Safety Of Passengers In Syracuse, New York, Car Accidents

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Best Lawyer in America and an America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorney, Has Spent His Entire Career Fighting for The Rights of Car Accident Victims. If You Have Been Injured in an Onondaga County Car Accident That Was Not Your Fault, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Obtain the Compensation You Need to Reclaim Your Independence and Begin Rebuilding Your Life.

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Car accidents are inherently traumatic events, irrespective of whether you were sitting behind the wheel or riding as a passenger.

For most survivors, the pain and confusion that so often accompany a collision can make it difficult to think beyond the need to keep breathing. But eventually, over days, weeks, or even months, the long-term costs of a serious injury may become apparent.

You do not have to bear the burden of recovery alone. If you have been injured as a passenger in a Syracuse car crash that was not your fault, you could be entitled to critical compensation for your physical pain and your financial losses.

Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has helped car accident survivors fight for their rights to a fair recovery. We know what it takes to build a compelling, evidence-based claim for compensation, and we have the results to prove it. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a passenger car accident lawyer near Syracuse and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation.

Passenger Safety Risk Factors in Syracuse Car Crashes

The severity of an accident is often determined different risk factors.

Risk factors, or the elements and events that increase your chances of sustaining injuries, can be complex and are not always easy to understand without conducting a thorough investigation.

Some of the most common risk factors for passengers include the following:

1. Speed

Speed has long been recognized as one of “the most basic risk factors” in traffic.

In general, higher rates of speed correlate with both a greater risk of collision and a higher likelihood of passengers sustaining serious and potentially life-threatening injuries.

2. Seatbelt Use

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released statistics that underscore the critical importance of seatbelt use.

According to an NHTSA study, an estimated 25,420 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in traffic collisions over the course of a single year. Of these victims, about 50% were not wearing a seatbelt or any other approved restraint.

However, even passengers who buckle up can face unexpected risks if their seatbelt does not do its job. Although seatbelt failures are relatively rare, defects can make it much more difficult for victims to escape a collision unscathed.

3. Airbag Deployment

Airbags have always been considered the lesser of two evils.

In most modern vehicles, airbags are triggered by a network of sensors. Many of these sensors are located near the engine block and around the periphery of the passenger seating area.

If a sensor detects a sudden or significant change in velocity, it sends an inflation signal to the airbag system. Inflation itself is a fast and borderline violent process; it occurs within a matter of milliseconds, with rapidly inflating bags generating enough force to severely injure occupants.

4. Vehicle Intrusion

The term “vehicle intrusion” can describe any incident in which a vehicle component like a hood, engine, or other part, penetrates the space ordinarily reserved for drivers and passengers.

Since intrusion necessitates the destruction of all or part of a vehicle’s frame and other protective features, it typically only occurs in certain types of inherently high-risk accidents.

Intrusion is associated with higher-than-average risks of serious injury, including disfigurement, amputation, and death.

5. Vehicle Type

Passenger safety is heavily influenced by the types of vehicles involved in a collision.

The Institute for Road Safety Research, for instance, has found that injury severity is often indicative of “the mass difference between the vehicles.” In a collision between a standard consumer automobile and a semi-truck, the “occupants of the lighter vehicle generally are considerably worse off than the occupants of the heavier vehicle.”

5 Ways Passengers Can Protect Their Safety After an Accident

Drivers, passengers, and bystanders can sometimes mitigate the impact of an accident by taking certain actions in the immediately after a crash.

Although nobody can turn back the clock on an accident, you could obtain critical resources for your recovery by taking the following steps:

1. Seeing the Doctor: Passengers may not have to worry about fault to the same extent as drivers, but they are only entitled to accident-related compensation if their injuries have been documented by a medical professional.
2. Understanding Your Insurance: You do not have to be a driver to receive no-fault insurance benefits, even if you do not have your own car or your own policy. However, you do have to submit a claim quickly and in accordance with the Empire State’s legal expectations.
3. Tracking Your Symptoms: People who suffer serious injuries often experience a wide range of symptoms, symptoms that could include complex forms of physical pain, and which may encompass different types of mental anguish. Tracking your symptoms can, in many cases, provide compelling evidence of how a collision has impacted your quality of life.
4. Compiling Records: You should try to collect and preserve any accident-related records that you have. These could include a copy of the crash report, your hospital bills, and a doctor’s referral to a reconstructive surgeon or psychiatrist.
5. Not Rushing into a Settlement: Even if you do not have the money to pay for recovery outright, rushing into a settlement is rarely a good idea. A no-fault insurance company might be willing to cover your immediate medical expenses, but may not include compensation for other categories of damages.

How the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Helps Passengers Rebuild After an Accident

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping New Yorkers navigate the aftermath of serious motor vehicle accidents. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, we know what it takes to obtain the evidence you need to secure a settlement or a court-ordered award.

Our highly experienced team of attorneys could:

1. Investigate the causes and circumstances of your Syracuse car accident;
2. Obtain copies of a collision report;
3. Determine fault by interviewing eyewitnesses, referring forensic evidence to crash reconstruction experts, and subpoenaing other critical evidence;
4. Assess your economic and non-economic damages, and explore whether your claim could qualify for punitive damages; and
5. Negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, preparing to take your case to trial if an at-fault driver or adjuster is unwilling to negotiate in good faith.

New York does not currently limit damages in most passenger-related car crash claims, but you cannot afford to wait too long before contacting an attorney. Personal injury lawsuits are time-sensitive, with filing deadlines governed by stringent statutes of limitations. If you delay, you could lose your chance to obtain a fair recovery.

Do not lose your rights to a technicality: contact the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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