According to the Centers for Disease Control, 130 million people visit U.S. emergency rooms annually, and 35 million of those visits are due to injuries. While being hurt is often traumatic, the upset is usually worse if someone else’s negligence caused your injuries.
If you sustained injuries in an accident that someone else caused in Buffalo, NY, or elsewhere in the state, you may qualify for compensation. How do you know if you’re eligible, and how do you file a claim? Ask a personal injury attorney from Cellino Law.
Do You Need a Personal Injury Attorney?
You don’t have to hire a personal injury lawyer if you sustain injuries in an accident, but you have a lot to gain if you do.
Laws
New York has several laws that affect personal injury claims and lawsuits. Multiple laws often apply to accidents and knowing how each affects your case is challenging if you don’t have a lawyer.
Investigations
To substantiate your claim, most injury accidents require extensive investigations. Although insurance companies perform investigations, they usually don’t have your best interests in mind.
Your personal injury lawyer knows what evidence to search for and where to look. We also have the resources to gather evidence that can significantly impact your claim and the amount of compensation you’ll receive.
Paperwork
Personal injury insurance claims and lawsuits typically involve mountains of paperwork. If you’re injured, you should focus on recovery, not filling out multiple forms. In addition, some of the required documents are difficult to understand. Your lawyer can complete and submit this paperwork for you.
Percentage of Blame
In New York, you can seek damages even if you are partially to blame for causing the accident that injured you. The catch is that your assigned degree of fault reduces the compensation you may receive, so the amount of fault blamed on you must be minimal. Your personal injury lawyer understands the implications of fault and how to show your relative innocence, which can mean you’ll get more money from your claim.
Insurance Companies
Insurance companies involved in personal injury claims don’t want to pay more compensation than they have to, and they use several tactics to accomplish this. Numerous insurance company representatives or investigators may contact you, trying to trick you into saying something that may damage your case. They also routinely offer low settlement amounts, hoping you’ll accept.
When you hire an attorney, we will speak to insurance companies on your behalf. Having an attorney often makes these companies treat you with more respect because they know we won’t let them take advantage of you.
Compensation
Even if your personal injury protection car insurance covers your damages, your insurance company likely won’t want to pay you fairly. A competent attorney knows how much your claim is worth and won’t accept an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Personal injury victims typically receive more compensation if they have legal representation.
Trials
Most personal injury claims settle without going to trial. Your lawyer will negotiate with liable insurance companies to get as much compensation as you deserve. However, some claims do go to court. Your attorney may recommend a trial if the insurance company:
- Denies your claim
- Tries to assign unfair blame to you
- Refuses to offer satisfactory compensation
Trials can take a long time and incur high expenses, and you’re not guaranteed any compensation from a trial. The attorneys from Cellino Law won’t suggest a trial unless the circumstances of your case warrant it, but we won’t hesitate to take your case to court if needed. Our legal team is experienced with litigation and will competently handle your case.
What Kinds of Personal Injury Cases Does Cellino Law Handle?
Cellino Law has decades of experience focusing on personal injury law. Among the cases we handle are:
- Burn, spinal cord, and traumatic brain injuries
- Car, bus, motorcycle, train, Uber, and other vehicle accidents
- Construction and other workplace accidents
- Dog bites
- Faulty medical devices and medical malpractice
- Nursing home neglect and abuse
- Slip and fall accidents
- Wrongful death
If you think your injury qualifies, contact Cellino Law for a free case review. We’ll ask some questions and let you know your options.
What Should You Do After an Accident?
Regardless of the type of accident that injures you, there are several things you can do that will help your personal injury claim. If others are involved in the accident, try to assist them if they need help.
Notify Authorities
Depending on the circumstances, you may need to call the police or notify other authorities. Workplace, construction, or slip-and-fall accidents in a store probably won’t require police involvement, but you should notify supervisors or management. You’ll need written documentation of the accident for your insurance claim or lawsuit.
Record Evidence
Almost everyone has a smartphone, and this tool allows you to record many types of evidence at the accident scene. Your attorney will use the evidence you gather to substantiate your claim. Take photos or videos or make voice recordings of things like:
- The accident scene
- Injuries
- Whatever caused the accident
- Witness statements
Investigators often don’t get to accident sites before they are cleaned up, and evidence can disappear. Your recordings may provide vital evidence that’s not available from other sources.
Accept and Continue Medical Treatment
A medical assessment at the accident scene or a hospital immediately afterward accomplishes three things. It can pinpoint your injuries, allow professionals to treat them, and establish your physical condition. Insurance companies might try to state that the accident didn’t cause your injuries, but documentation of your initial medical assessment will refute that.
Don’t Admit Guilt
Don’t apologize or admit to any degree of fault for your accident. Let your personal injury attorney handle that part of your case.
How Can Cellino Law Help You?
Injured accident victims deserve compensation, and Cellino Law can help you get it. With over 60 years of experience focusing on personal injury cases, we know the laws and how to win. Best of all, you won’t pay us unless we win compensation for you.
Contact Cellino Law today to schedule your free case review. You can reach us 24/7. We have several offices, but we’ll come to you if you can’t make it to us.