If not enough preparation and work goes into your personal injury lawsuit, it may not succeed. When our attorneys handle your case, we can give it the attention it deserves. Launching investigations right away is best. This lets us preserve evidence and bring lawsuits without rushing to file by the statute of limitations.
To prove your injury case, we may use photos, videos, witness statements, medical records, income records, and other evidence. We will tally your damages so we can see if settlement offers are fair. If a settlement does not cover all medical bills, lost income, and other damages, we can go to trial. New York does not limit damages for injury plaintiffs, so your recovery may be substantial.
For a free case analysis from our personal injury lawyers, call The Carrion Law Firm at (631) 910-7493.
What Evidence Can I Use in a Southold Injury Lawsuit?
Our lawyers can collect evidence for your lawsuit and use it to get compensation for your injuries.
Photos
Photos can preserve accident scenes, so take pictures before you leave. We will analyze the photos you took and any photos we get from eyewitnesses or law enforcement.
Photos can place you and the at-fault party at the scene. They can also show immediate and visible injuries, like road rash from a pedestrian accident. If you tripped over a hazard in a retail shop, photograph it so we can show it existed.
You can keep photographing injuries as they heal to show their progress and how they keep affecting you.
Videos
Our personal injury lawyers may also obtain and use video evidence for your lawsuit. Videos may come from eyewitnesses, victims, or nearby cameras. Security cameras may film slips and falls in restaurants or truck accidents outside businesses.
Footage showing the entire accident and its cause helps prove our case. We can send footage owners demand letters so they do not delete videos. Contact us right away to ensure footage is not deleted, especially if the at-fault party owns it.
Witness Statements
We can also record witness statements for personal injury lawsuits. Eyewitnesses can testify about an accident’s cause, a victim’s injuries, and a defendant’s conduct. You can also testify about the accident and its fallout. Your testimony can also detail your pain and suffering, which are compensable “non-economic” damages.
Expert witnesses aid injury claims, especially when a plaintiff’s injuries are complicated and severe. Physicians can testify about the long-term side effects of your injuries and the additional treatment you need to recover fully.
Medical Records
We also need your medical records. If you notice injuries after a fall, bicycle accident, or other event, go to the hospital. Let doctors evaluate and treat you. They may catch underlying internal or soft tissue injuries that could worsen if unattended.
Our attorneys can handle compiling medical records and bills showing the cost of treatment. Relevant medical records include MRIs, X-rays, physician notes, diagnostic test results, surgical reports, prescriptions, and more.
Income Records
Tax returns, paychecks, and other financial records let us establish your lost wages. We can confirm your income before the accident and assess your lowered earning capacity. Suppose you lost your leg in an explosion on a construction site. You may never return to the same job or earn the same income, and we can factor that into your claim’s value.
Does New York Limit Damages in Personal Injury Lawsuits?
New York does not impose statutory caps on compensatory damages, which cover things like medical bills and mental suffering. When lawsuits go to court, juries award what they deem appropriate based on the defendant’s conduct and the plaintiff’s proof of damages.
That said, New York does restrict when certain victims may recover non-economic damages. After a motor vehicle accident, we will see if your injuries pass New York’s serious injury threshold, letting you sue for non-economic damages.
New York also does not cap punitive damages. These are awarded to punish defendants and are paid on top of compensatory damages, not in place of them. Plaintiffs only get punitive damages when lawsuits go to trial and juries find defendants liable for particularly egregious or reckless conduct.
What is a Good Personal Injury Settlement in Southold?
A good personal injury settlement should cover all damages due to negligence. If proposals do not suffice, you may go to trial to prove liability in court.
To determine whether a settlement is fair, we compare it to our calculations of your total damages. If it is too low, we respond with a counteroffer. We back counteroffers up with evidence such as eyewitness and physician statements.
Good offers also cover victims’ non-economic damages. Defendants hesitate to include non-economic damages in settlements, and we can prevent you from accepting a low proposal.
If you accept and sign a settlement agreement, your case ends. If the settlement is bad, your case ends, and you might have to cover some damages yourself. Allow our lawyers to handle settlement negotiations for you so you only accept a fair amount.
How Long Will My Personal Injury Claim Take?
Personal injury lawsuits range in length, as each case is unique. Even if your case takes months or years to complete, you may recover the necessary damages once it ends.
Before we can file your case, we have to prepare it. Investigations take time, so contact us immediately. New York’s statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits is three years. While that seems like plenty of time, we may need much of it, so do not wait.
Strong cases may compel large settlement offers soon into negotiations. Still, some defendants are stubborn, become non-communicative, and stall settlement negotiations. We can identify these tactics and address them head-on by going to trial.
Trials may go fast, especially when we have compelling evidence of the defendant’s liability.
Call Our Southold Injury Attorneys for Help Today
Discuss your case for free with our personal injury lawyers by calling The Carrion Law Firm at (631) 910-7493.