At Richmond Vona, LLC, our Buffalo car accident lawyers are compassionate and aggressive advocates for injured victims. We have the skills and experience needed to handle a full range of motor vehicle accident claims, including complex cases involving multiple liable parties and catastrophic injuries.
After you have been in a wreck, you can probably expect that the other driver’s auto insurance provider is going to be less than straightforward with you. Many companies have gained notoriety for giving claimants the runaround in an attempt to save their profits by avoiding payouts. If you’re already tired of dealing with people and parties who keep using confusing language whenever you talk to them, then you shouldn’t accept the same from your attorneys.
At Richmond Vona, LLC, we are known by locals for our honesty and frequent communications. We take pride in doing all we can to ensure our clients are not left uninformed, and in giving them truthful assessments of each situation. This deliberate approach to dependable casework has helped us secure more than $150 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients throughout the years.
If you or your loved one suffered a serious injury in a car accident in Buffalo, you need to protect your health and your rights by consulting with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. The insurance company is not your friend; we strongly recommend that you do not speak to anyone from the other driver’s insurance provider until you have first spoken to an attorney who can help you understand your legal rights and options. Take a look at our client testimonials and see why we are known as the most reputable legal partners you could have.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
While car accidents happen for all kinds of different reasons, most share an important common characteristic: most crashes could have and would have been prevented had proper safety precautions been taken. Simply put, the overwhelming majority of car accidents are caused by negligent drivers.
Some of the leading factors that cause auto accidents include:
These are just some of the many common causes of motor vehicle accidents. If you or someone you care about was involved in an accident caused by one of the above-mentioned factors or any other form of negligence, reach out to our firm to learn how our Buffalo car crash attorneys can help.
Who Pays for Car Damage in a No Fault State?
One of the most important things that car accident victims should know when seeking compensation after a crash is that New York is a no-fault car insurance state. As explained by the New York Department of Financial Services, all motorists have a legal responsibility to carry the minimum required amount of auto insurance coverage.
In the event of a minor or moderate crash, New York’s no-fault law requires injured victims to seek financial compensation through their own insurance policy. Specifically, financial compensation for medical expenses may be available through your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage or MedPay coverage.
That is not to say that filing a no-fault car accident injury claim is always easy; unfortunately, even your own insurance company may give you a difficult time. If you are struggling to recover full and fair financial compensation through your insurer following an auto accident, our Buffalo attorneys are ready to help you.
When Can You Step Outside of the No-Fault System?
New York’s no-fault laws apply to minor and moderate accidents. After a major crash, you may be eligible to bring a third-party liability claim. If you suffered a serious injury in a crash, you can step outside of the no-fault system and file a lawsuit directly against the negligent defendant. In these cases, injured victims may be eligible to recover financial compensation for the full value of their economic and non-economic damages.
Among other things, financial relief may be available for:
If you have been in an auto accident in Buffalo, NY, the attorneys at Richmond Vona, LLC are here to help.
What Is the 90/180 Day Rule?
The 90/180 day rule allows injured car accident victims to step outside of New York’s no-fault insurance system if they suffered a non-permanent injury or impairment that prevents them from engaging in their normal day-to-day activities for at least 90 days within the 180 day period following the crash.
In other words, injured victims who can present compelling medical evidence that they were prevented from living their normal life for at least three of the first six months after a car accident have the right to hire a car crash lawyer and file a lawsuit against the negligent party who caused their incident.
What Is Considered a Serious Car Accident Injury?
As previously mentioned, you can file a fault-based car accident claim in New York if you suffered a serious injury. In order to file such a claim, your physical injury must satisfy the state’s serious injury threshold.
Under New York law, the following types of injuries and ailments are considered to be severe enough to warrant stepping outside of the no-fault system:
Broken/fractured bones
Significant disfigurement
Loss of a fetus
Permanent limitation in the use of an organ
Full disability, in excess of 90 days
What Forms of Distracted Driving Are There?
Were you in an accident with a distracted driver? It can be important to prove what sort of distraction they were engaging in. Our Buffalo attorneys can investigate your auto crash case to uncover details that show how they were distracted and why that added to their liability. Distractions can take many forms, like texting, eating, applying makeup, changing the music, and so on. All forms of distraction can be sorted into three categories, though.
