Miami Dolphins Tackle Kendrick Norton Receives Outpouring of Support after Losing Arm in Crash
Thousands of fans, family, and friends have sent messages of support for 22- year-old Miami Dolphins tackle Kendrick Norton after a dangerous rollover accident on Thursday in Miami-Dade County. Norton unfortunately had to have his arm amputated after the accident. The Miami-Dade Police Department is currently investigating the accident which occurred after 1 a.m. on the Dolphin Expressway near the Palmetto. MDPD says Norton was headed westbound when he ran into a barrier wall near the Palmetto Expressway. His Ford pick-up truck rolled over and landed on its roof. Emergency responders were able to quickly get to the scene of the accident and transported Norton to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. MDPD says a second car was involved in the crash. A gray 2015 Maserati was also involved in the crash, but the driver of that vehicle was not injured. Norton did not play in any NFL game last season and he was expected to be one of 12 defensive linemen competing this year for a spot on the team. The legal team at Suarez & Montero would like to wish Kendrick a speedy recovery from the accident and our thoughts and prayers are with Kendrick and his family during this time.
What is a Permanent Injury in a Car Accident in Florida?
In 1971, the legislature created the Florida Automobile Reparations Reform Act. The law was designed to distinguish serious from minor injuries, creating a “no-fault” model of recovery for car accident injuries, requiring claimants to look first to their own insurance carrier for medical expense and wage loss, regardless of who caused the accident. Further, the act barred recovery for pain and suffering absent a certain type of “threshold” injury. Under Florida law, in order to receive compensation for pain and suffering after being injured in a car crash, the Plaintiff must show that they suffered an injury that is permanent. In most Florida car accident cases, you need a permanent injury in order to be entitled to get money for pain and suffering. Specifically, Florida law says that in order to be compensated for damages in tort against the owner or operator of another motor vehicle for pain, suffering, mental anguish, and inconvenience because of bodily injury, the injury must consist of either a significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, a permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, a significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death. The requirement that you must have a permanent injury in most Florida car accident cases in order to get a payout for pain and suffering is called the tort threshold.
The issue of whether the plaintiff suffered a permanent injury in an automobile accident case is a significant issue because of the tort exemptions contained in Fla. Stat. 627.737(2). While it is clear that if a threshold injury is proven, the jury may consider all traditional elements of damage (except those paid or payable by no-fault coverage, or paid by certain collateral sources), there is considerable controversy as to what damages are potentially recoverable when the plaintiff is found not to have a threshold injury. As might be expected, most of the case law involves the requirement that there be permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability; and, in this regard, expert medical testimony is required. However, to meet the requirement that the existence and permanence of injury be established within a reasonable degree of medical probability, mere recitation of the plaintiff’s subjective complaints of pain is insufficient. However, subjective evidence of pain may properly be used to meet the statutory requirement, provided that expert medical testimony is presented to establish the existence and permanence of the pain within a reasonable degree of medical probability. The issue of permanency of injury, for purposes of the no-fault statute, is ordinarily a factual one for the jury.
Speak with an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Today!
A good lawyer must be able to foresee how the jury will view your case. Your attorney must be extremely knowledgeable of the true value of your case and be open to the possibility of bringing a bad faith claim against the defendant’s insurance company—as well as weigh many more factors in order to realistically inform a client whether their accident case is worth pursuing. The attorneys at Suarez & Montero can meet with you to discuss further. always available to talk with you and answer your questions. Our skillful attorneys are genuinely committed to our clients. We will fight to make sure that you get the maximum amount of compensation owed to you. Let us help you get the medical care you need and fight to make sure you are compensated for your injuries! Our attorneys are ready to provide proven legal representation in pursuing your claim and stand ready to protect your rights. We are available 24/7 to give you a free, no risk case consultation.
We serve clients throughout Florida including those in the following areas:
Miami-Dade: Aventura, Coral Gables, Doral, Fontainebleau, Hialeah, Homestead, Kendall, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, North Miami, Tamiami, and Westchester.
Broward: Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Weston; and Palm Beach County including Boca Raton, Lake Worth, and West Palm Beach.
The Law Offices of Suarez & Montero Car Accident Attorneys represents accident victims injured in various types of accidents including:
• Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers
• T-Bone Car Accidents
• Road Rage Car Accidents
• Head-on Collisions
• Rollover Accidents
• Rear-end Car Accidents
• Left Turn Accidents
• Failure to Yield Car Accidents
• Sideswipe Accidents
• Merging Accidents
• Lane Change Accidents
• Construction Zone Car Accidents
• Truck Accidents
• Semi-Truck Accidents
• Bicycle Accidents
• Train Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Boating Accidents
