Your life can be drastically changed on New York City’s wild streets due to a car accident. This happens often. You may be traveling to the office, shopping for groceries, or out on a night, and before you know it, you are involved in a car accident. This is quickly followed up by a doctor’s visit, lost time at work, piles of forms to complete, and all those phone calls from the insurance adjuster. It is more crucial than ever that you have the right car accident personal injury lawyer in New York on your side today. But this isn’t about heading out to find somebody who attended law school—this is about heading out and finding someone who has been around for a long time and understands the process thoroughly.
The car accident personal injury lawyer in New York should know how it’s done and guide you through one of the worst experiences of your life.
This post will provide you with what you need to know, what to anticipate, and the best way to decide in case you or a family member has been a participant in a car accident by another vehicle in New York.
Why the Right Lawyer Matters After a Car Accident?
New York City isn’t just about heavy traffic. It is a melting pot of drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and tourists. Accidents can get complicated fast. Two cars may collide, but liability isn’t always clear.
Add multiple vehicles, commercial trucks, or uninsured drivers into the mix, and suddenly, you are looking at a very tangled situation.
A personal injury lawyer in New York knows how to go about the process in such claims. They know New York’s “no-fault” car insurance statute, insurers’ business economics, and specifically how to fight your rights when the damages turn out to be only nominal coverage.
With the appropriate personal injury lawyer in New York, you will enjoy the right legal counsel, which will see you through the storm. They shoulder the burden in your stead so that you heal.
How are New York Car Crash Claims Different?
Every state does car crash claims differently, and New York is no different:
- No-Fault Insurance System: The insurance policy in New York will usually pay your lost wages and medical bills, no matter who was at fault. It is not quite full coverage, though.
- Threshold of Serious Injury: The injury must be of a serious nature to sue the at-fault party on no-fault principles—broken bones, arm or leg loss, disfigurement, or permanent disability.
- Baffling City Roads: Lorries, motorbikes, pedestrians, ride-sharing drivers, and taxis sharing the same road, fault can’t be so easily established.
This is where experience pays. A seasoned personal injury lawyer in New York will know how to work within these rules and determine if your case would be an exception to the no-fault procedure.
How a Car Accident Personal Injury Lawyer in New York Helps You to De-code the Confusion?
Once you are inside the wreckage, you may be thinking: Can’t I handle insurance myself? Sure, on paper. In actual life, however, it doesn’t quite work that way. Insurance adjusters are taught to write you a check for as little as possible.
They will attempt to pay you a settlement up front in the form of a good check that won’t cover injuries that you will accumulate afterwards.
This is how differently the best car crash lawyer in New York works:
- Conducts the right investigations: Reads the police report, statements of witnesses, surveillance videotape, and experts’ opinions.
- Does the negotiating: Makes the phone calls and the emails to the insurance companies on your behalf, so you will not be persuaded into making the wrong choice.
- Dispenses actual value: It not only pays your initial medical bills, but also treatment down the road, physical therapy, loss of earning capacity, and pain and suffering.
- Gets your case before the court: If a settlement is not an option, you have someone presenting your case to a judge and jury.
It is worth more by itself than most would first guess.
Lessons from Real New Yorkers:
Every accident is different, but the same waltz of wars.
- A Brooklyn truck driver who drives a pickup was hit from the rear by a fatigued driver. His bulging spine kept him out of work for months, and token compensation was being paid through insurance in the first place.
An experienced car accident personal injury lawyer in New York would have better proved the continuing effect of his injury and negotiated more.
- A twenty-year-old mother of one, crossing an intersection in Queens, was struck by a red-light runner who sideswiped her. She lost almost one year of work due to the accident.
She did recover, but drugs and ensuring that her family would not be left in the lurch were all arranged for by the best car crash lawyer in New York.
Keeping things in perspective: accidents are not statistics; they are personal events. Being guided well makes it even.
What to Look for in a Car Accident Personal Injury Lawyer in New York?
