Carle Place Car Accident Lawyer

Paying For Your Injuries

Because New York is a no-fault state, your own insurance will pay for your injuries. However, if you suffered a serious injury, you can step outside of the no-fault system and hold another driver accountable. A serious injury includes:

• Dismemberment
• Disfigurement
• Bone fracture
• Miscarriage
• Permanent loss of use of a body organ, function, or system
• Permanent limitation of a body organ/member
• Significant limitation of use of a body function/system
• One that keeps the victim from engaging in usual activities for at least 90 of the 180 days following the accident

If you are able to prove serious injury, you may be able to hold another driver liable. There is a four-step process to establish liability in car accident cases which a Carle Place cat accident attorney can assist with.

First: Did the at-fault party owe you a duty of care?

To hold someone liable for your injuries, that person must have owed you a duty of care. For example, drivers owe all other drivers a duty to drive carefully.

Second: Did the at-fault party breach that duty?

You must be able to prove the driver breached that duty. For example, if the other driver was speeding or traveling too fast for conditions, s/he may be liable.

Third: Did his/her actions cause your injuries?

The breach of the duty of care must have been the cause — or one of the causes — of the accident. The driver’s speeding must have caused or contributed to the accident. For example, if you had to stop for a driver turning right and the other driver rear-ended you, the driver’s speeding made it impossible for him/her to stop quickly enough.

However, if the driver ran into you because your brake lights were out, you may not be able to prove the driver’s actions lead to your accident.

Fourth: Did you suffer any damages?

You must have suffered some kind of injury. For example, if your accident caused you a few cuts and bruises that you were able to treat at home, you will likely be unable to recover compensation.

However, if you broke your arm and suffered a traumatic brain injury in the accident, you can recover for those expenses.

What Potential Damages Could be Collected After a Carle Place Car Accident?

There are several types of damages that can result from a car accident. Every claim is different, but here are some common types of damages available after a car accident with the help of a Carle Place auto accident attorney include:

Medical expenses

Medical expenses can include any medical bills, surgical costs, ambulance fees, doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, etc. You can establish these damages with receipts or bills.

Note: Keep ALL receipts. You might also be able to recover compensation for travel costs or parking fees for doctor’s appointments.

Lost wages

Your injury might keep you out of work for weeks or months. You can recover compensation for any time you needed to take off work.

Note: Be sure to include any time you needed to take off for doctor’s appointments or physical therapy. That time can add up quickly.

Property damage

You can recover compensation for damage to your car and possibly even the contents inside it.

Talk to your lawyer at once if the insurer has deemed your car a total loss. You may need to take photos of ruined items, or remove them from the car in order to preserve your claim for loss of the contents.

Future medical care

Some accident victims heal from their injuries in a matter of months. Others are not this fortunate. If your doctor believes you will need ongoing care for your injury, we will ensure your settlement demand includes this.

How is Disfigurement Compensated For?

Disfigurement or scarring can cause an accident victim both physical and emotional pain. Insurers will not consider any disfigurement or scarring you suffered due to the accident. We will ensure your settlement accounts for it.

You can also recover compensation for any home or vehicle modifications you needed to make to accommodate your disability (e.g., wheelchair ramps, widened doorways, etc.).

Future lost wages and loss of earning potential

If you are unable to go back to work or if you have to take a lesser-paying job, you can recover any future lost wages or loss of earning potential.

Benefits of a Carle Place Car Accident Lawyer

Claims adjusters are going to want to close your claim as soon — and for as little money — as possible. For this reason, they might rush through your claim, trick you into admitting something that is not true, or pressure you into signing something that jeopardizes your claim.

Our Carle Place car accident lawyers will handle your case from start to finish. We will make sure we know the prognosis of your injuries before we even begin a demand. We know the tricks insurers use and we know how to defend against them. We will require the insurer pass any communication through us so you cannot sign or say anything that might bar you from recovering the compensation you deserve.

And we do all this without any upfront out-of-pocket cost to you. We work on a contingency basis which means you owe us nothing unless you win your case.