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Why You Need to Hire a Lawyer After an Accident

Seth Harris

Last modified on December 1, 2022

After an accident, you may wonder whether hiring a lawyer is necessary. You may think the accident was minor or you weren’t injured severely. However, sometimes, injuries after an accident may take time to manifest. This post discusses some things to consider when deciding if you should hire a lawyer after your accident. 

What Is a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Hire a Lawyer After an AccidentPersonal injury claims serve as a means of seeking compensation and holding the at-fault party accountable for your losses. If you have received injuries in an accident in New York City that wasn’t your fault, hiring an experienced personal injury attorney can allow you to move through the claims process without the stress and effort of doing it on your own.

A personal injury lawyer is an attorney who helps injured people recover compensation for their accident-related injuries and losses. They work on behalf of their clients to recover financial compensation for things such as:

  • Injury-related medical expenses
  • Lost wages from missed time at work
  • Property damage
  • Transportation and accommodation costs if you need to travel for treatment
  • Reduced future earning capacity
  • Physical and psychological pain and suffering
  • Disability and disfigurement
  • Loss of enjoyment of life

What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer (an “Accident Lawyer”) Do?

Personal injury attorneys handle cases where someone has received injuries due to another party’s negligence or wrongdoing. These can include:

There is never a good time to suffer an accident. Aside from the excruciating pain, accident-related injuries can cost immense amounts of money in medical bills, damaged property could require repairs, and you could be forced to take time off work. Serious injuries may even prevent you from returning to your previous job, reducing your earning capacity in the future. When the accident was another party’s fault, the situation can leave you feeling a sense of injustice.

When someone suffers an injury or loses a loved one in one of these incidents, they can often feel anxious and vulnerable. Filing a personal injury claim can feel overwhelming at such a time. A personal injury attorney dedicates themselves to handling every aspect of your claim so that you can focus on your own recovery and healing.

Over the course of your claim, your attorney will:

  • Consult with you to learn more about the incident in which you received your injuries, as well as how the injuries have affected your life
  • Investigate the incident to determine how it occurred, why it happened, and who is at fault
  • Negotiate with the at-fault party’s insurance company for a fair compensation package
  • File a lawsuit if the insurance company refuses to compensate you for the full extent of your losses

When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

Hire a LawyerMany people believe they can handle a personal injury claim on their own. However, the process is complex and full of pitfalls. Without a thorough understanding of how the claims process works, you may inadvertently devalue your own claim by failing to realize the full extent of your losses.

Furthermore, the insurance company will do anything to avoid paying out a large sum of money. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions in a way that gets you to accept responsibility for an accident. Saying the wrong thing can cost you the compensation you deserve.

You need an experienced lawyer any time you file an injury claim. A good attorney will know how to handle negotiations with the insurance company, and they will take the at-fault party to court if necessary. Injured individuals usually receive larger payouts when they have legal representation, largely because insurance companies understand that a seasoned lawyer knows how to fight.

How to Choose a Personal Injury Lawyer

Choosing the right attorney is one of the most important decisions when filing a personal injury claim. You need a lawyer to understand your challenges as you recover from your injuries. They should also be passionate about standing up to insurance companies and their high-powered defense attorneys.

As you search for a potential lawyer, look at their track record. Have they achieved favorable settlements and verdicts on behalf of their other clients? Do they have experience in your type of case? Does the firm have excellent testimonials? Do they answer your questions clearly? If so, you can feel confident that they can succeed in your case.

Contact Us

At [firm-name], we make it their mission to deliver the best financial results possible for New York’s injured citizens. Over the last 25 years, our attorneys have developed a reputation for excellence, ethics, and compassion throughout New York and surrounding areas. We look forward to providing you with the high-quality legal counsel you deserve.

Call us today at 800-PAIN-LAW or contact us online for a free consultation and learn more about how we can help you.

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Over $500 Million in Verdicts and Settlements

Our track record showcases over $500 million won for our clients. Each victory underlines our commitment to justice and client care. Explore our impact, case by case.

