Personal Injury Lawyer in Lake Grove, NY
Personal injury is a broad term used in the legal world to cover a wide variety of injuries that can happen to one’s body, emotions, or reputation. It applies to any injury that a person or entity inflicts upon another person that was from intentional, negligent, or reckless behavior. It is important to hire legal counsel to make sure that you are fully aware of the compensation that you may be owed. If you are searching for a personal injury lawyer in Lake Grove, NY, contact Gulotta & Gulotta.
Common Causes of Personal Injury
Many different causes give one the right to file a claim to recover damages. When someone suffers from an injury of any sort, there are many after-effects due to the event. The following are common types of personal injury cases:
- Vehicle Accidents: Millions of people are injured due to accidents involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc. If someone is injured, whether it is the driver or a passenger, they may be entitled to compensation for any injury they may have endured.
- Medical Malpractice: Although doctors, nurses, hospitals, and other medical professionals are there to help us, they can also cause serious injury through negligence. If you or a loved one have suffered from medical malpractice and are looking for a personal injury claims lawyer in Ronkonkoma, NY, Gulotta & Gulotta can help you to get proper compensation.
- Wrongful Death: This encompasses when someone has been killed due to someone else’s carelessness. The most common examples are deaths due to car crashes, nursing home neglect, and medical malpractice.
- Premises Liability refers to accidents caused by dangerous conditions on someone’s property. This term encompasses accidents that occur on just about any type of land, whether commercial or personal.
These are not the only causes of personal claim injuries if you are interested in learning more. Gulotta & Gulotta can help you if you need a personal injury lawyer in Lake Grove, NY.
Gulotta & Gulotta: Personal Injury Lawyer in Lake Grove NY
Personal Injuries can occur anywhere at any time under various circumstances. It is important that if you suffer from an injury, you get the compensation you deserve. The financial burden that comes from the medical treatment needed after any one of the situations can be detrimental. That is why you should be aware of your rights and have proper legal counsel to help you through. If you need a trusted personal injury lawyer in Lake Grove, NY, contact Gulotta & Gulotta today.
Pet owners are responsible for making sure their pets are under control, especially if they are taking their dogs out for a walk. If a dog feels threatened or is afraid, it may become dangerous as a defense for itself. If an uncontrolled dog bites you, you may be entitled to compensation for it. Seeking out a personal injury lawyer in Lake Grove, NY, from us will help you understand your rights if you are bitten.
In The Moment
If a dog bites you, here are some things you should do at the time of injury:
- Get the owner of the dog’s information, such as name, address, and phone number
- If it is a stray, pick out some identifying factors of the dog for someone to be able to find
- Wash the bite with soap and water
- Call your doctor for care instructions, or call 311 to report the bite and determine if you may need a rabies shot
- If the dog is dangerous to others, call 911
It is important to tend to the bite in a careful manner and make sure you are taken care of. Depending on the severity of the bite, you might have to go to the hospital to stop the infection or get a rabies shot. It may also be beneficial to contact a personal injury lawyer in Lake Grove, NY, if you intend to sue the owner.
My Rights
When it comes to a dog bite, you have the right to sue the owner for any medical charges necessary. Legally, the dog owner is liable for any damages or injuries the dog may have caused you. If they are found guilty, dog owners will compensate you for medical expenses, time lost from work, and suffering. For a civil liability lawsuit, you should be able to prove one or more of the following to hold the owner liable:
- The state you are in has “strict liability dog-bite laws,” in which case the owner is financially responsible
- You can prove the owner knew the dog tended to bite/cause injury
- You can prove the owner was negligent
When it comes to criminal liability, a judge will order the owner to follow certain restrictions when it comes to the dog or order the dog to be euthanized if the dog is dangerous. In severe cases where the dog kills someone, the owner may be charged with manslaughter or a similar crime.
Contact Us: Personal Injury Lawyer in Lake Grove NY
If you or someone in your town has been bitten by a dog and is seeking legal action, contacting a personal injury lawyer in Lake Grove, NY, is the place to start. Our offices can help you seek the proper legal action required to get you the compensation you need. Call us today!
