Welcome
to the Car Accidents and Truck Wrecks webpage for
Scott C. Gottlieb, Injury Law Attorney. We are
located in Binghamton, N.Y., and We Will Fight For
You! Our office works with accident reconstruction
and economic experts to help prepare your case. We
will also help you decide whether it is more prudent
to fight or to settle a case in order to obtain the
maximum awards.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, in
2003 there were more than 6 million
car accidents in
the United States. Approximately 3 million people
were injured and almost 53,000 were killed in motor vehicle mishaps. Accident victims included:
- Drivers
of vehicles, including cars, trucks, and motorcycles,
who are involved in
accidents where another driver was at fault.
- Passengers
in car accidents whose driver or the driver
of another vehicle was to blame.
- Pedestrians
hit by vehicles.
- Cyclists
hit by motorists.
When
it comes to personal injury claims,
car
accident cases are the most common. According to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), every 10 seconds someone in the United
States is involved in a
automobile accident. If you or a
family member have been injured in an auto accident,
your physical trauma may be compounded by the
uncertainties of your financial future.
Though less numerous, truck wrecks are far more
dangerous. Every year nearly 500,000 large trucks
(tractor-trailers or "semis") are involved
in traffic accidents in the United States.
Approximately 5,000 of these accidents involve semi
trailer trucks and result in fatalities. In fact,
one of every eight traffic fatalities is caused by a
collision with a large truck. Most deaths that occur
in these accidents are of the passengers of the
automobiles. Drivers of trucks typically remain
uninjured.
NHTSA
sponsored a study that concluded approximately twice
as many car drivers would die in collisions with
light trucks than in similar collisions between
vehicles of the same weight. For the same reasons,
occupants of passenger cars and light trucks have
much higher fatality rates than occupants of large
trucks and buses.
Examples of truck negligence generally fall into two
categories: driver error and vehicle maintenance
failure. The most common cause of driver error is
fatigue, which can cause clouded judgment,
drowsiness, and falling asleep at the wheel. Driver
error can also be due to inexperience, improper
driver training and driving under the influence of
alcohol or drugs (whether prescription or illegal).
Deregulation of the trucking industry has resulted
in an increase in speed-limit violations among
tractor-trailer drivers.
Truck accident lawsuits tend to be far more complex
than other vehicle accidents for several reasons:
- Trucking
companies and insurance adjusters realize the
potential for major lawsuits when a truck
accident is involved, so immediately following
an accident, they quickly gather evidence and
experts so that they can immediately begin to
prepare their case.
- Even
determining the proper defendant can be
extremely difficult and complex:
- Driver Fatigue would likely be the
driver's fault.
- Overloaded Freight would likely cause
the company the driver works for to be involved
in the lawsuit.
- Excessive Speed could cause the driver
and the company to be listed as co-defendants if
strict and unreasonable deadlines were set on
the driver.
- Equipment Malfunction could cause the
manufacturers to be defendants.
- Defective Tires could also cause a tire
manufacturer or distributor to be named as a
defendant.
- Failure to Follow State and Federal
Regulations would normally name the company
and driver to be co-defendants.
- Mechanical Failure could be the fault
of a service station or whoever did the most
recent vehicle inspection.
Scott C. Gottlieb advises clients to act as
follows when involved in a car or truck accident:
A. Notify police, and if necessary, an
ambulance immediately.
B. Do not make statements to anyone, except a
police officer.
C. Do not admit liability.
D. Obtain all insurance and contact information of
all those involved in the accident.
E. If you have a camera, take pictures of the cars
and the individuals involved.
Within 24 hours of an accident:
A. Seek medical attention.
B. Notify your insurance company of your accident
and make any claims.
C. Do not give a recorded statement to ANY
insurance company, including your own, before
contacting an attorney.
No Fault Insurance
Any person injured through the use or operation
of a motor vehicle is entitled to be paid no fault
benefits. These benefits are available to drivers,
passengers, pedestrians or anyone else who is
using or operating the vehicle. However, the
driver or passenger of a motorcycle is NOT
entitled to no fault benefits, but may be entitled
to compensation if someone else was at fault in
causing the accident.
No fault benefits may also be available to be
paid even if the vehicle was involved in an
accident outside the State of New York. There are
strict time limits that apply to the application
for no fault benefits as well as the submission of
claims for same.
No fault benefits including payment for the
following accident-related expenses:
- Lost Wages
- Medical Expenses
- Prescriptions
- Mileage reimbursement for transportation to
and from all medical providers
- Reimbursement for private health insurance
premiums that are paid by the injured person
- Death benefits in the event of a fatality
Contact us today. We
will answer your questions and discuss your case.
Experience Counts. Our overall goal is to
establish our office as the best office to hire
if you want compensation for your case. We base
this on our experience and past results.
We can also help you with other legal problems
that arise while your case is pending.
Our philosophy is to provide quality legal
services while treating each client with care and
respect. If you feel that you or a loved one has
suffered because of a motor vehicle accident, call
our 24-hour answering service at (607) 724-7700 or
contact us via our online contact
form. All calls and inquiries are responded to
the same day, usually within one hour. There is no
case-review cost.
Car Accidents
Motor
Vehicle Accidents /
No Fault Insurance (FAQs)
Free Motor Vehicle
Accidents / No Fault Insurance Case Evaluation
Personal Injury Glossary
Car Accident Glossary
Motorcycle Accident Glossary
|