The three forms of driver distraction are:
Visual: When a driver takes their eyes off the road, they have been distracted visually.
Manual: When a driver takes their hands off the steering wheel, they have been distracted manually.
Cognitive or mental: When a driver takes their mind off the task of driving, they have been distracted cognitively.
Why is Texting & Driving So Dangerous?
Texting and driving is believed to be the most common cause of distracted driving accidents by a wide margin. Not every driver wants to eat while driving or needs to self-groom on the way to work, but nearly every driver owns a smartphone that goes everywhere with them, so it makes sense that it is so common. Unfortunately, texting and driving is also one of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving because it engages the driver in all three forms of distraction at once.
Picking up the phone is a manual distraction.
Reading a text is a visual distraction.
Thinking about a text is a mental distraction.
When texting and driving, a driver is essentially doing nothing to stay in control of their vehicle. They will have practically no chance to react to a sudden hazard on the road, like stopped traffic or a pedestrian.
Are Drunk Drivers Automatically Liable For a Car Accident?
Drunk driving is illegal, but does it also make the driver automatically liable for a crash they are in? No, not necessarily. Liability must be established in all car accident claims, and it is often not enough to pin liability on someone solely because they were drunk. They must have done something to have directly caused the crash. Drunk driving certainly makes someone have a higher chance of being liable, but it is not automatic. However, a drunk driver could also face criminal charges. If you were involved in one of these car wrecks, reach out to a Buffalo attorney right away.
How Can an Attorney Help?
You may be wondering if it’s worth it to get an attorney. The simple answer is: Yes! Whether you have suffered serious injuries or minor injuries, having an attorney on your side can help ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. Oftentimes insurance companies will try to take advantage of accident victims in order to protect their bottom line. With our help, you can ensure your rights are protected no matter what.
Contacting an experienced Buffalo car accident attorney after your accident is critical for ensuring that you receive the medical and emotional support that you need after the traumatic experience.
Your legal representation will be able to help with:
Providing important legal advice: They will be able to advise you both before and after you make your legal claim. Your lawyer will determine if a legal claim is your best option upon evaluating your case, and will be able to guide you throughout the entire process. An attorney will also be able to help answer any questions that you may have regarding the legalities of the matter.
Find you the qualified medical assistance that you need: They will be able to ensure that you are receiving the best outcome in a case. Having qualified and complete medical records is critical, and your attorney can help you obtain everything that you need.
Negotiating: An experienced attorney will be able to negotiate with bill collectors who are expecting payments from you soon after your accident. Throughout the claim process, a lawyer will also be able to properly protect your rights regarding insurance matters.
Providing moral support: No matter the extent of severity, a car accident is a traumatic experience. Seasoned legal representation will have worked with numerous people in your situation and will know how to help connect you with support groups and survivors that can help you during the healing process.
Properly handling all the paperwork: When you hire an attorney to help you with your accident claim, you can rest assured that all of your paperwork will be properly taken care of. Your lawyer will be able to ensure that all of the paperwork gets to the right parties, at the right time.
Contact our office today to learn more about what we can do to help you after your incident. Hiring reputable representation is critical for ensuring that you receive the medical compensation that you rightfully deserve.
After being involved in a car accident, you may feel overwhelmed with questions about what comes next. When you turn to our firm, you can trust that you’ll get the answers you need, as well as the caring support and guidance you deserve.
Victims have the right to seek financial compensation from negligent drivers and their insurance companies. If you or your family member was injured in a wreck, contact Richmond Vona’s Buffalo car accident lawyers for a free, no-obligation consultation. We represent injured victims throughout Western New York, including in Erie County, Niagara County, Wyoming County, and Genesee County.
With over 25 years of combined personal injury experience, our co-founding attorneys, John E. Richmond and Keith R. Vona, have helped injury victims and their family members recover more than $150 million in financial relief.
John E. Richmond
Co-Founding Member
As one of New York’s top personal injury attorneys, John E. Richmond understands that clients come first. With over a decade of experience representing plaintiffs, he knows how to hold negligent corporations and big insurance companies liable.
In his nearly 15 years in practice, Keith has been consistently recognized for his client service and record of results. He has been selected for inclusion in the New York Super Lawyers® Rising Stars list four times (2013 to 2016), an honor reserved for the top up-and-coming attorneys.
