Port St. Lucie is a medium-sized city in South-East Florida that features mostly residential homes and apartment complexes. There are large neighborhoods, waterways, and huge golf courses throughout town. It’s a relatively affordable area, making it a great option over more expensive South-East Florida cities.

As of 2023, Port St. Lucie is home to 216,926 people. Port St. Lucie is in St. Lucie County. This county saw 5,474 total motor vehicle accident crashes in 2022, with 34 accidents resulting in a fatality and 2,136 accidents resulting in at least one injury.

If you live in Port St. Lucie and you’ve been involved in a car accident, please contact us online or at (561) 295-5825 to learn more or schedule a free case evaluation.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAR CRASHES

The type of car accident you’re involved in plays a huge role in the severity of your injuries. Some accident types can more easily cause serious damage than others. For example, a t-bone accident is much more likely to cause severe damage when compared to a rear-end accident. Here are the different types of car accidents and how they occur and cause damage.

REAR-END ACCIDENTS
Rear-end accidents are almost always caused by the following driver. They may occur because the following driver is speeding or driving while distracted. Oftentimes, it’s because the driver doesn’t have enough time to adapt to a change in traffic conditions. That could include a light change, someone slamming on their brakes, or something else. Rear-end accidents frequently cause back and neck issues and whiplash. At high speeds, they may cause spinal cord injury or head injuries.

T-BONE ACCIDENTS
A t-bone accident occurs when the front of one vehicle slams into the side of another. Either party can be responsible for this type of accident. These accidents most frequently occur at intersections. They may cause crushing injuries, internal damage, amputation, arm and leg injuries, and more.

HEAD-ON ACCIDENTS
Head-on accidents are exactly how they sound. They occur when two vehicles collide head-on. These accidents are typically caused by people going the wrong way down a one-way street or driving on the wrong side of the road. These people may either be unfamiliar with the area or intoxicated. Head-on collisions can cause internal damage, head injuries, chest injuries, crushing injuries, burns, and more.

SIDESWIPE ACCIDENTS
Sideswipe accidents occur when one side of one vehicle strikes the side of another. These accidents frequently occur when someone is changing lanes or driving too close to a vehicle parked on the side of the road. They may also occur if someone is driving aggressively or not paying attention. Like t-bone accidents, sideswipe accidents can also cause crushing injuries, amputation, and arm or leg injuries.

HOW MUCH DO COMMON CAR ACCIDENT INJURIES COST?

Getting into a car accident is expensive. Not only will you have to pay medical bills and deal with lost wages, but you’ll have to deal with the emotional impact as well. Injuries can greatly affect your life, changing how you live daily. Thankfully, you can receive compensation for all of these damages, from medical bills to changes in quality of life. But how much are the medical bills for certain car accident injuries? Here are the most common and their costs.

Traumatic brain injury: A severe brain injury can cost between $600,000 and $1.875 million over a lifetime.
Spinal cord injuries: Depending on the level of paralysis, a spinal cord injury can range from $50,000 to $200,000 annually.
Broken bones: Depending on whether surgery is needed, a broken bone can cost up to $10,000.
Soft tissue injuries: The average sprain costs a few thousand dollars for the initial treatment.
Amputation: The surgical cost of an amputation can be tens of thousands of dollars, not including long-term care like check-ups, medical equipment, and physical therapy
However, every injury is different. Some costs may fluctuate depending on your treatment provider and the services they prescribe for you as well as how your injury develops. For example, a sprain may cause more than $10,000 if it results in chronic pain.

STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE AFTER A CRASH

If you’ve been involved in a Port St. Lucie car accident, there are several steps you should complete. If you’re okayed to stay at the scene of the accident, you should do the following:

Exchange information with the other drivers involved. Do not admit fault or even apologize. Keep the conversation as brief as possible.
Contact the police to file a police report. Give them your statement.
Talk to any witnesses and write down their contact information. Encourage them to speak with the police.
Take pictures and videos of the scene of the accident. This should include pictures of your vehicle, the at-fault party’s vehicle, and your injuries.
Write down your statement while everything is fresh in your mind.
Take note of any nearby businesses that might have caught the accident on their security cameras.
Leave the scene of the accident and immediately seek medical treatment. Do not go home or stop anywhere else. Go directly to the hospital or emergency room.
Contact an attorney before you speak with the insurance company. They’ll speak to the insurance company on your behalf and prevent you from accidentally damaging your case.

HOW MUCH COMPENSATION WILL I RECEIVE?

We understand that you’re eager to find out exactly how much compensation you will receive as a result of filing a lawsuit. However, it can take some time to get these numbers together, and we certainly can’t provide you with an estimate unless we review your case. However, you can look at your damages to gain a better understanding of what you may be able to receive.

Your economic damages include medical bills and lost wages, while your non-economic damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of earning capacity, and more. To get a rough estimation of your economic damages, you’ll simply want to add up all of your medical bills, lost wages, and other debts you’ve incurred because of your injuries.

Calculating your non-economic damages is more complex, but we can advise you on this during your free case evaluation. Your non-economic damages are generally calculated by looking at how much your quality of life has changed since before the accident. How much harder is it to partake in daily activities? Can you return to work eventually? Are you still able to do the things you love? These are all questions we’ll ask when determining how much compensation to ask for.

HIRE KELLER SWAN FOR YOUR PORT ST. LUCIE CAR ACCIDENT CASE

We’re deeply sorry that you had to experience such a traumatic event, but we hope that we can help make it at least a little bit easier and better. To learn more about our team of talented attorneys and how we can help you get the compensation you deserve, please contact us online or at (561) 295-5825.