If you or a loved one ended up in an automobile accident that caused severe injury and damages, you might be struggling to keep up with expenses related to the accident. You might also be in physical or emotional pain. Unfortunately, these circumstances are all too common for many people after car accidents.
You may be able to pursue compensation for your damages via a claim or lawsuit. A New York car accident lawyer can represent you in your case. Our team at the Morelli Law Firm offers a free case evaluation so that you know your legal options.
Find out more about how we can help by calling or completing our online contact form.
Are You Eligible for Compensation Following a New York Car Accident?
You may have a legal chance to file a personal injury claim after a car accident in New York. Generally, accident victims can seek compensation if:
- Someone else owed you a duty of care
- The other party violated their responsibility to you
- Their actions directly led to your motor vehicle accident
Individuals who violate their duty of care generally act negligently, allowing a car accident lawyer in New York City to step in and file a legal claim on your behalf. You can contact us for a free consultation to see if you’re eligible for financial compensation.
What Compensation Can You Get After a Car Accident?
Every case is different, so there is no way of knowing precisely what compensation may be available in your case without a direct consultation. However, when we discuss your case with you, we can categorize your damages to identify the financial and non-financial consequences you have suffered.
While our NY car accident attorneys want to pursue compensation for your financial damages, we also want to seek compensation that reflects the physical and emotional toll the car accident had on you or your loved one.
Economic Damages
Your financial damages, also called economic damages, encompass every debt, expense, and financial loss you experienced because of the accident and your injuries. In general, these damages may include:
- Costs for ambulance services, hospitalization, and ER treatment
- Prices of other medical care, including surgery, therapy, and medication
- Future costs of medical care
- Lost wages if you missed work due to your injuries
- Future wages you will lose as a result of having long-term or permanent injuries
- Reduced earning potential
- Costs to fix or replace the property that ended up damaged in the accident, such as your vehicle
Your New York car accident lawyer may suggest other financial damages based on the specifics of your case and the medical expenses you face.
Non-Economic Damages
Your general damages, also called non-economic damages, involve more subjective forms of losses, such as the physical and emotional pain you suffered after the car accident.
These losses can be more ambiguous since they do not have a monetary value, but our car accident lawyers in New York can assign a figure to them that reflects the accident’s impact on your life. These damages may include the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability, including vision and hearing loss
- Physical disfigurement, including scarring and burns
- Diminished quality of life
- Lost enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of consortium or changes in your relationship with loved ones
A car accident attorney in New York City can review these expenses while working on your accident claim.
New York Car Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
How Much Compensation Do You Receive After a Car Accident in New York?
Auto accidents do not all cause the same amount of financial losses. Therefore, not everyone receives the same compensation following a collision. For example, someone who sustains catastrophic injuries, or suffered a wrongful death, may receive a more significant monetary award than someone with whiplash.
Personal injury attorneys can review the specific effects of your accident to help you estimate a possible settlement amount.
What Services Does Our Legal Team Provide?
Car accidents often leave victims with negative life impacts; some of the effects can last for months or even years after the accident. In addition, if you face severe physical injury, you may find it challenging to pursue compensation for the losses incurred.
A New York car accident lawyer from our team can relieve you of the burden of legal work. When you hire Morelli Law Firm, our team builds and manages your case. Our services involve:
- Answering your legal questions and giving you legal advice
- Discussing possible outcomes in your case
- Managing your legal paperwork and deadlines
- Communicating with all parties on your behalf
- Identifying the liable party or parties
- Gathering evidence for your case
- Placing a value on your injuries based on evidence
- Negotiating a potential settlement offer with the responsible party’s insurance company
- Taking your case to trial if the other party is not willing to make you a fair settlement offer
When you allow a car accident attorney from our firm to take these tasks off your shoulders, you can concentrate your time and energy on recovering from your injuries. Allow us to take steps to bring you maximum compensation starting right now.
