Injured In An Auto Accident? Our NYC Car Accident Lawyers Can Help.
A car accident can be traumatic, turning your world upside down in an instant. It may feel like a nightmare, but it is unfortunately all too real, particularly in New York City, where car accidents occur at an astonishing rate.
The New York Police Department reports that there were 7,865 collisions in March 2023 alone, injuring 1,794 motorists and killing four. The number of injuries more than doubles and the number of deaths more than quadruples once pedestrians, bicyclists, and other bystanders are taken into account.
When you are seriously hurt in a car accident through no fault of your own, it can be difficult to know what to do next. How will you deal with the mounting medical bills and other unforeseen expenses, especially if your injuries are preventing you from working? How can you make yourself whole again?
At a time like this, consider doing what so many others have done before you and reach out to The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny. For more than two decades, Richard and his team of New York car accident lawyers have been representing injured victims throughout the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, recovering more than $350 Million in verdicts and settlements.
You may have a limited window of time after an accident to take action. To learn more about what you need to do to preserve your legal rights, schedule a free consultation with one of our Manhattan car accident attorneys today. Please complete our case evaluation form below or call us directly at (212) 421-0300.
Common Motor Vehicle Accidents in NYC
The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny has litigated a wide variety of New York traffic accident cases. Collisions come in many forms, but some of the most common types of car accidents in New York City include:
- Head-on Collisions – When one car crashes into another one moving in the opposite direction, the damage can be immense. How and why a head-on collision occurred will determine who was at fault for the accident.
- Multi-vehicle Pileups – Also known as chain reaction crashes, these collisions involve more than two motor vehicles. Multi-vehicle pileups usually occur in the sort of heavy traffic you find in New York City, where an initial collision between two cars can create a domino effect with many others. The number of individuals involved in a pileup can make it easier for insurance companies to downplay the injuries sustained or call liability for the car accident into question.
- Rear-end Collisions – When the front end of one car hits the backside of the car ahead of it, New York traffic law usually holds that the driver to the rear is responsible. There may be exceptions to this rule if the driver of the rear-ending vehicle has a reasonable explanation for the rear end accident, so seeking the advice of a car accident attorney could be helpful.
- Rollover Crashes – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, rollover crashes account for nearly one-third of all passenger vehicle deaths in the United States, with 7,107 occupant fatalities in 2020. The risk of a rollover accident is directly correlated with a vehicle’s center of gravity, making SUVs and pickup trucks more likely to tip over when turning sharply or moving at high speeds.
- Side-impact Collisions/T-Bone Crashes – When the front end of one car collides with the side of another car, the significant risk of direct contact with the motorist seated near the point of impact makes serious or even fatal injuries more likely. T-bone crashes typically happen when drivers disregard traffic signals or fail to yield the right of way. It may require the assistance of a proficient car accident lawyer to establish liability.
- Taxi Accidents – Taxi cabs are a fixture of New York life in the popular imagination. Residents and tourists alike rely on the city’s 13,587 officially licensed taxis to take them where they need to go, making taxi accidents inevitable. The New York Times reports that cabs are involved in 13 percent of all major crashes. While taxis may have a lower collision rate than other vehicles, the Times finds that individuals in a taxi accident may suffer worse injuries, with 21 percent of them classified as either serious or moderate.
- Rideshare Collisions – Since Uber first began operating in New York in 2011, ridesharing has exploded in the city, which now has an estimated 75,000 rideshare vehicles. Unfortunately, drivers in this industry have to undergo far less training than licensed taxi and limo drivers, making them more likely to commit errors. Moreover, the ambiguous nature of financial responsibility for accidents involving rideshare drivers, who are independent contractors rather than employees, can make it difficult for victims to obtain compensation.
