Motor Vehicle Accidents

Committed car accident attorneys in Syracuse, NY

Auto accidents can wreak havoc on your life. Property damage, serious injuries, and even death can leave you frustrated and traumatized.

McMahon, Kublick & Smith, PC has auto accident lawyers who help injury victims and their family members through the ordeal that follows a crash. Clients value our one-on-one attention and the care we use to address every detail of your situation.

Two means of recovery

Motor vehicle accidents are the most common personal injury cases. In New York, car accident victims generally have two avenues of recovery — no-fault insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits.

No-fault benefits

A no-fault claim is automatic. The insurance policy of the vehicle you were traveling in at the time of the accident pays the benefits, regardless of fault — even if the other driver ran a red light, drove drunk, or broke other traffic laws.

If a pedestrian is hit by a motor vehicle, no-fault benefits are paid by the insurance of the car involved. New York’s no-fault law does not apply to motorcycle accidents.

No-fault benefits primarily pay for lost wages, usually 80 percent of your gross pay up to $2,000 a month, and medical bills related to the accident. The minimal car insurance policy in New York State covers up to $50,000 in no-fault benefits.

To obtain no-fault benefits, it is imperative that a no-fault application be filled out and received by the insurance company within 30 days of the accident. If the 30-day deadline is missed, the insurance company is not required to pay and often denies benefits. No-fault payments typically do not affect insurance premiums.

Personal injury claims

The second avenue of recovery that can arise out of a motor vehicle accident is a personal injury lawsuit against the person at fault. This is a claim to compensate the injured person for pain and suffering, medical bills, and/or lost wages that exceed the $50,000 no-fault limit.

To have a valid claim for personal injuries in a motor vehicle accident in New York, the other driver must have caused or contributed to the accident, and the victim must have sustained a serious injury.

The definition of a serious injury ranges from death to a fracture. Our qualified NY auto accident lawyers can help determine if your injury qualifies as serious under the law.

If you are injured in an automobile accident, it is imperative that you contact a knowledgeable attorney immediately about your rights and responsibilities under no-fault and negligence laws.

At McMahon, Kublick & Smith, PC, our lawyers represent victims of all types of serious motor vehicle accidents:

Maximizing your recovery is our priority

If you have been seriously injured, chances are excellent that our Syracuse auto accident attorneys can help with our full-service approach. Contact McMahon, Kublick & Smith, PC online or at 1-800-638-2998. The call is free, and so is the initial consultation. If we take your injury case, you pay no fees unless we recover money for you.