What Should You Look for in a Car Accident Attorney in New York?
Selecting the right car accident lawyer in NYC can tremendously impact your case. In many cases, the professionals recommend finding a firm with experience handling similar cases and a reputation for aggressively representing clients like you.
Our team has decades of experience helping clients like you secure funds to cover medical expenses and property damage costs. For example, we recently helped a family secure $2.65 million in damages after a car accident that left a child with serious injuries.
A car accident lawyer in New York can address cases involving:
- Head-on collisions
- Rear-end collisions
- T-bone accidents
- Rollover accidents
We personalize the care we provide to clients like you, listening to all your concerns after a collision and maintaining open lines of communication. Allow our personal injury law firm to find the at-fault party and build your case immediately.
How Do Car Accident Lawyers Investigate Cases in New York?
Thousands of traffic accidents happen in New York City, and preventable, negligent behaviors caused too many; they should never have happened.
In order to recover compensation from the other party, you need to prove their negligence caused your accident. There are many ways that a driver can be negligent on the road. A New York car accident attorney can investigate by:
- Questioning witnesses who saw your accident
- Reviewing a copy of your police report
- Handling accident reconstruction
- Working with car accident experts
We take care of all aspects of the investigation while you focus on recovering from accident injuries. We understand that you need a chance to seek physical therapy during your recovery, so we address all legal concerns on your behalf.
Our team takes steps throughout the investigation to identify the negligent party, allowing us to shape the direction of your claim.
Who Causes Car Accidents in New York?
Your New York car accident lawyer may pursue several parties to bring you compensation to cover your losses. Depending on your situation, we may build a case against:
The Driver Who Struck You
Driver error causes many car accidents throughout New York. Drivers on the road cause accidents due to the following:
- Distracted driving, including texting, eating, grooming, or adjusting the settings of the car
- Intoxicated or drunk driving
- Road rage or aggressive driving
- Drowsy driving
- Speeding
- Not adjusting to inclement weather
- Driving an unsafe vehicle
- Violating a traffic law
Your personal injury lawyer can assess the actions that led to your accident, determining if another driver directly caused the collision.
A Vehicle Manufacturer
Sometimes, a car accident can happen due to a negligent mechanic or parts manufacturer. For example, suppose a vehicle defect caused the accident. In that case, we may argue that the manufacturer of the part should have recalled the defective part or that a mechanic should have spotted the flaw while working on the vehicle.
A car wreck lawyer from Morelli Law Firm can investigate your case for liability. We are not intimidated by complex issues or multiparty liability. If someone’s negligence on the road causes you to be injured, we believe they should be held accountable.
How Do You Secure Damages Following a Car Accident in New York?
You may have the legal right to compensation if you sustain traumatic brain injuries, neck injuries, spinal cord damage, or other injuries due to a car accident. A car accident attorney in New York can review your claim and review your options to secure financial coverage.
Depending on the facts of your case, your lawyer may recommend the following:
Settling with the Insurance Company
Your lawyer might seek fair compensation through a settlement if the negligent driver had insurance coverage. Our team knows the strategies that work when handling insurance adjusters in New York, and we review each offer made by the insurance company to ensure it covers your losses.
Insurance providers often try to get you to accept a subpar settlement. They could even try to blame the accident on you. Fortunately, your New York car accident lawyer can stand firm on your behalf.
Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit
Sometimes, insurance agents refuse to treat you fairly after an accident caused by a negligent driver. In this situation, your attorney may advise you to file a lawsuit. Lawsuits may take longer to resolve, but they open another avenue for you to seek funds to cover your losses.
Can You File a Claim if You Lost a Loved One in a New York Car Accident?
If you lost a loved one due to the actions of a negligent or drunk driver, our team could provide you with compassionate support while helping you file a wrongful death claim. This legal claim allows you to seek funds to cover your loved one’s medical expenses and burial costs.
