Our car accident lawyers in Buffalo have recovered billions in damages for victims of passenger vehicle crashes, truck collisions, and a number of other accidents. You can trust our highly skilled team to fight for the compensation you need to afford medical treatment and cover your accident-related losses.
Types of Negligence Our Buffalo Passenger Vehicle Accident Lawyers Can File a Claim For
When you work with our personal injury lawyers in Buffalo, they’ll work hard to investigate your accident and determine what caused it. Identifying the cause of the incident can help them hold the correct party liable for your injuries and losses.
We’ll conduct a thorough investigation of the motor vehicle accident to determine if the other driver caused it by engaging in one of the following negligent driving behaviors:
- Drunk driving
- Distracted driving, including texting, receiving a call, or sending an email while on the road
- Violation of traffic safety signs
- Speeding
- Failing to yield at an intersection
- Driver fatigue
- And more
If a passenger vehicle accident lawyer from Buffalo finds evidence that an act of negligence contributed to a collision, they can use it to hold the driver accountable in a lawsuit. Typically, victims of Buffalo accidents receive financial compensation from their own no-fault insurance policies.
However, serious injuries, such as dismemberment or permanent disabilities, can qualify you for a personal injury lawsuit. There are many components and steps to filing such a lawsuit, and hiring a vehicle accident lawyer may help you through the process.
Damages You Can Receive From a Claim
When an accident occurs, it can cause both physical and financial harm to the victims. Personal injury claims allow you to recover compensation for the damages you face. You can include various costs as part of your compensatory damages, depending on the circumstances of the collision.
Our passenger vehicle accident lawyers in Buffalo can pursue any of the following damages on your behalf:
- Medical expenses, including any assistive medical devices, medications, doctor visits, physical therapy, and treatments that are necessary for your recovery
- Non-economic damages, including compensation for any mental anguish, pain, suffering, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life
- Travel costs for trips to receive treatment
- Loss of income if you are unable to go to work and earn a paycheck while you are injured
- Loss of future earning capacity due to severe injuries and impairments like paralysis or traumatic brain injury
- Cost of repairs for vehicle damage and other property damage expenses
How Our Law Firm Can Help
A Buffalo passenger vehicle accident attorney can take a variety of actions to secure the damages you deserve. Completing these steps can be challenging, especially if you’ve sustained a debilitating injury in the accident. Therefore, it’s strongly recommended you hire a skilled lawyer from our firm to do the following:
- Investigate the cause of the collision
- Gather evidence from the accident scene
- File an accident claim with the insurance company
- Negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company
- Identify all negligent parties
- Contact witnesses for testimony
- Assess the value of your claim
- Obtain photo and CCTV footage evidence
- Access copies of police reports
- Filing the paperwork to initiate a lawsuit against the liable party
- Provide effective guidance and legal representation throughout your case
Taking these steps will help our personal injury attorneys build a strong case on your behalf and pursue the compensation you need to move past your accident. No matter how complicated or severe your accident was, you can rest assured that your case will be in good hands when you work with our attorneys.
Our Team Can Take On the Insurance Company
If your best course of action is to file an insurance claim with your provider, it’s important to consult with an attorney to avoid getting tricked into accepting a lowball settlement offer. That’s because insurers often try to pay as little as possible, leaving injury victims without the compensation they need to cover their losses.
To avoid getting taken advantage of by the insurance provider, you’ll want to consult with a skilled lawyer. An experienced attorney can review any settlement offers you receive and determine if they are large enough to meet your needs.
If you receive a settlement offer that doesn’t cover all the economic and non-economic losses you’ve suffered, a passenger vehicle accident attorney from our firm can negotiate with the insurer. We’ll draw on our proven negotiation skills to get the payment you’re owed.
Proving Liability in Your Passenger Vehicle Accident Case
If you have to file a lawsuit to get the financial remedies you’re owed, your attorney will have to prove that the offending driver should be held liable for the incident. Proving liability involves four important steps that only a skilled personal injury attorney can complete.
A passenger vehicle accident lawyer from Buffalo must establish the following elements to hold the at-fault driver liable:
Duty of Care
Duty of care is a legal term that refers to a motorist’s responsibility to drive in a way that is safe and prevents others from suffering harm due to foreseeable danger. To prove that the offending driver should be held liable, your attorney must first show that they owed you a duty of care.
Your lawyer can refer to traffic camera footage, witness testimony, and other forms of evidence to establish this element.
Breach of Duty
Next, your lawyer must show that the other driver failed to uphold the duty of care that they owed you. Your attorney can use evidence that the driver was speeding, intoxicated, or driving in an otherwise reckless way to prove that they failed to meet their legal obligations.
