Life-altering accidents are not something we plan for — no family ever thinks they’ll be the ones to suffer a devastating turn of events. But the fact of reality is bad things happen to good and honest people every day and all it takes is one moment of negligence.
The minute a driver takes their eyes off the road your fate is up in the air. A building company will try to cut costs by using cheap materials or cutting corners on safety regulations, which results in your home or residence becoming a dangerous place to live. It doesn’t take much to ruin someone’s life with one negligible mistake.
The injuries caused by these mistakes can make the simplest activities in life a huge strain. Sitting in a chair, picking up your child or even trying to sleep can cause excruciating pain. The negligence of one business or individual can cause you serious harm, so when serious harm is involved you will need a serious legal defense who is experienced in taking on insurance companies.
A Long Island Personal Injury Attorney can help prove liability and recover the proper damages for any injuries you have suffered.
Gary Falkowitz has years of experience behind the scenes representing hospitals and doctors in medical malpractice claims and now has turned that same top-dollar experience around for people who can’t afford big legal help. Gary Falkowitz and his staff are New Yorkers through-and-through and will represent clients in a number of different cases.
Why Hire a Long Island Personal Injury Lawyer
Hiring a Long Island personal injury attorney is a smart move. That’s because they are experts at personal injury cases.
They handle all the communications with the insurance companies and help ensure you get the right medical attention to help you heal. They can also help you gather all the relevant information you need to win your case.
They’ll Call in the Right Professionals to Prove Your Case
And they have access to the right experts in accident reconstruction, medicine, and economics to help support your claim. While your lawyer will first try to mediate a settlement, if that doesn’t work, you need a good litigation attorney to help you win your case in court.
Best of all, the best personal injury attorneys in Long Island offer free consultations. And most won’t charge a fee unless they win your case.
How to Find the Right Personal Injury Attorney in Suffolk or Nassau County
It’s important to find the right attorney to help you with your case. Finding a lawyer in Long Island who specializes in personal injury cases is the first step.
Make sure they have a long record of winning cases like yours. You want someone who is just as comfortable negotiating a settlement through mediation as they are battling it out successfully in court.
Talk About Money
Find out whether they think you have a viable case. And ask how much money they think they can win for you.
They should also discuss their fees with you should your attorney will your case for you.
Feel Confident About the Long Island Personal Injury Lawyer You Hire
Contact a few personal injury attorneys in Long Island. Make sure to ask them about their success record and how they would handle your specific case.
Find out how they plan to communicate with you throughout the entire process. You want to find an attorney you feel comfortable with.
You also want someone who communicates consistently with you and who you’re confident can help you win your case.
What Information You Need to Bring
You’ll need to gather up some information before you meet with your personal injury attorney. He or she can’t accurately determine if you have a viable case without this information.
Here’s the information you should collect and bring with you:
Medical Information
- Dates you were admitted and released from the hospital
- Name and address where you were first treated
- Name and address of ambulance service (if any)
- List of prescription medications currently being taken
- Documents that explain any necessary future treatments
- Bills from doctors, hospital, physical therapist, etc
You’ll also need documents that explain your diagnoses and any treatments you’ve received.
Insurance Information
- Paperwork explaining health insurance coverage
If you sustained injuries from an automobile accident, you’ll need to bring in paperwork that outlines your auto insurance coverage.
Other Documentation
- Documentation of lost work and/or income including dates missed
- Copies of all official police reports and other reports taken of the accident
- Photos that were taken at the scene or of your injuries
You should be aware that you’ll have to pay for police reports.
Be Prepared to Answer Questions
Your personal injury attorney will want to look over all the documents you bring. Then he or she will ask you a series of questions to get a better understanding to help them determine if you have a case or not and if so, how to proceed.
They might ask questions such as:
- What your doctor’s prognosis is of your injuries
- Who you’ve talked to regarding your accident
- Whether you’re employed, for how long, and the nature of your work
- Whether you’ve ever been in any other accidents
Be honest and provide as many specifics as possible. This will help your attorney do their job better.
How Settlements Work
It’s important to note that you have three years from the date of your accident to pursue a claim. After that, the statute of limitations will prevent you from bringing a case against someone, no matter how severe your injuries are.
Your attorney will do their best to build a strong case to get the most amount of money possible out of the defendant. However, the defendant will also hire an attorney whose job it is to get them out of paying you any money.
No Guarantees
And there are no guarantees nor is there a minimum or maximum amount when it comes to injury settlements. Every case is different.
What will be taken into consideration are the following facts:
- The nature and extent of your injuries, including pain and suffering as well as the long-term impact of your injuries
- Clarifying who was at fault
- How willing each side is to let the case go to court
You’re allowed to reject an offer from the defendant.
Settling is Often in the Best Interest of the Defendant
While most cases do settle out of court, it’s perfectly within your right to want to go to court.
However, the defendant usually wants to avoid going to court to prevent having to pay additional costs in lawyer and court fees. Settling also allows both sides to have their cases remain confidential.
