Car Accidents

Representing drunk driving victims

Drunk driving is illegal, reckless and possibly fatal. Victims of a drunk driver may be subject to a lifetime of medical problems and may even lose their jobs. Families of a victim killed in a drunk driving car accident, in addition to the tragic emotional toll, may also suffer severe financial losses. Drivers who are… (keep reading)

What are the risks of speeding?

Speeding played a role in 30 percent of traffic fatalities in New York. Excessive speed has also been a contributing factor in more car accidents in the state in recent years. Vehicles traveling at excessive speed require more time to stop. Accidents involving a speeding vehicle are also more violent because the car needs to… (keep reading)

What are New York’s DUI penalties?

New York has severe penalties to combat impaired driving. This reckless behavior has resulted in one-third of the auto accidents in the state. Police may stop suspected drunk drivers and conduct field sobriety tests. If arrested, the driver must submit to a chemical test to detect the blood alcohol content or face driver license suspension…. (keep reading)

What are the dangers of red light running?

Running a red light is not a mere traffic violation. In 2012, there were 683 fatalities and 133,000 injured persons in crashes involving a vehicle that ran a red light. Pedestrians, bicyclists and passengers in other vehicles comprised half of the deaths. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that running through red lights, stop… (keep reading)

Tracy Morgan still recovering from crash

Although five months has elapsed from a tragic New Jersey Turnpike car crash, Tracy Morgan’s attorney said that the actor-comedian is still recovering from a traumatic brain injury suffered in the car accident. The former “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock” actor also sustained a broken, leg and ribs in the crash. On June 7,… (keep reading)

Bars may responsible for drunk driving

Responsibility for drunk driving fatalities and injuries in New York may not be limited to the drunk driver. State law allows financial recovery from establishments that illegally sell alcohol to a visibly-impaired driver or to a person who is actually or apparently under 21-years-old. This is important because New York suffered 344 fatalities from car… (keep reading)

What is New York’s Vision Zero traffic plan?

Fatal traffic accidents have been as inevitable as vehicle congestion in New York City. Each year, approximately 250 New Yorkers are killed and another 4,000 suffered injuries in auto accidents in the city. Every two hours, a person is seriously injured by a vehicle in the city. For children under 14-year-old, a car verses pedestrian… (keep reading)

Ride services and distracted driving risks

Ride services such as Uber and Lyft rely on driver responses to smartphones to pick up fares and eliminate the inconvenience incurred by traditional taxi passengers in Manhattan who have to hail a cab. However, safety advocates and policy makers argue about the greater risk of distracted driving and car accidents because ride service drivers… (keep reading)

What issues apply to car accident cases?

New York’s insurance laws often impact the settling or prosecution of a lawsuit for injuries suffered in a car accident. The state’s mandatory no-fault insurance law requires a New York-registered driver to carry auto insurance and uninsured motorist coverage. If there is an auto accident, the driver’s insurance policy pays necessary medical expenses and lost… (keep reading)

What is the accident liability of car leasing companies?

Under New York law, a vehicle owner may liable for car accidents involving the vehicle even if the owner was not driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. The owner who rents or leases the vehicle may be held responsible if expressed or permission was given to the driver to operate the vehicle… (keep reading)

Police investigate CBS reporter’s accident fatality

Battlefields and a capture by Iraqi forces during the 1991 Gulf War could not seriously harm famous CBS News reporter Bob Simon. However, the 73-year-old Simon was killed while riding in the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car as it crashed into a Mercedes Benz that was stopped at a red light in Manhattan’s… (keep reading)

Federal government releases DUI figures

New York suffered 364 fatalities in drunk driving accidents involving a legally-impaired in 2013, according to figures released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. For the United States, there was one death every 52 minutes, or 10,076 people, in drunk driving car accidents for that year. As troubling as these figures are, fatalities in… (keep reading)