Washington Heights Car Accident Lawyer
Not every car accident is considered a “personal injury.” Sometimes you’re involved in a fender-bender, with a few minor bruises and some property damage. Maybe your Personal Injury Protection insurance policy covers all your medical expenses. However, some cases require the unique skill set of a car accident attorney — when insurers play tricks to dodge paying full compensation, when another motorist has been grossly negligent or reckless, or when your injuries meet New York’s “serious threshold” definition.
If this has happened to you, contact Douglas & London. We offer a “fee-free guarantee,” so you won’t have to worry about how to afford our team of Washington Heights car accident lawyers.
What Is A Serious Injury?
Serious car accident injuries worthy of a lawsuit include:
- Back injuries
- Broken bones
- Head trauma
- Internal organ damage
- Joint injuries
- Spinal cord damage
If your daily life is impaired for three out of six months following the accident, New York considers your injury consistent with the “serious injury” threshold. By this definition, whiplash and mental phobias could be grounds for a lawsuit once you factor in wage loss and other hardships.
What Causes Car Accidents?
New York is a no-fault state, meaning that it doesn’t matter who caused the accident. You can always collect compensation from your insurance provider. However, in a lawsuit, your car accident lawyer will need to prove the other motorist’s negligence or recklessness to secure additional compensation.
Common
grounds for driver negligence may include:
- Failure to stop or yield right-of-way
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Drowsy driving
- Following too closely
- Inexperienced driving
- Reckless driving
- Road rage
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Turning improperly
- Unsafe lane changes
You Can Still Recover Compensation Even If You Caused The Accident
Even if your actions played a role in causing the accident, New York’s comparative negligence law allows you to receive a portion of compensation for your injuries and other losses based on the other party’s liability. So, for instance, if you were speeding through a yellow light at the time of the accident, but the other driver made a left-hand-turn into your vehicle, the court may determine you were 10 percent at fault. If the value of the case is $1 million, you would still be able to collect $900,000 in damages (90 percent of the total recovery).
Hiring an experienced Washington Heights car accident lawyer from our firm will help establish your relative innocence so that you can receive maximum compensation.
What Does A Car Accident Lawyer in Washington Heights Cost?
If you choose our law firm to represent your claim, you pay nothing to retain our services, and we cover all the upfront costs associated with investigation and litigation. If we don’t win, you don’t pay us. If we negotiate a settlement or recover a jury award on your behalf, you will owe about one-third of the total recovery as the standard legal fee.
Most insurers and defendants won’t pay the maximum claim value without the downward pressure exerted by a car accident law firm, so it always pays to work with an experienced professional. Get a case evaluation by phone or stop by our office, conveniently located 37 minutes southwest of Washington Heights via the FDR Drive.
