An 80-year-old Hernando County resident was rushed to Spring Hill Regional Hospital for treatment of a critical injury. The local news is reporting that this Central Florida octogenarian was driving his 1984 Datsun pickup truck on County Line Road (Hernando County side) and drifted in the westbound lane (Pasco County side) causing a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer.
The news reports that the driver of the truck was not wearing a seatbelt, yet was uninjured in the serious motor vehicle crash. Generally a truck accident of this magnitude this will make an immediate impact on insurance policies. Obviously, if the driver of the work truck was engaged in some kind of employment and interesting legal scenario can evolve whereby he may have both a workers’ compensation claim with his employer’s policy, but also have a simple auto negligence claim for the actions of the 1984 Datsun. In other words, after the workers’ compensation claim is completed, the automobile insurance policies can distribute appropriate compensation for the pain and suffering that went unreimbursed during the workers’ compensation claim.
Often times, drivers involved in such a serious accident may be “uninjured” only to learn later of chronic neck and back pain. The reason for this is different in every case but commonly you will find that: 1) The Emergency Room doctors do an exceptionally poor job of determining levels of pain if it is abundantly clear that no life threatening injuries are apparent; 2) After a big collision the human body does an amazing job of masking pain to help cope with the situation; and 3) When another person is very seriously hurt, your injuries, although serious, may seem relatively minor.
If you have been involved in a truck accident or car crash in Hernando County or Pasco County, contact Florida Car Accident Lawyer Whittel & Melton, LLC for free consultation at 352-666-2121 or 727-847-2299 or contact us online.