Causation
Once your lawyer has shown that the at-fault party breached the duty of care they owed you, they’ll need to prove that the driver’s breach directly caused the accident you were injured in. Our Buffalo passenger vehicle accident attorneys can use evidence from the investigation to show direct causation between the driver’s actions and the incident that occurred.
Injuries and Damages
Finally, your lawyer will need to prove that you suffered injuries and financial losses because of the accident. Our team can use your medical records, medical bills, vehicle repair records, and a handful of other financial documents to prove that the crash impacted your physical and financial health.
Once we’ve completed these steps, it’s highly likely you’ll receive the damages you need to compensate for your financial losses and cope with any pain and suffering you’re experiencing due to your injuries.
Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit for a Fatal Passenger Vehicle Accident
If you’ve lost a loved one in a passenger vehicle collision, we offer our condolences to you and your family. If you choose to do so, you may be able to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages for your suffering and related financial expenses. In such circumstances, a Buffalo wrongful death lawyer can recover fair compensation for pain and suffering regarding the loss.
The judge can also award reimbursement for medical, funeral, and burial expenses, among other damages. Whether you are experiencing catastrophic injuries or mourning the loss of a loved one who passed away in a crash, our legal team can pursue maximum compensation for you.
Time Limits for Filing a Lawsuit in New York
In New York, NY Civil Practice Law & Rules (CVP) § 214 states that you must file a passenger vehicle accident lawsuit within three years from the date of the incident. You may lose your right to hold the negligent driver responsible if you miss this filing deadline.
An attorney can help you and your family determine which statute of limitations applies to your case and maintain your eligibility to pursue compensation through a lawsuit. Reach out today for assistance from our firm, and we’ll make sure your suit is filed on time.
Questions to Ask a Buffalo Passenger Vehicle Accident Lawyer Before Hiring Them
When you enlist the services of an attorney, you’ll want to make sure your case will be in good hands. It’s best to interview the potential representative and determine if they have the experience and knowledge required to file a strong claim or lawsuit on your behalf.
Consider asking a lawyer the following questions to find out if they’re right for your case:
- How many years of experience do you have practicing personal injury law?
- How many cases like mine have you taken on before?
- What is your track record with cases like mine?
- How long will my case take to resolve?
- How much is my case worth?
- What strategy or legal theory will you use to win my case?
- Can you show me any of your past case results or testimonials from clients?
- How often will we communicate about my case?
- How long do I have to file a lawsuit?
If an attorney gives confident and accurate answers to the above-mentioned questions, there’s a good chance that they’ll be a good fit for your case. If you aren’t satisfied with the answers that a potential representative gives to these questions, you’ll want to keep looking until you find a lawyer with whom you feel comfortable working.
When selecting an attorney, it’s also important to observe how they communicate with you. If they explain your case clearly and concisely, they’re probably knowledgeable in their field and will be able to handle your claim effectively. If an attorney avoids answering certain questions or offers confusing answers, consider exploring other options.
Why Our Firm Is the Right Choice for Your Case
If you’ve been hurt in a passenger vehicle accident, you’ll want to entrust your personal injury claim with an attorney you can trust. At Morelli Law, we’ve won life-changing case results for countless accident victims like yourself. Our past case results are strong evidence of our ability to make an incredible difference in your recovery.
We treat every client we work with like a part of our family. Our team takes a client-focused approach to each case, ensuring the client’s best interests are protected at every stage of the legal process. Once you’ve taken the time to read through our testimonials from past clients, you’ll realize why our firm is the right choice for your case.
No Fee Unless We Win Your Case
We understand how financially stressful it can be to navigate the aftermath of a serious motor vehicle accident. That’s why our team is eager to do everything we can to make legal representation as affordable as possible for you. In addition to offering potential clients free, no-obligation consultation, we also offer our service on a contingency fee basis.
A contingency fee is a percentage of the compensation you receive from your case. If your claim doesn’t yield compensation, you won’t have to pay us a cent in out-of-pocket fees. An attorney can answer any questions you have about our contingency fee policy or the legal process in general during an initial consultation.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Buffalo Passenger Vehicle Accident Attorney
Injuries resulting from a car accident can be overwhelming. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may be facing months of recovery and thousands of dollars in medical bills. Tackling an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit on your own may be the last thing you want to do.
Allow a Buffalo passenger vehicle accident lawyer from Morelli Law Firm to take this burden off your shoulders. If your case supports it, we can help you claim both economic and non-economic damages. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and get the legal advice you need to move forward.
