Lynbrook NY Drunk Driving Car Accident Lawyer
Getting Compensation for Your Injuries After a Drunk Driving Accident
You may be able to collect economic and non-economic damages after suffering injuries and losses in a drunk driving accident. Economic damages include monetary or financial losses, such as medical bills and vehicle repairs.
Alternatively, non-economic damages are not based on a monetary loss but an intangible injury, such as pain and suffering. Although every case is different, some types of damages are common to most drunk driving accident cases, including:
- Past and expected medical treatment expenses
- Lost income when unable to work
- Permanent disability or impairment
- Vehicle repair or replacement
- Pain and suffering
You Could File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Losing a Family Member
In the case of a fatal drunk driving accident, surviving family members also may be able to recover compensation for funeral and burial costs. Their loved one’s final medical expenses are also compensable.
Depending on their relationship to the deceased person, survivors also may be able to recover compensation for loss of future income, support, and guidance. A car accident lawyer with our firm can assist you with seeking drunk driving accident damages.
Understand How Our Lynbrook, NY, Office Can Help You
Our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience in litigating personal injury and wrongful death cases, including those that arise from drunk driving accidents. We can imagine how challenging the recovery after a drunk driving accident can be. Your lawyer can help you through this difficult time in your life.
After an accident, you need to concentrate on your physical and emotional recovery from your injuries. As your lawyers, we can perform many of the tasks that are necessary to pursue compensation, including:
- Investigating the circumstances that led to your accident
- Identifying all parties who are potentially at fault for the accident
- Gathering evidence of your injuries and other losses
- Ensuring you meet all legal deadlines
- Negotiating with insurance companies to settle your case
- Filing a lawsuit and proceeding to trial if we cannot reach a settlement
See How Affordable Our Legal Services Are
We start the legal process by offering you a free case review. This personalized consultation allows us to determine the validity of any claims that you have. Our representative will determine steps we can take to get compensation for your losses. In addition, you can:
- Ask for advice
- Consider all your options
- Make decisions about the direction to take in your case
We take these cases on contingency, which makes our services available to everyone. This fee arrangement requires you to pay us nothing up front to start working on your case. You pay us only when you receive a settlement or damages award in your case.
Determine Who Is Responsible for Your Drunk Driving Accident
In drunk driving accidents, the most commonly liable party is the drunk driver who causes a wreck with another motorist, a bicyclist, or a pedestrian. However, parties other than drunk drivers may be liable for your accident-related injuries.
New York, like many other states, has a dram shop law. This makes businesses that sell alcohol to minors or obviously intoxicated parties responsible for resulting accidents. Therefore, any bars, restaurants, hotels, or other establishments that serve alcohol could face liability in a drunk driving accident case.
Understand What You Have to Prove in Your Case
Most car accident cases require evidence of negligence and causation. For instance, you likely can show that the at-fault party was negligent due to drunk driving. The evidence is likely to show that alcohol consumption resulted in:
- Delayed reflexes
- Reduced judgment
- Careless driving
We also must show causation in your drunk driving case and prove that the negligence of the drunk driver or another party was the proximate cause of your injuries. In other words, we have to link the accident to your injuries.
Likewise, we could show a bar or restaurant is partially liable if they served alcohol to a driver who later causes an accident. Evidence should demonstrate a chain of causation between the serving of the alcohol, the drunk driving accident, and your injuries. Proof can include witness statements and camera footage.
Know How Long You Have to File Your Legal Case in Court
All state laws place limits on how long you have to file a lawsuit in court related to a car accident, whether it is a personal injury case or a wrongful death case. Don’t delay, as doing so may jeopardize your risk of seeking a financial recovery.
Personal Injury
Under CVP § 214, you generally have three years from the date of your accident to file your personal injury lawsuit in court. However, there are exceptions in which you may have a substantially shorter time to file your lawsuit.
Wrongful Death
If a drunk driving accident has caused you to lose a loved one, the filing deadline is different. Under EPT § 5-4.1, you typically have two years from the date of death to file your wrongful death lawsuit in court.
Again, there may be exceptions to this timeline, depending on your situation.
Work with Us to Collect Compensation After a Drunk Driving Accident
When you are hurt in a drunk driving car accident, a Lynbrook NY lawyer with the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP can guide you through every step of your legal case. We can answer your questions and address any worries that you may have.
Call our offices today at (866) 878-6774 for a free case consultation. Learn more about the services that we can offer you and how we can help you. You can focus your efforts on recovering from your injuries. Your lawyer will work to get compensation for your injuries and other losses. You have nothing to lose by calling us.