VERDICT

$17,500,000

A Brooklyn jury awarded Mr. Vargas $17.5 million for the City of New York’s violation of his civil rights for failing to provide him medical care while in custody. The jury found that the police officers involved failed to provide the necessary medical treatment and awarded $17.5 million to Mr. Vargas.

VERDICT

$4,730,398

Harris Keenan & Goldfarb partners Seth Harris and Sheri Holland obtained a $4,730,398.00 jury verdict on behalf of our client who tripped and fell at a private apartment building in the Bronx, suffering a broken foot that developed a very painful, permanent neurological condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (“RSD”).

VERDICT

$12,561,772

A Bronx jury awarded John Doe over $12 million for an accident on a construction site. John Doe was working when a piece of scaffold weighing 35 pounds fell, striking John Doe in the lower back. John Doe suffered a herniated disc requiring surgical removal of a portion of the disc and permanent nerve damage.

VERDICT

$10,500,000

A Bronx jury awarded $10.5 million to the mother of Malcolm Ferguson, who was wrongfully shot and killed by the New York City Police Department. The police officer, Louis Rivera, also a defendant in the case, was found to have used excessive force in violation of Malcolm Ferguson’s civil rights as protected under the United States Constitution.

VERDICT

$4,000,000

A Bronx jury awarded plaintiff William Cardoza $4 million for injuries caused by the use of excessive force during an arrest. During the arrest, Mr. Cardoza was pepper-sprayed and repeatedly hit with a police nightstick. As a result, Mr. Cardoza sustained injuries to his hand and finger.

VERDICT

$3,470,670

The firm’s client, a 33-year-old teacher’s assistant, was scalded by an espresso machine that exploded while the defendant’s employee was demonstrating how the machine worked. The client was a customer at the defendant’s coffee shop on the date of the accident and suffered first-degree burns to her right (dominant) hand.

VERDICT

$4,000,000

The firm represented the mother- decedent and her infant son. During the decedent’s admission to the defendant hospital, the defendant dispensed anesthesia during an epidural to the decedent in an inadequate manner. The mother-decedent suffered personal injuries and wrongful death due to the defendant’s failure to properly administer epidural anesthesia.

VERDICT

$3,823,000

Mr.Brennan fell from approximately 25 feet while working on a construction project. He suffered a shattered bone in his right leg requiring surgery and hardware placement. Mr. Brennan also suffered two fractures in his facial bones, and a dislocated finger requiring surgical repair.

VERDICT

$2,750,000

The firm’s client was a child with cerebral palsy who was injured as a result of medical malpractice. The firm’s clients claimed improper management of pregnancy, labor, and delivery resulting in brain damage, and received a Brooklyn personal injury settlement.

VERDICT

$1,677,835

The firm’s client, a 63-year-old mentally incompetent man, slipped and fell in his own urine while attempting to walk to the bathroom at the defendant’s senior citizen home. The client fractured his hip and as a result is confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. The client claimed that the staff of the home failed to properly care for him, and the jury awarded $1,677,835.

VERDICT

$2,995,000

The firm’s client, a 47-year-old male, slipped and fell on a public sidewalk in the Bronx. It had snowed four to five days prior to the date of the accident, and the sidewalk was covered with ice. The client suffered a lumbar fracture and a herniated disc. The jury found the city liable and awarded the client a $2,995,000 personal injury settlement in the Bronx.

VERDICT

$2,610,000

A Bronx jury awarded plaintiff Luis Molina $2.61 million for injuries sustained when he fell down a subway station stairway. Mr. Molina was caused to slip and fall as a result of a plastic bag that had blown onto the steps from a street opening. As a result of the fall, Mr. Molina suffered a herniated disc and a tear of his right shoulder’s rotator cuff. The jury found that the NYC Transit Authority was liable for the accident.

VERDICT

$2,253,714

A Bronx jury awarded Ms. Colon $2.25 million for a trip and fall accident. Ms. Colon was caused to fall when she moved to the right to allow another pedestrian to pass, and her foot rolled to the outside due to the sidewalk being unlevel with the adjoining grass. The jury found the defendant liable and awarded Ms. Colon $2,253,714.00 for her pain and suffering.

