- March 18, 2025
- Tucker Law
- Car Accident Lawsuits
A car accident can turn your life upside down without warning. In just a matter of minutes, you can find yourself dealing with serious injuries, expensive car repairs, a mountain of medical bills, and the emotional burden of being in such a traumatic situation. The aftermath can become overwhelming just as quickly as the accident itself occurs, especially when insurance companies are calling and you don’t know what to do next.
It’s here where the work of attorneys after car accidents can prove vital. A skilled lawyer can help guide you through the legal process, protect your rights, and make sure you go after the compensation you need and deserve. Without legal help for car accidents, you might end up taking a settlement that doesn’t fully cover your costs.
If you or a loved one has been in an accident, get the legal help you need. Call Tucker Lawyers today at (516) 399-2364 to discuss your case.
Understanding Your Rights
New York is a no-fault insurance state, which means your own insurance covers your medical bills and lost wages, but only up to a certain limit. If your costs go over your coverage limits, you may have the right to file a claim against the driver that caused your accident and subsequent injuries. Working with the right legal team can help you determine whether you’re eligible for additional compensation, as well as how to pursue it if so.
Another major concern is time. The statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit for a car accident in New York is three years from the day of the crash. That may sound like plenty of time, but waiting too long can make it harder to gather the evidence you need, find witnesses, and put together a strong case. Speaking with attorneys after car accidents will make sure victims meet all of the deadlines and don’t miss out on the compensation they deserve.
Dealing With Insurance
Many people assume that their insurance company will handle everything fairly after an accident, but that’s not usually the case. After an accident, you can expect a call from your insurance company’s adjuster. They might sound friendly and concerned, but their job is to protect their bottom line, not you. They are trained to save their company money in whatever ways that they can.
They might:
- Ask you to give a recorded statement (that they can later use against you)
- Offer a fast but low settlement
- Downplay the severity of your injuries
- Pressure you to take their first offer.
Once you accept a settlement, you can’t go back and ask for more, even if your injuries turn out to be worse than you thought. Adjusters’ tactics almost always include offering settlements that fail to reflect the full cost of victims’ injuries and losses, which is why it’s so important to speak to an attorney before you agree to anything. They’ll handle all talks with the insurance company to ensure they don’t take advantage of you.
Insurance companies have teams of aggressive lawyers to help them protect your bottom line. You deserve strong legal counsel to help you level the playing field.
Gathering Evidence
The success of your claim depends on the strength of your evidence. Without the right proof, insurance agencies can easily dispute your injuries or argue that your accident wasn’t as bad as you say it was. Your lawyer will take the lead in collecting and organizing the evidence, which might include:
- Police reports
- Medical records
- Witness statements
- Traffic or dash cam footage
- Accident reconstruction reports.
Attorneys know how to use these items to negotiate with insurance and support your side of the story.
Maximizing Your Compensation
Many accident victims underestimate just how much their treatments will cost in the long run. Even if you feel well enough in the immediate aftermath of your crash, some injuries, like whiplash or concussions, can worsen over time. If you settle too soon, you can be left to pay out of your pocket for treatments you didn’t see coming.
A skilled attorney will look beyond your immediate expense and consider things like:
- Future Medical Treatments: Surgery, physical therapy, rehab, medications, and any changes that need to be made to your life to accommodate for a disability
- Lost Wages: Time you missed from work while recovering
- Diminished Earning Capacity: An inability to return to work in the same capacity or at all
- Pain and Suffering: Physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life
- Property Damage: Repair or replacement costs for your car and any of your other personal property.
Your lawyer doesn’t just want to help you recover what you’ve already lost; they want to make sure you’re financially stable for the foreseeable future. As such, they’ll fight to prevent you from being strong-armed into taking a smaller payout than what you need to be able to recover properly from your injuries.
Representing You in Court
Most car accident cases are settled out of court. Sometimes, however, an insurance company will refuse to be fair when making offers. If that happens, you need a lawyer with courtroom experience. Filing a lawsuit doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to go to court, but it sends a strong message that you’re serious about getting what you deserve. Insurance companies generally dislike the idea of facing an opposing attorney in court, which is why most claims are settled once a lawsuit is filed. Simply having a lawyer in your corner increases your chances of getting a fair settlement. And if your case does proceed to trial, your lawyer will prepare all of your legal documents to present your claim in the strongest way possible.
Take Control of Your Recovery
The aftermath of a car crash can be a veritable whirlwind of confusion and pain, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Legal help for car accidents can make all the difference in your financial recovery, protecting you against unfair insurance tactics and working to ensure you see every dollar you’re entitled to collect.
Tucker Lawyers is here to guide you through the legal system and claims process. Call us now at (516) 399-2364 for a free case evaluation.
Managing Attorney John. J. Tucker, Esq.
John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ Attorney Bio ]