What Is The Definition Of A Car Accident?

A car accident is an unexpected event involving one or more motor vehicles that results in a collision, injury, death, or property damage. A car accident may involve two or more vehicles, but it can also involve a pedestrian, bicyclist, animal, parked vehicle, building, guardrail, tree, utility pole, or another object.

Not every car accident involves two moving vehicles. Single-vehicle crashes, rollovers, hit-and-run accidents, and collisions involving parked cars can all qualify as motor vehicle accidents.

For someone involved in a crash on Long Island, understanding what qualifies as a car accident is only the beginning. The type of accident, how it happened, the injuries involved, available insurance coverage, and who was responsible can all affect your rights under New York law.

Approximately 1.35 million people die each year in road traffic crashes according to statistics published by the World Health Organization (WHO)

If you were hurt in a collision in Nassau County, Suffolk County, or elsewhere in the New York metropolitan area, a Long Island car accident lawyer with Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. can explain your options and help determine whether you have a claim for compensation.

What Is Considered a Car Accident?

The term car accident is often used interchangeably with terms such as motor vehicle accident, automobile accident, traffic collision, traffic crash, or motor vehicle collision.

What matters is not necessarily what the event is called but what happened.

Examples of events that can be considered car accidents include:

• Two cars colliding at an intersection
• One vehicle rear-ending another
• Two vehicles colliding head-on
• A vehicle striking the side of another vehicle
• A driver losing control and hitting a guardrail
• A vehicle rolling onto its side or roof
• A driver striking a pedestrian
• A vehicle colliding with a bicycle
• A driver hitting a parked vehicle
• A vehicle striking a tree, building, fence, or utility pole
• Multiple vehicles becoming involved in a chain-reaction crash
• A driver causing a crash and leaving the scene

The New York Department of Motor Vehicles uses the term motor vehicle crash in its reporting system. New York drivers may be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Crash Report when an accident results in injury or death or causes more than $1,000 in damage to the property of any one person.

Friedman & Simon also provides information about how to obtain a car accident police report in New York City or Long Island after a collision.

For a free legal consultation, call (516) 932-0400

What Are the Different Types of Car Accidents?

Although every collision is different, most car accidents fall into several common categories.

Rear-End Collisions

A rear-end collision occurs when the front of one vehicle strikes the back of another.

These crashes frequently happen when drivers follow too closely, become distracted, misjudge stopping distance, or fail to notice traffic slowing ahead.

Although some rear-end collisions happen at relatively low speeds, they can still cause significant injuries.

T-Bone or Side-Impact Accidents

A T-bone accident occurs when the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another.

These collisions commonly occur at intersections when a driver runs a red light, fails to stop at a stop sign, fails to yield, or turns across another vehicle's path.

Vehicle occupants have less protection from a direct side impact than they do from many front or rear collisions, which can contribute to serious injuries.

Head-On Collisions

A head-on collision occurs when the fronts of two vehicles strike each other.

Because the vehicles may be traveling toward one another at significant speeds, head-on crashes can produce tremendous forces and may cause catastrophic or fatal injuries.

Rollover Accidents

A rollover occurs when a vehicle tips onto its side or roof.

Some rollover accidents involve another vehicle, while others are single-vehicle crashes caused by factors such as excessive speed, abrupt steering, roadway conditions, or a vehicle leaving the roadway.

Single-Vehicle Accidents

A crash does not need to involve another driver to qualify as a car accident.

A motorist could lose control and hit:

• A tree
• A concrete divider
• A guardrail
• A building
• A utility pole
• A traffic sign
• Another stationary object

Another motorist's actions may sometimes contribute to a single-vehicle crash even when the vehicles never actually collide.

Multi-Vehicle Accidents

Three or more vehicles can become involved in a chain-reaction crash.

Determining liability in these cases can be complicated because several drivers may have contributed to the collision.

Hit-and-Run Accidents

A hit-and-run occurs when a driver leaves the scene after becoming involved in an accident.

These cases can create additional complications because identifying the other driver and determining available insurance coverage may become part of the investigation.

What Causes Most Car Accidents?

There is rarely anything truly inevitable about a serious motor vehicle crash. Many collisions occur because someone makes an unsafe decision behind the wheel.

Friedman & Simon discusses this topic in greater detail in its guide to the main causes of car accidents.

Common causes include:

Distracted Driving

Drivers may become distracted by:

• Text messages
• Phone calls
• Navigation systems
• Food or drinks
• Passengers
• Adjusting vehicle controls
• Looking at something outside the vehicle

Even a brief distraction can prevent a driver from recognizing and reacting to changing road conditions.

Speeding

Driving too fast reduces the amount of time a motorist has to react to an unexpected hazard.

Higher speeds may also increase the forces involved in a collision and contribute to more serious injuries.

Failure to Yield

Drivers are required to yield in numerous situations, particularly at intersections, during turns, and when entering traffic.

Failing to do so can cause side-impact, pedestrian, bicycle, and other serious accidents.

Impaired Driving

Alcohol and drugs can interfere with judgment, coordination, reaction time, and a driver's ability to safely operate a vehicle.

Aggressive or Reckless Driving

Dangerous behaviors can include:

• Tailgating
• Excessive speeding
• Unsafe passing
• Weaving through traffic
• Running red lights
• Ignoring stop signs
• Making unsafe lane changes

Weather and Road Conditions

Rain, snow, ice, fog, construction, potholes, and poor visibility can also contribute to crashes.

