Forest Hills Queens Car Accident Lawyer
Facing serious injuries after a car accident can take a serious toll on your life. The medical expenses you face could be very high, you could miss wages and other benefits if you are unable to work, and you could face considerable pain and suffering. If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident in the Forest Hills area, contact the Forest Hills car accident lawyers at Sullivan and Galleshaw today.
Sullivan and Galleshaw’s lawyers represent injured drivers and passengers in car accident lawsuits against the at-fault drivers who caused the crash. You may be able to file through car insurance to cover some injuries, but our attorneys can help you maximize your compensation by filing your case in a court of law. For a free consultation on your case, contact our law offices today at (718) 843-0300.
Suing for a Car Crash in Forest Hills, Queens
Every driver in New York State is required to have car accident insurance, which may be able to help you if you were injured. Under New York’s no-fault insurance rules, you may have to file with your insurance company first before you can receive any other compensation. This coverage usually covers up to around $50,000 of injuries and vehicle damage. This is intended to cut-down on the number of car accident lawsuits. However, permanent or very serious injuries, as well as injuries not covered by the $50,000 limit, can be taken to court.
Any additional money that you need to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages could be claimed in court. Especially severe injuries like spinal cord injuries that leave you paralyzed or brain injuries that could affect you for the rest of your life can require ongoing medical care at a very high cost. These lawsuits help you recover compensation to help with these kinds of injuries and other permanent, severe, or costly effects of a serious crash.
When you file a car accident claim, it can cover any damages that result from the crash. That includes medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. Medical damages can cover the costs of necessary surgical procedures, imaging, transportation, and medical devices. Lost wage damages can cover anything you lost if you were too injured to go to work. Pain and suffering damages are additional damages paid directly to the victim to cover the physical and mental anguish of the injuries. These pain and suffering damages are not usually covered by insurance, so filing a lawsuit may be the only way to receive this compensation.
Proving Fault in a New York Car Accident
To get compensation for your car accident injuries, you need to do more than prove you were injured. This is where it is incredibly helpful to have an attorney handle your case. The process of filing your claim in court, addressing the proper paperwork and court briefs, and actually presenting your case in court is most often handled by an attorney.
Your car accident claim will be part of a lawsuit for “negligence.” This means that the claim is not based on the at-fault driver’s willful actions or illegal violations of traffic laws (though traffic laws can help). Instead, the claim is based on the fact that the driver failed to use the proper care or skill that a reasonable driver should have used. To prove what the reasonable standard is, your lawyer can point to traffic laws the driver violated, like speeding, texting and driving, or drunk driving laws. Alternatively, general expectations for safe, reasonable driving set the standard.
In many cases, the at-fault driver will try to deflect blame by claiming that you were actually the one who caused the crash. For instance, if the other driver was speeding and made an illegal left turn when the accident happened, the driver may point to you switching the radio or speeding during the crash in an attempt to deflect blame. Fortunately, New York’s laws work in your favor, and you can still receive compensation even if you were partly at fault. The court may consider something like taking your eyes off the road or driving over the speed limit as a contributing factor to the crash, but the at-fault driver should still be held responsible and made to pay damages they owe you.
Forest Hills, Queens Car Accident Lawyers Offering Free Consultations
If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident in Forest Hills or anywhere in New York, contact the car accident lawyers at Sullivan and Galleshaw. Our attorneys fight to get compensation for injured car crash victims and their families. Especially if your injuries were severe or life-altering, it is important to talk to an attorney about your claims before accepting anything the insurance company offers you. For a free consultation on your case and for help understanding what your case might be worth, contact our law offices today at (718) 843-0300.