- Cellphone-related Crashes – Cellphone use is a factor in over 1.3 million car accidents annually. The average driver spends 3.17 minutes on the phone per 100 miles, while almost a third of Americans admit to texting while driving. New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law sections 1225(c) and 1225(d) explicitly prohibit drivers from engaging in phone calls or using portable electronic devices while driving. A tenacious car accident lawyer may be able to subpoena phone records or partner with telecommunications experts to strengthen the case against a driver suspected of texting at the time of a crash.
- Drunk Driving Accidents – An average of 28 Americans are killed in traffic accidents involving a drunk driver each day – that’s one DUI-related death every 53 minutes. Section 11-101 of the New York General Obligations Law may permit the victim of a drunk driving accident to recover financial damages from the tavern or bar who overserved the intoxicated driver.
What You Should Do After a Car Accident
No matter what type of collision you have, there are a number of steps you should take to protect yourself and your case. After a car accident, you should always:
- Move to a Safe Place – If your car is still on the road. you are at risk of being hit by other vehicles. Get yourself to safety before doing anything else.
- Call the Police – Police investigations can be very important to your car accident case, so call 911 immediately. The responding officer will take down witness statements and file an accident report, which you will need for your insurance claim. Be sure you tell the police your version of what happened because an inaccurate report could work against you in any future legal action.
- Take Pictures – If possible, take pictures at the scene of the accident. A visual record of the positioning of the vehicles and the damage they sustained can be essential in proving liability and fully conveying your losses.
- Exchange Information – Be sure to exchange the following information with everyone involved in your car accident:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Insurance company and policy number
- Driver’s license
- License plate
- Vehicle make and model
Many car accident claims end up being a matter of your version versus the other driver’s, so if there are any witnesses, be sure to get their contact information as well. They can be critical in making, or breaking, your case.
- Get Medical Treatment – Seek attention from a medical professional as soon as possible, ideally from an emergency responder at the crash site. Any delays or gaps in treatment could compromise your ability to heal. They could also be used by the at-fault insurance carrier to cast doubt on the degree of your injuries and their causal relationship to the car accident.-
- Notify Your Own Insurance Company – Report the collision to your insurance company right away so you can preserve your benefits under your own policy, which may include reimbursement for medical bills, vehicle repair costs, rental fees, and other out-of-pocket expenses. Certain policies might also offer additional coverage if the liable parties had insufficient insurance limits or no insurance at all.-
- Speak to a Lawyer – A trained legal professional, like the veteran attorneys at The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny, could advise you of your rights under New York law, answer any questions or concerns you may have, and let you know what to expect if you choose to hire a car accident lawyer.
Why Should You Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
But why should you hire a lawyer in the first place? Why just not handle the case on your own and negotiate with the insurance company directly? While you are certainly entitled to represent yourself in the event of a car accident, there are a number of reasons you might benefit from retaining an attorney.
A skilled lawyer offers professional understanding backed by years of legal training. In addition to their extensive formal education, capable attorneys can share the benefits of a lifetime of hands-on experience – like the more than 100 years of combined experience we have here at The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny. This may be your first case, but it won’t be ours. We know how to guide your car accident claim because the chances are we have had positive results with one very much like it.
The level of expertise we bring to the table can help us deal effectively with the insurance companies involved, something which can be extremely frustrating for anyone outside of the legal field. Far too often, insurance adjusters will take advantage of your inexperience to settle your case for far less than it may be worth.
They cannot do that with us because we have negotiated hundreds of New York car accident claims before yours, maybe even with the same insurance company – and maybe even with the same adjuster. Our firm has developed multiple relationships over the past two decades that could be invaluable when it comes to presenting a compelling car accident case during settlement negotiations or at trial.
The meticulous attorneys at our firm will dot every “i” and cross every “t” to ensure that senseless missteps or needless delays are avoided. Our attention to detail will help expedite the process and keep pressure on the other parties to bring the matter to a rewarding conclusion.
How to Find the Right Car Accident Attorney
But don’t take our word for it. We encourage all our prospective clients to do their research so they feel comfortable with any decision they make. The truth is that not every lawyer is made equal. There may be large discrepancies in quality from one attorney to the next. Hiring a personal injury lawyer who is immature, apathetic, or uninformed could cost you dearly, so choose wisely.
