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Queens Fatal Car Accidents

According to the Centers for Disease Control for people ages 5-24, auto accidents are the leading cause of death. For ages 25 and older, it is the second leading cause of death. While victims of car accidents often end up with serious injuries such as a traumatic brain injury, broken bones, contusions, internal injuries, abrasions, or a spinal cord injury, in New York nearly 1000 people die each year from injuries sustained in car accidents. While poor weather conditions and other uncontrollable events are often contributing factors to fatal car accidents, such accidents are also often caused by poor judgment, negligent driving and other preventable factors. Family members of victims who die in a car accident suffer tremendously. Not only is the emotion pain difficult to deal with, family members also suffer financially. However, under New York law the legal representative of someone who died in a car accident is allowed to seek compensation from the person whose negligence resulted in the accident. If you are in need legal representation because a family member died in a car accident, contact an experienced Queens fatal car accidents lawyer who will help ensure that the party responsible for your injuries is held accountable for your losses through a wrongful death lawsuit.

Common Causes of Fatal Car Accidents

There are a number of factors that can lead to a fatal car accidents. Some of the most common contributing factors include:

  • Distracted driving. With the growing use of cell phones while driving, one of the fastest growing causes of fatal accidents is distracted driving. Distracted driving includes not only talking on a cell phone. It also includes texting, browsing the internet, reading email, playing video games, using apps, and other activities on a cell phone, tablet, e-reader, or computer while driving.
  • Impaired driving. Drunk driving or driving while high on drugs is a huge problem. As an experienced Queens fatal car accidents lawyer can explain, because drunk driving has taken so many lives over the years, the penalties for it are steep.
  • Reckless driving. Failing to follow the rules of the road by speeding, failing to stop at a red light, or making an improper lane change is reckless. This type of negligence is another top cause of serious car accidents that leave victims with fatal injuries.
Pursuing Damages for a Fatal Car Accident

If a loved one died from injuries suffered in a car accident, contact an experienced fatal car accidents attorney in Queens to help you pursue compensation. Family members who lose loved ones in car accidents face not only emotional grief, but oftentimes financial hardship as well. Under New York law, only a decedent's legal representative may file a claim for wrongful death. A legal representative is typically the person the decedent named as executor in his or her will. Otherwise, the legal representative would be the person named by the court to serve as such. The executor would file the wrongful death claim on behalf of the real parties in interest. The real parties in interest would be the decedent's beneficiaries or heirs. Typically, the real parties in interest would include the decedent's surviving spouse and children, but may also include the decedent's parents, siblings and other relatives.

Damages that can be recovered in a wrongful death accident include economic losses such as:

  • Loss of financial support
  • Loss of future earnings
  • Loss of household services
  • Medical expenses related to the injury
  • Funeral expenses

It is important to file a wrongful death claim as quickly as possible as New York's statute of limitations is generally only two years after the death. While two years may seem like a long time, there is often a great deal of time-consuming fact-finding and other preliminary work that must be completed before a wrongful death lawsuit can be filed. If a lawsuit is not filed prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations, the right to sue may be forever lost.

Contact a Fatal Car Accidents Attorney Serving the Queens at Stephen Bilkis & Associates

Wrongful death cases can be complicated. There are complex procedural rules and timelines that must be followed. To make sure that your case is properly handled it is critical that you are represented by attorneys with experience handling wrongful death cases. Contact Stephen Bilkis & Associates to discuss the details of your case. Our staff is experienced in handling claims involving wrongful death cases related to car accidents, construction accidents, product liability, and medical malpractice. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your car accident. We serve clients in the following locations: Westchester County, Suffolk County, Staten Island, Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, and Queens.

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