Causes of car accidents in New York
The New York Department of Health identified seven common causes of car accidents in New York. Specifically, the origins of accidents identified by the Department of Health statistically caused the highest number of injuries in 2014, which are the most recent statistics available.
According to the New York Department of Health, the seven primary causes of accidents in New York, are:
- alcohol intoxication,
- speeding,
- disobeying traffic control signals,
- not yielding to the vehicle with the right of way,
- failure to pass safely or stay in the proper lane,
- distracted driving, e., texting and driving, and
- tailgating.
All of these driving behaviors violate New York law. Additionally, other factors contribute to serious car accidents. Fatigued driving plays a significant role in contributing to car accidents, as does driving under the influence of drugs such as marijuana, pills, cocaine, heroin, or fentanyl. Additionally, failure to maintain vehicles properly or manufacturing defects can also cause deadly or catastrophic motor vehicle collisions.
The tragic reality is that all of these categories of accidents are avoidable. However, people drive negligently, or in the case of driving while under the influence, recklessly, all of the time. Getting hurt in a car accident seems to be a little concern to the majority of motorists on the roads. They are either preoccupied, distracted, intoxicated or just plain rude. Holding people liable for damages caused by people who drive negligently or recklessly is the mission of Parker Waichman’s car accident injury lawyers.
The Most Common Types of Car Accidents
Anything can happen when cars collide. The severity of the damages inflicted on the occupants depends on numerous factors such as the method of the crash, the speed of the vehicles relative to each other at contact, the weight of the vehicles in comparison to one another, and a host of environmental factors also play a role. Throughout Parker Waichman’s decades’ of experience Parker Waichman have represented clients who were injured or killed in car accidents such as:
- head-on crashes,
- perpendicular crashes also called “T-bone” crashes,
- sideswipes,
- rear-end collisions,
- collisions occurring because of left-hand turns,
- clients having been run off of the road,
- right-turn collisions, and
- multi-vehicle crashes or “pileups.”
Parker Waichman LLP’s experienced auto collision attorneys will analyze how the accident occurred and illustrated how the other driver operated negligently. Critically, Parker Waichman’s knowledgeable auto collision attorneys will also put together a strong case to deflect responsibility away from Parker Waichman clients when insurance defense attorneys try to blame someone other than their client for causing an accident.
Injuries Sustained in New York Car Accidents
The dynamics of the crash may make the difference between life and death, escaping with no or minor injuries and suffering catastrophic injuries in a car accident. Parker Waichman handles cases with injuries ranging from serious to catastrophic as well as wrongful death claims.
The injuries Parker Waichman’s accident clients suffer most frequently are:
- Broken bones, compound fractures, simple fractures, and displaced fractures suffered when striking a part of the victim’s car, or getting pinned between crumbled vehicle components such as the dashboard and floorboards.
- Dislocation of joints in the hands, elbows, ankles, knees, shoulders, wrists, and hips caused by getting trapped but can also happen when the injured body part gets twisted away from the rest of the body.
- Traumatic brain injury or TBI happens most often when people do not wear seatbelts. However, wearing a seatbelt does not automatically guarantee that a TBI cannot occur in a motor vehicle accident. TBIs arise from high-speed impacts with the head against the steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, side windows, or doors. TBIs can also happen if the violence of the crash ejects the victim.
- Internal injuries such as internal bleeding, damage to internal organs such as a punctured or deflated lung, and internal bruising can occur in an auto accident from the blunt force trauma generated by the crash. Internal injuries are often difficult to diagnose by their very nature. Internal injuries may happen when the torso of the victim forcefully strikes the steering wheel, dashboard, or even the seatbelt.
- Paralysis and spinal cord injuries. The victim’s spinal cord can rupture or be severed by the force of impact. Although physicians and researchers have made substantial strides in helping people walk again after suffering what was believed to be permanent paralysis, not everyone is fortunate enough to regain their mobility. Parker Waichman’s auto accident lawyers know they have to fight long and hard to win a substantial damage award so that the person living with paralysis and their family are protected from future financial loss due to healthcare costs as well as the potential for the victim to be bedridden for life.
- Burns are vicious Burn victims are frequently scarred for life, even if they undergo several rounds of painful skin grafting surgery to replace the burned skin. Many burn victims are left with unsightly scars and suffer tremendous physical pain and emotional trauma from their injuries.
- Neck, head, and back injuries are the most common injuries associated with car accidents. These traumas arise when the force of the collision violently throws the body in one direction and then a rapid change of energy or direction causes the affected areas to stretch and twist beyond their normal Physicians commonly refer to these injuries as “soft tissue injuries.” Soft tissue in this context means muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. Although insurance adjusters and insurance defense attorneys will discount the value of a soft tissue injury, Parker Waichman’s lawyers well know that soft tissue damage has a tremendously adverse effect on a person’s life. Soft tissue injuries can cause dizziness, pain, swelling, fatigue, numbness, blurry vision, nausea, loss of mobility, and loss of range of motion. These symptoms are not only painful, but they also prevent accident victims from enjoying their lives.
- Wrongful death cases are the most serious Parker Waichman’s accident attorneys handle. They litigate these matters with enthusiasm but also dignity and grace to obtain the highest monetary award possible while respecting the grieving family’s loss.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Claim in New York?
New York law allows for a three-year statute of limitations for most personal injury accidents. The statute of limitations precludes an accident victim from recovering for their injuries if the person fails to file a legal action in court within the specified time. Parker Waichman’s car collision attorneys counsel their clients to avoid losing a claim for violating New York’s statute of limitations.
CONTACT PARKER WAICHMAN LLP FOR A FREE CASE REVIEW
Did you or a loved one sustain harm in an accident? Parker Waichman LLP helps those who have suffered injuries or the loss of a loved one due to another’s negligence receive full monetary compensation. Trust your case with our motor vehicle accident lawsuit lawyers. For a free consultation, contact our law firm today by using our live chat or calling 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
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