Personal Injury Lawyer in Albany

If someone else’s negligent actions result in your injury, it can feel as though you’re paying for someone else’s mistake. Recovering from an incident can take months, years, or the rest of your life. Meanwhile, you or your injured loved one may have to deal with:

  • Current and future medical expenses
  • The cost of rehabilitation and therapy
  • Property damage
  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost earnings and earning capacity

Don’t spend time worrying about financial recovery. Instead, get an Albany personal injury attorney. An attorney can help you navigate complex personal injury laws and prove your claims. Insurance companies often try to save money and may undervalue your claims to offer a lowball settlement.

You don’t deserve to receive only the bare minimum for your pain, and you don’t have to accept it. Our team will advocate on your behalf so that you can focus on what’s important. We specialize in litigating claims that have to do with the following categories and more.

Car Accidents

Car accidents are traumatic experiences, even if you walk away with no injuries. If you suffered injuries, you might be entitled to compensation for medical bills and other fees. Getting the compensation that you deserve is difficult without an attorney.

Instead of taking the insurance company’s word for it, an attorney will:

  • conduct a fair investigation
  • collect any evidence such as witness accounts or videos
  • find out who was at fault
  • negotiate with the insurance companies

In Albany, car accidents tend to occur because of the following:

  • vehicle failure
  • speeding
  • improper turns or lane changes
  • cell phone use
  • failing to signal
  • failing to yield the right-of-way
  • drunk or distracted driving

New York has no-fault laws when it comes to car accidents. Any person on the road is covered regardless of who was at fault. The only time fault comes into play in New York is with a serious injury, including any of the following:

  • death
  • disfiguration
  • dismemberment
  • loss of fetus
  • fracture
  • limited ability to function

How Much Time Do You Have to File a Lawsuit?

If you want to file against an individual, you have three years from the date of the accident to do so. If you wish to file against a government entity, you have three months to file a Notice of Claim. However, you only have 30 days to submit a no-fault application. If you have been in an accident, don’t waste time. Call an Albany personal injury attorney right away.

Once you begin a case, it could take up to three years to resolve. If the accident involved multiple vehicles, it could take even longer. If you accept the first settlement offered to you, you may get your compensation faster. But the time you spend with your lawyer could be well worth it, as you’re likely to receive more money if you wait for a larger settlement or even go to court for your car accident case.

Truck Accidents

Accidents involving 18-wheelers are often severe, if not fatal.

Truckers must follow the standard laws of driving and observe speed limits, rights of way, and traffic lights.

But they also have state and federal regulations to follow while on duty. When accidents happen, the first thing you want to know is whether or not the truck driver was abiding by the laws.

These regulations include rules about:

  • driver training
  • drug testing
  • consecutive hours behind the wheel
  • recordkeeping
  • vehicle maintenance

If truck driver’s negligence led to your injury, contact an Albany personal injury attorney immediately. Trucking companies may try to destroy evidence or buy you out to prevent investigation. We want to help you get fair compensation and hold the party at fault liable.

In the case of a crash involving a large truck, we may be able to hold the driver, the trucking company, the manufacturers, or any relevant mechanics responsible for your injuries. Even if the law determines you were partially at fault, you might still deserve compensation, depending on your situation.

Some of the most common truck accidents happen with:

  • tanker trucks
  • tractor-trailers
  • tow trucks
  • flatbed trucks
  • garbage and dump trucks

Your personal injury attorney can quickly assess your case and find a winning legal strategy. If need be, we can assemble a team of medical experts or accident reconstruction specialists to show how the accident happened and how your injuries affect your life.

Determining Negligence

To succeed in a personal injury claim, we must prove negligence. Finding negligence involves showing the following:

  • Duty of care. The at-fault party must have had a duty of care for the injured party.
  • Breach of care. The at-fault party must have violated their duty of care.
  • Injury. The breach of care resulted in the other party’s injuries.

Ultimately, your law firm must prove that your injuries happened due to the actions or inaction of the other party. Professional truck drivers have a duty to care for the wellbeing of other drivers on the road. Shafran & Rock’s expert attorneys have great success showing negligence from the other party and winning cases for our clients.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcyclists have a greater risk of injury than car drivers because they are:

  • Less visible to drivers
  • Susceptible to dangerous road conditions
  • Not protected by a steel frame

Passenger car drivers often cause motorcycle accidents because they were:

  • Speeding
  • Driving distracted
  • Failed to yield the right-of-way

As soon as an accident happens, you have a limited time to file a personal injury claim. You can file a wrongful death lawsuit within two years if you lost someone to a motorcycle accident.

What to Do After A Motorcycle Accident

As a motorcyclist in New York, you have responsibilities that include wearing a helmet with reflectors, keeping your headlights on, and wearing protective eyewear.

After you get into a motorcycle accident, you should:

  • Report the accident to law enforcement, regardless of the severity
  • See a doctor, even if you have no visible injuries
  • Inform your insurance company
  • Contact an Albany personal injury lawyer

If you are able, take pictures of your motorcycle accident and show them to your attorney. You also want to keep a record of any expenses from medical bills, as well as documentation of missed work hours. We will investigate your crash to help you get compensated for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Many insurers will try to make you a settlement offer before you can talk to a lawyer. Do not feel pressured to accept their settlement, even if you feel partially responsible for the accident. New York State law finds pure comparative fault; the state will determine your compensation accordingly.

If you were not wearing a helmet or eye protection, you might get less or no compensation. Contact our law office so that we can find the best plan for your case. We may be able to prove that a helmet would not have prevented your injuries.

Workers’ Compensation

No matter where you work, you never expect to go through a life-changing workplace injury. Our firm has represented people hurt by:

  • Falls
  • Defective products
  • Malfunctioning equipment
  • Improper safety protections

There are several types of workplace accidents. In the United States, some of the most common ones include workers:

  • Overexerting themselves when lifting, pulling, or carrying
  • Getting struck by falling or flying objects
  • Experiencing serious slip and falls

An on-the-job injury could mean you are entitled to workers’ compensation. First, seek medical treatment and inform your employer about the injury.

Then, talk to an Albany personal injury attorney about your case so we can help you fill out the proper documentation. You have 30 days after your accident to notify your employer, so you want to act quickly.

If you are navigating the loss of a loved one in a workplace accident, we can help you file a wrongful death claim. At Shafran and Rock, we will explain your legal options, because we know that all workplaces should provide safe conditions for their workers.

Who Do Workplace Accidents Affect the Most?

Hundreds of people suffer from workplace accidents every year. While they can happen at any job, some of the positions with the most reported injuries include:

  • Health care workers
  • Retail trade employees
  • Leisure and hospitality workers
  • Manufacturing workers
  • Construction workers
  • Waste management and security workers

Some trades and professions have specific laws to protect workers on the job. For example, the New York Scaffold Law protects construction workers who require specific on-the-job safety precautions.

If you were injured on a construction site, no matter the cause, speak with an attorney who understands the New York laws. You could be entitled to more than your employer offers you if your employer was negligent in providing the appropriate safety gear or taking workplace precautions.

Contact an Albany personal injury attorney who can explain your rights to compensation.

Get an Albany Personal Injury Attorney

At Shafran & Rock, we are committed to holding negligent parties responsible for their actions.

Personal injuries cases affect not just the accident victims but their loved ones. At Shafran & Rock, we have advocated for our clients and their families for 20 years. Call today for a free consultation.