When An Auto Accident Results In Disability
Bryan Greenberg
Social Security Disability
Auto accidents in the Sarasota or Port Charlotte area happen fast. One minute you’re calmly driving down a familiar road, and the next everything has changed. While most auto accidents in Florida cause minor injuries, that’s not the case for all. Auto accidents that lead to severe injuries may lead drivers to need temporary or permanent disability benefits. Social security disability payments may be given on a temporary or permanent basis. They exist to help Floridians to cover the cost of living if an accident, illness, or condition leaves them unable to work for a prolonged period of time. In order to qualify for disability payments, an injured person will generally need to be able to prove that their injury has prevented them from being able to work for at least a period of 12 months.
As many as 70% of disability claims are denied upon their first review, but that doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. When your application is denied, you can go through the appeals process to have your case re-reviewed and hopefully approved. This can be a long, daunting, and confusing process, and one that is best experienced with a personal injury disability attorney by your side. Your attorney will be able to walk you through the application process, the appeals process, and any necessary steps that may pop up in between.
Auto Accident Injuries Most Likely To Result In Disability
A minor auto accident that results in a few bumps and bruises isn’t likely to result in the need for disability payments. However, some injuries come up time and time again in Southwest Florida disability cases. The auto accident injuries most likely to result in disability are:
• Traumatic brain injuries – Traumatic brain injuries are complex, difficult to treat, and are the single most common injuries to result in the need for disability payments. A traumatic brain injury considered moderate to severe may even render a person disabled for the rest of their lives. The way brain injuries affect short-term memory, behavior, vision, hearing, and balance can lead them to be unpredictable and ever-changing as the brain heals over time. For instance, a person may experience a traumatic brain injury and experience only pain at first, and then in the coming weeks they develop vision issues, dizziness, and behavioral changes as the brain adapts to the injury damage.
• Whiplash – Whiplash can be a surprisingly severe injury. While the average auto accident will result in whiplash that leads to a little soreness for a couple of days, this isn’t universally the case. Whiplash can lead to spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and back injuries requiring long periods of rehabilitation and medical care. Whiplash injuries should never be ignored even if they seem mild and should always be attended to by a medical professional as quickly as possible after an accident has occurred.
• Hearing and vision loss – Hearing and vision loss may also occur in an auto accident. From the airbag deployment, flying debris, broken glass, or traumatic brain injuries, these delicate sensory systems can take on serious damage. Hearing and vision loss may result in long periods of lost ability to work.
Having the support system you need can make or break your recovery experience after an auto accident in Southwest Florida. Our attorneys are here to help you to get the disability compensation you need if you’ve suffered these or any other debilitating auto accident injury. To learn more about how our professionals can help you, contact us at AllInjuriesLawFirm.com today.