Car Accident Attorney
The streets of New York can be a dangerous place to be. There were 84,347 accidents in Nassau and Suffolk Counties in 2019 alone, leading to 175 deaths and 22,661 injuries.
When you are in a car accident and you get hurt, it can sometimes feel like you have nowhere to turn. Insurance companies are not on your side, and they will do anything they can to lower your car accident injury settlement value — or deny your claim altogether.
That’s where we at TonaLaw come in. We fight back against insurance companies to help you seek the maximum amount of compensation available. Our New York car accident lawyers help you calculate the full value of your damages related to medical care, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and other losses. Trust our attorneys to work closely with you on your case and help guide you to the options that best represent your financial, medical, and personal interests.
Give us a call today at 1-833-TONALAW or contact us online to talk with a car accident lawyer in New York for free about your rights and your options following your crash. You deserve a fighter on your side, and that’s why we promise to be there for you!
What Are My Rights to Compensation After a New York Collision?
Thanks to the state of New York’s fairly generous no-fault car accident insurance system, medical treatment for every type of injury is covered, with very few exceptions.
In addition, you may wish to file a traditional injury claim against the insurance policy of others involved in your accident in addition to filing a no-fault claim for your basic economic losses. If your injuries are serious, or your crash results in substantial losses, including personal pain and suffering, then you will only be fully compensated by filing both a third-party liability claim against the person or entity that caused your injuries, in addition to the no-fault claims under your own policy for lost wages, medical treatment and the like.
TonaLaw will review the details of your case and make you aware of your best options. Our goal is for our clients to feel confident, informed, and ready to take action to seek the resolution they need.
New York No-Fault Insurance(Coverage available to you under your own policy.)
The state of New York allows for No-Fault Insurance claims to be filed after any collision. No-Fault insurance is the informal name given to Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claims. The only exceptions are if the driver was under the influence, intentionally caused their injuries, was committing a felony or was operating a vehicle that was stolen or otherwise not insured. Also, it is very important to note that no-fault policies do not cover motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, and other recreational vehicles.
A no-fault claim is filed with your own insurance provider, thereby making this a 1st party claim. Review the details of your personal injury protection (PIP) policy to see what benefits you may be eligible for.
Generally speaking, no-fault insurance covers:
- Up to $50,000 per person in total for medical treatments, lost wages, and other basic economic losses, subject to the below parameters.
- Regarding lost wages, No-Fault will typically pay 80% of lost earnings, up to $2,000 per month for up to three years unless additional coverage was purchased by you.
- Up to $25 a day for up to a year from the accident for related reasonable and necessary expenses.
- $2,000 for the death of the policyholder or a covered individual (in addition to the $50k medical coverage)
Liability Insurance (Coverage available to you under the opposing party automobile insurance policy.)
New York law also requires all vehicle owners to carry the following levels of minimum liability coverage, which protects other parties, thereby making this a 3rd party benefit:
- $25,000 for bodily injury per person
- $50,000 for bodily injury per accident
- $50,000 for death per person
- $10,000 for property damage per accident
Individuals can file a third-party claim against the insurance policy of an at-fault driver (or any at-fault parties) when their accident damages exceed the available coverage of their no-fault policy. They may also seek non-economic damages, such as for their pain and suffering when they have suffered a “serious injury”.
Another important factor to note is that a liability claim can pay for the remaining 20% of uncovered lost wages, depending on the language of the policy.
The above policy numbers are the minimum coverages available in NY under applicable laws and may go much higher. We have seen policies as high as $1,000,000 or even higher.
Many individuals are not aware of their options for filing an injury claim in New York after their accident. Talk to experienced New York car accident attorneys to explore all of your options for seeking the maximum compensation possible.
What Damages Does My Car Accident Settlement Include?
Your car accident injury settlement will include compensation for all applicable damages covered by the policies in question.
The most common forms of damages are:
- Past Medical Care Costs
- Future Medical Treatment
- Past Pain and Suffering
- Future Pain and Suffering
- Past Lost wages
- Future Lost Wages
- Costs associated with your accident, such as transportation, medical supplies, needed care, etc.
- Funeral and burial costs
Filing a claim under a third-party liability policy allows you to recover additional compensation for your pain and suffering as well as for any damages not covered by no-fault insurance or that exceed the limits of your no-fault policy.
10 things you need to know if you have been injured in a car accident
Free “No Stress” Personal Injury eBook by Thomas Tona, Esq.
Our New York Car Accident Lawyers Fight for You and Your Loved Ones
At TonaLaw, our New York car accident attorneys will fight to get you the compensation you deserve for your personal injuries and uphold your legal rights. Call TonaLaw if you have suffered injuries from a car accident and are dealing with medical expenses, pain, and suffering, or loss of wages.
Our law firm can help you put the pieces back together after a car accident. We represent clients who have suffered a wide range of personal injuries resulting from car accidents of all kinds, including but not limited to:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Neck injuries, such as cervical vertebral fractures, cervical disc herniations and bulges, cervical radiculopathy, and cervical sprain strain
- Back injuries such as a sprain, strain, fracture, disc injury (bulging disc, herniated disc), thoracic spine injuries, lumbar radiculopathy, and lumbar spine injuries
- Psychological injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Soft tissue injuries, such as torn muscles, torn ligaments, or whiplash
- Broken legs and arms
- Chest and internal injuries
The TonaLaw Advantage
We are a client-first practice. Our attorneys and support staff utilize our extensive legal experience and litigation acumen to represent personal injury clients aggressively, always seeking all remedies available to our clients under the law.
TonaLaw is a no-fee law firm – We get paid when we win your case!
If you or a loved one are suffering from an injury sustained during a motor vehicle accident and due to the negligence of another, you have the legal right to seek compensation. Speak with a New York car accident lawyer today by calling (631) 780-5355 or toll-free at 1-833-TONALAW, or contact us online to receive your free case evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions About New York Car Accidents
We at TonaLaw want to provide you with the best information possible after your car accident, as well as information to potentially help you before one occurs. Click on any of the questions below for more information from our helpful resources, each of which has been reviewed by our experienced New York car accident lawyers.
Note that all of the information in our resources is generalized and may not apply to your specific situation. Call 1-833-TONALAW to schedule your free consultation where you will learn about your options and what you can do next.
Some of the most common types of New York car accident scenarios include:
- Drunk driving accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Rear-end accidents
- Sideswipe collision
- Head-on collision
- Side impact (T-bone) accidents
- Parking lot collision
- Low-speed impacts
Click here to read more about common types of car accidents.
Follow the standard procedure (report the accident, exchange information, gather photo evidence and witness testimony) but pay close attention to the driver’s actions, behaviors, and any other evidence of intoxication. Try to remember everything you can, and report it on the police collision report. Be extra cautious, as intoxicated individuals may try to hide being under the influence, or they may flee the scene once the accident is reported. Gathering information quickly and recording as much of it as you can is key to later identifying the driver who hit you and documenting their intoxication. Read more here.