Unfortunately, most–if not all–Long Islanders and New Yorkers have experienced sharing the roads with reckless drivers. Congested parkways and turnpikes bring out the worst in drivers who think the few seconds they save making risky moves to get ahead are worth the potential damage they could cause. And even when roads are moving, reckless drivers persist, celebrating the lack of traffic by driving at unsafe speeds.
Levine And Wiss fights for victims of reckless drivers, holding irresponsible vehicle operators responsible for the damage they cause. And since members of our team are former defense attorneys for insurance companies, we have the advantage when managing your case. Connect with a Long Island car accident lawyer from our team to get the compensation and justice you deserve.
Reckless Driving Explained
A Long Island car accident attorney from Levine And Wiss can help victims seek compensation. Our Long Island personal injury lawyers know New York’s no-fault car accident and personal injury laws. We will handle case legalities and deal with all involved parties to secure the highest compensation possible.
New York State’s Vehicle and Traffic (VTL) laws prohibit reckless driving. The State takes violations seriously, and violators may receive criminal charges and penalties. Section 1212 of the VTL defines reckless driving as operating a motor vehicle in “a manner which unreasonably”
- Interferes with free and proper use of public highways, or
- Endangers others on public highways
Those injured by a reckless driver may take some comfort in seeing the offender convicted of criminal charges. However, while that conviction requires the driver to pay their debt to society, it does not compensate victims for their losses. Sadly, those losses are often severe.
Examples of Reckless Driving
New York’s VTL offers a broad definition of reckless driving because the act can take a variety of forms. All drivers owe others sharing the roads with them a duty of care–an obligation to avoid unsafe driving behaviors (and practice safe ones)–in an effort to protect everyone’s well-being. Some forms of reckless driving are more common than others, but all forms are unsafe.
Exceeding the Speed Limit
It is unlawful to drive above the speed limit, though many drivers regularly exceed the limit by 5 to 10 miles per hour (mph). Driving at speeds far exceeding the posted limit or speeding that puts others at risk can generate charges for reckless driving.
Accidents with high-speed vehicles are particularly dangerous, often causing life-changing injuries and fatalities.
Wrong-Way Driving
There are few things more terrifying than driving a vehicle in the right direction only to be confronted with the shock of seeing another vehicle’s headlights coming right for you.
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) recognizes that fatalities from these wrong-way-driving accidents are on the rise. They occur on highways, freeways, and arterial roads and are typically head-on and deadly.
Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)
Driving drunk or under the influence of other substances is illegal in every state. Drunk drivers face serious criminal penalties, including license suspensions, but this is after they have already left extensive damage in their wake. Levine And Wiss will fight to hold these reckless drivers civilly accountable for their actions.
Swerving Through Traffic
Roads have marked lanes for a reason–to keep powerful vehicles moving in a safe, orderly way. Changing lanes is fine when there is enough room between cars; they are controlled maneuvers, and line designations allow for them. Reckless drivers speed in and out of lanes erratically, which can cause sideswipe or rear-end accidents, especially when performed at high speeds.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving was problematic even before smartphones entered the scene. It was, and is, not uncommon to see drivers operating vehicles while eating, drinking, putting on makeup, fixing their hair, shaving, or attending to small children–among other behaviors. Pocket technology has only increased the level of distraction.
Drivers who take their eyes off the roads put others at unreasonable risk. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), sending or reading a single text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for five seconds when driving at 55 mph–the equivalent of driving the lengths of three football fields with closed eyes. It is not hard to imagine the damage that behavior can do.
Reckless drivers may also ignore traffic signals, hit–or almost hit–pedestrians, or crash through police barricades or construction barriers. Whatever type of recklessness the driver who hit you displayed, it is important to know what to do after being injured in a New York car accident.
Once your medical safety is assured, reach out to a car accident lawyer on Long Island for help right away.
How an Attorney Can Help
New York’s statute of limitations for filing car accident injury claims is three years and sometimes less, but that does not mean you should wait three years to connect with an attorney. A prompt legal partnership gives Levine And Wiss time to investigate your accident thoroughly, collecting solid evidence to support your claim while still filing well within that deadline.
You also leave time to mitigate the unexpected challenge of a shortened legal deadline should your case involve special circumstances warranting such a change.
Our team can also help you deal with your own insurance company. Under its no-fault system, New York has established minimum auto insurance requirements for drivers, and this coverage includes Personal Injury Protection (PIP). Even if an accident is caused by another party, a driver must first seek coverage through their own PIP coverage.
Your attorney will review your policy to ensure you get the coverage promised by your policy. Since damages from reckless driving accidents typically exceed that coverage, your lawyer will also hand the third-party claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance.
Through that claim, you may be able to recover medical costs, wages lost during recovery or future wages if you cannot return to work, the value of property damaged in the accident, other accident-incurred expenses, and financial acknowledgment of your pain, suffering, and reduced enjoyment of life.
Your lawyer’s understanding of comparative negligence in New York is also critical to your case outcome. If you are assigned a percentage of fault for the accident, your compensation is reduced by an equal percentage. Your car accident attorney on Long Island will work to defeat any accusations against you and keep your compensation as high as possible.
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With Levine And Wiss, you will get first-class treatment because our team puts clients first. Our goal is to get you the best case outcome possible, and we will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.
Throughout the process, we will treat you with respect and compassion–we understand the devastation serious injuries inflict. Count on us for the support you need and the exceptional legal guidance that has created our long history of success.
