Car Accident Lawyers in NYC

Common Causes of Car Accidents

Car accidents have numerous causes, from texting while driving to failing to pay attention. Someone who runs a red light or stop sign, speeds down the road, swerves into another lane without looking, or drives while under the influence has a higher chance of causing an accident.

While it is possible to drive defensively and give poor drivers plenty of room to help prevent an accident, not all of them can be prevented. When one does happen, knowing the right steps to take is important.

Types of Car Accident Injuries

Injuries from car accidents can range from minor to severe. Minor cuts and bruises are common after almost any car accident.

For more serious accidents, broken bones and internal injuries can occur. The worst accidents can lead to life – changing injuries, such as paralysis, or death. Car accidents can lead to hidden injuries that are more difficult to detect immediately after the car accident, like whiplash.

After the adrenaline from the accident starts to dissipate, however, these injuries become more apparent and more painful.

The First Step After a Car Accident

The very first step anyone should take after being in a car accident is to seek medical care.

If the injuries are severe enough, the person may be taken directly to the emergency room for initial care. If the victim is able to walk away from the accident, they should go to the doctor on their own within a day or two to make sure they don’t have any hidden injuries that could be serious.

The medical expenses will be needed to show injuries when compensation from the at-fault driver is requested.

Talking to a Car Accident Lawyer

After seeking medical care, the next step should be to speak with a lawyer about the case. Insurance companies try to make sure they pay out the minimal amount for any accident, so the amount of any settlement received will be lower than what the victim could receive.

When the victim works with a lawyer, they have a much higher chance of getting enough funds to cover all expenses related to the accident.

Never accept a settlement or speak with the insurance company before hiring a lawyer. Once a settlement is accepted, it’s almost impossible to get any further money from the insurance company.

When someone speaks with the insurance company, they can inadvertently say something that damages their case, leading to more trouble getting a full settlement. Let the lawyer handle these things to get more money from the case.

Determining Liability for Car Accidents

Liability isn’t as easy to prove as it might seem. Of course, it may seem obvious when the accident occurs who caused it, but that can be difficult to prove.

Taking photos of the accident scene before leaving or gathering information from witnesses can help prove liability. A lawyer can help review any evidence as well as gather surveillance videos and other evidence to show how the accident occurred.

However, the accident may not have been the other driver’s fault, either. It could be a manufacturer ‘ s defect for the vehicle, an issue caused by improper work done by a mechanic, or for other reasons.

This could mean the other driver isn’t liable and won’t owe compensation – the victim will need to determine the right party to request compensation from.

A lawyer can help make sure liability is figured out so the compensation request is sent to the right party. This avoids having the case thrown out in court because the party being sued isn’t actually liable for the accident.

Types of Compensation After Car Accidents

The types and amount of compensation to request from the liable party will vary from case to case.

In general, the victim should be able to receive compensation for any medical bills related to the accident, future medical bills they may have that relate to severe or permanent injuries, funds to repair or replace the car, money to cover any other damages, and funds to cover lost wages.

These are the economical damages the victim sustained. On top of this, depending on the case, it may be possible to gain non-economical damages such as punitive damages, money for the loss of enjoyment of life, and more. A lawyer can review the case to determine the full amount of compensation the victim should be able to receive.

Negotiating a Higher Settlement

The insurance company for the liable party will start with a low offer. If they can get the victim to accept that offer, they save a ton of money.

Instead, the victim will want to work with a lawyer who will negotiate with the insurance company for a much higher settlement. This process can take a while to complete, but it will prevent the victim from having to pay for accident-related expenses out of their own pocket.

If negotiations aren’t successful, the case can end up going to trial. However, most cases do end up with a settlement, as going to trial can be costly and add years to the amount of time it takes for the victim to receive money.

Have you been injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault? Seek medical care to start recovering from your injuries, then contact an attorney to start working on gaining you compensation.

Car accident attorneys have years of experience handling car accident cases and will be able to help you through the whole process to get the biggest settlement possible.