We understand the effects of a fatal crash on your family, and our team supports you while handling the wrongful death case on your behalf.
After losing a loved one, you don’t have to wait to get help. Instead, you can contact us immediately to secure support. We’ll take care of the communication with insurance agents so you can focus on providing for your family’s emotional needs.
We Will Make Sure Your Case Gets Filed By Its Statutory Deadline
If you are considering legal action after a traffic accident, it is better if you speak with an attorney sooner rather than later. According toCPLR § 214, a three-year statute of limitations may apply to your personal injury case.
In some cases, such as lawsuits against a municipality or county agency, you may have even shorter deadlines to comply with, as detailed inGMU § 50-E. We can discuss what deadlines pertain to your case during your consultation.
Discuss your claim’s time limits with a New York car accident lawyer.
What Do Car Accident Lawyers in New York Charge to Handle Claims?
Car accident law firms in New York can charge different rates for their services. Generally, these firms work on a contingency basis, meaning that they only charge legal fees after they resolve claims for their clients through an insurance settlement or courtroom verdict.
Our experienced car accident lawyers can discuss the costs to address your legal needs when you reach out to us. When we resolve your claim, we will receive a percentage of your final financial award to cover our work on your case.
What if the Driver Who Hit You Has No Insurance in New York?
New York’s laws require all drivers to carry insurance before they operate a vehicle. But unfortunately, uninsured drivers still decide to take to the roads, sometimes causing significant collisions.
If an uninsured or underinsured driver strikes you, you may still have a chance to seek damages. Your insurance company may cover your losses. You also have the option to file a car accident lawsuit with a New York car accident lawyer.
How Long Does Getting Damages After a New York Car Accident Take?
The time it takes to secure funds to cover your losses after a New York car accident can vary. If you were involved in a straightforward accident without any complications, you could receive funds in a matter of weeks.
However, it could take longer to get damages to cover your losses if your lawyer has to take your claim to court. Regardless of how long it takes, our team is ready to assist you with any legal needs.
What Proactive Steps Can You Take After a Car Accident?
Our car accident lawyers in New York recommend the following steps after your accident. If you did not or could not take one or more of these steps, you do not have to let that stop you from contacting our firm. We may still be able to help you pursue a case against the liable party.
Seek Medical Care
It is always a good idea to seek immediate medical care after an accident. Even if you feel OK, you may have hidden internal injuries, and subtle symptoms could worsen. A doctor can thoroughly evaluate you and begin treatment.
They can also create a link in your medical record between the accident and your injuries that your lawyer may use in your case.
Retain Evidence
While it is our job to collect evidence for you, you should keep and preserve any evidence from the accident. Possible evidence can include:
- Photos
- Videos
- Witness contact information
- The other driver’s contact information
- The police report
- Medical records
These documents may all be helpful in your case. They all contain potentially crucial information.
Be Cautious When Communicating About Your Case
We recommend using caution when communicating about your case with insurance companies or on social media. Take care with the way you speak of your case because:
- Insurance companies can use minor inconsistencies or omissions in your statements to reduce or deny your claim.
- Insurance companies may be able to obtain your comments on social media and use them to “prove” that you are not as bad off as your lawsuit claims. For instance, if you post about spending the day out with friends, they may try to claim this is proof that you have recovered and do not need damages.
- Insurance companies may offer you a lowball settlement right away. This option might seem like easy money, but insurance agents design it to prevent you from suing for additional funds in the future.
In short, it is essential to remember that the liable party’s insurance company will do anything to reduce their payout. Instead of speaking to them alone, you can let a car accident attorney from our firm represent you in all meetings with insurance representatives.
Our New York Car Accident Lawyers Are Here to Help
You are not alone if you sustain injuries in an auto wreck. A New York car accident lawyer from Morelli Law Firm may be able to represent you. For a free consultation on your case and legal options, call us or complete our online contact form at any time.
Members of our team are standing by to speak with you.