By: Staff Writer
Here is an example of how seriously you can get injured when you get rear-ended. Last week, a jury in Jacksonville Florida awarded a woman $3.4 million because she suffered permanent neck injury after a moving truck rear-ended her car in a 2004 crash, according to a news report in the Florida Times-Union.
Wendy Sugalski’s attorneys told the newspaper that the 37-year-old dance teacher will need lifelong medical treatment. She will have to go in to the doctor every six months to undergo a procedure that would numb the nerves in her neck so she wouldn’t be in constant pain, the article said. Sugalski’s injuries, which include a herniated disc, have caused her severe, consistent pain. According to her lawyer, she is able to teach dance classes but still cannot dance or demonstrate poses to her ballet and gymnastic dance students.
The accident reportedly occurred Nov. 8 2004 when a truck owned by Florida-based Reads Moving Systems hit her vehicle from behind. A Florida Circuit Judge ruled that the truck company was responsible for the damage from the crash. The six-person jury was given the job of putting a price on the damage.
Neck injuries – specifically a herniated disc – are one of the most direct and common results of a rear-end crash. It’s definitely not as serious as a fatality or a brain injury, but it’s a painful condition people have to deal with for the rest of their lives. Victims, very often, are not able to do their jobs, which results in loss of income. Their self-esteem takes a serious hit. The unfortunate fact is that these injuries can happen in low-speed crashes and have a severe impact on someone’s life.
If you were in a crash that involves “whiplash” or neck injuries, you may not even feel the effect for a few days. If you have been in such a crash, it is very important to contact a