Glen Oaks Car Accident Lawyer

Damages That May Be Available

Depending on the severity of your injuries and how they affect your life, you may stand to recover compensation for your economic and non-economic losses. Keep in mind this includes both the current costs of your injuries and the ongoing losses that may stem from them.

A settlement or court-awarded offer may cover your:

• Medical expenses, including emergency care, surgery, medication, rehabilitation, and doctor’s appointments
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages if you took time off work to recover from your injuries
• Reduced earning capacity if you cannot go back to work or perform the same duties as you once did
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of quality of life

Our lawyers can calculate your losses so you know what fair compensation would look like.

Determining Negligence and Liability for Your Glen Oaks Accident

Determining liability can become complicated. You might assume the at-fault driver is automatically the responsible party, but that may not be the case. Just because a driver acted negligently and caused your accident does not automatically make them liable for your losses. Depending on the unique mix of factors that contribute to your accident, liability could rest with several different parties, including:

The At-Fault Driver

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes that drivers are the cause of approximately 94% of studied accidents.

Motorist negligence can come in many forms. A driver may have contributed to or directly caused your accident by:

• Being distracted while driving, which the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cites as a potentially deadly behavior
• Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol while driving
• Changing lanes without signaling
• Making turns without signaling
• Making turns when there is not enough space between oncoming traffic
• Failing to obey traffic signals such as red lights and stop signs
• Driving too closely behind other vehicles
• Speeding
• Veering out of one’s own lane
• Driving without functioning headlights or brake lights
• Not checking blind spots before changing lanes
• Not checking for oncoming motorists when turning right at an intersection

Furthermore, multiple drivers may bear fault and liability for your damages, such as in a three-car pileup.

The Employer of the At-Fault Driver

A trucking company may bear responsibility for the negligence of its drivers through vicarious liability. This means that you may be able to pursue compensation for your losses through an insurance claim with the employer’s provider. In some cases, you can hold both the driver and the company liable.

A Government Agency

A government entity may bear responsibility if a road hazard causes or contributes to an accident. Other cases that may make a municipality liable include accidents caused by poor road designs, collapsed bridges, and malfunctioning traffic lights.

An Auto Parts Manufacturer

If your accident happened due to a mechanical malfunction, the auto parts manufacturer may bear liability for your losses. For example, if a truck’s brakes malfunction and prevent a driver from stopping in time to prevent a collision, the manufacturer may be to blame.

Investigating an accident is crucial to pursuing compensation since so many parties may bear liability. Insurers may argue about who has to pay for losses. You can hire a lawyer to help you discover if negligence played a role in your accident and which parties would be liable for your losses.

A Lawyer Will Defend Your Rights Throughout Your Case

When you hire a lawyer with our firm after a Glen Oaks car accident, you are hiring someone who will defend your rights throughout the course of your case. You can expect them to provide updates about your case and answer any questions that may arise.

Specifically, a car accident lawyer with our firm can:

• Investigate your case to determine if negligence played a role
• Identify liable parties
• Collect evidence
• Calculate your losses, including present and future damages
• File an insurance claim
• Negotiate for fair compensation
• Assess any settlement offers
• File a lawsuit
• Represent you at trial

We typically begin seeking compensation through an insurance claim, but we will not hesitate to take legal action to seek what you deserve.

Filing an Insurance Claim

A lawyer with our firm can handle your insurance claim from the start. Some of the responsibilities that your lawyer may complete as they work on your insurance claim include:

• Protecting you from having to making any unnecessary (and potentially risky) statements to insurance agents
• Determining how much your property damage and medical costs are
• Determining your total out-of-pocket costs
• Informing the insurance company for the at-fault party what your losses are
• Seeking fair compensation, either through the claims process or through a settlement

Insurance adjusters may argue that you were more responsible for the accident than their client, and they may attempt to undervalue or deny your claim. They may also tempt you into settling before they have had time to account for your future losses.

We can help you avoid accepting an unfair recovery, and we will argue for your best interests. When you work with us, you will not have to speak directly to the liable party or their insurer or lawyers. We handle all of the communications for you.

Filing a Lawsuit

If you and your lawyer ultimately decide to pursue a lawsuit, then your lawyer will see your case through the legal process. The resolution to your case may be a pre-trial settlement or a judgment issued after a trial.

Your lawyer may prepare for settlement negotiations or trial by gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, determining the value of your covered losses, and hiring experts to help with your case. When the time comes, your lawyer will negotiate a settlement or take your case to trial if they cannot secure a fair settlement offer.

Deadlines That May Apply to Your Glen Oaks Case

Usually, you must file an insurance claim within a specified period of time, but that is not the only deadline you need to be aware of. If you plan on filing a personal injury lawsuit, you generally have three years to do so, according to CVP § 214. If you are filing a wrongful death lawsuit, you only have two years, according to EPT § 5-4.1. These deadlines usually begin counting down from the date of the accident.

We can help you file your action in time if you are still eligible to do so. The sooner you call us, the sooner we can begin working on your case. If you fail to meet the deadline, you risk losing your right to pursue compensation through the courts.

Call the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP Today

If you or a loved one was in a car accident in Glen Oaks, you have a right to legal representation as you pursue compensation. A car accident lawyer from our firm can seek compensation through an insurance claim or lawsuit so that you can focus on other matters.

Call the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP today at (866) 878-6774 for more details.