Queens Car Accident Lawyer
If you have been injured in a car accident in Queens, you deserve maximum compensation for your pain, suffering, lost wages, and medical bills. Compensation generally comes from insurance coverage, but insurance companies often do not play fair. Our experienced Queens car accident lawyers at Lever & Ecker, PLLC, are here to level the playing field. We will deal with the insurance company and handle the legal process on your behalf so you can focus on healing from your injuries.
- Why Choose Lever & Ecker to Handle Your Accident Lawsuit?
- Settlements We’ve Secured for Auto Accident Victims
- Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle
- Time Limit to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Queens
- Recovering Compensation for Queens Car Accident Victims
- Liable Parties in Auto Accident Lawsuits
- How to Prove Liability After an Auto Accident
- Common Causes of Car Accidents
- Common Injuries in Car Accidents
- What You Should Do Right After an Accident in Queens
- Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Auto Accident Lawyers in Queens Today
- Car Accident FAQs
Why Choose Lever & Ecker to Handle Your Accident Lawsuit?
We take personal injury cases…very personally™. When you have our award-winning accident lawyers on your side, you will never be treated like a number. We treat every client like family and follow through with everything we say we will do. We handle a limited number of cases at any given time because we are committed to giving your case the personalized time and attention it deserves.
Founding partner David B. Lever was once seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. His experience gave him insight into how much a car accident turns your life upside down. We are sensitive to the pain and distress you are experiencing, so our approach is simple: We listen to you, guide you, and help you with what needs to be done right now. For example, here are some of the things we can do for you:
- If you are unsure where to go for medical care, we will help you find a doctor.
- If you need money to keep a roof over your head while you wait for your case to resolve, we will help you find it.
- We will provide the resources needed to make the right decision and get the right care.
Settlements We’ve Secured for Auto Accident Victims
We genuinely care about our clients and are driven by our desire to help people. Everything we do will be in your best interest. We treat every case as if it is the most important thing in our office and never take the easy way out by accepting a fast settlement. Our dedication to our clients shows in our outstanding case results, such as the following:
Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle
When you need a car accident lawyer in Queens, our successful auto accident lawyers are ready to take on the challenge regardless of the type of accident that caused your injuries. We have helped hundreds of car accident victims recover significant compensation from nearly every type of accident, such as the below:
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Bus accidents
- Single-vehicle collisions
- Side-impact collisions
- Multi-vehicle collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Rear-end collisions
- Rollover accidents
- Accidents caused by uninsured drivers
Time Limit to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Queens
The New York statute of limitations generally imposes a three-year deadline for filing a lawsuit against the parties responsible for your injuries after a car accident. If you miss the deadline for filing suit, you will lose your right to pursue compensation for your injuries and damages. When you suffer severe injuries, a car accident lawsuit may be your only means to access the medical treatment you need and the financial security you deserve.
When you contact our professional auto accident lawyers in Queens, you will never have to worry about whether you’ll miss the deadline. We will file your case on time. With more than 70+ years of combined experience, you can trust us to handle all the legal details and protect your claim.
Recovering Compensation for Queens Car Accident Victims
You may be entitled to recover economic and non-economic damages from a Queens car accident. Economic damages cover your verifiable monetary losses. They include past and future medical expenses, lost wages, future lost earning capacity, property damage, and other costs resulting from your injuries. Non-economic damages compensate for your subjective losses that are not easily measured in dollars. These include the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of society
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of bodily functions
- Emotional distress
In rare instances, you may also be entitled to punitive damages if the at-fault driver’s behavior was intentional, outrageous, or grossly negligent. For example, you may receive punitive damages if the driver who hit you was drunk.
New York places no limits on how much compensation you can receive in a car accident lawsuit, but state insurance laws can impact your compensation. However, our aggressive Queens car accident attorneys will strive to uncover all applicable insurance policies and available assets against which a claim could be made.
How Do New York’s No-Fault Insurance Laws Impact Compensation?
New York is a no-fault state and requires all drivers to carry no-fault insurance, known as personal injury protection or PIP. After a car accident, you must file your initial claim against your own PIP policy regardless of who was at fault. A basic PIP policy pays up to $50,000 for a portion of your economic damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- 80 percent of your lost wages, with a $2,000 monthly maximum for up to three years
- Up to $25 per day for up to a year for incidental expenses, such as housekeeping assistance
Although you must first make a claim under your no-fault insurance, New York law does not prevent a seriously injured accident victim from pursuing legal action against the driver who caused the accident.
Liability Insurance Claims in New York
If your injuries are severe, you will need more compensation than PIP provides. New York’s insurance laws allow you to file a claim against the at-fault driver’s liability insurance when your injuries meet the statutory definition of serious. According to New York Insurance Law § 5102(d), an injury is serious when it causes one or more of the following complications:
- Death
- Dismemberment
- Significant disfigurement
- Fracture
- Loss of a fetus
- Permanent loss of a body organ, member, function or system.
- Permanent consequential limitation of a body organ or member
- Signification limitation of use of body function or system
- Medically determined injury or impairment of a non-permanent nature which prevents the injured person from performing substantially all of the material acts which constitute such person’s usual and customary daily activities for not less than 90 days during the 180 days immediately following the occurrence of the injury or impairment. Insurance Law §5102(d).
