Queens Motor Vehicle Accidents Lawyer
The year 2019 saw 43,380 motor vehicle crashes in Queens. That’s more than occurred in Brooklyn and nearly double the number of accidents in Manhattan, despite Queens having a far smaller population than either of those other boroughs. These crashes caused 15,890 injuries and 66 deaths in Queens, including 2,337 injuries classified as moderate to serious.
Michael Gunzburg, P.C. is a New York City law firm known for taking on serious injury cases and recovering significant results. If you or a family member has been hurt in a motor vehicle accident in Queens, call Michael Gunzburg, P.C. to get the help you need recovering the compensation you deserve.
Distracted Driving Was a Factor in Over a Third of Queens Car Accidents
Astonishingly, driver inattention or distraction was listed as a contributing factor in 14,580 of Queens motor vehicle crashes in 2019. Distracted driving caused accidents at more than double the rate of the next three leading causes: improper passing or lane change, following too closely, and failure to yield the right-of-way.
Distracted driving has been increasingly responsible for a large number of crashes over the past several years. The obvious reason is the explosion in technologies that put information and entertainment at our fingertips and can be carried with us wherever we go, including in the car and even when we are driving. Smartphone technology combined with the addictive popularity of social media apps constantly beckons us to check our status or those we are following. Unfortunately, taking your eyes off the road to read a text or look at a meme for three seconds is enough time to travel the length of a football field at highway speed. Even in stop-and-go rush hour traffic, taking your attention off the road for only a few seconds is more than enough time to cause a wreck.
New York law prohibits the hand-held use of a mobile telephone or portable electronic device while driving. This includes not just texting while driving but also talking on a handheld mobile phone. Hands-free talking is allowed under the law, but it could still be negligent behavior that causes a crash, especially if the person gets too deeply or emotionally involved in the conversation. For commercial drivers, having to press more than one button to dial or answer the phone disqualifies the call from being considered “hands-free.” New York has created texting zones on the New York State Thruway and State Highways where motorists can safely pull over to use their mobile devices. Unfortunately for Queens residents, most of these zones are located in upstate New York. Regardless, drivers can be held liable for their negligence if they cause a crash while texting or engaging in other distracting behaviors.
Comparative Fault in Queens Motor Vehicle Accidents
One way insurance companies have of avoiding liability is by claiming the accident victim’s own negligence caused or contributed to the accident or injury. New York follows a rule of comparative fault where the amount an injured driver can recover will be offset by the injured driver’s own negligence. If the injured driver were found to be 20% at fault, they could only recover 80% of their damages. If they were 70% at fault, then they could only recover 30% from the other driver. Here are some of the ways the victim in a Queens motor vehicle accident might be found partially at fault:
- A driver or passenger wasn’t wearing a seatbelt when they got hit
- A motorcyclist wasn’t wearing a helmet
- A bicyclist failed to signal before turning
- A pedestrian crossed in the middle of the street
- A bus passenger got up and started moving before the bus had come to a stop
Just because the insurance company says you are to blame for the accident, you shouldn’t simply take their word for it. Remember, they are trying to get you to drop your claim or accept a lowball offer that doesn’t fully compensate you. Instead, make sure to have an experienced Queens car accident lawyer on your side. At Michael Gunzburg, P.A., we assemble a team of investigators, doctors and other professionals to make sure we thoroughly understand what happened and have the documented evidence to prove it. We won’t let your claim get diluted with unfounded allegations that you were to blame when you weren’t. Rather, we’ll fight to get the best result, and that means securing every penny of compensation you are due from the negligent driver. We know how costly, painful and disruptive a serious car accident injury can be, and we want to make sure you get the care and compensation you need to move forward with your life after a crash as best you can.
Get the Help You Need After a Motor Vehicle Accident in Queens
If a negligent driver wrecked into you and seriously injured you in a Queens motor vehicle accident, call Michael Gunzburg, P.C. to review your case with a dedicated and successful New York personal injury lawyer.
