People choose Southampton to live in, work and visit because it’s an escape from life in a city. However, potential dangers may lurk even in quiet and scenic Long Island coastal towns. An injury from an accident can throw your life into upheaval, and you may not know where to turn for help.

If you are injured in an accident in Southampton, TonaLaw is here for you. Our skilled attorneys have a reputation for providing our clients with the highest quality representation. We are compassionate and understanding with our clients, and we fight toe-to-toe with insurance companies or responsible parties to ensure the clients get the compensation they deserve. Call a Southampton personal injury lawyer at TonaLaw today.

Our Southampton Personal Injury Attorney Practice Areas

Our elite attorneys have represented clients on a wide range of personal injury matters, including:

  • Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents,
  • Boating accidents,
  • Accidents on private property,
  • Bar or restaurant accidents,
  • Slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall accidents,
  • Dog and other animal bites,
  • Construction accidents,
  • Rideshare accidents, and
  • Wrongful death claims.

This list is not exhaustive. We’ve handled many more types of legal claims. Speak with a Southampton personal injury lawyer from our office today to see if we can help you with your injuries.

Responsible Parties in Personal Injury Claims

A personal injury lawyer consults with a client over documents in their Southampton office.

One of the first steps for a possible personal injury claim is to determine the party responsible for your injuries and who will ultimately be responsible for paying you for the harm they caused. Depending on your claim, the responsible party may be:

  • Another driver on the road,
  • A store owner or manager,
  • The bar or restaurant owner,
  • Another property owner,
  • A dog owner,
  • A governmental agency,
  • A boater,
  • A rideshare driver,
  • The rideshare company,
  • An employee,
  • A large corporation, or
  • The manufacturer of a product.

Sometimes, more than one party is responsible for your injuries. For example, if a delivery driver hits you while they’re working for the delivery company, the delivery driver and the company may both be legally responsible. A Southampton personal injury lawyer can investigate who is responsible in your case and pursue your claims against the responsible parties on your behalf.

Personal Injury Law Basics

If you are an injury victim, you may be eligible for compensation from the responsible party. First, however, you must be able to prove your case under New York law. If you can’t meet the legal requirements for your personal injury case, you will not be eligible for compensation. The legal requirements vary depending on your personal injury claim. Generally, most injury victims use the legal negligence standard to prove their case to receive compensation.

Negligence 

Negligence under the law generally means that the person at fault for an injury acted in a way that a reasonable person in similar circumstances would not have acted, causing another person harm. This includes careless or reckless behavior that results in an injury.  For a negligence claim, you must be able to prove the following four elements:

  • Duty of care—the responsible party owes you and others an obligation to act in a safe manner under the circumstances;
  • Breach of duty—the responsible party did not fulfill their duty to act reasonably safely;
  • Causation—the responsible party’s failure to act reasonably safely caused your accident or injury; and
  • Damages—you suffered harm or injury as a result.

Although these legal elements may appear relatively straightforward, you may face many possible legal challenges when trying to prove one or more of these elements as some companies and people at fault may argue that your situation does not satisfy one or more of the required elements. Plus, you’ll need evidence to support each element. A Southampton personal injury attorney will understand the law, apply it to your situation, and gather evidence to help prove your claim so that you can recover the compensation you deserve.

Comparative Negligence

Injury victims often worry about what may happen to their claim if an insurance company or responsible party can prove that they were partly at fault for the accident where they were injured. Fortunately, under New York’s comparative negligence law, an injury victim may still be able to recover compensation even if they were partially at fault. A court will simply reduce the compensation based on the victim’s proportion of fault.

The court first assigns the injured party a percentage of responsibility. For example, if the court finds that the injured party is 20% at-fault, then, the court deducts this percentage from the injured party’s total compensation. In this example, if the total compensation was $50,000, and you are 20% at fault, you’ll still be able to recover $40,000 from the responsible party as that represents the remaining 80% of the claim. 

If you believe that you may be partly at fault for your accident, or an insurance company claims that you played a role in the accident, you should speak with a Southampton personal injury lawyer immediately. An insurance company or the responsible party may use this to minimize your potential settlement or try to tell you that you don’t have a right to compensation at all. A knowledgeable New York personal injury attorney working for your interests will be able to tell you whether you have a legal compensation claim and will be able to fight for your maximum recovery under the law. 

