Fatal Car Accidents

According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles there were nearly 300,000 car collisions in New York in 2014. Victims of such accidents often end up with injuries that are quite serious including a traumatic brain injury, broken bones, contusions, internal injuries, abrasions, or a spinal cord injury. Sadly, each year nearly 1000 vehicle accidents involve fatalities. 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 of an experienced Bronx fatal car accidents lawyer contact Stephen Bilkis & Associates. We can help ensure that the party responsible for the loss of your loved one is held accountable.

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. Driving while drunk or high on drugs is one of the most dangerous things that a driver can do. As an experienced Bronx fatal car accidents lawyer will explain, the civil and criminal penalties for drunk driving are significant, especially if the result is that someone is killed.
• Reckless driving. A driver drives recklessly if they fail to follow New York rules of the road. For example, speeding, running a red light, or improper lanes changes are types of reckless driving that can lead to fatal accidents.

If a family member was killed in a car accident, contact an experienced fatal car accidents attorney in the Bronx 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 Stephen Bilkis & Associates at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your car accident. We have over two decades of experience successfully representing client with claims involving wrongful death cases related to car accidents, construction accidents, falls, product liability, and medical malpractice. We represent injured victims and their families in the following locations: Bronx, Westchester County, Suffolk County, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, and Queens.