New York drivers must carry the following minimum liability insurance coverage:
| Type of Coverage | Coverage per Person | Coverage per Accident |
| Bodily Injury | $25,000 | $50,000 for two or more people |
| Death | $50,000 | $100,000 for two or more people |
| Property Damage | $10,000 |
Compensation for the Death of a Loved One
If your loved one tragically died in a car accident, our compassionate auto accident lawyers will be there for your family. You may be entitled to significant damages through a wrongful death lawsuit for your loved one’s pain, suffering, and financial losses between the accident and death. We will also help you pursue damages for the financial costs of the death to your family, such as the loss of your loved one’s future earnings, the value of your loved one’s domestic services, and funeral expenses. We will also help you pursue punitive damages when applicable.
Liable Parties in Auto Accident Lawsuits
Identifying all the liable parties increases the pool of available compensation so our successful Queens car accident attorneys can maximize your award. Although the other driver may seem like the most obvious culprit, the following parties may share liability for your Queens car accident:
- Manufacturers of defective automobile components
- Government agencies responsible for road maintenance
- Negligent mechanics
- Owners of the vehicles involved
- Employers of at-fault drivers operating vehicles in the course of employment
We identify liable parties by performing a forensic analysis of your accident and reviewing all the available evidence, including eyewitness reports and video surveillance.
How to Prove Liability After an Auto Accident
To prove someone else was liable for your car accident, you must prove that all of the following elements of negligence were present during your accident:
- The liable party owed you a legal duty of care.
- The party breached the duty of care.
- You suffered an injury you would not have but for the breach of duty.
- The breach of duty is the actual and proximate cause of your injury.
Proving liability requires hard evidence. You can count on our successful and experienced Queens auto accident lawyers to do all of the hard work to establish liability so you can focus on your medical treatment.
Where necessary, we work with top accident reconstructionists to gather forensic evidence and prove what happened immediately before and during your accident. Data from involved vehicles’ black boxes will be downloaded for analysis, skid marks and road conditions at the scene will be reviewed, and toxicology reports will be analyzed. We take on a limited number of cases at one time. Thus, we can devote all the time and resources necessary to investigate your case fully.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
A reported 24,330 crashes occurred in Queens in 2023 alone, injuring 13,564 people and killing 80. Although some collisions occur because of road conditions and vehicle defects, most result from driver error. The most common causes of car accidents in Queens include the following:
- Distracted driving
- Failing to yield
- Following too closely
- Improper passing
- Speeding
- Disobeying traffic controls
- Unsafe backing
- Making improper turns
- Improper changing of lanes
- Drinking and driving
- Aggressive driving
- Drowsy driving
Common Injuries in Car Accidents
While it is possible to escape a car accident with minor injuries such as scrapes and bruises, even a low-impact collision can lead to serious car accident injuries. We accept clients with a wide range of injuries, such as the following:
- Whiplash
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Broken bones
- Compression fractures of the vertebrae
- Nerve damage
- Amputations
- Severe lacerations
What You Should Do Right After an Accident in Queens
The six most important steps after an accident include:
- Call 911 to obtain immediate medical attention and a police assistance.
- Exchange information with the other driver.
- Document the accident with photos, videos, and eyewitness contact information if you are physically able to do so.
- Complete all recommended medical treatment.
- Report the accident to your no-fault insurance company within 30 days.
- Contact a highly experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
The actions you take in the immediate aftermath of an accident can impact your long-term health and your personal injury claim. For example, if you wait too long to go to the doctor, an otherwise temporary injury could become permanent or require more treatment. The insurance company will also attempt to use any delay in treatment against you.
Everything you do in the days, weeks and months following your accident can also impact your claim. If significant compensation is at stake, insurance companies look for opportunities to use your statements or actions against you. They may surveil you, harass you, and even monitor your social media. When you have our knowledgeable Queens car accident lawyers on your side, we will deal with the insurance company, handle all of your legalities, and protect your claim.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Auto Accident Lawyers in Queens Today
We have over 75 years of experience helping car accident victims recover full compensation, and our success rate is 99 percent. If the insurance company plays hardball with your compensation, we will hold the insurance company accountable for the compensation you deserve. We are always prepared to go to trial if necessary. Call our award-winning Queens car accident lawyers today at (718) 933-3632 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
Car Accident FAQs
If the Other Driver's Insurance Contacts You, Should You Speak with Them?
You should not speak with the other driver’s insurance company. Insurance adjusters sometimes seem friendly, but they are working to minimize your compensation. They will find ways to use your own words against you. If the insurance company contacts you, refer the adjuster to your attorney without comment. No matter what the adjuster tells you, you are not obligated to speak to the other driver’s insurance company.
When Should You See a Doctor After a Car Accident?
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
Car accidents can create significant financial distress in addition to the pain and disabilities they create. We are committed to ensuring financial difficulties do not between you and the compensation you deserve. We will cover your case costs and invest our resources to prosecute your claim without any upfront charges. We will collect a percentage of the compensation we recover for you at the conclusion of your case. You only pay if we win.
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