the event of relatively minor injuries, a PIP payout can easily be enough for your medical bills and lost wages. However, if your injuries are serious, your losses may be well above the $10,000 PIP policy.

The purpose of PIP requirements, however, is to reduce the number of lawsuits that follow car accidents. For this reason, Florida law only allows you to file a lawsuit if your injuries are “serious” or “permanent.” Many of the above injuries easily meet this requirement and you may have the right to file a lawsuit to seek recovery for the following:

  • Past and future medical costs
  • Past lost wages and future lost earnings
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Permanent disabilities
  • Mental trauma

411-PAIN tends to max out your PIP insurance through claims from the chiropractic clinic - sometimes without your knowledge - which takes away your right to file a legal claim and often prevents you from receiving a substantial amount of financial recovery. A skilled personal injury attorney should always examine whether you have the right file a lawsuit before advising you to accept any payout from your PIP insurance.

Call a Dedicated Car Accident Attorney in Clearwater Today

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, our legal team will always explore all of your options to determine the method of obtaining the maximum recovery for you. We will never push you to accept a PIP settlement if filing a lawsuit is necessary and appropriate in your case. If you would like to discuss how we can help you, please call us at 727-451-6900 for a free consultation.

1https://medlineplus.gov/traumaticbraininjury.html

2https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0627/Sections/0627.736.html

 

Matthew Dolman

Personal Injury Lawyer

This article was written and reviewed by Matthew Dolman. Matt has been a practicing civil trial, personal injury, products liability, and mass tort lawyer since 2004. He has successfully fought for more than 11,000 injured clients and acted as lead counsel in more than 1,000 lawsuits. Always on the cutting edge of personal injury law, Matt is actively engaged in complex legal matters, including Suboxone, AFFF, and Ozempic lawsuits.  Matt is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for resolving individual cases in excess of $1 million and $2 million, respectively. He has also been selected by his colleagues as a Florida Superlawyer and as a member of Florida’s Legal Elite on multiple occasions. Further, Matt has been quoted in the media numerous times and is a sought-after speaker on a variety of legal issues and topics.

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