Multi-vehicle accidents often result in serious injuries and high medical bills. In addition, these types of accidents typically involve complex liability issues, making it necessary to hire an experienced attorney to assist you with the legal process. If you’ve been injured in a multi-vehicle accident in New York, the experienced attorneys of Dell & Dean, PLLC, are here to help. Please contact us today for assistance with your multi-vehicle accident case.
Causes of Multi-Vehicle Accidents
There are many causes of multi-vehicle accidents. Often, these accidents are a result of negligence. Common causes of multi-vehicle accidents in New York include:
Distracted Driving
There are more distractions today than ever before. Smartphones, GPS systems, and other devices routinely keep drivers’ focus off the road, resulting in serious accidents.
Aggressive Driving/Tailgating
Tailgating, which is the act of driving closely behind another vehicle, doesn’t give the tailgating driver sufficient time to stop, and this can quickly result in multi-vehicle pileups. In addition, aggressive behaviors like excessive speeding and sudden lane changes further increase the risk of accidents.
Construction Zones
New York is known for its heavy road construction. Unfortunately, road construction leads to narrow lanes, traffic pattern changes, and unexpected stops. These types of conditions can confuse drivers and result in multi-vehicle accidents.
Fatigued/Impaired Driving
Both fatigued and impaired driving present serious dangers on the road. Both conditions significantly impact decision-making ability and reaction time, qualities that are necessary to navigate a vehicle safely and avoid accidents.
Mechanical Failures
Finally, mechanical failures, such as tire blowouts, brake failures, and steering system issues, can cause drivers to lose control. When this happens in busy traffic, the resulting accident typically involves multiple vehicles.
Fault in Multi-Vehicle Accidents
Due to the number of vehicles involved, establishing liability for multi-vehicle accidents can be complicated. This is one of many reasons that it’s important to hire an experienced multi-vehicle accident attorney following an accident involving several vehicles. Following a multi-vehicle accident, any of the following parties may face liability.
- The initial impact driver
- Following drivers
- Government entities responsible for road construction and maintenance
- Construction companies
- Vehicle manufacturers
- Commercial vehicle companies
Comparative Negligence in New York
New York operates under a comparative negligence system. This means that a party may recover damages even if he or she was partially at fault for an accident. In other words, even if you believe you are partially to blame for your multi-vehicle accident in New York, you may still be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries.
How an Attorney Can Help
When you come to Dell & Dean, PLLC, for assistance with your multi-vehicle accident case, we will assist you in multiple ways. Specifically, we will:
Identify All Liable Parties
We will navigate the complexity of your multi-vehicle accident to identify all potentially liable parties. As noted above, there may be multiple liable parties in a multi-vehicle accident case. We will investigate the facts of your case to determine the liability of other drivers, vehicle manufacturers, maintenance companies, government entities, and more.
Negotiate with Insurance Companies
Multi-vehicle accidents often involve more than one insurance company. Our skilled and experienced negotiators will negotiate with these companies on your behalf in an effort to obtain fair compensation. We will manage all communications with insurance adjusters, preventing them from taking advantage of you and pressuring you into accepting lowball settlement offers.
Document Your Damages
We will also document your damages to arrive at a fair value for your case, taking into account the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Rehabilitation costs
- Long-term care requirements
Go to Court
If settlement negotiations with insurance companies don’t result in fair compensation, we are prepared to take your case to court. If we go to trial, we will:
- Present accident reconstruction evidence
- Cross-examine expert witnesses
- Demonstrate chains of causation
- Prove your damages
Contact a Long Island Multi-Vehicle Accident Attorney
If you’ve been involved in a multi-vehicle accident in New York, Dell & Dean, PLLC, is here for you. At Dell & Dean, PLLC, our experienced multi-vehicle accident lawyers have the experience and knowledge necessary to obtain financial compensation on your behalf. Please contact us to schedule a consultation with a multi-vehicle accident attorney.
Dell & Dean, PLLC, represents personal injury victims throughout Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island, as well as the boroughs of New York City and the surrounding areas.
