Despite being a small, quaint village nestled in New York’s Nassau County, Garden City can still be the venue of catastrophic car accidents. The 74 miles of roads within Garden City can host negligent drivers who choose to speed, run red lights, or drive distracted and can cause a car accident as a result. Whether you were sideswiped on Clinton Road or got rear-ended at the Mott Section, you can suffer severe injuries like traumatic brain damage, spinal cord injuries, and other catastrophic injuries in Garden City.
You can file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company to pursue compensation for damages, such as medical bills, property damage, and mental anguish. An experienced car accident attorney can use their expertise to help you assess your damages, assign liability, and begin the claims process. The Garden City car accident attorneys at the Russo Firm can use their local experience and decades of helping car accident victims to maximize your potential compensation.
Why Choose The Russo Firm for Your Garden City Car Accident Claim?
Finding the right car accident attorney for your Garden City car accident claim can be a challenge, as so many New York car accident lawyers have experience in cases involving the city, but not necessarily the smaller surrounding areas. You need legal representation that understands the roads, streets, and intersections of Garden City and can use that specific local knowledge to add specificity to your legal counsel.
At The Russo Firm, our car accident lawyers traverse the same places where you can suffer a car accident. We can use that local knowledge to put you at ease and show we understand how this car accident happened. We will also keep consistent communication with you, so our legal counsel can shape your specific situation. Contact the Russo Firm for a free consultation to learn how we can use specialized action plans, constant communication, and Garden City car accident law experience to put you in the best position to receive compensation for your damages.
The Russo Firm Case Results
Your car accident lawyer can help you recover compensation through settlement negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurance company. Their insurance company will use insurance adjusters to search for information that can be used to limit your settlement in an attempt to keep its profits up. One way they can attempt to pay less is by offering an early lowball settlement offer.
With the expenses mounting following a car accident, this can seem like an appealing option. However, this can also leave you without a way to pay for the full cost of your damages, something the car accident attorneys at the Russo Firm understand. We have a proven history of earning fair compensation for our clients by understanding the tricks insurance companies use, combating those attempts, negotiating with your current and future costs in mind, and taking the case to court if necessary.
The following are some of the case results we have earned for our personal injury clients:
- $3.3 Million for a Drunk Driving Car Accident
- $2.4 Million for Medical Malpractice Misdiagnosis
- $2 Million for Trucking Accident That Led to a Wrongful Death
- $1.75 Million Product Liability Jury Award for Crushed Hand
- $650 Thousand Automobile Accident Jury Award for Reconstructed Knee
New York Car Accident Laws
Following a car accident that resulted in more than $1,000 worth of property damage, you must file a Report of Motor Vehicle Accident Form with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Failure to do so can result in your license being suspended. If the car accident resulted in severe injury or wrongful death, you contact the police and stay at the scene of the accident until the responding officer arrives.
New York is a no-fault state, which means drivers must purchase personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. This PIP insurance is meant to cover accident-related medical bills, 80% of your lost wages, and reasonable and necessary household and transportation help. Despite this coverage helping New York car accident victims with financial relief, you can file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company if your damages exceed the limits of your PIP coverage.
New York Car Accident Claim Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations refers to how long you have to file a claim for your type of injury. The time begins to elapse on the day of the personal injury accident. Each state has its own rules for the statute of limitations for different kinds of personal injury accidents.
In the case of New York, you have three years to file a car accident claim with the New York court system. Failure to do so within the allotted time can make it almost impossible to pursue compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company.
Where Do Garden City Car Accidents Commonly Occur?
Garden City is in Nassau County, which is east of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous county in New York and has seen its fair share of car accidents. There have been many fatalities recorded due to car accidents, with a report showing that Nassau County had the third-most auto accident fatalities of New York’s counties. 2020 saw 78 car accident fatalities.
Despite Garden City’s size, there have still been reports of car accidents happening across the village. Drivers must be wary of negligent driving behavior, like distracted, drunk, and reckless driving. You can still be affected by negligent driving and receive significant injuries from a car accident.
The following are the major roads in Garden City where car accidents can occur:
- Clinton Road
- Franklin Avenue
- Rockaway Avenue
- Nassau Boulevard
- New Hyde Park Road
- Stewart Avenue
- Washington Avenue
Causes of Garden City Car Accidents
Negligent driving behavior can lead to a car accident in Garden City. Despite being a smaller village in New York, the same types of reckless driving can occur that can lead to disastrous car accident impacts. If someone does not pay attention to the road, operates their vehicle ineffectually because of inebriation, or drives intentionally dangerously, you can hold them liable for a car accident claim.
The following are some of the causes of Garden City car accidents:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Drunk driving
- Not using turn signals
- Drowsy driving
- Ignoring road rules
- Road rage
Types of Garden City Car Accidents
The type of car accident that you are involved in can affect the severity of your injuries, the amount of property damage, and the widespread impact across a road, street, or intersection. Where your car receives the impact can affect different body parts, as different parts of the car provide more protection to some areas of the body. Car accidents can affect just two vehicles or can lead to enough damage that multiple vehicles can crash into each other, roll over, and affect a wide area of the road.
The following are some of the types of Garden City car accidents:
- Head-on collision
- Rear-end collision
- T-bone accident
- Sideswipe accident
- Multi-car crash
- Rollover accident
Severe Injuries Caused by Garden City Car Accidents
Car accidents can cause intense trauma and pressure when the body receives a direct impact. This impact can come from a blunt force blow, penetrating trauma, or whiplash. Whether you received a direct blow from another car, bounced your head off the dashboard, or were crushed between two hard objects, you can suffer catastrophic damage that can lead to long-term health complications.
