Vehicles Stopped on the Side of the Road Accidents

Cars sometimes must stop on the side of the road for a variety of reasons. In some cases the car has run out of gas or has a mechanical problem such as a flat time. In other cases the driver or a passenger has a medical emergency. In still other cases the driver must make a cell phone call, or take care of some other issue that he or she cannot do while driving. While it may seem as if you should be safe when you are on the side of the road or on the shoulder of the road out of traffic, the side of the road is far from safe. Drivers stopped on the side of the road because of mechanical problems, medical emergencies, or for other reasons are often victims of serious car accidents. While shoulder of the road accidents sometimes involve a car sideswiping a vehicle that is stopped on the shoulder, often the victim is outside of the stopped vehicle. Particularly in cases where the victim is struck while outside of the vehicle, the victim is likely to suffer severe, life-threatening injuries. For example, a pedestrian who is struck by a speeding car may be thrown through the air landing on his or her head and may suffer a traumatic brain injury such as a severe concussion. Another common type of injury is a back or spinal cord injury that leaves the victim paralyzed. These types of injuries may involve long recovery times, with the victim being unable to work. However, under New York law victims of car accidents 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 family member was injured in a shoulder of the road car accident caused by another person’s negligence, it is important to contact an experienced Bronx Vehicles Stopped on the Side of the Road Accidents Lawyer who will help ensure that those responsible for your injuries are held accountable. 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.

Most side of the road accidents happen on highways where vehicles are traveling at a high rate of speed. However, such accidents can happen even when drivers are not traveling particularly fast or on other types of road. A variety of factors can contribute to a shoulder of the road accident.

• Speeding. A driver that is speeding may not have enough time to properly maneuver his or her vehicle to avoid a pedestrian or car that is on the shoulder, but very close to the road.
• Distracted driving. We have all driven behind a driver whose vehicle drifts to the right or left because the driver is talking on the phone. If a car happens to be stopped on the shoulder or a pedestrian walking on the shoulder, the distracted driver could end up striking the vehicle or pedestrian.
• Reckless driving. When someone is stopped on the side of the road, both the person stopped and oncoming drivers must be careful. Oncoming drivers should slow down and make sure there is adequate room to safely pass the stopped vehicle or pedestrian. Drivers who fail to do this could end up causing a collision. This is more likely to happen with larger vehicles.

Victims injured in side of the road accidents suffer serious injuries and are often left in deep financial distress because of the substantial medical bills. Not only do victims have significant medical bills, but their income is reduced since they are unable to work while they recover from their injuries.

Through a personal injury lawsuit you may be able to recover damages for your medical expenses, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, as well as pain and suffering. If your loved one died in the accident, you may be able to recover damages in a wrongful death lawsuit.

It is important to note that victims of shoulder of the road accidents are not only drivers whose with mechanical problems or emergencies. Victims are often construction workers performing maintenance or construction on the roadway. If you were injured while working, under New York law you have the right to benefits through workers' compensation. Workers' compensation benefits are limited. For example, workers' compensation benefits do not offer compensation for pain and suffering, while in appropriate cases personal injury lawsuits do. Thus, it is important to work with someone with experience to determine if you are entitled to compensation outside of worker’s compensation benefits.

If you or a loved one was injured in an accident that you believe was caused by the reckless driving of another person, it is critical to immediately contact an attorney with experience. Not only will you be faced with physical challenges, you will also face financial challenges due to medical bills and loss of income. Compensation from the person responsible for your condition is essential to help you and your family deal with the financial burden. The staff at Stephen Bilkis and Associates has extensive experience representing clients injured in car accidents, truck accidents, and other types of accidents. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your car accident.