Long Island has traffic and pedestrian laws to protect pedestrians. Following these laws should reduce pedestrians’ risk of getting hit by reckless or negligent drivers, but drivers who violate these laws continue to seriously injure many pedestrians.
If a pedestrian accident injured you, talk to our pedestrian accident lawyers at William Mattar Law Offices to find out if you have a case after a Long Island crash.
Why Choose William Mattar Law Offices for Your Long Island Pedestrian Accident Case?
William Mattar Law Offices has been helping injured pedestrians receive maximum compensation for over 30 years and can advocate for your rights if you have been struck by a car or truck while walking the streets of Long Island.
We have legal staff available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, who understand what you are going through and can help you.
Here's what sets us apart:
- We Understand Your Rights: Since 1990, we've been protecting the rights of accident victims across New York. You can have confidence that we have the know-how to pursue the compensation you need.
- Risk-Free Representation: We believe in putting your recovery first. That's why we offer free initial consultations and operate on a No Fee Until We Win basis. You'll only pay legal fees if you receive a bodily injury recovery.
- Dedicated Support: Our team becomes an extension of your support system. Our pedestrian accident attorneys can handle every aspect of your bodily injury case so you can concentrate on healing.
- History of Success: We've helped clients achieve favorable outcomes. Our track record speaks for itself, with numerous testimonials from satisfied clients who've received substantial settlements.
Choose William Mattar Law Offices, and let us put our skills to work for you. We're committed to securing the compensation you need to move forward after your pedestrian accident on Long Island.
How a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Can Strengthen Your Case After a Long Island Incident
Following a pedestrian accident, partnering with an experienced lawyer can significantly impact the outcome of your case.
Here's how the right legal representation can make a difference:
- Case Management: A pedestrian accident attorney can oversee your bodily injury claim, from evidence collection to case evaluation.
- Evidence Gathering: We'll meticulously compile and analyze all relevant evidence, including accident reports, witness statements, and surveillance footage.
- Insurance Negotiation: Let us handle the often frustrating interactions with the bodily injury liability insurance companies, ensuring your rights are protected.
- Case Valuation: Our experience allows us to accurately assess your case and estimate a fair compensation amount, considering all current and future damages.
- Legal Guidance: We'll handle the legal process on your behalf, explaining each step in clear, understandable terms.
- Ongoing Communication: Count on us to keep you informed about your case's progress with regular, timely updates.
In other words, we're here to alleviate the burden of pursuing compensation, allowing you to concentrate on healing.
Steps to Take After a Long Island Pedestrian Accident
When you’re in a pedestrian accident, taking the right actions immediately afterward can significantly help your health and potential legal claim.
- Seek Immediate Medical Attention: No pedestrian collision causing injury is truly “minor.” Even seemingly small injuries can develop into serious conditions if left untreated. Always get a thorough medical evaluation if you suspect injury.
- Follow Your Treatment Plan: Adhere strictly to your doctor's recommendations, whether attending physical therapy sessions or taking prescribed medications.
- Be Cautious with Communication: Limit discussions with insurance adjusters and avoid posting about your accident on social media
- Preserve Evidence: Retain all documents, photos, and records related to your accident and injuries.
- Get Legal Help: An experienced pedestrian accident attorney can protect your rights and handle complex legal procedures on your behalf after a Long Island crash.
Remember, the steps you take immediately after your accident can have long-lasting effects on your recovery and potential compensation. You shouldn’t try to handle this challenging time alone.
New York State Laws That Protect Pedestrians
New York State has laws to protect pedestrians and ensure they share the road safely with vehicles. Here's a breakdown of some key points. Of course, an experienced attorney can examine the circumstances of any particular situation. The rules of the road are contained in the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law.
Pedestrian Right-of-Way:
- Crosswalks: Pedestrians generally have the right-of-way in marked crosswalks, even unmarked ones at intersections. Drivers must yield to pedestrians who are already crossing or about to enter the crosswalk.
- Sidewalks: Drivers entering or exiting an alley, driveway, building entrance, or private road must yield to pedestrians on the sidewalk.
- Intersections without Signals: Even without traffic signals or stop signs, pedestrians already in the crosswalk have the right-of-way, and drivers must yield.
Pedestrian Responsibilities:
- Walk Signals: Pedestrians must obey pedestrian signals like "Walk" and "Don't Walk" signs.
- Mid-Block Crossing: Outside marked crosswalks, pedestrians must yield to vehicles.
- Sidewalks: Pedestrians should use sidewalks when available and safe to avoid walking on the roadway.
- Visibility: When sidewalks aren't available, pedestrians walking on the road should walk facing traffic for better visibility.
Driver Responsibility:
- General Care: Drivers must always be aware of pedestrians and exercise caution around them.
- Following Traffic Laws: This includes obeying speed limits, avoiding distracted driving, and yielding to pedestrians as signs and signals require.
Why Long Island Pedestrian Accidents Happen
A significant number of pedestrian accidents involve driver negligence. Here's a closer look at some common causes:
- Distracted Driving: Using cellphones, texting, eating, or adjusting in-car entertainment can divert a driver's attention from pedestrians.
- Speeding: Speeding reduces a driver's reaction time and increases the severity of a collision with a pedestrian.
- Disobeying Traffic Laws: Ignoring traffic signals, failing to yield at crosswalks, or making improper turns can put pedestrians at risk.
