WESTCHESTER COUNTY CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS

Learn More About Westchester County Car Accidents & Crashes

According to the Department of Transportation, there were over 5 million car accidents in 2010 alone, making auto accidents are the most common cause of injuries in the country.  Despite recent safety improvements, these injuries are often severe and life-altering.

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If you are lucky enough to survive a serious auto accident, you may still suffer from painful injuries and emotional harm. This not only affects your well-being, but a car accident can also lead to financial hardships.

The insurance laws in New York and other states regarding automobile accidents are confusing and time constrained.  Investigations have to begin immediately.  Photographs may need to be taken, and witness statements obtained. Getting your case reviewed early by a competent law firm may make the difference between a successful case and a bitter and painful loss.

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Types of Car Accident (MVA) Cases We Take On In Westchester County

• Truck/Semi Truck/Commercial Truck Accidents

• Rear End Accidents

• Automobile Property Damage Accidents

• Drunk Driving/DUI Accidents

• At Fault Accidents

• Collisions/Car Crashes

• Lyft, Uber, & Other Rideshare Accidents

• Taxi Accidents

• Motorcycle Accidents

• Traffic Accidents

• And More

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What are the different car accident injuries in Westchester County?

You may have experienced:

• Broken bones

• Neck injury

• Head injury 

• Chest injury

• Paralysis

• Brain injury

• Burns

• Spinal cord injury

• Disfigured face injury and scars

• Limb loss

• Back injury

• Fracture

• And More

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The Statute of Limitations For New York Car Accident Lawsuits is three years from the date of your injury. Do not hesitate to reach out to auto injury attorney in Westchester County, NY.

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What Could Cause A Car Accident In Westchester County, NY?

• Speeding - According to the New York City Police Department, there are at least 13 speed related car accidents daily in New York.

• Drunk Driving - According to Westchester Gov, One third of the fatalities in New York involve drunk drivers and pedestrians.

• Failure to Stop/Yield - It's important to remain aware of traffic laws since there has been over 18,000 related car accidents in 2018 alone.

• Following Too Closely - Almost 12% of all car accidents involve following too closely in 2018 alone. 

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Retaining a car accident lawyer in Westchester is important if you were involved in any of the types of accidents mentioned above.

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Does my car insurance policy cover my medical expenses?

The state of New York required minimum insurance limits are $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident and $10,000 for property damage. If you are severely injured, this amount may not cover your medical expenses. For example, a brain injury could cost upwards of $3 million. 

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Is it worth getting a lawyer for minor car accident in Westchester County, NY?

Yes, because that question doesn't have to do with the accident itself and more has to do with your own injuries. Even in a minor accident you could experience severe injuries in Westchester County.

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Client Review from Lawyers.com

"In June of 2011 I was in a bad car accident that left me needing two surgeries and months of rehab. I was referred to Curan & Ahlers by a friend, and wasn't experienced with lawyers, and a bit nervous about it. I am happy to say that Keith was one of the few bright spots through those awful months of recovery. He helped with anything I needed, answered my calls and made me feel like I was important (even though I know they are busy!) I would recommend Curan & Ahlers to my friends and family."

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What should you do when you are involved in an automobile accident in Westchester?

Being involved in an automobile accident can be traumatic. Immediately after being involved in an accident, the body's adrenaline system will kick in and it is easy to become confused and disoriented. Follow these steps to ensure that you protect your interests:

1. Make sure everybody is okay: In 2017, in the state of New York, over 55 percent of car accidents resulted in an injury or a fatality. A truly shocking statistic is that over 170,000 people were killed in automobile accidents in the state of New York in 2017.  The first thing that you should do when involved in a car accident is to make sure that everybody is okay. It is likely that if you are involved in an automobile accident in Westchester County that you will be brought to either Westchester Medical Center, Phelps Hospital, New York Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital, or Montefiore Hospital in Mount Vernon.  

2. Call the police: As personal injury attorneys, we can not emphasize enough the need to contact the police when you are involved in a car accident. It is very important to get a police report so that the other people involved in the accident can not change their story and distort the facts of the accidents later after they discover that you were injured in the accident. In Westchester County, the police to arrive on scene will either be local police from the towns, villages, and cities, or the Westchester County police, or State Troopers.