Drivers still have a responsibility to adjust their driving to existing conditions.

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What Injuries Can a Car Accident Cause?

The severity of an accident cannot always be determined by looking at the vehicles.

Even collisions that appear minor can produce injuries requiring medical treatment.

Possible car accident injuries include:

• Whiplash
• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Herniated or bulging discs
• Broken bones
• Shoulder injuries
• Knee injuries
• Soft-tissue injuries
• Cuts and lacerations
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Concussions
• Spinal cord injuries
• Internal injuries
• Burns
• Psychological trauma

Friedman & Simon's guide to injuries you can get from a car crash provides additional information about common accident-related injuries.

Some injuries are immediately apparent. Others may cause symptoms that develop hours or days after the crash.

That is one reason someone experiencing pain, dizziness, headaches, numbness, restricted movement, or other symptoms following an accident should consider seeking prompt medical attention.

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What Should You Do After a Car Accident on Long Island?

The moments immediately following a collision can be confusing, but what you do next can affect both your health and your ability to document what happened.

When possible:

1. Move to a safe location.
2. Call 911 if someone is injured.
3. Report the accident to the police.
4. Exchange information with the other drivers.
5. Photograph the vehicles and accident scene.
6. Collect contact information from witnesses.
7. Seek medical attention for accident-related symptoms.
8. Keep records of your medical treatment and expenses.
9. Notify the appropriate insurance company.
10. Consider speaking with an attorney if you were injured.

Friedman & Simon provides a more detailed checklist explaining what you should do immediately after a car accident.

Taking photographs can be particularly useful. Images may document vehicle positioning, impact points, road conditions, debris, traffic controls, skid marks, and other details that later help explain how the crash occurred.

How Does New York's No-Fault Insurance Law Affect a Car Accident?

New York follows a no-fault automobile insurance system.

Generally, certain benefits for medical expenses, lost earnings, and qualifying expenses are initially available through no-fault insurance regardless of which driver caused the collision.

You can learn more about this system on Friedman & Simon's page explaining what being a no-fault state means and its guide to how car accident compensation claims work in New York.

No-fault does not mean fault is irrelevant.

Responsibility for the accident can still become extremely important when someone seeks damages outside the no-fault system.

What Is New York's Serious Injury Requirement?

New York law generally limits when someone injured in a motor vehicle accident can seek non-economic damages such as pain and suffering from another party.

New York Insurance Law § 5102 defines a serious injury to include categories such as:

• Death
• Dismemberment
• Significant disfigurement
• A fracture
• Loss of a fetus
• Permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function, or system
• Permanent consequential limitation of a body organ or member
• Significant limitation of a body function or system

The statute also contains an additional category involving an injury or impairment that prevents a person from performing substantially all of their customary daily activities for a specified period. New York Insurance Law § 5104 generally requires a qualifying serious injury before non-economic damages can be recovered by a covered person.

Friedman & Simon has a dedicated explanation of New York State's serious injury threshold for readers who want to learn more.

Who Is Responsible for a Car Accident?

Determining who caused an accident typically requires examining what each driver did before the collision.

Evidence may include:

• Police accident reports
• Witness testimony
• Photographs
• Dashcam footage
• Surveillance recordings
• Vehicle damage
• Traffic-camera evidence
• Medical records
• Electronic vehicle information
• Expert analysis

More than one person can sometimes share responsibility.

An insurance company's initial determination of fault does not necessarily provide the final word on what happened. An attorney can independently investigate the accident and collect evidence supporting their client's version of events.

Friedman & Simon also explains what can happen if you are considered at fault in a New York car accident.

Can You Recover Compensation After a Car Accident?

Depending on the circumstances, a person injured in a collision may have several sources of compensation available.

Potential damages in an eligible claim can include:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical treatment
• Lost earnings
• Loss of future earning capacity
• Property damage
• Out-of-pocket expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life

The compensation available depends on the nature of the accident, the injuries, available insurance coverage, liability, and other case-specific factors. Friedman & Simon's Long Island car accident practice describes the economic and non-economic losses the firm may pursue for injured clients.

How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in New York?

New York generally provides three years to bring a personal injury lawsuit under CPLR § 214, but that does not mean every accident victim has exactly three years.

Different rules and significantly shorter deadlines may apply when a government entity, public authority, wrongful death claim, or another special circumstance is involved.

Because different deadlines can apply, waiting until the statute of limitations is approaching can create unnecessary risks.

Friedman & Simon provides additional information about the New York statute of limitations for car accidents.

There is another reason to investigate a crash early: evidence does not necessarily remain available indefinitely. Video can be erased, vehicles can be repaired, physical evidence can disappear, and witnesses' memories can fade.

Speak With Friedman & Simon After a Long Island Car Accident

A car accident can include much more than two cars colliding. It may involve another vehicle, a pedestrian, a bicyclist, a parked vehicle, or even a stationary object. What matters most after an injury-producing crash is determining how the accident happened, who was responsible, what injuries and losses resulted, and what insurance coverage or other sources of compensation may be available.

Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. has represented injured people on Long Island and throughout the New York metropolitan area for decades. The firm's attorneys investigate accidents, gather evidence, deal with insurance companies, evaluate damages, negotiate settlements, and, when necessary, take cases to court.

If you or someone you love was injured in a collision, contact Friedman & Simon for a free case evaluation and learn more about your legal options.

Call or text (516) 932-0400 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form