Brooklyn Car Accident Lawyer
A car accident doesn’t have to be the end of the road for your finances. Let a Brooklyn car crash lawyer help you win compensation for all you’ve suffered.
Car accidents in Brooklyn can cause serious injuries. If you were in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party or parties.
In 2023, Brooklyn saw a significant share of New York City’s traffic accidents and injuries. The borough accounted for 33% of the city’s total collisions, with 32,788 accidents reported. This made it the highest among the five boroughs in terms of collisions.
A Brooklyn car accident lawyer can represent you in settlement negotiations and in court. But choosing the right one is an important factor in the outcome of your claim. Without the right lawyer on your side, you could be left with little or no compensation. Don’t put your future at risk.
A lawyer from Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP will treat you with respect while explaining all you must accomplish to win compensation. Our team will become yours. And with our qualified lawyers and staff, we’ll push your claim toward success.
Cause Leads to Fault in Car Accident Cases
First, we have to find the cause of your Brooklyn car accident. That information will often lead us to the at-fault parties. Without a cause, or someone to hold the blame, we have no case to file.
Nearly anything can result in a car accident. But a few factors are common culprits. And keep in mind that many accidents involve more than one factor. We’ll investigate the scene of the car accident, the vehicles involved, the drivers, and the upkeep of the area. We will also interview witnesses and experts to gain more knowledge about the accident.
When it comes to causes of car accidents in Brooklyn, here are the usual suspects:
- Drunk, drugged, drowsy, and distracted drivers
- Mechanical and part failure
- Installation and inspection errors
- Road hazards that should have been managed
- Roadside construction zone mishaps
Brooklyn Car Accident Injuries
Your injuries will depend largely on the types of car and vehicles involved, the speed at which they were traveling, and the quality of safety equipment, such as seat belts and airbags. Injuries can range from whiplash to severe brain damage. But no matter the severity, you’ll likely need some medical care. And that’s always expensive.
We’ll talk to your doctors to determine which of these injuries might apply in your situation:
- Head and facial harm can lead to hearing loss, vision impairment, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and disfigurement that requires surgeries.
- Neck, back, and spine damages can result in permanent back pain, whiplash, spinal cord injuries that lead to paralysis, and nerve damage resulting in chronic, pain, numbness, tingling, and reduced mobility.
- Organ damage can cause deadly internal bleeding.
- Broken bones cause mobility limitations.
- Severe burns across a wide area of your body from fire or leaked chemicals can be painful and long-lasting. Burns can sometimes cause severe disfigurement. This necessitates skin grafts and other surgeries.
- PTSD can affect anyone at any age and involves several social and mental conditions.
Fair Compensation for Your Brooklyn Car Accident
Your invoices will inform us how much your medical bills are, up to the current moment. But projecting your future financial losses is a tough task. This is true of non-economic damages, as well. But they all need a specific value tied to them, despite the fact that certain conditions can never truly be accounted for.
With the help of your doctors, therapists, and other medical experts, your car accident lawyer in Brooklyn will make these calculations for you to assign the correct and maximum value to every hardship you have suffered and will suffer.
Your car accident claim should include any relevant damages:
- Immediate and long-term medical costs
- Current and future income loss and losses in wage-earning capacity
- Any disability accommodations to your home, workplace, and car
- Pain and suffering for the experience of the accident, your treatment, and the recovery process
- Distress tied to changes with your emotional and mental well-being
- Loss of consortium
- Damage to your vehicle and the items inside
- Punitive damages to punish the severe negligence of the other party
- Wrongful death
Car Insurance and Brooklyn No-Fault Rules
Dealing with anyone’s insurance—even your own—is hard. New York is a no-fault insurance state, which means your first action must be against your own insurer. That’s no matter who is responsible for the accident. If you want to file a personal injury claim, you must have suffered a “serious” injury.
New York’s legal definition of a serious injury includes these conditions:
- A fracture
- A disability lasting at least ninety days within the first 180 days after the injury
- Significant disfigurement
- Dismemberment
- Loss of a fetus
- Permanent loss of the use of a body organ, member, function, or system
- Permanent limitation of the use of a body organ or member
- Significant limitation of the use of a body function or system
- Death
No-fault insurance claims are capped by both the state and individual insurance policies. These caps often leave the victims of serious Brooklyn car accidents paying out of pocket for their damages. Luckily, a personal injury claim can help you recover full compensation for all you have suffered.
The New York Insurance Process and Car Accidents
You’re thinking about filing an insurance claim for a Brooklyn car accident. What does that look like. What can you expect? You might know which injuries should be covered, but you could be unclear on the process and what to expect from your insurer.
First, you’ll need to contact your insurer after your accident. Once you report your car accident and file a claim, an adjuster will determine what your claim is worth. This includes car repairs or replacements and any relevant medical expenses. This research can take some time, so don’t expect an immediate settlement offer.
If you receive a settlement quickly, or the amount seems lower than you expected, reach out to a lawyer in Brooklyn to review the offer. Your car accident lawyer can look at the offer and help you send a demand letter for the full value of your claim.
If the insurer refuses to settle, or if you suffered a serious injury as defined by New York law, your lawyer can bring a civil claim against the at-fault party to secure your maximum compensation.
Understanding Comparative Negligence in Car Accident Claims
No matter whose insurer you’re dealing with, you need to understand that you do not matter to them. Your injuries, your family’s needs, and your life aren’t part of their equation. The bottom line and the profit loss you represent are the only ways they see you and your Brooklyn car accident claim.
To protect their profit margins, insurers might try to shift some or all of the blame over to you. They do this because it can help them take advantage of a rule called comparative negligence.
New York’s pure comparative negligence law is taken advantage of often, though it is meant to make personal injury judgments fair. Comparative negligence allows you file a claim for compensation even if you’re partly at fault.
The downside is that your compensation is reduced by the amount of blame you’re found to hold. For instance, if you’re awarded $1 million but you’re found to be 20 percent at fault for your Brooklyn car accident, you will receive only $800,000.
Talk with a Car Accident Lawyer in Brooklyn
Car accidents in New York have a three-year statute of limitations, which means you have to file your claim within three years of your Brooklyn car accident. This might seem like a long time, but these claims can require extensive investigation and research. And they can take a long time to push through the legal system.
Those three years can fly by if you’re not prepared, which can leave you without the settlement you need.
You likely need a Brooklyn car accident lawyer to get started on your claim quickly. Our team at Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP knows how to win and secure the financial justice you deserve. Call 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462) or fill out the form below to schedule a free consultation today.
Find a Brooklyn Car Accident Lawyer Today:
Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP
41 Flatbush Ave 1st floor, Brooklyn, NY 11217
(646) 850-2601
Citations:
Legislation, New York Senate
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/214
NYC’s 2023 Car Accident Statistics, Black Car News
https://www.blackcarnews.com/article/nycs-2023-car-accident-statistics