Rear-End Car Crashes
Rear end crashes are one of the most common types of car accidents–and New York City, with its crowded streets, is certainly not immune.
If you were hurt in a rear end collision, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and more. Our experienced NYC car accident attorneys are here to help get the money you need for your recovery.
Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum, P.C. has over 40 years of experience successfully helping accident victims recover fair compensation across NYC. We know that your bills can add up quickly after an accident. Call us today for a free consultation with an experienced New York City car accident lawyer who can help.
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Why it’s Important to Hire a Lawyer if You Were Hurt in a Rear-End Crash in New York, NY
As an accident victim, you might think that you can’t afford a lawyer. In reality, an experienced lawyer can make the recovery process much easier. And we work on a contingency basis. That means you don’t have to pay our attorneys’ fees unless we win a verdict or settlement in your case.
Establishing liability is half the battle to get fair compensation after an accident. We have been helping accident victims for decades–and we know how important it is to resolve your case quickly and fairly.
In a rear-end crash case, we might even be able to file a motion for summary judgment with the court–so that we can establish liability much sooner than would otherwise be the case.
At Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum, P.C., you can expect:
- A lawyer who will be available to personally handle your case and questions
- A reputation for success that follows us into the negotiating room
- A law firm that will handle every aspect of the negotiations with the insurance company
- Resources, in the form of medical, scientific and financial experts who can help improve your case outcome
- A strong defense against strategies to try to blame you for the accident
Attorney advertising can be misleading, so it’s important to evaluate your lawyer’s qualifications carefully. An experienced lawyer knows they can never promise a specific result in an accident case.
We can, however, promise to put the full weight of our experience and resources to work for you. To speak with a New York personal injury lawyer with a proven track record of success, call Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum, P.C. for a free consultation today.
How do Rear End Crashes Happen?
Most rear-end car accidents are caused by driver error–or negligence. That means that the accident victim can recover compensation from the at-fault driver.
Rear-end crashes happen in a number of different situations, including:
- One car is tailgating and doesn’t have enough time to stop, so crashes into the vehicle in front
- A driver fails to properly estimate the distance and runs into a stopped driver at a red light or stop sign
- Rear-end collisions that happen while vehicles are merging into oncoming traffic, especially if the driver in the rear is checking to see if it’s safe to merge or change lanes and not closely watching the driver in front.
To recover financial compensation, it’s necessary to show that the responsible party was negligent. Common causes of rear-end crashes include:
- Aggressive driving
- Speeding
- Driver distraction
- Texting while driving
- DUI/DWI
- Traffic violations
- Defects in the vehicle’s brake system
- Poor weather or traffic conditions
To get fair compensation, it’s important to show that the at-fault driver’s actions weren’t reasonable. Our experienced personal injury lawyers know the laws in the city and how to get the evidence needed to establish your claim for compensation.
How Common Are Rear-End Crashes in the City?
New Yorkers are often in a hurry. The rush of the city often shows in the way people drive. It isn’t any surprise, therefore, that rear-end crashes are extremely common in NYC. In fact, following too closely–or tailgating–was the number two cause of accidents in the city for June 2020 (second to only driver distraction).
Nationwide, rear-end crashes are the most common type of motor vehicle accident. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data estimates that 29% of all auto accidents are rear-end crashes.
Rear-End Crashes Can Cause Serious Injuries
People often think of rear-end crashes as mere fender benders. However, injuries in rear-end car accidents can cause significant long-term damage. If your airbags deploy, the damage can be even more dramatic.
Victims of rear-end crashes often suffer:
- Traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions
- Neck injuries, such as whiplash
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Facial lacerations and scarring
- Broken ribs and other chest injuries
- Arm and wrist injuries
- Seatbelt injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Organ damage
- Broken bones
- Burn injuries, especially if the vehicle airbags were deployed
- Wrongful death
Even if you don’t think you’re seriously injured, it’s important to seek medical attention. For example, many whiplash victims just feel slightly sore after an accident–or feel nothing at all. The full extent of the injuries might not become evident for days or even weeks.
To protect your health and your right to financial compensation, see a doctor right away. A medical professional can assess any injuries quickly so that you get the treatment you need.
Are Rear-End Crashes Always Blamed on the Driver in the Rear?
Any party found to be partly to blame in an auto accident case is responsible for their financial share–meaning that your compensation award could be reduced if someone else can prove you were partly at fault.
The driver who hits the other vehicle is usually responsible in a rear-end crash. Drivers are responsible for maintaining a safe distance between their car and the vehicle in front. However, it is possible that the driver in front could share the blame under NYC shared responsibility rules.
The driver in front might share the blame if:
- The driver unexpectedly and unsafely changed lanes
- The vehicle’s rear lights were defective or broken
- The driver hit the car in front of them while stopped, because another car rear-ended them
- The vehicle in front reversed for no valid reason
Under New York state laws, all parties who are even partly to blame for an auto accident can be held responsible for their share of the damages. The situation can become even more complex if the car accident involved more than two vehicles.
In a “chain link” rear-end crash, one vehicle might crash into a car, causing a third vehicle to crash into that driver. The middle vehicle may be responsible for crashing into the car in front. That does not, however, mean that the third driver is off the hook.
At Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum, P.C., our car accident lawyers have the skills you need to minimize the impact of the New York shared responsibility rules on your damages award. Call us today to learn more about how we can help.
Time Limits on Your Right to Sue for Damages In New York City
Laws in every state limit the amount of time you have to sue for damages. In New York, you only have three years from the time the accident occurred to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Even if your case settles out of court, this time limit is important. Insurance companies are much more willing to negotiate fairly if there is a risk of trial. In other words, if they know you can’t take them to court over the accident, they’re unlikely to pay fair compensation–even if it’s your own insurance policy.
What Are My Injuries Worth After a Rear-End Crash?
As in any type of auto accident, the value of your claim is based on the severity of the injuries. Serious injuries that cause you to miss work and require a lot of medical care result in higher verdicts and settlements.
Establishing a dollar value can be complex. Our lawyers at Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum, P.C. work with respected financial and medical experts to arrive at a fair value for your injury claim. While insurance companies always want to pay less, we use facts and our knowledge of the law to get you what’s right.
A fair compensation award might include money for economic and non-economic damages, such as:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical treatment costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of your earning capacity
- Rehabilitation
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Damages for wrongful death
- Property damage
Under New York’s no-fault insurance law, your injuries must always reach a certain level of severity before you can sue for damages. That’s because insurance policies will cover damages up to the policy limits regardless of who was to blame.
If your injuries were serious, however, your insurance policy might not cover the full extent of the damage. That’s where a lawyer’s advice can become critical to getting the additional money you need for medical care and bills that exceed the policy coverage.
Call Today to Discuss Your Case with an Experienced NYC Car Accident Lawyer
At Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum, P.C., our lawyers have recovered millions in compensation for accident victims across NYC, Staten Island and Nassau County. To learn more about how we can put our skills to work in your case, call an experienced NYC rear-end crashes lawyer for a free consultation today.
