Zucker & Regev, P.C.

Auto Accidents and Fatalities

Feb 27, 2015 @ 09:00 AM — by Zucker & Regev, P.C.
Tagged with: Auto Accidents Personal Injury Wrongful Death

Let’s face it - driving in New York City is not exactly for the faint of heart. Our streets are congested with traffic and filled with aggressive drivers, many of whom flagrantly disregard the rules of the road to get to where they’re going. The roadways of our beloved borough are extremely dangerous, putting even the safest of our drivers at high risk of auto accidents. Tragically, too many of these auto accidents result in serious injury or even death.

At Gary A. Zucker & Associates, P.C. in Brooklyn, auto accidents and fatalities form the basis of many of the personal injury claims we have successfully handled on behalf of grieving families during their time of greatest need. If you have lost a beloved member of your family due to the negligent or deliberately wrongful actions of another driver, we would be privileged to provide you with the experienced and aggressive legal counsel you need to obtain the full measure of compensation to which you are entitled.

Fatal Traffic Accidents in New York City

In 2013, there were more than 70,000 auto accidents in New York City according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Of these accidents, 281 were fatal, with 294 people killed altogether:

The most common cause of these fatal auto accidents was drivers operating their vehicles at an unsafe speed.

What is a wrongful death lawsuit?

A wrongful death lawsuit is a type of personal injury lawsuit that is filed by the personal representative of the deceased person’s estate. In the state of New York, only the personal representative of the estate may file a wrongful death lawsuit. A family member must be named the personal representative in order to be eligible to file a wrongful death claim.

However, the personal representative is empowered to file a wrongful death claim seeking damages on behalf of the family members of the deceased victim. Therefore, even if the personal representative of your loved one is not a relative of your family, you may still enlist his or her services to file the wrongful death lawsuit, and the court will regard him or her as though he or she holds the damages in trust to be distributed to the members of your family.

What damages are typically awarded in a wrongful death claim?

While there are no guarantees in any wrongful death lawsuit, typical damages include compensation for:

Learn More about Auto Accidents and Fatalities

If you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by someone else’s negligent or deliberately wrongful actions and you would like to arrange for an evaluation of your case, please contact Gary A. Zucker & Associates, P.C. today.