The following are some of the types of injuries you can suffer in a Garden City car accident:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Internal injuries
- Knee injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Facial injuries
Liability in a Garden City Car Accident Claim
The liable party in a possible Garden City car accident claim comes down to the party that was responsible for the car accident. In most cases, there will be a party or parties that behaved negligently, which led to the car accident and the damages you are seeking compensation for.
The most likely liable party is another driver who drove negligently and breached a duty of care they owed to other drivers on the road. However, if the car accident was the result of a defective car part, the designer, manufacturer, seller, or distributor could be held liable in a product liability claim for their role in the defective car part leading to a car accident. In extremely rare cases, an employer can share liability for an employee that causes a car accident while driving a company vehicle or while completing a work task.
Comparative Negligence in New York Car Accident Claims
In the case where another party was fully at-fault for a car accident, you can file a car accident claim with their insurance company to recover compensation for your injuries. However, in a case with multiple liable parties, including yourself, comparative negligence comes into effect. New York operates under “pure comparative fault,” which means each party is only liable for the percentage that they contributed to the accident.
For example, let’s say you were sideswiped by a distracted driver. However, at the time of the car accident, you were speeding. In this case, the court system may find the distracted driver 70% liable but you 30% liable. In that case, any settlement or award will have the percentage of your fault deducted. If you recovered $100,000 in a court award, you would only receive $70,000 due to your actions that contributed to the car accident.
What to do After a Garden City Car Accident
After a Garden City car accident, there are certain steps you should take to help with your physical condition and potential for compensation. It’s vital to do the essential steps that can show the severity of your injuries, which can help show the impact of the car accident. This can make seeking compensation easier, as it proves the severity of your injury and that you need compensation to pay for damages.
The following are some of the steps you should take after a Garden City car accident:
- Contact the police: If your car accident involves a severe injury of death, you need to contact the police, so they can make a police report. They can document the important details of the accident. You can access this report down the line to help prove your case.
- Receive medical attention: You should always prioritize your health after a catastrophic event like a car accident. See a doctor so they can diagnose any severe injuries and begin the process of administering treatment.
- Collect evidence: You need evidence to prove the liability of the at-fault party. If you can, collect evidence at the scene of the accident by taking pictures of the damages, your injuries, and any important details around the scene. You should also keep track of any vital records that can be used to prove the severity of your injuries caused by the car accident.
- Contact a local car accident lawyer: A Garden City car accident lawyer can use their local knowledge and car accident law expertise to help you along the car accident claims process. They can help take the stress of the claims process off your back, so you can focus on your recovery.
Filing a Garden City Car Accident
If you suffered severe injuries and damages exceeding your PIP insurance coverage, you could file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. New York operates under the theory of negligence, which means you must be able to prove that the at-fault party behaved negligently and caused your car accident damages.
The following are the four elements of negligence that you must be able to prove:
- The at-fault party owed a duty of care
- That duty of care was breached through negligent behavior
- You received severe car accident injuries and damages
- Those damages were the result of the at-fault party’s breach of duty of care
A car accident attorney with experience in New York and Garden city claims can help you collect evidence to prove the at-fault party’s liability. This evidence can include photos from the scene of the accident, video footage of the accident, medical records, insurance statements, witness statements, police reports, and vehicle accident reconstructions.
What Damages Can You Pursue After a Garden City Car Accident?
Damages are losses that you incur because of the impact of a car accident. These can be losses you have already sustained or those that may occur down the line. A car accident lawyer can help assess your damages to determine how you were financially impacted and what financial impacts can still happen.
There are two common types of damages: economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those with an economic value attached that your car accident lawyer can easily point to, such as medical bills. Non-economic damages are intangible losses that your car accident lawyer can assess you suffered because of the car accident, such as pain and suffering.
The following are the damages you can pursue in a Garden City car accident claim:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Property damage
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
How Can a Garden City Car Accident Lawyer Help With Your Car Accident Claim?
More than likely, you do not have the experience in car accident law to know how to maximize your potential compensation. While you can handle the claims process yourself, your lack of expertise can hurt your ability to recover full compensation for your injuries. An experienced car accident lawyer can use their knowledge of the process to ensure everything is handled correctly and each step is dealt with efficiently and effectively.
The process of a car accident claim can be a lengthy one, and you need someone in your corner that has your interests in mind. A car accident lawyer can invest in you with their time and resources, handling every step in the process in a way to maximize your potential for compensation. They can assess damages, assign liability, send out the demand letter, interview witnesses, collect evidence, negotiate a settlement, and represent you in court.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Garden City Car Accident Claim
The aftermath of a car accident can be a stressful time, with you having to juggle the physical, psychological, and monetary fallout of the car crash. You should be able to focus solely on your recovery from car accident injuries and leave the claims process to an experienced car accident lawyer.
At the Russo Firm, our Garden City car accident attorneys have specific experience with the roads, streets, and intersections where car accidents can occur. We can mold our legal action plan around this specific knowledge, along with the information you provide about the causes and impact of the car accident. Our goal is to ensure you receive fair compensation for your injuries, which we will do through specialized legal counsel, invested settlement negotiation, and commitment to a long-term process with the aim of providing financial relief.
Contact the Russo Firm today for a free consultation to learn how our Garden City car accident lawyers can assist you with your car accident claim. Give us a call at (929) 257-1200 or leave a message on our online contact page.