Auto Accident Attorneys

Involved in a Car Accident?

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know your rights

Insurance companies are there to protect their own interests, not yours. You need representation from a personal injury lawyer like the Stern Law Firm to protect your interests and collect the highest possible award or settlement for your injuries. Whether you choose us, or someone else, be sure to have representation for your claims and injuries.

helping you Navigate your rights in an auto accident

Cars, Trucks & SUV's

Experienced New York Accident Injury Lawyers

If YOU are injured, YOU must be advised of your rights:

If you or a loved one has been injured in any type of car accident in Bronx, Kings County, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, Manhattan, or Westchester County, call us for immediate assistance. We have experience handling accident claims involving:

A hit and run
Head on collision
Truck accident
Side swipe
Left turn accident
Being hit by a vehicle running a red light
Getting hit at an excessive speed
When a vehicle hits you in your parked car

Your Rights and Responsibilities When Involved in an Auto Accident in New York

The law places a duty on every person to “act reasonably” under the circumstances presented. This is the standard used to judge whether your conduct was negligent, careless or reckless. Under the circumstances existing, how would the reasonable person have acted or responded?

In order to assess the reasonableness of the other driver’s actions or responses, good lawyers determine the facts from the evidence and witnesses, and then review the applicable law. The other driver’s conduct, either by affirmative action or by omission, is judged to evaluate whether it was reasonable and whether he or she contributed to causing the accident. In motor vehicle accident lawsuits, it is necessary to first determine whether there was driver fault. A person’s failure to operate a vehicle with reasonable care is negligence. If negligent motor vehicle operation causes injury to another person, the owner and operator of that vehicle will likely be found liable for any damages proximately caused by that negligence, if the victim of the motor vehicle accident sustained “serious injuries” as defined by the prevailing law.

Common Causes of Auto Accidents

There are many factors that cause accidents such as:

Negligence
Distractions
Drunk Driving
Cell Phone Use
Agressive Driving
Road Rage
Carelessness
Poor Road Conditions
Speeding

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 85 percent of cell phone subscribers talk on the phone while they are operating a car, despite laws requiring “hands free” cell phone usage. It has been estimated that 6 percent of automobile accidents per year are caused by drivers talking on their cell phone. This accounts for a large number of motor vehicle accidents.

Around 98 percent of reported accidents involve a single distracted driver concentrating not on the road. Contributing factors include:

Rubbernecking

1 %

Driver Fatigue

1 %

Surroundings

1 %

Passenger Distraction

1 %

Adjusting music

1 %

Cell Phone Usage

1 %

Believe it or not, statistics show that fifty percent of our population will be involved in a car accident at some time in their lives. It is often a frightening ordeal and most drivers and passengers are unprepared for how to handle themselves at the accident scene. While we cannot turn back the clock and prevent the accident, there are some important steps to take in the event that you are ever involved in a motor vehicle accident.

Get the settlement
you deserve.

Get the settlement you are entitled to

Auto Accident Compensation

Economic Losses

When it comes to medical expenses and lost wages in New York, which is a “no fault” state, your own insurance company usually covers your basic economic loss up to a total $50,000, unless you have additional personal injury protection, which varies depending upon the type of automobile insurance coverage in effect at the time of the accident. Such economic losses or damages include:

Hospital & Ambulance Expenses
Medical Expenses
Diagnostic Testing and Treatment
Actual Lost Wages up to the limits of the policy (generally either $2,000 or $4,000/mo)
Limited household help and transportation expenses to and from the doctor

Non-Economic Losses

The most significant damages or losses are often non-economic losses and they frequently require an attorney to secure compensation since they cannot be recovered from your own insurer:

Pain & Suffering
Loss of Future Income and Continuing Expenses beyond the basic economic loss
Mental Anguish
Cosmetic or Physical Disfigurement

Property Damage

If you have collision coverage, your insurance company, after you meet a deductible, will pay for repairs up to the fair market value of your vehicle, regardless of fault. In the absence of your own coverage, the other driver’s insurance company may pay for repairs but discussions with the adverse insurer should be conducted only after you contact a lawyer and obtain proper counsel. Some unscrupulous insurers will engage in deceptive practices by attempting to either under-compensate you for your actual loss or trying to get you to sign releases or waivers of your all your rights to sue them or their insured driver. These insurers often send their investigators to your home or office and offer you a check, which you believe will cover the cost of your car repairs but which actually includes your personal injuries. Some unwary clients have come to us with significant injuries, which have required surgery, only to find that they are barred from suing because they signed a document from the other driver’s insurer, in which they gave up their right to sue completely. Never sign legal documents without first consulting with a lawyer.

01

One step ahead

We’ve done this before! We know how to deliver the results you deserve.

02

building your case

Each of our clients is treated like family and gets personalized attention

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achieving your goals

We have over 35 years of personal injury experience and have amassed expertise in helping people recover damages from their losses.