Premises Liability
Suppose you fall due to a dangerous condition on someone else’s property. In that case, you should call a personal injury lawyer in Lake Grove, NY, because you may be entitled to compensation for injuries you sustained. In New York, the law is very clear that the victim of a fall caused by a dangerous condition may seek compensation from the responsible party. However, New York law also provides various defenses and requires the injured party to meet certain criteria before he or she may prevail.
Find Out Who Owns The Property
Anyone who owns possesses, or maintains property must keep the property reasonably safe. The property must be kept reasonably safe from dangerous or defective conditions that may cause someone lawfully entering the premises to slip, fall and injure themself. However, the owner of the property will only be responsible for the injuries caused by the dangerous condition if he or she:
- Created the dangerous condition.
- Had actual notice of the condition.
- Had constructive notice of the condition.
If the owner of the property created the dangerous condition that caused you to slip and fall, then he or she will be held responsible for your injuries. An example of this might be when a property owner installs a staircase without a handrail, creating a dangerous condition that could lead someone to slip on the staircase without a means of protecting themself.
Another example would be when a utility company performs roadwork, drilling into the pavement, and leaves large potholes or divots in the pavement, causing you to slip and fall. In both examples, the injured party may prove that the property owner and utility company created the respective conditions.
If the owner of the property had actual notice of the dangerous condition that caused you to slip and fall, then he or she will also be held responsible for your injuries. Actual notice refers to the responsible party knowing the dangerous condition because he or she was notified in writing or orally.
This category typically applies when dealing with municipalities (towns, counties, villages, etc.). Most municipalities are protected by local laws requiring certain departments to receive “prior written notice” before being sued for a dangerous condition. If you notice a dangerous condition, notify the appropriate people.
Other Important Information
For example, if you slip and fall on snow or ice on a public roadway, then you may have to demonstrate that the municipality that owns the roadway received prior written notice of the snow or ice before you were injured. This is when a skilled attorney could help you navigate a delicate legal issue vital to your case. There are certain ways around this strict requirement. Gulotta & Gulotta, PLLC, a personal injury lawyer in Lake Grove, NY, has dealt with this issue countless times and defeated many municipalities that have moved to dismiss our clients’ cases. After successfully thwarting these attempts, we have negotiated high financial awards for our clients, despite the high risk of their cases ending without any compensation.
An example of a private owner being held liable after receiving actual notice of a dangerous condition is when a restaurant employee was told about water spilling onto the floor before another person slipped and fell into that puddle. In that case, the restaurant may be charged with actual notice of the dangerous water condition that caused the fall.
If someone notifies an apartment complex of a dangerous snow or ice condition on the property, and that condition later causes someone else to fall, then the apartment complex and/or management company may be held responsible for the injuries sustained.
If a property owner has constructive notice of a dangerous condition on the property, he or she may also be held responsible for your injuries. The constructive notice is applied when the dangerous condition existed for a sufficient length of time before a slip and fall occurred to allow the property owner time to discover and correct it.
Essentially, the property owner may not have known about the dangerous condition, but he or she should have known. One example is when a slip and fall occurred due to a stair that had been loose for a long enough period, such that the property owner should have been aware of it. A leaking gutter that causes a puddle of ice to form may also lead to constructive notice, making the property owner liable for anyone injured by that puddle.
Take photographs of the condition that caused you to fall. These could be helpful when attempting to prove constructive notice. A photograph of the condition may be used as proof that the condition existed for a sufficiently long enough time to charge the property owner with constructive notice. Fill out any accident reports and keep a copy.
If the area where you fell is under video surveillance, make a written request that the videotapes be preserved and keep a copy of that request. As your attorney, we would be happy to send such a written request on your behalf as well. Take the names and contact information of any witnesses present.
Contact A Personal Injury Lawyer in Lake Grove NY
A slip & fall in New York is a complex legal issue. The facts involved are very sensitive, and the applicable laws are intricate. Contact an attorney immediately to receive an opinion about your case. Gulotta & Gulotta, PLLC, a personal injury lawyer in Lake Grove, NY, has valuable experience and knowledge regarding slip & fall cases. *Prior Results Do Not Guarantee Future Outcomes*
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