Car accident injuries often require compensation, which is why victims should seek the damages they deserve in a lawsuit.
Despite its suburban feel, Port Chester sees its fair share of car accidents. Top causes of crashes in this area include drunk driving, speeding, and poor road conditions. Victims might sustain any number of injuries in motor vehicle collisions, such as whiplash, broken bones, and head injuries. If your injuries are deemed serious enough, you can file a claim against a driver in Port Chester. You will only have three years to do so. To aid in your effort to prove fault, you can submit statements from eyewitnesses, experts, therapists, close friends, and family.
To have a free discussion about your case with our Port Chester car accident lawyers, call The Martello Law Firm, PLLC today at (914) 685-6950.
Types of Car Crashes in Port Chester
Port Chester is a fairly suburban area in Westchester County, New York. There are only a few busy roads, making it an unlikely location for a car crash. That said, accidents can still happen in Port Chester, causing injury to victims.
Car accidents can occur in Port Chester like they can in any other suburban town. Although there might be fewer instances of drunk driving and speeding in Port Chester than in an urban area, they are not nonexistent. Port Chester might have more dimly lit roads than nearby cities, making it more likely for accidents to happen because of poor driving conditions.
Though not quite in upstate New York, Port Chester is on the East Coast, making it susceptible to high amounts of snowfall and ice in the winter. If roads are not plowed or salted properly, there might be an increased risk of hydroplaning incidents during the colder months. Collisions also often occur at night and in intersections.
Accidents caused by negligence can happen anywhere. When drivers speed, drive without headlights, or otherwise act recklessly, they might cause injury to victims. When this happens, it is important for victims to reach out to our car accident lawyers for help pursuing compensation. Recovery in New York can be challenging because it is a no-fault state for car accidents.
Common Car Accident Injuries in Port Chester
Victims might sustain a wide variety of injuries after being struck by a negligent driver in Port Chester. Such injuries typically require medical treatment and compensation from at-fault parties.
One of the most common car accident injuries among victims is whiplash. A soft tissue injury to the neck, whiplash can be sustained even in seemingly minor crashes, such as rear-enders. If you feel soreness or aching in your neck, go to the hospital. Whiplash can worsen substantially the longer it is left untreated.
More immediately apparent injuries, such as broken bones and head injuries, are also common in Port Chester. Your ability to file a claim against a negligent driver will depend on the severity of your injuries. Our lawyers will compare your medical records to New York’s serious injury statute to confirm that you are eligible to sue instead of only filing a claim with your personal injury protection insurance.
Filing a Car Accident Claim in Port Chester
Once you have determined your eligibility to sue for compensation, it is important to do so as soon as possible. Waiting to bring your claim might negatively impact its success.
In Port Chester, victims of auto accidents have three years to file a lawsuit. Once three years since your accident has passed, you will be unable to recover compensation of any kind. So, it is important to consult our lawyers and file your complaint right away.
Part of filing a lawsuit is gathering evidence. In civil claims such as car accident cases, the burden of proof standard is a preponderance of the evidence standard. It is the victim’s responsibility to prove that the defendant caused their injuries, not the defendant’s responsibility to prove that they did not. To ensure you have sufficient evidence in support of your claim, our lawyers will work to uncover photographs, witness statements, and surveillance footage that help to prove fault, among other types of evidence.
Witness Statements in Port Chester Car Accident Lawsuits
Witness statements are often crucial evidence in car accident claims in Port Chester. Such helpful statements can come from eyewitnesses, experts, or those known to you.
If you know that others witnessed your recent crash, get their names and contact information. Alternatively, our attorneys can obtain this information from the police report for your collision in Port Chester. Eyewitnesses can then provide statements in support of your claim.
Statements from experts, including law enforcement officers, can also be beneficial. Medical experts and your doctors can provide additional context regarding your injuries, their severity, and your prognosis. Medical experts can also shed light on the extent of treatment you will need in the future and how much it might cost. Law enforcement can explain the state of the accident scene when they arrived, and any negligent acts they witnessed a driver commit.
Finally, statements from close friends and family may help your case. These individuals can explain how a car accident has impacted you emotionally, helping you to recover non-economic damages. Statements from therapists can have a similar impact, especially if a victim has been suffering from diagnosed mental difficulties while dealing with their injuries and the overall trauma of a car accident in Port Chester. Depending on the other available evidence in your case, the success of your claim might largely depend on witness statements. Because of that, it is crucial to, at the very least, speak to eyewitness and those close to you following a car accident.
Call Our Port Chester Attorneys to Discuss Your Car Accident Case
You can call The Martello Law Firm, PLLC at (914) 685-6950 to schedule a free case review from our car accident lawyers.