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Successful Westchester County & New York City Auto Accident Lawyers

Car accidents caused by negligent drivers often result in injuries that have a serious effect on victims and their families. Those injured are often permanently disabled and need our highly qualified New York City/Westchester County auto accident lawyers to help them obtain full and just compensation. We also successfully represent families who have tragically lost loved ones in vehicular incidents as their futures are changed forever by careless operators of motor vehicles, motorcycles, buses, and trucks. We have been obtaining justice in these cases and getting unmatched results for over three decades.

If you suffer from serious injuries after an auto accident, the collision itself is only the beginning. Now you’re forced to deal with an insurance company to appraise the harms and losses and rely on them to offer an amount to cover the costs, but insurers have their own agenda. While they may act like they’re on your side, in reality, they’re often doing their best to pay out as little as possible. Our experienced and skilled auto accident lawyers specialize in working with people who’ve gone through a car crash incident involving a bus, truck, motorcycle, scooter, bicycle, pedestrian, etc., and give you a much better chance to receive the maximum compensation you deserve. We have been recognized by numerous independent sources with awards for our outstanding results and dedication to superb client relations.

Avoid Accepting an Insurance Settlement Before Consulting with an Attorney

Have you or a loved one been involved in a car accident in Westchester County? Did you get hurt because someone else was in too much of a rush or wasn’t paying attention? You may have the right to seek compensation for your injuries. The Westchester County car accident lawyers at Peter DeFilippis & Associates can help you fight to maximize your award. Automobile crashes account for more injuries nationwide than any other type of incident. According to the New York State DMV, there are approximately 70,000 car crashes per year in New York City alone. Many of these collisions result in death and are caused by people driving negligently, carelessly, or recklessly, often failing to obey the New York State traffic rules, regulations, and laws. Under the laws of New York State, a vehicle owner is held legally responsible for the unreasonable actions of the driver of their vehicle. All types of accidents can result in severe injuries; however, accidents involving large trucks and motorcycles tend to have more severe injuries per accident due to the type of vehicle involved. Large trucks cause severe injuries to the drivers and passengers of smaller vehicles, while motorcyclists are at a higher risk because a motorcycle does not offer the same protection that a car provides.

If you have been injured because of another driver’s negligence, there are steps you should follow to help protect your rights. Guided by the help of our experienced attorneys, you can collect the damages you are allowed to recover under the law in order to cope with the aftermath of an auto accident. Car accidents occur every day in New York, Westchester, and the Bronx. If you were injured in a car accident, you should immediately learn your rights and avoid the common mistakes that the insurance companies hope you will make. It is important for our clients to remember they should never accept an insurance settlement before consulting with one of our attorneys. By understanding the Ins and Outs of negotiating with insurance companies and in-court litigation, trained auto accident attorneys such as ours have a primary goal to see the clients obtain significant compensation for expensive medical costs, permanent disability, and wrongful death of a loved one.

We think those at fault should be held accountable for the unfortunate consequences of their careless driving. A lawsuit for injuries from a car wreck, truck accident, or motorcycle accident can never restore a person’s health or bring back a lost loved one. However, justice can deliver desperately needed compensation for the survivors. Though a lawsuit cannot repair devastating injuries or eliminate pain and suffering, compensation can be used to restore a modicum of dignity and comfort to the victim of another’s negligence. We fight hard for our clients to ensure the responsible parties and their insurance companies compensate those injured in cases involving NYC automobile, truck, bus, pedestrian, and other types of auto accidents.

A couple of examples of our car accident case results:

• • A twenty-eight-year-old warehouse worker was injured in a motor vehicle accident while a back seat passenger in a taxi cab was struck broadside by a speeding truck. Injuries included a fracture of the right arm and 50% hearing loss. A total damages award was rendered after a Bronx trial for $1,900,000. 

• • A forty-year-old safety consultant visiting from Texas was struck by a car as he was walking on West 58th Street, in Manhattan as he crossed Eighth Avenue with the walk signal in his favor. Our client was hit in his right leg by a vehicle operated by a distracted driver. He was taken by ambulance to an emergency room where X-rays revealed a fractured leg. He also sustained a herniated disc to his back stemming from a subsequent physical therapy session for the rehabilitation of his broken leg. The case was tried in New York County and a favorable settlement was reached with the company insuring the driver after three days of trial for $550,000.

