Poughkeepsie Personal Injury Attorneys

Thousands of Cases Closed Successfully for Our Clients

Basch & Keegan LLP in Poughkeepsie knows that you have enough to deal with after being in an accident before even considering how you’ll need to deal with the opposing insurance company. If you want to move forward with your personal injury claim without stressing yourself out, then we encourage you to call our firm at (845) 251-4545 right away. We can discuss your case during an initial consultation and get you pointed in the right direction. If we think we are the right fit for your case, then we’ll let you know what we’d like to do next to get things rolling.

Your Case is Our Priority

There is not much that our team of Poughkeepsie personal injury lawyers has not seen when it comes to managing claims and lawsuits on behalf of our clients. When you have been hurt because someone else made a serious mistake, you know that you can come to our firm and that we’ll know how to handle the case. Meanwhile, you can focus on taking care of yourself and your health.

Let us help you with these case types:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Bus accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Train accidents
• Premises liability
• Product liability
• Animal attacks
• Wrongful death
• Brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• And more

Our Poughkeepsie office is located at 272 Mill Street. If you would like to talk about one of these case types or another with someone in our office, then please call (845) 251-4545 to arrange a consultation.

Maximizing Your Case Value with Hard Work

Our attorneys can work diligently to make certain that your case is evaluated correctly. The value of your case is based on your damages, which can vary. How much you can get for those damages is based on your liability, the insurance policies held by the defendant, and more. It is part of our job to deal with these details while pursuing the most money in your name.

In a typical case, you might be able to get damages for these four things:

• Medical treatments: Past and future medical treatment costs should not come out of your own finances. Everything from rehabilitative therapy and hospitalization to specialized surgery and prescriptions should be covered.
• Lost wages: Are you losing money every day you can’t work because of your injury? The wages you have lost should be counted as economic damage in your case.
• Permanent disabilities: When your life is changed forever due to a disabling injury, you should be fairly compensated for it. Permanent disability damage seeks to compensate you for your new hardships and the miscellaneous costs they can cause, such as the need to install a wheelchair ramp in your home.
• Pain and suffering: Physical pain and emotional suffering can be counted as damage in the average personal injury claim, even though they cannot be connected to a concrete cost that is reported on a bill or receipt. Such damages are called non-economic.

Ask About Our Contingency Fees When You Call Us

It would be difficult for most people to get the legal help they needed if they were also feeling the financial pressures that come with a disabling injury. To give you a chance to pursue justice without risking your finances further, our Poughkeepsie personal injury attorneys are proud to work for contingency fees. Under this payment system, you do not have to pay any attorney fees unless we win your case by closing it with a settlement or award in your name. It can be that simple to file a claim when you choose Basch & Keegan LLP.

Don’t worry about your case. Leave it up to us. Call (845) 251-4545.

Poughkeepsie Personal Injury FAQ

How long does it take for a personal injury claim to end?
The duration of a personal injury claim can vary significantly depending on the specifics of the case. On average, it may take between a few months to a couple of years. Simple cases with clear liability and injuries might settle quickly within a few months, while complex cases involving serious injuries, disputed liability, or large potential damages can take years to reach a resolution. Factors that influence this timeline include the severity of the injury, the clarity of who is at fault, the cooperation of the insurance company, and whether the case goes to court. If a lawsuit is filed, the court's schedule can also significantly impact the timeline. It's important to note that each case is unique, so these are only general estimates.

How do I pay for a personal injury attorney?
Personal injury attorneys typically work on a contingency fee basis, which means you won't pay any attorney fees upfront. Instead, the attorney's fees are contingent upon securing compensation for you. If the attorney successfully wins your case or settles, they receive a percentage of the compensation awarded. If no compensation is won, no attorney fees are owed. Before you hire our Poughkeepsie personal injury attorneys, we encourage you to ask all questions you have about attorney fees and other costs that may be associated with the case.

How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Poughkeepsie, New York?
In New York State, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim is typically three years from the date of the accident. This applies to most cases like car accidents and slip and fall incidents. However, it's important to note that there can be exceptions or shorter deadlines depending on the specific circumstances of your case or if the claim involves a government entity. It is safer to assume that you have very limited time to start a claim, so you should talk with our Poughkeepsie personal injury lawyers as soon as possible.

Will my personal injury claim settle?
Many personal injury claims are settled before going to trial. This is because settlements can provide a quicker, less expensive, and less stressful resolution for all parties involved. However, the decision to settle depends on various factors including the strength of your case, the extent of your injuries, the clarity of fault, and the willingness of the insurance company to offer a fair settlement. While it's often beneficial to reach an agreement without going to court, there are circumstances where proceeding to trial might be the best option to achieve the compensation you deserve. Lastly, a settlement cannot be guaranteed under any circumstances because every case is unique.

Should I take the first settlement offer the insurance company gives me?
Generally, it is not advisable to accept the first settlement offer from an insurance company in a personal injury claim. This initial offer is often lower than what you may be able to claim as your total losses, as insurance companies aim to minimize their payouts. It's important to remember that once you accept a settlement, you can't seek additional compensation later, even if your injuries require more treatment than initially anticipated. Therefore, it's recommended to consult with a Poughkeepsie personal injury attorney from our firm before accepting any offers.

How do I know if my personal injury case is legally valid?
A valid personal injury case typically hinges on the legal principle of negligence, meaning someone else's careless or intentional conduct caused your injuries. Four elements must generally be proven for a successful claim: duty, breach, causation, and damages. This means the defendant had a duty to act (or not act) in a certain way, they breached that duty, their actions directly caused your injury, and you suffered damages (financial loss, physical harm, etc.) as a result. If all these elements are present in your case, then it is likely legally valid. A legal professional can make this determination for you.

Does it matter if I’m partially at fault for the accident?
In New York, the concept of "pure comparative negligence" applies to personal injury claims, which means that even if you are partially at fault for an accident, you can still recover damages. However, the amount you can recover will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you were found to be 30% at fault for the accident, your recovery would be reduced by 30%. This rule allows plaintiffs to claim damages even if they were 99% at fault for the accident, recovering for the 1% they were not responsible for. Part of your attorney’s role will be to keep your liability as low as possible with evidence and arguments, so you can recover as much as possible.

What is punitive damage in a personal injury case?
Punitive damages in a personal injury case are a type of monetary compensation that go beyond compensating for actual losses (like medical bills and lost wages) and are intended to punish the defendant for particularly egregious or reckless behavior and deter others from similar conduct. Unlike compensatory damages, which aim to make the victim whole, punitive damages are awarded when the defendant's actions are found to be malicious, fraudulent, grossly negligent, or in intentional disregard of the rights of others. It is important to note that punitive damages are very rare and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.