Auto Accidents

In a serious injury vehicle collision, emergency hospitalization bills often exceed $100,000. This figure does not include other economic damages, such as lost wages, post-injury physical therapy, and property damage. This figure also does not include noneconomic damages, like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment in life. To avoid paying compensation for these losses, insurance company lawyers often try to use a number of legal loopholes. If successful, these loopholes either reduce the amount of compensation the victim/plaintiff receives or eliminate recovery altogether. So, a good...

Vicarious liability is also called third-party liability. Many times, an employer or another party negligently sets a chain of events into motion which leads to a car crash. The law holds these parties equally liable for damages, just like the guy who drives the getaway car is just as guilty as the guy who robs a bank. Third-party liability matters because one in six New York drivers are completely uninsured. Additionally, the Empire State has one of the lowest auto insurance minimum requirements in the country. As a result,...

Every day, distracted drivers in the United States cause about 1,000 serious injury collisions. Hand-held cell phones cause a number of these crashes. However, as outlined below, there are a number of other causes as well. For many people, distracted driving is a way of life. Most people multitask their way through the day at work, at home, and at school. Many drivers think they can do the same thing behind the wheel, especially if they are in familiar territory. However, as the aforementioned crash statistics indicate, that’s simply...

As recently as the late 1980s, New York and most other states had rather lenient DUI laws. And, for the most part, peace officers were not very diligent about enforcing the laws which did exist. As a result, alcohol caused about a third of the fatal car crashes in New York. Then, an extended DUI crackdown began. This crackdown included tougher laws, more vigorous enforcement, and an extensive public information campaign which changed the perception of “drunk drivers.” Yet despite all these efforts, and all this money, alcohol still...

In movies and TV shows, most cases come down to emotionally-charged courtroom battles. These events make great theater, but the real world is different. Trials are risky and time-consuming. Furthermore, they usually hinge upon the opinion of 6 people who often make decisions based on very obscure facts. So, only about five percent of civil cases go all the way to trial. Sometimes, the judge throws a case out of court for one reason or another. But the vast majority of these claims settle out of court. In some...

Car accidents happen every single day. In New York, they’re the leading cause of injury-related death in the state. A New York car accident isn’t like other types of car accidents. In Manhattan, bus accidents, taxi accidents or pedestrian and cyclist accidents are likely to occur. If you suffered any type of injury in a car accident, it’s critical to take the appropriate steps after your accident to maximize your potential to receive damages. Read on to find out what you need to do in case you find yourself...