Queens Road Departure Accident

According to the Federal Highway Administration, each year there are approximately 17,000 fatalities as a result of road departure accidents. A road departure car accident occurs when a car swerves out of control, crosses the median line or any other road marking, and leaves the roadway. Road departure crashes are among the most dangerous types of crashes because they often involve the vehicle rolling over or crashing into a barrier or tree at a high speed. In fact, 54% of fatal car accidents involve road departures. As a result victims of road departure accidents frequently suffer serious injuries. For example, it is not uncommon for a road departure accident victim to suffer a brain injury, broke bones, contusion, abrasions, a neck injury, or a spinal cord injury. These types of injuries may involve long recovery times, requiring the victim to miss a significant amount of work. However, under New York law victims of road departure crashes are allowed to seek compensation from the person whose negligence resulted in the accident. If you are in need of a New York Injury Lawyer because you or a loved one was injured in a road departure crash, it is important that you immediately contact an experienced Queens Road Departure Accident Lawyer who will review your case and explain to you your options for seeking compensation for the losses you suffered as a result of the accident. In addition, if during the course of the treatment for your injuries your doctor commits medical malpractice, the party responsible for your car accident injuries may be required to compensate you for the medical malpractice injury as well.

As with other types of car accidents there are a number of causes of road departure collisions. Some of the most common causes include:

• Distracted driving
• Texting and driving
• Driving while intoxicated
• Falling asleep at the wheel
• Tire blow out
• Hitting a pothole or other road hazard
• Swerving to avoid a road hazard or to avoid another vehicle
• Speeding
• Poor road or weather conditions
• Mechanical failure

Road departure accidents are sometimes single-vehicle accidents and sometimes multi-vehicle accidents. In cases where the accident is a single-vehicle accident, fault may lie with the driver if, for example, the driver was speeding, intoxicated, or texting while driving. On the other hand, a single-vehicle road departure accident can also result from the driver swerving to avoid colliding with another vehicle that is being driven negligently. Or, such an accident could result when a second car pushes it off the road.

Regardless of whether the accident was a single or multi-vehicle accident, road departure crashes often leave victims with traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and broken bones. Such serious injuries require extensive costly treatment. Through a personal injury claim there are several types of damages that you may be able to recover from the person responsible for the accident. You may be entitled to receive compensation to cover your medical bills- past and future. If you missed worked while recovering from your injuries, you may be entitled to receive compensation for the wages you lost as well as loss of future earning capacity. Furthermore, you may be entitled to compensation for personal property that may have been destroyed or damaged in the accident such as your car or valuable items that were in your car. You may also be entitled to non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, and loss of consortium. In special cases punitive damages may be available as well.

If your loved one died in the accident, the decedent's personal representative may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim on behalf of his or her estate.

Beware that New York law has a specific time limit for filing a claim in a personal injury case. If you do not file your claim within the time period, you will be forever barred from collecting damages even if your case has merit.

Road departure accidents can have serious consequences. Whether you were driver or passenger of the vehicle involved in a road departure accident, under New York law you can pursue compensation from the party responsible for your injuries. If you or a loved one was injured in a lane departure crash, contact an experienced attorney who understands both the legal issues associated with personal injury cases as well as the medical issues associated with vehicle accidents. The staff at Stephen Bilkis and Associates has extensive experience representing clients injured in road departure accidents, hit and run accidents, rollover accidents, head-on collisions, rear-end collisions, sideswipe accidents well as other types of vehicle accidents. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your car accident.