Across the United States, there are approximately 6 million car accidents per year. A majority of those accidents happen in New York City. The NYPD publishes crash data for all five city boroughs, including Queens. It is helpful to understand your options for compensation if you suffer injuries or damages from a car accident.
New York is a no-fault car insurance state. After a car accident, you will need to file a claim through your injury protection coverage. It will help if you did this to get compensation for medical bills or other financial losses. If your injury claim meets specific criteria, can you bypass no-fault and bring a case directly against the at-fault driver.
Take a look at our findings for the accident statistics in Queens from 2013 to 2016:
Queens Accident Statistics 2013
- Total accidents: 39,311
- Motorist injuries: 7,639
- Motorist fatalities: 25
- Pedestrian injuries: 2,327
- Pedestrian fatalities: 45
- Cyclist injuries: 721
- Cyclist fatalities: 1
Queens Accident Statistics 2014
- Total accidents: 41,014
- Motorist injuries: 7,121
- Motorist fatalities: 20
- Pedestrian injuries: 2,192
- Pedestrian fatalities: 26
- Cyclist injuries: 714
- Cyclist fatalities: 6
Queens Accident Statistics 2015
- Total accidents: 42,483
- Motorist injuries: 7,655
- Motorist fatalities: 20
- Pedestrian injuries: 2,004
- Pedestrian fatalities: 25
- Cyclist injuries: 764
- Cyclist fatalities: 6
Queens Accident Statistics 2016
- Total accidents: 41,553
- Motorist injuries: 8,150
- Motorist fatalities: 9
- Pedestrian injuries: 2,189
- Pedestrian fatalities: 21
- Cyclist injuries: 722
- Cyclist fatalities: 2
As our 2015 Queens Accident Map shows, auto accidents caused numerous injuries — and multiple fatalities — throughout the year. In one tragic December incident, a 45-year-old man died when his car crashed into a tractor-trailer on the Van Wyck Expressway.
Also in December, a Porsche traveling at a high rate of speed crashed into a parked school bus, killing a young woman on impact. The driver admitted consuming multiple alcoholic drinks at a bar before driving, and police reported his blood-alcohol level at twice the legal limit.
And in May, a woman died and nine people — including six children — were hurt in a three-car crash. The driver of an SUV being used to shuttle children to a school ran a red light, striking a sedan. The impact caused the car to strike a box truck, killing the 53-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the car.
Which intersections in Queens had the highest numbers of vehicle accidents and resulting injuries in 2015?
- Most Dangerous Intersections in Queens
- What Is the New York Car Accident Statute of Limitations?
- When to Report a Car Accident in New York?
- What Are New York’s No-Fault Car Insurance Laws?
- How Auto Insurance Companies Limit Settlements?
- What Can I Expect When Filing a Lawsuit?
- Examples of Pain and Suffering Damages from a Car Accident
- Work with a Queens Auto Accidents Attorney
Most Dangerous Intersections in Queens
Police reported that the Queens intersection of Brookville Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard had the year’s highest number of injuries related to crashes, at 61, along with one fatality. The injuries resulted from 113 accidents.
The following intersections also were among those with the highest number of reported injuries:
Hillside Avenue and Hollis Court Boulevard – Nine accidents, 34 injuries.
101st Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard: 61 accidents, 32 injuries.
150th Road and Rockaway Boulevard: 77 accidents, 29 injuries.
Farmers Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard: 82 accidents, 29 injuries.
Cypress Avenue and Vermont Place: 40 accidents, 24 injuries.
Two intersections had Queens’ highest numbers of fatalities for the year, at three each:
- 46th Avenue and Utopia Parkway: 14 accidents and seven injuries.
- 210th Street and 64th Avenue: four accidents and three injuries.
Intersections with Most Accidents
The Queens intersections with the highest numbers of crashes for the year included:
- Brookville Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard: 113 accidents and 61 injuries.
- Atlantic Avenue and Van Wyck Expressway: 83 accidents and 15 injuries.
- Farmers Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard: 82 accidents and 29 injuries.
- Queens Boulevard and Woodhaven Boulevard: 80 accidents and eight injuries.
- College Point Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue: 79 accidents and 17 injuries.
What Is the New York Car Accident Statute of Limitations?
Statutes of limitations are laws that set a time limit on your right to bring forth a lawsuit. If you miss the time limit set by the law and try to file a claim after the deadline, the New York court system is likely to dismiss your case. Unless, of course, there is a rare exception that applies to a deadline extension. In many instances, you have three years from the date of the accident to start your case in the court system.