Before selecting someone to represent you, reach out to your friends and family. Some of them may have been in a similar situation before and know of a good, reliable lawyer in the New York area. Online reviews can also be useful in verifying an attorney’s reputation. For example, the Law Office of Richard M. Kenny has received over 200 five-star reviews on Google from satisfied clients.
After you have performed your due diligence, do not hesitate to set up interviews with the candidates you think might be valuable. Meeting with attorneys face to face will allow you to decide for yourself how you feel about their skill set and trustworthiness. How many cases have they worked on? How will they be successful with yours? What would their level of involvement be on a daily basis, and how would their fee arrangement work?
We would be happy to answer all of these questions and more during our free initial consultation. To schedule a time to speak with one of our car accident attorneys, please call us at (212) 421-0300 or fill out our case evaluation form below.
What You Should Expect After Hiring Our Firm
If you do decide to retain The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny, we will immediately launch an investigation to identify everyone who may be responsible for your car accident and take prompt action against them within the time permitted by law. This is known as the Statute of Limitations, and it can be much shorter in cases involving government entities in New York. Failure to resolve a claim or file a lawsuit before the Statute runs could prevent you from being fully compensated.
We will then assemble the materials needed to construct the sturdiest case we can and try to negotiate a fair settlement with the liable parties and their insurance companies – one that reflects the entirety of your losses.
While most car accident claims come to a negotiated resolution, we are more than willing to take a case to court if we do not receive an offer that seems reasonable under the circumstances. We have fought for hundreds of wrongfully injured clients at trials throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, unlike many of our competitors who rarely, if ever, see the inside of a courtroom.
A car accident case can be daunting, but The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny will take care of the challenges so you can take care of your health.
What Compensation Is Available for a Car Accident?
The amount of compensation available is different for every car accident. The circumstances leading up to the collision, the liable parties’ insurance coverage and assets, and the nature and extent of your losses may all factor into the outcome. Nevertheless, damages commonly under consideration in an auto accident case include:
- Medical expenses – The cost of hospitalization, surgical procedures, prescription drugs, physical therapy, assistive devices, and past, present, and future treatment may be reflected in your verdict or settlement.
- Lost wages – If you were physically unable to work because of your auto accident, you could make a claim for the wages you lost. You might also be compensated for any diminishment in your lifetime earning prospects, depending upon the permanency of your injuries.
- Pain and suffering – Physical discomfort, psychological trauma, emotional distress, and other impairments to your quality of life may be taken into account.
- Loss of consortium – Under New York law, an injured person’s spouse may be eligible for monetary recovery for the deprivation of the benefits of an intimate relationship following a car accident.
- Punitive damages – To discourage particularly egregious misbehavior from others, New York courts sometimes permit additional financial damages when a Defendant’s actions are so reckless that they demonstrate“willful or wanton negligence” or a “high degree of moral turpitude.”
Our New York car accident attorneys will endeavor to get you compensated for all of your physical, emotional, and economic losses.
How Much Will a Car Accident Lawyer Cost?
You will pay nothing up front to retain The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny because our car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. Only when we favorably resolve your case will we receive reimbursement for our out-of-pocket costs and take a fee for our services, typically as a percentage of your verdict or settlement. The more you get paid, the more we get paid. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement that spares our clients any additional expenses at a time when they can least afford them.
CONTACT US TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION WITH AN EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY
With over 100 years of combined legal experience and more than $350 million recovered for our clients, our New York auto accident attorneys have what it takes to help you get the maximum amount of compensation.
We know pursuing an injury claim can be intimidating. Insurance companies will fight to deny you a fair settlement for your collision, even when you played little or no role in causing it. The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny will be here to fight back.
To schedule a free consultation with an accomplished car accident attorney, please call us at (212) 421-0300 or fill out the case evaluation form.
