When you are injured, it can throw a serious wrench into your plans, and it can feel overwhelming to be faced with medical bills and time off work. Peculiarities in the law unique to New York can make things even worse. A trained personal injury attorney can help smooth out the process and get you the compensation you are owed. The experienced practitioners at New York Lawyers have a wealth of knowledge they will use to fight for you.
A Broad Category of Law
Personal injury is an appellation that covers significant areas of tort law – in other words, law governing injuries or wrongs to a person, their property, rights or reputation. The subsets of personal injury law that are common extend across all walks of life, and no injury is barred from becoming a personal injury claim solely because of where it happened. To prevail, however, you injury must be shown to be a direct result of the negligence or carelessness of another.
Our experienced attorneys handle several types of personal injury lawsuit. Examples include:
- Auto accidents;
- Construction accidents;
- Medical malpractice;
- Pharmaceutical/product liability;
- Workers’ compensation; and
- Premises liability.
Personal Injury Law In New York
New York personal injury law has peculiarities that may not be readily apparent to everyone. Sometimes an expert can help demystify the process, ensuring that a client avoids any potential pitfalls.
For example, there is a three-year statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits in New York. A statute of limitations sets the time frame in which a lawsuit must be brought, and they are enforced so that cases are not brought years after the fact, when evidence and memories have decayed. Some specific causes of action like medical malpractice have shorter statutes of limitations, but most of the time, you will have three years to bring your suit.
Another item to keep in mind is that New York follows the rule of pure comparative fault in car accident cases. This means that any recovery you receive for your injuries will be reduced by the percentage of your fault, even if the other driver is determined to be mostly responsible for your accident. For example, if you sue another driver and they are found 75% responsible for your accident, your recovery will still be reduced by 25%, because you in theory should not be enriched for your own actions that helped cause your injuries. It is technicalities like this that often ensure the need for an expert to help guide you through the legal process.
Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help
If you have been the victim of another person’s negligence or recklessness in New York, it is important to act quickly, before the time limit has passed. The attorneys at New York Lawyers will be happy to discuss your options with you, and advise on the best course of action for your particular set of facts. We offer a free initial consultation, and will do our best to point you in the right direction.