New York Rear-End Collision Attorney
Rear-end collision is one of the most common types of car crashes. A driver unexpectedly stops, the car behind them does not have enough time to react, and so the car in the back crashes into the car in the front. Rear-end collisions happen on surface roads and freeways, at stop signs and traffic signals, and are extremely common in parking lots and garages. At high speeds, a rear-end collision can be catastrophic for anyone in either of the vehicles involved. Even low-speed rear-end collisions, however, can cause significant pain, discomfort, and long-lasting injury.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a rear-end crash in New York, the trial-ready personal injury lawyers at Dupée & Monroe are here to help. We will investigate the circumstances of your rear-end collision, collect the relevant evidence to build your case and prove the extent of your injury, negotiate with responsible parties and insurance companies, and battle your case in court. If you do not get the settlement offer you deserve, we are ready to take your case to trial. Contact the Goshen rear-end collision lawyers at Dupée & Monroe for a free consultation after a New York rear-end crash.
Damage to vehicles doesn’t always correspond to injuries to occupants
Many rear-end accidents result in only minor damage to the cars involved. Even when a car suffers only a small amount of damage, however, the car’s occupants can end up with serious injuries. Insurance companies often deny claims for physical injuries where the value of the damage sustained by the vehicle is low. This is an improper assumption based on outdated science. The phenomenon of trauma caused by cervical acceleration-deceleration, or the body being flung forward and then back against a seat in a rear-end crash, has been found to occur at speeds as low as 25 mph. This sort of trauma can injure a vehicle occupant’s spine, neck, muscles, and ligaments.
Whiplash Syndrome
Whiplash syndrome is one of the more common injuries suffered by victims of a rear-end crash. Whiplash is a neck injury caused by forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip. When a car is hit from behind, the car seat will push the occupant’s body forward while their head and neck swing backward, causing the neck to hyperextend. The head and neck then fling back forward, causing hyperflexion. Hyperextension followed by hyperflexion causes whiplash injury.
Because of the physics involved, whiplash can occur even when the collision happens at low speeds. Due to the whipping motion, the head travels much faster than the car or even the torso–up to 2.5 times as quickly as the peak acceleration of the vehicle that was hit. Even if the car does not appear damaged, whiplash may have occurred. Severe whiplash can lead to chronic pain and functional limitations in the arms, shoulders, neck, and back.
Symptoms of whiplash include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Memory loss
- Shoulder, arm, and back pain, tingling, or burning
- Blurry vision
- Vertigo and dizziness
- A decrease in range of motion
If you identify any of the symptoms of whiplash after a rear-end crash, see a doctor immediately. Then speak with a knowledgeable New York car crash attorney to determine whether you may have a claim for damages for your injury.
Proving Fault After a Rear-End Collision
When a rear-end collision occurs, legal blame almost always falls on the driver of the car in the back. Drivers are required to maintain vigilance on the road, which includes being on the lookout for a car suddenly stopping in front. This is exactly why drivers should avoid tailgating, meaning driving too close to the vehicle in front of them; drivers need time to react to the car in front of them coming to an unexpected halt.
That being said, other parties may share some of the liability. If the car in front stopped because of a third party’s negligence–such as if a person suddenly darted out into the road, or another driver ran through a stop sign or red light at an intersection–then the car in the rear may share liability with those other parties and may even be able to bring a claim of their own for their injuries. Further, if the driver in front was acting extremely negligently, which caused the sudden stop (if they were intoxicated or texting while driving, for example), then they may share fault. Their damages award may be offset by their comparative negligence.
Speak with an experienced Hudson Valley rear-end collision attorney to discuss the circumstances of your accident. Even if you were driving the car in the back of a rear-end collision, you might still have a claim for relief.
Experienced New York Rear-End Crash Attorneys Working for You
If you or a loved one has been injured in a rear-end collision in a parking lot or garage, on a highway, or on a surface street in Orange County, find out if you should file a claim for damages by contacting the dedicated, passionate, and effective Goshen car crash lawyers Dupée & Monroe at 845-294-8900.
