Queens Car Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries in a car accident, you are likely facing a mountain of medical bills and vehicle repair expenses, as well as missed paychecks from the time you have to take off work to recover. At Zlotolow & Associates, our car accident attorneys in Queens can help you demand the compensation you need to cover your costs today and protect your financial future. For more than 20 years, our skilled New York auto accident attorneys have successfully fought to hold negligent drivers and insurance companies accountable to those who have unfairly suffered harm in crashes. We are tough negotiators and aggressive trial attorneys who thoroughly investigate car accidents and demand all available compensation for our clients. Don’t waste time fighting insurers who are looking out for their company’s bottom line. Contact a Queens car accident lawyer from Zlotolow & Associates now to schedule a free consultation about how we can help with your car accident injury claim.

How a Car Accident Lawyer in Queens Can Help You

When a car accident happens, the police may determine who is at fault, but in many cases, this question goes unanswered. Often, to determine what really happened in a car accident and who should be held responsible, you need an independent investigation.

Even then, you’ll need a car accident lawyer who is experienced with New York insurance rules and personal injury law to make a strong case for the full compensation you deserve for your injuries and other losses.

When you trust the team at Zlotolow & Associates with your case, we will:

• Meet with you for a frank discussion of your car accident and injuries, and assess all the legal options available to you.
• Investigate your car accident to determine who should be held responsible. In most cases, this is “the other driver.” However, any individual, business, organization, or other entity can be held responsible for car accidents, and sometimes multiple parties share responsibility for a single accident. We’ll work to identify all parties who should be held accountable for what has happened to you.
• Identify and analyze all insurance policies held by liable (legally responsible) parties to determine coverage applicable to your accident and injuries.
• Analyze your medical records to determine the full extent of your injuries and your recovery prognosis. We will consult with independent medical professionals to do this work.
• Meet with life care planning consultants to project your future medical and personal care needs, and their costs, if you have suffered a debilitating injury.
• Determine your income losses, including anticipated losses due to diminished earning capacity.
• Account for all additional costs and losses related to your car accident, including the cost to repair or replace your vehicle.
• File all possible insurance claims and press for full and prompt payment to you.
• File personal injury lawsuit(s) in the event that full and prompt payment is not made.
• Continue our aggressive negotiations with insurers throughout the entire legal process. We will bring any settlement offers to you, but we will advise you not to accept any offer that is less than what your case is worth.
• Fight in court for the compensation you deserve if a proper settlement cannot be negotiated.

Most car accident cases can be settled outside of court. However, in those few cases in which an insurance company refuses to offer a proper settlement, opposing attorneys soon learn that we are experienced and skilled litigators who go to court with thoroughly prepared cases.

Schedule a free consultation now to discuss how we can help with your claim.

We Demand Full Compensation for Car Accident Victims

The Queens car accident lawyers at Zlotolow & Associates will demand all available compensation in your personal injury claim. Depending on the extent of your injuries, we may pursue compensation for:

• Past and current medical bills related to the accident
• Projected costs for any anticipated medical procedures, ongoing medical needs (medication, catheters, etc.), assistive devices (e.g., wheelchair, hospital bed, modified vehicles), personal assistance, or in-home nursing care, etc.
• Lost wages/income as you recover, including the value of fringe benefits not accessed
• Projected income loss from unrealized wages, benefits, raises, promotions, and/or other career advancements due to diminished earning capacity
• Vehicle repair or replacement costs
• Pain and suffering damages

Our objective as auto accident attorneys is to make sure your crash does not result in a lasting financial burden for you or your family. We cannot change what has happened, but we can help you demand full relief as provided by New York personal injury law.

What You Need to Know About Auto Insurance Companies After Car Accidents

After a minor wreck, the other driver’s car insurance company may tell you to get three estimates and, minus a deductible, pay for your repairs. However, if you’ve been seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident, auto insurance is not as straightforward.

The medical costs of car accident injuries can be significant, particularly for catastrophic injuries, and will drive most large insurance companies to fight to protect their bottom lines. Even if you are hospitalized with car accident injuries, you may have already heard from an insurance adjustor. He or she may have offered what appears to be a generous settlement.

We urge you not to sign or agree to anything offered by an insurance company representative in the first days and weeks after a serious car accident. Without the advice of an experienced Queens auto accident attorney, you could easily sign away your rights to additional compensation you deserve.

It is important to keep in mind:

• Insurance adjusters are legally obligated to their employer and are charged with settling claims for as little as possible.
• Insurance companies have past payouts and other statistics to tell them the general cost of treatment for various accidents and injuries. They don’t rely on your personal accident reports and medical records.
• Insurance companies also have statistics to tell them how much or how little is required to make an offer you are likely to accept.
• Insurance companies know that, regardless of the amount, most people will accept what’s offered without a fight — even if the insurer denies the claim.

A quick settlement offer for medical expenses after a serious car accident will not and cannot address your true costs and losses. You must have full understanding of your injuries and long-term prognosis before you can begin to understand your medical costs. Even then, an offer an insurer makes without pressure from an experienced auto accident attorney is unlikely to include all of the compensation you deserve.

If you have received a settlement offer after a car accident with injuries, contact a Queens car accident lawyer from our firm and let us review it for free. If it’s a proper offer, we’ll say so. But it’s more likely we’ll tell you how and why we think we can get more for you.

Time Is Limited for Filing a Car Accident Claim

Zlotolow & Associates can begin immediately to investigate your car accident, establish liability, and pursue compensation for you. And it is important that we do so right away because of deadlines imposed by New York’s statute of limitations on personal injury claims.

In general, a car accident lawsuit must be filed within three years of the crash. In a fatality, a wrongful death claim must be filed within two years. Other claims may have stricter time limits, such as a claim against a local government that had some responsibility for a car crash that injured you.

Personal injury claims are complex and often time-consuming. You must keep in mind:

• Time needed to conduct a complete investigation that substantiates the facts and identifies all parties with legal responsibility for your car crash
• The need to obtain evidence before it is degraded, destroyed, or otherwise lost
• Time necessary for expert consultants to analyze your records and prepare reports that will strengthen your case
• Time needed to achieve the best possible recovery from your injuries, so we may calculate full payment necessary for your expenses and losses
• Obstruction and delay tactics employed by insurance companies hoping the statute of limitations deadlines will hinder your claim.

Remember, Zlotolow & Associates provides a free, no-obligation consultation as the first step in our services to you. This amounts to free legal advice about your accident and potential legal claim.

Contact Our Car Accident Lawyers in Queens Now

If someone has injured you or a loved one in a car accident through negligence or recklessness, New York law personal injury says you deserve to be compensated for your losses. Contact our Queens car accident lawyer today for assistance with your personal injury claim. Our attorneys are experienced negotiators and aggressive litigators who will fight insurers for the full compensation you deserve. Call or complete our online form to get started on your claim — with no cost and no risk to you.