Long Island personal injury lawyers take on a wide variety of cases, mostly centered around incidents and accidents caused by negligence. Personal injury attorneys work to hold individuals, businesses, and government agencies accountable when their negligence causes harm. They seek a financial recovery to appropriately compensate injured parties for the damages they suffered.
Our personal injury law firm will represent you based on contingency. In other words, we only charge a fee if and when we actually win a money recovery for you. Consulting with us for a comprehensive case review, advising you of all your options, is free, so there is zero financial risk to you to discuss your case with us and, if you choose to do so, hire us to represent you. You should not have to pay up front for a personal injury lawyer to handle your case, and when you retain our services as your injury lawyers, you will never have to.
- Exploring the Types of Cases Personal Injury Lawyers Handle
- How Do Personal Injury Lawyers Pursue Compensation?
- When Should I Call a Personal Injury Lawyer?
- Talk to Our Personal Injury Team for Free Today
Exploring the Types of Cases Personal Injury Lawyers Handle
Some common types of negligence cases that a personal injury law firm might handle include:
Car Accidents
Car crashes are one of the most common types of personal injury cases. If you have serious injuries, a personal injury lawyer will navigate New York’s no-fault insurance system and fight for appropriate compensation for you.
Under New York Insurance Law § 5102(d), you must suffer a “serious” injury to pursue a fault-based case after a collision. Our car accident attorneys will determine if you meet the criteria and build your case for you.
Truck Accidents
Crashes involving tractor-trailer trucks are often more complex than car accident cases. One of several reasons for this is the legal doctrine called respondeat superior. This doctrine allows you to hold the truck driver’s employer liable in many of these cases.
Consistent with providing strong advocacy on an injured client’s behalf, Long Island truck accident lawyers must preserve and analyze a lot of evidence in these collisions, including rest logs, maintenance records, black box data, and employment records.
Bus Accidents
Whether it’s a crash involving an MTA bus in Brooklyn or a charter bus in Nassau County, bus accidents often lead to complex claims and challenging cases. They cause serious injuries to passengers, pedestrians, and occupants of other vehicles. At the same time, they often involve government entities, such as a school system or transportation agency. This means different rules often apply to the claims and litigation processes in bus accident cases.
In some bus accidents, victims have a very limited time to file a Notice of Claim and preserve their right to hold a government agency accountable. For this reason, it is imperative to work quickly after a bus accident.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accident cases often involve catastrophic injuries and the potential for lasting disabilities. This could include traumatic brain injuries, amputation, or spinal cord damage.
Injured motorcyclists are not covered by New York’s no-fault insurance, so they must take action against the at-fault driver to recover compensation for their current and future damages, including the ongoing care and support they will need for lasting impairments.
Pedestrian and Cyclist Injuries
Pedestrian and bicyclist accident injuries are often serious and could include broken bones, internal injuries, or traumatic brain injuries. A personal injury lawyer will build a case against a negligent driver who caused a crash and, if circumstances support such a claim, against a municipality that created an unsafe road condition contributing to the accident and injuries.
Dog Bites and Attacks
A dog owner may be liable for injuries caused by their pet if the dog has a known history of dangerous or threatening behavior, often referred to as a “vicious propensity”. Even in cases where this is difficult to prove, victims could have a case if the owner violated leash laws or was otherwise negligent.
Our personal injury lawyers will demand appropriate compensation and work within state law to secure a payout based on the victim’s expenses, losses, and other relevant damages.
Slip or Trip and Fall Accidents
Fall injuries are covered by the state’s premises liability laws. These laws state that when someone is hurt due to a hazardous condition on someone else’s property, the property owner or occupier is liable. Hazards could include wet floors, uneven sidewalks, loose wires, poor lighting, or icy sidewalks.
To establish a premises liability case, you must prove that the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition but failed to take reasonable steps to remedy it. We have successfully handled many such cases and know how to build and present a strong, compelling case on your behalf.
Construction Accidents
New York has specific laws protecting construction workers, including Labor Law § 200, 240, and 241. These laws assign strict liability to property owners and contractors when construction workers are injured in falls from scaffolding, ladders, or similar structures.
For a free legal consultation, call (516) 932-0400
How Do Personal Injury Lawyers Pursue Compensation?
A personal injury attorney will assess and explain your legal options and build your case to pursue appropriate compensation for you. Many personal injury cases settle without your needing to sue or go to court. When your attorney demands compensation from the insurance carrier and presents strong evidence to support their demand, this often leads to negotiations and, ultimately, a settlement agreement.
When this does not happen or when there are disputes about the case facts, a lawsuit might be necessary. You only have a limited time to sue in most cases, based on New York Civil Practice Laws & Rules § 214 or other applicable statutes. Sometimes, such as when the at-fault party is a government agency, you have even less time to act.
Even when there is a lawsuit, cases rarely go to trial. Mediation, arbitration, or a negotiated settlement are possible before the trial date arrives. If your case does go to trial, your attorney will represent you.
When Should I Call a Personal Injury Lawyer?
If you were hurt on Long Island or in the greater New York City area, you should discuss your next steps with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Acting early protects your rights and gives your legal team the best possible chance to build a strong case on your behalf.
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Talk to Our Personal Injury Team for Free Today
Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., provides complimentary consultations for victims hurt by someone else’s negligence. Since opening the firm in 1991, we have recovered more than $250 million for our clients. Contact us today to learn how our personal injury lawyers handle cases like yours. We meet people at their homes or in the hospital when necessary.
Call or text (516) 932-0400 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form