Staten Island Car Accidents, Everything You Need To Know.
CAR ACCIDENTS IN STATEN ISLAND
Car accidents can happen anytime, anywhere on public roads, parking lots, and on private property. Car accidents can affect your life in ways few people consider. As a result, you may waste time at work, deal with medical bills, rush to doctor’s appointments, and struggle only to manage the essential aspects of your daily life. Additionally, victims of car accidents must try to navigate the confusing and complex insurance claims process, which can be frustrating and fraught with pitfalls for the unwary.
CAR ACCIDENTS IN ANNDALE
Knowing if it is worth hiring a personal injury attorney after a car accident can be difficult. The decision is more straightforward if you have suffered severe injuries and significant property damage. But you may not know if it’s worth it if you are involved in a minor car accident.
Sometimes, in minor accidents, you may not need an attorney. However, there are many cases where even the slightest collision requires legal expertise. It all depends on the situation of the accident, such as injuries, damage to the vehicle and who was negligent.
WHAT CAUSES CAR ACCIDENTS IN ANNDALE
Many different things can lead to, contribute to, or cause a car accident in Anndale. However, the accident statistics compiled by the NYPD indicate that some things cause accidents more often than others. These include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding and aggressive driving behaviour
- Failure to yield
- Following too closely
- Alcohol and drunk driving
- Dangerous turns at intersections.
Other factors that commonly contribute to accidents in Anndale include dangerous road conditions (for example, potholes, uneven surfaces); defective vehicles; road construction; and bad weather (e.g., ice, snow, and rain).
THINGS TO DO AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT IN ANNDALE?
You may not realize that the decisions you make right after your car accident can have a massive impact on any legal action you take in the future. So, keep these things in mind after a car accident in the hours, days, and weeks.
- STAY AT THE SCENE: You legally obligated to stand still in the event of significant property damage or if someone has been injured or killed in the accident. Exchange insurance details with other parties while you wait for the police.
- CALL 911 OR THE LOCAL POLICE: You will need to make sure that the police are aware of your accident. When you call, ask that an agent be sent to the location. Upon arrival, the officer will conduct a preliminary investigation, ask a few questions, and prepare a police report. The details in this report can be vital in general. It will likely contain important information relevant to your case that you are likely to forget, such as weather and traffic conditions or a specific time of day.
- GET A FULL MEDICAL CHECKUP: Be sure to get to the emergency room or doctor immediately after the accident, even if you don’t think your injuries are serious. A doctor will assess you and make sure any damages are diagnosed and treated. This will ensure your safety and limit the risk of complications by establishing a causal link between the accident and the injuries.
- DON’T ADMIT FAULT: Do not apologize and do not admit your fault. Limit your conversations with others and only provide concise responses to the police. Insurers and their parties will try to twist your words and use them against you.
- CALL A LAWYER: Hiring a lawyer can significantly increase your chances of recovering and maximizing your compensation after an accident. Don’t be late to call a Staten Island Car accident attorney after your crash. Once you have a personal injury lawyer, you can direct all communications to him.
IS IT WORTH GETTING A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER FOR A CAR ACCIDENT
A personal injury attorney will serve you in many ways after the accident. They can help you:
- Determination of fault for your accident: An attorney will identify the parties whose negligence caused your collision. These parties may include a motorist, an employer whose employee caused the crash, a car-sharing company, a pedestrian, an automobile manufacturer, or another responsible party.
- Evidence Gathering: Law firm investigators will search for physical evidence, footage, testimony, and other types of evidence relevant to our case. They can also hire experts to testify, reconstruct your accident, or help your case in some other way.
- Documentation of your damages: Your damages will be crucial in your case. Your attorney should obtain medical records, speak to mental health professionals, document your loss of income, and look for any other documentation that proves your harm.
- Compensation Case Paperwork: An insurance claim or lawsuit can include essential documents. From filing your complaint to drafting and submitting other necessary documents, a car accident attorney should handle all administrative aspects of your case.
- Top Settlement Discussions: Civil cases are usually settled out of court. The attorneys will negotiate the deal you deserve, either with an insurance company or the party responsible for your accident.
- Complete necessary lawsuits: Although lawsuits are generally not essential in civil cases, you want a law firm to be ready if your request has to go to court.
A Car accident attorney should protect and take care of you after your collision. Then, focus on your recovery and let them fight for the financial recovery you deserve.
WHERE DO MOST ACCIDENTS HAPPEN ON STATEN ISLAND?
Based on the number of car accidents and resulting injuries and deaths, certain areas of Staten Island appear to be the most dangerous for motorists. However, the reasons for the dangers are varied.
In general, heavy traffic, confusing or broken signals and signals, or inexperienced drivers at a particular location can all contribute to the risks of an intersection.
The following locations in Staten Island are especially prone to accidents:
- Hylan Boulevard and Allison/Ebbitts Street
- Hylan Boulevard and New Dorp Lane
- Hylan Boulevard and Nelson Avenue
- Father Capodanno Boulevard and Sand Lane
- Hylan Boulevard and Richmond Avenue
- Arthur Kill Road and Drumgoole Road West
- Clove Road and Victory Boulevard
- Hylan Boulevard and Guyon Avenue
- Hylan Boulevard and Old Town Road, and
- Rockland Avenue and Manor Road.
COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE AND YOUR CAR ACCIDENT CASE
If the fault isn’t apparent, you may be responsible for part or all of the incident. Most insurance companies use this to devalue or deny your claim. Because New York is a state of comparative negligence, these efforts could affect your ability to recover your compensation or prevent your recovery altogether.
Comparative negligence means: More than one person can be blamed for an accident, and you are not automatically barred from receiving money simply for contributing to an accident.
Therefore, anyone contributing to an accident may be required to pay damages. This can include any injured person. The more blame you get, the less money you get in the end.
For example, let’s say you were involved in a car accident on Rockland Avenue. You were driving too fast when the accident happened, and the other driver was texting. After the investigation, you are attributed 30% of the responsibility for the accident, while the other driver receives 70% of the responsibility. Therefore, your damage will be reduced by 30% to reflect your role in the incident. So, if your damages amounted to $10,000, you could get a maximum of $7,000. But, simultaneously, you could be responsible for up to 30% of the damage caused by the other driver.
TYPES OF DAMAGES
Victims of Car accidents in Staten can suffer two types of damages: economic and non-economic.
- ECONOMIC DAMAGES
Economic damages are easy to estimate and can be valued in dollars. They compensate you for your monetary losses after an injury.
Examples of economic damages include:
- Lost wages
- Physical therapy
- Disability equipment
- Home modifications
- Household services
- In-home care
- Prosthetics
Economic damage is often easy to prove because it leaves paper traces, such as receipts and pays slips.
- NON-ECONOMIC DAMAGES
These damages are more difficult to assess because they involve the non-financial aspects of your injuries. They try to compensate for their emotional and physical pain.
Examples of non-economic damages include:
- Disfigurement
- Cognitive dysfunction
- PTSD
- Loss of companionship
- Physical scarring
- Anxiety
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
You can rest assured that an experienced Staten Island car accident attorney will stop at nothing to identify evidence of non-economic damages.
HOW CAN A STATEN ISLAND CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER HELP ME?
You might have two or three potential insurance claims if you or a loved one were injured in a car accident. Depending on the circumstances, these include no-fault claims, personal injury claims, and claims from “underinsured” or “uninsured” motorists.
Although New York law provides no-fault coverage to pay a portion of lost wages and medical expenses, sometimes that is not enough to cure an injury victim. However, a Staten Island car accident attorney can review the facts of the case and help you get the total compensation you deserve.