Potential Compensation in a New York Personal Injury Claim

Each personal injury case is unique, and your potential compensation depends entirely on the specific facts of your case. Generally, in a personal injury claim, you may be eligible for compensation that covers many expenses related to the accident or injury. This may include:

  • Medical expenses and treatment fees;
  • Lost pay from missed days of work due to your injury;
  • Property damage, such as damage to a car, boat, or motorcycle;
  • Lost future wages if your doctor believes you’ll be unable to work for a while; and
  • Pain and suffering due to the emotional impact of the accident or injury.

You may be eligible for additional types of compensation, depending on your case. An attorney from our office can help you calculate your potential compensation.

Deadlines for a Personal Injury Claim

All potential claims have court filing deadlines. For a personal injury claim in New York, you generally must file your case in court within three years of the accident or injury. However, your deadline may be shorter in certain circumstances such as if a government agency or medical professional causes your injury. 

Three years may seem like a long time, but it can go by quickly. If you miss this deadline, a court can dismiss or reject your case, and you won’t be able to obtain any compensation. Do not delay. Call a Southampton personal injury lawyer from our office to get started on your case today before any more time passes.

Trust Our Southampton Personal Injury Law Firm

When you are unexpectedly injured, you face many different obstacles and stresses. The attorneys at TonaLaw understand the challenges you face and will try to lighten your load. We’ll investigate your case, estimate your damages and deal with insurance companies so you can focus on your health. Our attorneys will fight for your maximum recovery under the law. Contact us today.