If you are searching for the right car accident personal injury lawyer in New York, here are some qualities that should stand out:
- Clear communication: Legal terms can be overwhelming. The right car accident personal injury lawyer in New York will explain things in plain language.
- Verified experience: Check if the best car crash lawyer in New York has experience handling car accident cases in New York.
- Sympathy: You need someone compassionate about your case.
- Promptness: In a crisis or a call for assistance, you don’t want days to go by before the car accident personal injury lawyer in New York returns your call.
- Track record: You don’t know the future, but the past will inform you if a car accident personal injury lawyer in New York is likely to win a difficult case.
It is a gut feeling sometimes. As you sit in for your first consultation, take deep breaths and ask yourself this one question: Does this car accident personal injury lawyer in New York make me feel comfortable and secure?
How to Prepare Before Deciding on an Appointment with a Lawyer?
Even before you meet with the car accident personal injury lawyer in New York for the first time, you should prepare to construct your case.
These are what you must acquire:
- Police accident report.
- Pictures of your injuries, your vehicle wrecked due to the accident, and the accident location.
- Medical report and medical history.
- Mailed or billed bills received for treatment.
- Names and phone numbers of witnesses.
- Insurance problems you have encountered.
Having these with you will benefit your car accident personal injury lawyer in New York and help them develop an opinion as to the merit of your case.
Time Frames That You Need to Be Aware of:
You do not have an eternity in which to bring suit in New York. The statute of limitations or time frame normally gives you three years from the accident to sue for personal injuries. Wrongful death comes earlier with the passage of time—two years.
Sleeping on deadlines such as these may disqualify you from suing for damages. Your car accident personal injury lawyer in New York takes note of such, but keep tabs on these deadlines too.
Outside of the Numbers: Emotional Cost
Crashes aren’t just about busted up bones and medical bills. Crashes bring fear, suspense, and anxiety. You may have to watch your life spill through your hands in the blink of an eye. You can’t fix trauma. However, you can make sure you are not murdering yourself financially. This is especially in the process of healing physically and psychologically.
That is why the best car crash lawyer in New York will consider this. You are not a case number—you are undergoing one of the toughest moments of your life.
Get help!
Discovering a quality car accident personal injury lawyer in New York is about experience, track record, and trust.
It is discovering the individual who will fight the insurance industry for you, somebody who understands driving on the New York roads, and somebody who is more concerned with your recovery than anything else.
Car wrecks can occur at any time, but at Gehi and Associates, we have a great team of dedicated car accident personal injury lawyers in New York who can help you get all the damages you deserve.
Get in touch with us now!
FAQs:
- Do I always need a car accident personal injury lawyer in New York in all car accidents?
No. If only minor damage is done to your property, you don’t. But where injuries, especially serious ones, are incurred, it is worth it.
- When do I hire a car accident personal injury lawyer in New York after my car accident?
Immediately. Delay can be fatal to your case because evidence or witnesses’ memories may become unclear after a while.
- How much will it cost to hire a car accident personal injury lawyer in New York to represent me?
Most work on a contingency fee. In other words, they do not charge a fee if you lose or fail to settle.
- What if there is no insurance on the car that hit me?
Your case lawyer can recover on your policy or arrange for you with alternative avenues of recovery.
- Do I have to pay my claim out of my own funds?
You can, but insurance companies don’t like paying claims out. Your case lawyer will recover what is yours.
More FAQs:
- What constitutes “serious injury” under New York law?
Disability, disfigurement, broken bone, or injury that makes you unable to do your activities of daily living for 90 or more days.
- How long will it take to resolve a New York car accident case?
It depends. Some take years if they ever get to trial, and others settle within a few months.
- Do I ever have to go to court?
Perhaps not. They will usually reach some kind of compromise. But if the insurance firm is being unreasonable, then you would be pushed into a court case.
- Will I get damages if I was partly to blame?
Yes. New York has comparative fault law, and you will be paid money, but perhaps less dependent upon your percentage of blame.
- What is the first thing to do when you hire a car accident personal injury lawyer?
Schedule an appointment. Car accident personal injury lawyers in New York provide free initial consultations to discuss your case.