The Personal Injury Cases we handle
Asbestos: People who are diagnosed with mesothelioma due to working with asbestos (or, if they are deceased, their spouse) have an excellent chance of achieving substantial money awards, either from the company that manufactured or installed the asbestos or from an insurance company or asbestos victims’ trust fund that has assumed liability for the company.
Car Accidents: Most people will be involved in a car accident at some point in their lives. You can prepare for these car accidents, but you’ll never really know how to handle a car accident until it happens to you. An expert in your corner is the most important ally you can have after your car accident.
Construction Accidents: Whether you’re a construction worker or merely a bystander who has suffered an injury as the result of a construction accident, you may be eligible to receive economic recovery for your losses. Our attorneys can help you understand your legal rights and determine a course of action.
Dangerous Drugs: Since the inception of the FDA, dangerous drugs have been entering the market and causing harmful side effects, including serious illnesses and deaths. Only an experienced personal injury attorney has the skills to handle a case defended by large insurance companies with unlimited funds.
Medical Malpractice: Medical malpractice cases typically require a significant amount of research and careful presentation to be successfully litigated. This is because a favorable outcome requires proof that there was a failure to provide a level of care that is commensurate with accepted standards and that such failure was the cause of the injury.
Motorcycle Accidents: According to studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 75% of all motorcycle accidents and 50% of fatal accidents, involve two vehicles. An attorney can help prepare your strongest arguments, and may even retain a private investigator to help build your case.
Nursing Home Abuse: If you or a loved one have suffered an injury due to nursing home abuse or neglect, contacting an experienced elder abuse or medical malpractice attorney is the best course of action. If there is a problem, it must be investigated immediately, so the appropriate care and treatment can be provided.
Premises Liability: Liability will often depend on how regularly and thoroughly the property owner maintained the premises. Under New York law, property owners must take adequate care to ensure that their premises are safe.
Slip and Fall Injuries: Although premises liability laws seek to protect parties who are injured as the result of the property owner’s negligence, it is often difficult to prove liability especially if the owner has corrected the hazardous condition. Our Long Island personal injury law firm can assess your injury and assist you in determining whether the property owner failed to maintain his or her property or properly warn of hazardous conditions.
Truck Accidents: Accidents involving large trucks and tractor-trailers are one of the major causes of traffic-related deaths in the United States. Our attorneys have the knowledge and expertise to effectively represent clients injured by negligent truck drivers.
Wrongful Death: Wrongful death suits can recover the expenses associated with the wrongful death itself, in addition to any loss of salary, benefits, pain and suffering, companionship, and other factors that will increase the burden on the family already suffering a grave loss.
Expecting a Personal Commitment from Gary Falkowitz
When you get Gary, you get him all the way. A personal touch is a cornerstone of his practice. When working with Gary Falkowitz and his staff, you can expect the following:
- Never paid a dime unless we settle your case for compensation
- Your calls answered and followed up on in a prompt time
- Your case will be assessed thoroughly and honestly
- An experienced counsel making the most informed decision on your case
- A dedicated staff completing a thorough investigation of your potential case
Why Insurance Companies Dispute Personal Injury Claims
Insurance companies often are a key player in settling personal injury claims. Though it’s a very good thing if you or whoever caused your injuries have insurance, it still doesn’t guarantee the insurer will approve your claim or pay you a fair settlement. These companies are for-profit businesses, so their goal is to pay as little to you as possible. Insurers use a variety of excuses to try and dispute the value of your claim or deny it altogether, including:
- You were at least partly to blame for the accident that caused your injuries
- You posted things on social media – photos, blogs, statuses – that show your injuries aren’t as severe as you claim
- You had a pre-existing health condition and you would have incurred your injuries whether or not the accident happened
- You didn’t provide enough documentation of your damages
- You gave a recorded statement that cast doubt on your claims of who caused the accident and how badly you were hurt
- You didn’t pay your insurance premium and coverage lapsed
- You didn’t sufficiently prove their policyholder’s liability
- The damages you seek exceed the coverage limits on the insurance policy at issue
- The situation that caused your accident isn’t covered under their insurance policy
- You failed to follow your doctor’s orders exactly, which made your injuries worse
- You didn’t seek medical attention quickly and as a result, making your injuries more severe
Depending on the situation, appealing the insurer’s decision may be resolved by something as simple as a phone call, require additional evidence, challenge the policy language, or even filing a lawsuit. A personal injury lawyer can help understand the reason for their decision and contact the insurance company for you to make sure your appeal is handled in the most strategic way possible.
Call Long Island Personal Injury Attorney Gary Falkowitz Today
Serious injuries on Long Island deserve serious legal representation. You can’t put a dollar amount on your life, the life of a loved one or anyone’s personal well-being. But a fair compensation from a personal injury settlement can go a long way in making sure your life and your family’s life is taken care of.
Dealing with insurance companies is complicated enough without struggling to recover from your injuries. To make sure you’re getting fair compensation, speak to the experienced Long Island personal injury attorneys at Falkowitz Law Firm, PLLC to avoid getting the run-around. Contact us 24/7 at (844)-385-4279 or by completing our online Contact Page to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. Let our skilled attorneys use our resources and knowledge to answer your questions and put your mind at ease today.
