Car / Automobile Accidents

More than 6,000,000 car accidents occur each year on America’s nearly 4,000,000 miles of roads. On average, 3,000,000 people are injured in those accidents. Approximately 40,000 are killed.

Most fatal accidents occur at night. This is because of driver fatigue and alcohol impaired judgment or drunk driving. 39% of fatal accidents involve alcohol. Other accidents occur because of driver distractions, site distance obstructions, pavement drop-offs, improper signage and poor traffic flow patters.

Chances are, every American will be in a car accident during his or her lifetime. Most will be involved a rear-end collision, which is when the front bumper of one car strikes the rear bumper of another car. Other types of impacts include head-on, side-impact, side-swipe, flipping, rollover, jackknife, and backup.

In Central New York, there are many different highways and thoroughfares where car accidents, sometimes fatal, occur on a daily basis. Those roadways include:

Interstate 90 (New York State Thruway);
Interstate 81;
Interstate 481 (NY Route 481);
Interstate 690 (NY Route 690);
Interstate 87;
Interstate 88;
Interstate 790;
New York Route 5 (NY Route 5);
New York Route 5S (NY Route 5S);
New York Route 11 (NY Route 11);
New York Route 12 (NY Route 12);
New York Route 31 (NY Route 31);
New York Route 57 (NY Route 57);
New York Route 80 (NY Route 80);
New York Route 91 (NY Route 91);
New York Route 92 (NY Route 92);
New York Route 173 (NY Route 173);
New York Route 174 (NY Route 174);
New York Route 175 (NY Route 175);
New York Route 298 (NY Route 298);
New York Route 370 (NY Route 370); and
New York Route 840 (NY Route 840).

Injuries sustained in car accidents can be mild or severe. Depending on the force of the collision, a driver or passenger can sustain:

Whiplash;
Head and brain injury, including concussion;
Cuts, bruising, burns and scarring;
Broken bones;
Back and neck injury:
Nerve damage;
Spinal cord damage and paralysis; and
Death.

In the event of a severe personal injury, the injured individual and/or a spouse and immediate family members, may be entitled to recover for:

Past and future medical bills;
Past and future lost wages;
Loss of future earning capacity;
Pain and suffering;
Mental and emotional disability;
Disfigurement and scarring;
Loss of enjoyment of life;
Loss of society, love and affection;
Property loss; and
Incidental and out-of-pocket expenses.

While no dollar amount can adequately compensate for a loss, the legal system is structured to permit monetary recovery where the injured party can prove that another negligently caused his/her harm. The amount of recovery is determined either by a jury at trial, or through a fair settlement made prior to trial, that is based upon jury verdicts in similar cases. All claims that are accepted by the firm are actively researched and aggressively pursued to a conclusion.

If you or a loved one have suffered a severe personal injury, we may be able to help. To contact the car and automobile accident attorneys at Bottar Law, PLLC, please complete a contact form or call us at (315) 422-3466 or (833) BOTTARS (268-8277).