If You’ve Been Injured By A Drunk Driver, We Can Help
If you’ve been injured by a drunk driver, it’s essential that you hire an experienced lawyer to protect your rights.
Motor Vehicle Accidents Caused By Impaired Drivers
Though public officials have worked hard over the past few years to bring awareness to the dangers of drinking and driving, it’s still a significant problem. In fact, recent statistics show alcohol to be involved in nearly one-third of all fatal motor vehicle accidents in the United States. Furthermore, because many drunk drivers are repeat offenders who may have difficulty obtaining adequate motor vehicle insurance, you may encounter challenges trying to recover damages if you’ve been injured by someone under the influence. That’s why it’s essential that you hire an experienced lawyer to protect your rights.
Protecting Your Rights When You’ve Been Hurt by a Drunk Driver
We have seen the impact a personal injury can have on every aspect of a person’s life, and we know the anxiety that you can feel when your future is uncertain. We will keep you involved and informed at all times, so that you know where you stand and what options are available to you. We take an aggressive approach, a practice that has helped us recover more than $300 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients over the last 30+ years.
Our Team Can Start Working for You from the Moment You Call
When it comes to litigation, there is no time to waste. Once you call our office, we can start building your case in your fight for compensation. In three short steps, your legal journey can begin today.
- Free Case Evaluation: call our office, send us an email, or chat with us online to receive a free case evaluation.
- Get Signed Up: after your free case review, we can set up your client profile and gather any information you already have.
- Start Your Recovery: we can take over your case from here and update you as it progresses. You can focus on your health while we focus on your case.
Common Legal Questions
The short answer is yes – many times, you can be compensated if you are partly at fault. Again, New York is a no-fault insurance state in which your own insurance pays for your out-of-pocket costs such as limited lost wages and medical bills up to $50,000. When you make a claim for pain and suffering as well as certain economic loss above no-fault, the percentages of fault will be considered in your recovery. Your injury from your motor vehicle accident may have a certain value, however, fault will be taken into consideration at the time of trial or settlement.
Damages are recoverable for past and future pain and suffering, economic loss, such as lost wages, medical expenses, rehabilitation, therapy, and long-term residential care will also be considered damages under the law. Union members may recover lost future benefits. Other damages are recoverable and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
If the other driver was uninsured we can file an uninsured motorist claim under your vehicle’s insurance policy. Automobile insurance policies written for New York State motorists are required to have uninsured protection. This insurance will provide financial compensation to you, if the at fault driver does not have insurance. If you must file through your own insurer, you need a skilled law firm to help you recover the maximum money damages available.
Fault is determined by the way that the accident happened. Did a driver go through a light or stop sign? Was the driver speeding or driving unreasonably under the circumstances? New York is a comparative fault state, meaning you can still recover some compensation for damages even if you are the mostly at-fault driver. Many times, the crash is a result of both drivers who share percentages of the fault.
After a motor vehicle accident, you should always call for help. While you wait for help to arrive, check for injuries both your own and those of others involved in the collision. Be sure to accept necessary medical attention from any paramedics on the scene and follow up with a health care provider as soon as possible in the days following the accident. Last but not least, connect with a lawyer and do it fast. Get more information on what to do after an auto accident by reading our full post.
How We Help Our Clients After An Injury
Our Bronx drunk driving accident attorneys provide full-service legal representation to people who have suffered personal injury in a motor vehicle accident involving a drunk driver. We’ll start by fully investigating your accident and interviewing witnesses when possible. We will also bring in any necessary expert witnesses, including accident reconstruction specialists, engineers, financial consultants and medical professionals, so that we can prepare and present the most compelling case for your full financial recovery.
Get Help If You’ve Been Injured By A Drunk Driver
Our attorneys will look at all potential sources of recovery, including:
- Persons or establishments that served the alcohol. We will investigate to determine Dram Shop or social host liability, looking to see if the at-fault driver was visibly intoxicated or was served a significant quantity of alcohol
- Roadway defects. We will investigate whether the accident resulted from any negligence in the maintenance or care of the roadway including faulty traffic lights
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. If the at-fault motorist either lacks insurance or has inadequate insurance to cover your losses, we will look to see if your policy has additional coverage for uninsured or underinsured motorists and pursue those claims
We’ll help you fight for compensation for all your losses, from wages and income to loss of companionship or consortium, from unreimbursed medical expenses to physical pain and suffering. Our New York City motor vehicle accident attorneys handle most types of injury suffered in a car crash, including broken bones, burns, brain or spinal cord trauma, permanent scarring or disfigurement, paralysis, and amputation or loss of limb. We also represent surviving family members in accidental or wrongful death claims.