When to Report a Car Accident in New York?
If you are in a car accident in New York and more than $1,000 in property damages due to the crash, all drivers must file a Report of Motor Vehicle Accident form with the DMV. You cannot wait longer than ten days after the accident. If you fail to file a report, you look at a driver’s license suspension.
It is against the law to leave the scene of a car accident that causes personal injury or death without taking the appropriate legal steps. Anyone who sustains injuries or death from the accident must immediately notify the police. You will need to file an accident report with the DMV too.
What Are New York’s No-Fault Car Insurance Laws?
Again, New York is one of a dozen states that follow a no-fault car insurance policy. Injured drivers and passengers usually turn to their personal injury protection (PIP) policy first to receive compensation for medical bills, lost income, and other out-of-pocket expenses.
However, PIP coverage is often not enough to cover the losses from serious injuries. If your injuries and losses meet a certain threshold, the law gives you the right to step out of the no-fault system. Then, if your car accident lawyer can prove another driver’s liability, you can seek compensation from the liable driver’s insurance coverage. If the insurer does not offer a fair settlement - which is common - you have the right to file an injury lawsuit.
How Auto Insurance Companies Limit Settlements?
You might wonder why auto insurance providers work so hard to minimize payments. These companies are in business to provide coverage following accidents, so why do they limit settlement offers below what claimants deserve? The short answer is profits. The less insurance companies pay in settlements, the more they keep in profits. Unfortunately, insurers often prioritize the bottom line over the well-being of injured claimants.
How do they justify low settlement offers?
Insurance adjusters have many tactics they use, including:
- Challenging how the injury occurred and whether the policyholder was liable (for at-fault claims)
- Questioning the severity of the injury, including whether you needed all the medical treatment you received
- Minimizing your pain and suffering from your injuries
- Accusing you of being at least partially to blame for the car accident
When you try to handle a claim alone, you might not know how to challenge these tactics and fight for a higher settlement. The insurance company counts on it.
On the other hand, when you hire a car accident lawyer to communicate with insurers on your behalf, the adjuster knows they cannot succeed with their usual tricks. They might be willing to make a reasonable offer sooner in the process, which can benefit you and your family sooner.
What Can I Expect When Filing a Lawsuit?
Your case will move forward subject to the substantive personal injury law and rules of New York.
Here is what the process looks like:
- Conducting an investigation and building a formal legal complaint
- Filing the complaint in civil court before the statute of limitations
- Formally serving copies of the complaint on the defendants in the suit
- Reviewing evidence
- Subpoenaing relevant documents and witnesses
- Conducting depositions
- Preparing for rial and getting ready to argue before a judge and jury
- Conducting depositions
- Preparing for trial and getting prepared to say before a judge and jury
Private settlements can occur before a jury returns with a verdict. A car accident lawsuit settles nine times out of ten before a trial ends.
Personal injury claims are tricky to manage. There are a lot of rules that you have to adhere to when filing a personal injury claim. Mistakes can be costly and stand in the way of a successful outcome. For this reason alone, it is crucial to enlist the help of a dedicated attorney.
Examples of Pain and Suffering Damages from a Car Accident
Pain and suffering refer to physical discomfort and emotional distress due to a car accident.
Injuries can look like this:
- Mental anguish
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Emotional distress
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Chronic physical pain
Pain and suffering are genuine. Requesting pain and suffering from an insurance company usually entails calculating the damages using a multiplier.
Adjusters look at your injury overall and then assess its impact on your life. Then they decide on a multiplier between one and five. The adjusters apply that multiplier to your economic damages. Say your monetary damages equal $50,000 and the adjuster uses a multiplier of 4, then your non-economic award for pain and suffering might equal $200,000. Your ultimate takeaway will be $250,000.
Always have help from an experienced lawyer when calculating your damages - especially for pain and suffering.
Work with a Queens Auto Accidents Attorney
If you’ve been hurt due to someone else’s negligence in a vehicle accident, you need representation from an experienced lawyer for personal injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, including pain and suffering, lost wages and medical expenses. Please contact Ivan Diamond Bronx Personal Injury Attorney for a free consultation about your case.
Ivan Diamond Bronx Personal Injury Attorney
888 Grand Concourse Suite #1L, 10451
(718) 588-2000
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