Biggest Misconceptions About Sustaining Severe Injuries When Involved In A Fender Bender

As attorneys, Retamar & Millian, P.A. hear this all the time from insurance companies “I/You can’t be hurt because the vehicle involved in the accident only sustained minor damage to it.” Some insurance companies will send letters to this effect. Ask any attorney that practices Injury Law, and they have been informed by insurance companies that your injury claim has nominal value due to only minor damage to your vehicle.  

Studies by the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles evidenced that both fatalities and injuries occurred in “Low-Speed” crashes, between vehicles. The Department defined low speed as vehicles traveling between 1 and 10 miles per hour at the time of the accident. It is safe to say that in these “Low-Speed” crashes there was also only “minor” damage to your vehicle. This is not to say that all accidents result in injuries but to dismiss a case or an injury based solely on the amount of damage to a vehicle involved in the accident is not only lazy but goes against the science that is out there. You can suffer significant bodily injury and even death in cases where your vehicle sustains little to no damage in an accident.

Insurance companies are difficult to deal with even in catastrophic accidents, never mind when the first photograph they see of a vehicle makes it hard to see the damage to the vehicle in the accident. It takes an experienced attorney who does not have preconceived notions to properly evaluate and prosecute minor vehicle damage and great bodily harm cases. 

These types of cases are almost impossible to do on your own and very difficult to do even with an attorney. They often require an expert to ensure that your case is evaluated correctly.