Cellino Law, Your Tailgating Accident Lawyer in Rochester, NY
Everyone seems to hurry these days. People on tight schedules often try to gain time while driving, but that’s not a good idea. Not only can these people risk injuring themselves, but they may also cause multi-vehicle accidents and injure many others.
Many people who look to get somewhere faster tend to speed, weave through traffic, and tailgate. All of these behaviors are dangerous. If you sustained injuries in a tailgating accident in or around Rochester, NY, call Cellino Law. We can make the sometimes-complicated insurance claims and personal injury cases easier for you, and we’ll fight for your right to maximum compensation for your injuries.
What Is Tailgating, and Who Does It?
When you’re driving behind another vehicle, you should allow enough distance so you can stop safely if that car has to slow suddenly. People who follow too closely are tailgating.
Although most drivers understand that it’s dangerous to tailgate, some do it anyway. Running late isn’t always the reason; some people’s age or personality traits also lead to it.
- Age – younger drivers often act impulsively and without enough caution.
- Aggressiveness – some drivers think the road belongs to them and act accordingly.
- Overconfidence – people who think highly of their driving skills or that accidents “happen to other people” believe that tailgating or other dangerous driving behaviors won’t cause an accident.
- Impatience – drivers may think that following so closely behind another car will get them to their destination faster for some reason.
- Self-importance – unfortunately, some people think that their need or desire to get where they’re going quickly is more important than other people’s needs or safety.
You’ve probably heard of the “two-second rule.” When the car in front of you passes an immobile object, such as a speed limit sign, it should take you at least two seconds to reach that same object. Some experts recommend three seconds rather than two.
If you reach the sign in less than two seconds, you’re probably tailgating and should slow down.
Why Is Tailgating Dangerous?
Rear-end collisions are the most common type of car crash and cause around 29% of motor vehicle accidents that result in serious injuries. Tailgating is a leading cause of rear-end collisions.
Tailgating doesn’t only affect you and your safety. The driver you’re tailgating will likely find it uncomfortable and “brake check” in an attempt to put more room between you. If you’re not paying attention, the other driver’s action can backfire and cause you to hit them.
They might also speed up while watching you in their rear-view mirror, hoping you won’t increase your speed. They may hit another vehicle if they’re watching you rather than the traffic in front of them.
If you’re in heavy traffic, tailgating that causes a rear-end collision presents an increased risk of multiple-vehicle crashes. Rear-end collisions can cause many severe injuries, especially if they cause a chain reaction. Some of these injuries include:
- Back or spinal damage
- Brain damage
- Broken or fractured bones, especially arms and ribs
- Facial injuries
- Neck injuries, including whiplash
- Paralysis
All of these injuries can cause victims to need extensive medical treatment, lose time away from work, and experience emotional and financial turmoil. The compassionate attorneys at Cellino Law help these victims throughout these difficult times by providing legal assistance and fighting to recover maximum compensation for their injuries.
The kinds of compensation you can get vary by claim. Still, you may qualify to receive economic damages to reimburse you for specific financial losses directly incurred due to your accident. In some cases, you might also receive non-economic damages to compensate you for things like pain and suffering. Your attorney can tell you what damages you can hope to receive.
How Can Cellino Law Help?
Personal injury claims after a tailgating accident are often complex, especially if the collision involves several vehicles. Without an experienced attorney at your side, you can easily miss filing deadlines, experience confusion, and fail to receive adequate financial compensation.
Tailgating accidents typically cause vehicle damage and injuries. New York’s laws require drivers to have personal injury protection insurance, which pays first if you’re involved in an accident. However, you can seek compensation from guilty drivers for specific injuries or medical bills exceeding your coverage limits.
When you hire Cellino Law to represent you after a tailgating accident, we will:
- Explain how these laws affect you and the compensation you can receive
- Gather evidence proving that a negligent, tailgating driver caused your injuries and you’re not responsible for the collision
- File insurance claims and other paperwork on your behalf
- Serve as your spokesperson with insurance company investigators or representatives
- Negotiate with insurance companies to obtain the compensation you deserve
- Take your case to court if needed
If you’re not sure you have a case, give Cellino Law a call. We’ll evaluate your case at no charge.
How Do We Gather Evidence?
Cellino Law will thoroughly investigate your accident as your legal representative to find evidence supporting your personal injury claim. We need to prove negligence on the part of the responsible driver and that your injuries have adversely affected your life. We will:
- Go over police accident reports and crash site photos
- Speak to witnesses
- Obtain any videos that show the accident in-progress
- Request driver cell phone records
- Obtain your medical records and hire experts to examine you if necessary
- Use any photos or recordings you have from the accident site
- Check the driver’s social media posts for any mention of your wreck
Although you don’t have to hire an attorney immediately after your accident, doing so can have several benefits. We’ll likely find more vital evidence if we begin our investigation while the collision is still fresh on people’s minds.
In addition, we can help to keep you from making innocent mistakes when speaking to insurance companies. They don’t want to pay you, so they often attempt to trick you into saying something to their advantage. They may offer you a low settlement offer, hoping you don’t know that you deserve – and can obtain – more.
Why Choose Cellino Law?
Injured New Yorkers have trusted a Cellino law firm since 1958. Our attorneys’ combined experience gives us the knowledge to win your case and makes insurance companies take us seriously. They know we’ll take your case to trial if needed, so they don’t try as many underhanded tricks trying to withhold compensation from our clients.
Cellino Law understands that injured accident victims have many complications to deal with, and financial concerns can keep them from obtaining the legal representation they need. You’ll receive an initial free case evaluation, and you won’t pay any upfront fees. In fact, you won’t pay fees unless we win your case.
Our goal is to help our clients in every way possible. We have several offices, including one in Rochester, NY, but we will come to you if that’s more convenient.
Our website has information about the many cases we’ve won and the substantial amounts we’ve obtained for our clients. You can also see testimonials from actual clients that will reassure you that you’re making the right choice when you hire Cellino Law to represent you.
Someone from Cellino Law is always available to talk to you, 24/7. Call (888) 888-8888 or get in touch using our online contact form. We will review your case free of charge and advise you of your options.