What Our Clients Are Saying

Excellent5.0 Based on 381 reviews from review us onJennifer CaceresJennifer Caceres ★★★★★ I highly recommend using tonalaw. Lauren and Jada are amazing. Any questions or concerns I had they answered. I am happy I choose tonalaw .Response from the ownerThank you so much for your review Jennifer! We are so glad to hear that you were pleased with our responsiveness and thoroughness in addressing your questions and concerns. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to providing our clients with the best possible legal representation. Thank you again for your kind words. We are honored to have you as a client. Carlos UmanaCarlos Umana ★★★★★ Excelente atención buena comunicación contestan mis preguntas con sinceridadResponse from the ownerThank you so much for your review Carlos! Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we will continue to strive to provide you and all of our customers with the outstanding service you deserve. Yanira Del ValleYanira Del Valle ★★★★★ Mr. Tona is such a wonderful human and attorney. So helpful, without a second thought, he shares his knowledge and experience. He helps makes this Plaintiff community a better one. Thank you!!!Response from the ownerThank you Yanira! It was so great meeting you. Marvin SortoMarvin Sorto ★★★★★ TonaLaw is a very reputable firm. Ana is such a great asset to the firm. She is also bilingual with many years of experienceResponse from the ownerThank you for your kind words Marvin! gary gundersengary gundersen ★★★★★ I’ve been to tona law several times already and I’ve had the pleasure to deal with Ana both time and she was amazing. Made sure all paperwork was in order and is super thorough with everything. Highly recommendedResponse from the ownerThank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience with us at Tona Law. We are so glad to hear that you were pleased with the services provided by Ana. We are committed to providing our clients with the highest quality legal representation, and we are always striving to exceed expectations. Jennifer PorterJennifer Porter ★★★★★ Tom Tona puts so much emphasis and effort into developing a fantastic law firm, delivering excellent results for their clients and also staying at the forefront of law firm management skills. I am super impressed by my conversation and interaction with Tom and am happy to recommend him!Response from the ownerJennifer, thank you so much for this wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you were impressed with your conversation and interaction with Tom. We strive to provide a positive and supportive experience for all of our clients, and we are so glad to hear you had such a positive interaction with Mr. Tona. Thank you again for your kind words. Janet SowinskiJanet Sowinski ★★★★★ Lauren, one of the paralegals at Tona Law is very knowledgeable, compassionate and very professional. She genuinely cares for her clients and is always willing to go the extra mile to help. Having known her for several years, i can confidently recommend both Lauren and Tona Law to anyone seeking great assistance.Carmen SandovalCarmen Sandoval ★★★★★ Quiero darles las gracias por haberme representado en mi caso, felizmente estos abogados lograron ganar ni caso, y estoy muy satisfecha por su gran trabajo, hablan español y la señorita Ana es muy atenta y cordial y amable con sus clientes, muchisinas gracias x sus servicios ademas de ser rapidos, nos ayudan mucho especialmente a las personas qué sólo hablamos español, les recomiendo este servicio de abogados muy honestos. Muchas gracias👌😘Miguel MenaMiguel Mena ★★★★★ Ana is extremely knowledgeable and a great asset to your firm! Definitely will be coming back.Sandie RivasSandie Rivas ★★★★★ Ana is amazing! Working with her was extremely enjoyable. She is a great asset to Tonalaw and always eager to help!Darwin RomeroDarwin Romero ★★★★★ Ana was an absolute pleasure. She was incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful throughout the entire process. Highly recommend!Emma SortoEmma Sorto ★★★★★ Ana is a wonderful personal. She is very talented and very hardworking. Best thing is that she is bilingual! Always willing to help anyone who is in need of a hand! You are in great hands at Tona Law!nicole garcianicole garcia ★★★★★ Couldn’t recommend Lauren more!!! I’ve known Lauren for years, she is a dedicated, hard worker and is so professional when it comes to her job. She really cares about her clients and doing the best for them.Dolceprincipessa xoDolceprincipessa xo ★★★★★ I highly recommend Will Ramos as a lawyer. He is a true professional. He explained my options with me and was very accessible & kept me updated! I also had the pleasure of working with Jayden. She was great as well. They assisted with my case and helped me tremendously! Highly recommend :)yessenia lopez ramosyessenia lopez ramos ★★★★★ I have know Attorney Will Ramos for many years. He is very detail oriented, a great advocate, and an empathetic individual.I have referred a few clients during their time of need over to Will and the friendly staff at Tona Law. He is willing to go above and beyond for others.CARLOS RODRIGUEZCARLOS RODRIGUEZ ★★★★★ I have known Will Ramos for 15 plus years and can attest to his character in placing the needs for others above his own. He is an asset to any organization and a team player with positive attitude.Jessica MalaveJessica Malave ★★★★★ I’ve known attorney Will Ramos for 16 years he always places the needs of others above his own. He is a caring man and super understanding and has a big heart.Bianca RamosBianca Ramos ★★★★★ Attorney Will Ramos is awesome the law firm is lucky to have someone like him part of their team. He genuinely cares for others and is always willing to lend a helping hand.Response from the ownerBianca, thank you for leaving a wonderful review for our firm. We are lucky to have Will Ramos as part of our team! Arianna RamosArianna Ramos ★★★★★ Attorney Will Ramos is nothing short of dedicated and hard working. Each case he works on demonstrates his passion for law and his care for his clients.Response from the ownerThank you for your review, Arianna! Will Ramos has been a wonderful asset to our team. JenneferJennefer ★★★★★ I've had the pleasure of knowing Lauren for quite a while now, and I must say, her dedication to her clients is truly remarkable. She takes immense pride in her work as a professional she seamlessly balances her role at Tona Law, where she's involved in legal matters. Having seen her commitment and skill firsthand, I can confidently recommend both Lauren and Tona Law to anyone seeking top-notch assistance.Celine Aubry-DumandCeline Aubry-Dumand ★★★★★ I had a great experience working with TonaLaw.The team was really friendly and helpful throughout the entire process.Response from the ownerCeline, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review for our firm. We are so grateful we were able to help you and provide you with a great experience. Thank you! Adam OmallyAdam Omally ★★★★★ I have known Lauren one of the paralegals at Tona law for many years and she is dedicated to her profession and helping her clients. Wonderful person.Alexandra DevineAlexandra Devine ★★★★★ Lauren at TonaLaw was extremely helpful! She was so nice and professional. I highly recommend asking for her!Margaret CaschettaMargaret Caschetta ★★★★★ I have known Lauren for a long time and she’s always been dedicated to her job! Excellent at anything she’s ever done.NICOLE GUASTONICOLE GUASTO ★★★★★ Lauren’s great- reliable empathetic the whole package - years of knowing her I wouldn’t ask for anyone elsejs_loader