At Peter DeFilippis & Associates, we believe personal injury law is about passion – passion for justice, for helping people, for doing the right thing; passion for its unique mix of law and practicality, and for the chance to make a difference. We have a focus on representing pedestrians struck by negligently driven cars and trucks. Our experienced team of legal and medical professionals uses investigative and questioning skills and cutting-edge technology to show insurance adjusters, opposing attorneys, judges, and jurors how injuries and wrongful deaths could have been prevented with the exercise of reasonable care by the driver. We also meticulously document and support your claim for damages in order to illustrate for a trial judge or jury the real-world consequences of preventable auto, truck, motorcycle, and bicycle crashes. Our passion for seeking justice motivates us to right wrongs for our valued clientele.

We will Verify the Amount of Insurance Coverage in Writing

The amount of money that insurance companies pay to auto accident victims depends on a number of factors, including the severity of the injury and the resulting disability, the type of coverage purchased by the insured driver, who is at fault, the percentage of liability each driver bears, the market value of the damaged vehicle, and the estimated cost of repair to the cars involved. If you’ve been in a car accident, please contact the auto accident attorneys at Peter DeFilippis & Associates before accepting any compensation from an insurance company. Insurance company representatives decide the amount of money they’ll pay regardless of the actual cost of automobile repairs, the amount remaining on car loans, and the number of medical expenses. By accepting a settlement from the insurance company, you may be agreeing not to sue for damages, which could deprive you of the full sum you deserve for the injuries sustained.

Some Types of Ankle, Foot, & Knee Injuries in NYC Car Accidents

Severe injuries to the foot, knee, and ankle are fairly common in serious car accidents due in large measure to the extreme force involved and the positioning of an occupant’s leg when a collision occurs. Front-seat occupants usually have their legs and feet situated under the dashboard of the vehicle at the time of the crash. Drivers usually have their knees mere inches from the steering wheel and their feet and ankles near the accelerator and brake pedals. In a collision, this often means that a front seat occupant’s leg will buckle as it impacts the hard dashboard. The greater the force of the impact, the more pressure that is exerted on the legs, feet, knees, and ankles as they impact hard surfaces in the interior of the car. Among the more common types of serious injuries that your foot, knee, or ankle may sustain in a car accident are:

• Dashboard knee – Due to the frequency of knee injuries in car accidents, an injury that is the result of an impact with the dash has been called “dashboard knee.” It essentially includes any injury to the knee that stems from an impact with the dash or other hard structures in the interior of the car.

 

• Fractures — “Fracture” is simply the medical terminology for a broken bone. Fractures can be displaced or non-displaced, as well as open or closed. A displaced fracture is one in which the bone has cracked and the pieces have moved so that they are no longer properly aligned. A non-displaced fracture is one in which the bone has cracked or broken but still remains essentially in alignment. An open fracture is one in which the bone has broken through the skin, while a closed fracture may show no visible outward evidence of a  fracture. A compound fracture involves multiple bone breaks.

 

• Strains and sprains – A sprain is an injury that involves the stretching or tearing of ligaments, while a strain involves the stretching or tearing of one’s muscles or tendons.

Recovering Damages in a Personal Injury Claim

The damages or harms and losses in personal injury cases, including automobile or other vehicular collisions, will depend on the severity of the injury and the circumstances of the accident. For a further understanding of potentially compensated harms and losses, please read Mr. DeFilippis’ article entitled, “Seeking to Understand Damages.” Common types of damages that are awarded in personal injury cases include but are not limited to:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Funeral expenses
• Past and future lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Ongoing personal care
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Punitive damages

In order to determine the types of harm and losses that you or your family may be entitled to recover for a personal injury claim, you should contact one of our personal injury attorneys as soon as possible following the accident. It is vital that the attorney begin as quickly as possible to preserve evidence that will be needed to prove your claim, including photographs of the vehicles involved, the scene of the incident, and injuries sustained. It is never advisable to discuss your case or provide a recorded statement to an insurance company or any other party without first consulting with an experienced accident attorney to ensure that your rights are protected.

We strive to organize the proof of a case to maximize our client’s recovery for all their harms and losses and have an impeccable reputation for doing so in Courts in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Westchester, and Putnam. We know a serious auto accident can be a very traumatic and difficult experience, the New York City and Westchester County personal injury attorneys at Law Offices of Peter DeFilippis & Associates are here to help you through it.

We are auto lawyers near you that handle all types of car accidents and other kinds of motor vehicle cases on a contingency basis. That means we do not get paid unless we can recover money for you. Please contact us today for a confidential, no-cost consultation. If you have been seriously injured or lost a loved one and would like to speak to a compassionate and knowledgeable attorney call 212-227-4001 or 914-478-7777. We will make arrangements to travel to meet you or feel free to visit our convenient midtown Manhattan and Ardsley (Westchester County) offices.