- Driving Under the Influence (DUI): Alcohol and drugs impair judgment, reaction time, and coordination, significantly increasing the risk of pedestrian accidents.
- Poor Visibility: Nighttime, bad weather, or poorly lit areas can make it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians.
- Left Turns: Drivers who fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians when turning can cause accidents.
Determining Liability in Long Island Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents can occur due to many factors, and multiple parties may be held responsible for your injuries.
In New York, you may seek compensation from anyone whose negligence or wrongful actions contributed to your accident.
Liable parties may include:
- Motorists (car, truck, bus drivers)
- Cyclists
- Employers of negligent parties
- Property owners
- Government agencies
- Transit companies
- Manufacturers of defective vehicles or products
Understanding who caused your injuries plays a big part in your case. You can trust that our legal team will work diligently to uncover the cause of your accident and identify all responsible parties.
Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries
Unlike vehicle occupants protected by various safety features, pedestrians are highly vulnerable to injury during collisions, which often result in catastrophic injuries.
Over our years of service, we've successfully advocated for clients with a wide range of serious conditions, including:
- Spinal cord damage
- Head injuries
- Severe burns and scarring
- Traumatic amputation
- Bone fractures
- Crush injuries
- Internal injuries and bleeding
- Severe lacerations and abrasions
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Neck and back trauma
- Joint injuries
When pedestrians suffer serious injuries, they typically require immediate, high-level trauma care. This often involves emergency transport to a Level I trauma center. These advanced facilities offer vital services including immediate surgical intervention, round-the-clock critical care, and rehabilitation.
We understand the complexities of these severe injury cases and the extensive medical care they require. Our team is committed to securing the compensation needed to cover pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life as well as medical and long-term care and rehabilitation costs not covered by no-fault insurance.
Understanding Your Right to Compensation After a Long Island Pedestrian Accident
Depending on your case, you may recover damages for:
- Medical expenses and related costs not covered by New York’s no-fault insurance system
- Lost wages or income
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
In severe injuries, you may step outside the no-fault system and pursue additional compensation. This compensation might come from the at-fault driver's insurance or assets or your own insurance through a supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorist claim.
No matter what, if you were hurt in a Long Island crash it is a good idea to have your situation evaluated by an experienced pedestrian accident attorney.
Proving Negligence in Your Pedestrian Accident Case
Understanding the cause of your accident is crucial in establishing negligence, which is key to holding the responsible party financially liable for your losses.
To prove negligence, you must demonstrate:
- Duty of care
- Breach of duty
- Causation
- Damages
Consider this scenario: A driver fails to stop at a red light before making a right turn, striking a pedestrian in the crosswalk. The driver had a duty of care to drive safely and obey traffic laws. By not stopping, the driver breached this duty, directly causing the collision and injuring the pedestrian.
At our law firm, we use a variety of evidence to build a strong negligence case on your behalf.
This may include:
- Police reports
- Traffic camera footage
- Eyewitness accounts
- Photos and videos from the accident scene
- Your medical records
- Forensic evidence
By clearly establishing negligence, we can strengthen your case for compensation. Our goal is to demonstrate how the other party's actions led to your injuries and losses. Let our team put our skills to work for you, so that all aspects of negligence are thoroughly addressed in your case.
Time Limits for Filing a Long Island Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit: What You Need to Know
In New York, you typically have three years from your injury to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit. This legal deadline is known as the statute of limitations. Sometimes this deadline is much shorter. Other times certain “conditions precedent” must be satisfied within an even shorter period of time. An experienced attorney can examine the circumstances and determine what limitations periods might exist.
Failing to file within this timeframe or otherwise comply with “conditions precedent,” such as the filing of a notice of claim with a governmental entity, can result in losing your right to seek compensation entirely, so don't risk forfeiting the money you deserve by delaying action. The best course of action is to consult with a pedestrian accident lawyer as soon as possible after your Long Island accident.
This allows them to assess your case promptly, preserve critical evidence, meet all necessary deadlines, and protect your right to compensation. At William Mattar Law Offices, our experienced lawyers are ready to start working on your case immediately.
How Long Does It Take to Resolve a Pedestrian Crash Case?
There's no one-size-fits-all answer for how long a pedestrian accident case takes to resolve.
It depends on:
- Severity of Injuries: It is important to determine “maximum medical improvement” before resolving any bodily injury liability case. Sometimes it can take a while to determine whether someone has reached maximum medical improvement or is still improving. Because a settlement must account for past and future pain and suffering, the severity of injuries can affect how long it takes to resolve a pedestrian crash case.
- Liability: Clear-cut liability cases (with strong evidence like traffic cameras) may move quicker than complex cases with disputed fault.
- Insurance Company: Some insurance companies are known to settle faster than others. Their willingness to offer a fair settlement early on can significantly impact the timeline.
- Going to Court: If a fair settlement isn't reached with the insurance company, filing a lawsuit can add significant time to the process. Court cases can take months or years to resolve.
Hurt in a Pedestrian Accident? Call William Mattar Law Offices
If you need emergency or long-term treatment for broken bones, head trauma, or other severe injuries due to a vehicle hitting you on Long Island, you might be entitled to compensation. Contact a pedestrian accident lawyer today.
Dial (516) 444-4444 to speak to one of our knowledgeable team members, who will explain what to do and what to expect from your initial consultation. You can also fill out our free initial consultation form and submit it online at your convenience.