VERDICT

$1,900,000

A Brooklyn jury awarded Arvella Floyd $1.9 million for a fractured wrist which required multiple surgeries, including an open-reduction internal fixation and a carpal tunnel release. Ms. Floyd was injured when the hot water knob of the shower fell off after numerous complaints to the superintendent, and scalding water spewed toward her, causing her to
fall and break her wrist.

VERDICT

$1,350,000

A Bronx jury awarded plaintiff Juanita Young $1,350,000 for injuries caused by the use of excessive force during an arrest. During the arrest, Ms. Young, who is legally blind, was handcuffed from behind, with her children watching, and taken to the top of the stairs to exit the building. The officer proceeded to push her down the stairs multiple times.

What Our Clients Say About Us

david Santiagodavid Santiago
18:05 21 Mar 24
Maria RoqueMaria Roque
20:49 15 Mar 24
Excellent person, very Professional, they assist you in any language, your call is always answered. I recommend you for any case of support you have, your refund is satisfactory. and fast
S SS S
14:09 02 Mar 24
I am completely satisfied, and recommend Harris Keenan & Goldfarb as Attorneys to represent anyone. Their care for me physically, and overall helped me stay strong in spite of my injuries. Always available to answer questions, and inform.They got me Justice, and achieved a substantial outcome for my case.I am very impressed, and thankful for their outstanding performance on my behalf.I am very pleased, and significantly satisfied with their representation.‐-Sherylon Wilkins
Robert LennonRobert Lennon
15:26 21 Feb 24
Patient and diligence is how I describe the effort of HKG the work was thorough, honest and fair, I have no complaints. Special thanks to attorney Blake and his paralegal Thierry.
Gene Matos (fanboye)Gene Matos (fanboye)
18:48 15 Jan 24
I first crossed paths with Seth Harris when serving jury duty many years ago. He was so professional and personable, that when my mom was seeking legal counsel for medical malpractice, I told her she had to reach out to his firm. We had meetings with a few different firms, but Harris Keenan & Goldfarb was the only firm that did not try to get us to sign paperwork before even meeting. They took the time to listen and understand our situation before we signed anything, and they were transparent and responsive the whole time. I would like to give special thanks to Samantha Walton, Marla Stein, Val Wallace and Seth Harris for helping my mom through this tough time. They were honest and upfront, and even though Seth Harris wasn't personally on the case, he took the time to meet with us and give us his thoughts on it.
Solange IsaacSolange Isaac
17:52 08 Jan 24
I am pleased with the services provided by Ms Sheri on my case. The team at Harris, Keenan, & Goldfarb were very nice and explained everything to me. Everything that I had questions on they answered without frustration and were prompt and knowledgeable.6 years ago I had a slip and fall accident at my employers place of business. I reached out to them because I knew that I was being wrongfully treated. They took care of the case, restored my self confidence, and brought so much peace to my problem riddled life.I can recommend without a shadow of a doubt the services of Harris, Keenan & Goldfarb to anyone who is in need of someone who will have your back!
Brittany DempseyBrittany Dempsey
16:02 08 Jan 24
My mother had an accident with her ankle back in 2019. I immediately contacted Harris, Keenan & Goldfarb on the day of the accident. They were extremely prompt and helpful. They attended to my mother's case beautifully and she's been recovering well. I'd like to thank you for being so diligent, kind and above all professional. I'd recommend this law firm to anyone who are injured and in need of legal assistance. My mother, Andrea, and I thank you for everything.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions that prospective clients have about personal injury claims include:

  • Do I need an attorney?

    When you have suffered an injury, it can be difficult to know what to do next. If the injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. However, filing a personal injury claim can be a complex and time-consuming process. An experienced attorney can help you navigate the legal system and fight for the maximum possible compensation.

  • How do I know I have a case?

  • When should I contact an attorney?

  • How do I determine which one to choose?

  • Once I hire an attorney, what should I expect?

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