3. Collect information: After the police have been called, collect all the information that is available such as insurance information, license plate numbers, names of all the people involved in the accident, and names and phone numbers of any witnesses. Record statements made by the operators of any other vehicles involved. If you are physically able, take photos of the accident scene and property damage.

4. Contact your insurance company: It is crucial that you contact your insurance company soon after the accident. Your insurance company needs to know that an accident took place, especially when you believe you may be injured. The deadlines to submit required forms are very strict.

5. Call Curan & Ahlers, LLP: At our firm, we will be able to help you every step of the way after you have been in an accident in Westchester County. We can help you to fill out the forms required the insurance companies to receive medical treatment, repair your personal property, and even compensate you for time lost from work.

 

Who pays your medical bills when you are in a Westchester County automobile accident?

From 2012-2014, each month 42 Westchester County residents were hospitalized because of a motor vehicle accident. In Westchester County, the insurance company of the vehicle in which you were driving, were a passenger, or were hit by as a pedestrian or bicyclist will pay your medical bills. The insurance carrier is responsible for paying up to $50,000.00 in medical bills under the New York State No-Fault law. It is essential that you contact a personal injury attorney after you are in a car accident so that they can help you correctly fill out the paperwork to send to the insurance company that will pay your medical bills. There is a 30-day time limit in which to send in the No-Fault application and the insurance company will often refuse to pay for medical bills if the paperwork is not correct or received late. At Curan & Ahlers, LLP we will ensure that you will not be left with thousands of dollars in medical bills and we will do all that we can to make sure that you are able to get the medical help you need without the fear of going into debt!

 

Should I communicate with the other driver's insurance company?

No! The first thing that we tell our clients involved in automobile accidents in Westchester County is to tell the defendant's insurance company's representatives the following phrase when they call: "Call my lawyer." The insurance company for the other driver will often try to get an injured person to accept an amount of money far below what they actually deserve and sign a release that will make it impossible to ever bring a claim against them again for that accident. If you are receiving a call from the other driver's insurance company and they are offering you $500 or $1,000 dollars, you should immediately contact Curan & Ahlers so that we can fight for the compensation that you deserve.

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Do I have to sue the other driver when I am involved in a car accident in Westchester County?

A lot of our clients come in to our office with the misconception that if they want to receive compensation for their Westchester County car accidents, that they will have to go through years of litigation in courts and testify before juries. This is not the case. At Curan & Ahlers, we work efficiently to set up your claims with the defendant's insurance company, gather your medical records to prove you have been injured, and get you the compensation you deserve from the insurance company quickly.

 

What happens if you are missing work because you were involved in an automobile accident in Westchester County?

If you are involved in an automobile accident in Westchester County and are unable to work due to the injuries you sustained in that accident, you can be entitled to receive compensation from the insurance company of the vehicle you were driving, were a passenger in, or were hit by as a pedestrian for the time that you are missing from work. Westchester County follows the New York State No-Fault rules which allows you to recover up to 80 percent of your lost earnings up to a maximum of $2,000 per month. At Curan & Ahlers, we help our clients who have been involved in Westchester County automobile accidents and who are out of work to correctly file the paperwork to allow them to begin to be compensated for the time they have lost from work. This paperwork needs to be filed within 30 days with the insurance company in most situations so do not hesitate to call us if you are injured from an automobile accident in Westchester County and are unable to work because of the injuries you sustained in that accident.

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Truck Accident Lawyers in Westchester County

 

What are the main causes of truck accidents?

• Poor drivers

• Tired/Fatigued Driving

• Speeding

• Bad truck maintenance

• Excessive Cargo

• More..

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If you're in a NY truck accident, you may have needed surgery, experienced paralysis, loss of mobility or had fractured bones, and much more. There are many other common truck accident injuries. In fact, large commercial trucks can weigh up to 40 tons which can cause dangerous truck accidents in New York.

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Uber and Lyft Car Accident Attorneys In Westchester County, Sullivan County, Putnam County and Surrounding Areas

Ridesharing accidents are all too common in the Westchester County areas. Worldwide, tens of thousands of people rely on Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies to transport them for work, school, leisure activities, and more. Occasionally, there are ridesharing accidents and riders, passengers, and/or those in other cars or pedestrians could be injured. This is where Curan & Ahlers comes in with over 35 years of experience in personal injury. We've taken on ridesharing accident cases with no fees unless we win. 

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If you’ve been injured in any way call us at (914) 428-3313 for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.