Rochester, New York, Highway Merge Car Accident Lawyers

Rochester Highway Merge Car Accident Attorneys

If You Have Sustained Injuries in a Rochester Highway Merge Car Accident That Was Not Your Fault, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Secure the Compensation You Need to Recover from Your Injuries.

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Rochester is among the busiest cities in Western New York. When our roads, streets, and highways become congested, navigating traffic can be a veritable nightmare. While most motorists have the patience and experience to make their daily commute without incident, accidents still happen with alarming regularity. Improper lane changes, including failed attempts to merge onto motorways, are a leading cause of collisions. The federal Department of Transportation estimates that nearly 500,000 merging accidents occur annually.

If you, or a loved one, have been injured in a Monroe County merging car accident that was not your fault, you could be entitled to significant compensation. However, your recovery could be contingent on your actions in the immediate aftermath of your Rochester car crash. Without the right representation, the insurance company could try to protect their profit margins by blaming you for the crash, doing everything in their power to reduce their own liability.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. believes that nobody should have to bear the burden of another motorist’s bad decision, which is why we have spent more than two decades fighting for the rights of Rochester car accident victims. Since our founding in 2005, our experienced attorneys have secured more than $175 million in compensation from insurance companies, negligent motorists, and irresponsible municipal corporations. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us at (585) 939-3939 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

The Most Common Causes of Highway Merge Car Accidents

Merging onto a busy highway or switching lanes in heavy traffic can be dangerous. If a driver is inattentive, distracted, or intoxicated, they could violate another motorist’s right-of-way, potentially causing a catastrophic accident. While merging accidents have a variety of potential causes, they are often the result of the following:

1. Aggressive Lane Changes: Commuting can be stressful for anyone. However, some motorists project their stress onto the road, disregarding the rights and safety of everyone around them. If a driver tries to “seize the gap” by attempting to merge without adequate space, they could cause an accident.
2. Front and Rear Collisions: When a motorist misjudges how much space they need to merge into another lane, they could inadvertently collide into the front or rear of another vehicle, causing significant property damage and catastrophic injuries.
3. Blind Spot Crashes: Student drivers are usually taught to check their blind spots before changing lanes. Somebody who fails to check their side or rearview mirrors before merging could strike and side-swipe another vehicle. Motorcycle riders and cyclists are especially vulnerable to blind spot crashes, as the smaller profile of two-wheeled vehicles means that some drivers may fail to notice them even if they check their mirrors.
4. Traffic Disruption: Improper merge maneuvers could also upset the flow of traffic. If an inexperienced or incapable driver cuts off a semi-truck or other large vehicle, they could force the other driver to slam on their brakes, potentially causing a pile-up or other multi-vehicle accident.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. is committed to providing the highest level of personal injury service to our clients across New York State. Our firm’s founder, Jed Dietrich, Esq., is recognized as a Best Lawyer of America and an American Institute of Trial Attorneys Litigator of the Year. Jed Dietrich, Esq., and his legal team have the experience necessary to evidence your injuries to an insurance company, a judge, or a jury. Please call us at 585-939-3939 to find out how we can help you.

Proving Liability After a Monroe County Merging Collision

Merging accidents are usually attributable to the driver attempting to switch lanes. However, these collisions can be surprisingly complex. Under certain circumstances, the merging motorist might not be at fault. For example, if a merging driver indicates their intent to switch lanes but is blocked by a speeding or aggressive motorist, they may not be liable for the resulting accident. Since New York is a comparative fault state, the insurance company or the court could find both motorists partially liable for the accident. When determining fault, they might ask questions such as:

1. Who Had the Right-of-Way? When establishing fault in a merging accident, the insurance company or the court could try to determine which vehicle had the right-of-way. Depending on the circumstances of the crash, this could be difficult. New York law generally requires that motorists make a reasonable effort to keep themselves and other drivers safe. For example, Section 1128 of the state Vehicle and Traffic Law requires that motorists stay within their lane unless and until they have determined that it is safe to merge into another. However, drivers who witness another vehicle attempting to merge into traffic should not increase their speed or otherwise attempt to block the maneuver.
2. Was Either Driver Negligent? Even if the court believes that both drivers are partially responsible for the accident, one may be found more at fault than the other. For example, a motorist who was intoxicated, distracted, or simply inattentive could bear a greater share of the liability.
3. Is There Any Evidence? Evidence is often critical to establishing fault in merging accidents. Your personal injury attorney could try to determine liability by reviewing surveillance camera footage, analyzing dashcam videos, and interviewing potential eyewitnesses.

Unfortunately, even if you have a seemingly open-and-shut case, few people have the financial resources to recover from a car crash alone. While you might be confident that you can prove that the other motorist caused your Rochester merging accident, the insurance adjuster could try to delay your claim, asking that you consent to seemingly unending medical examinations and document production requests.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has years of experience holding reckless motorists accountable for their misconduct. We could investigate the circumstances of your collision, analyzing all of the available evidence to create a compelling, evidence-based case for compensation. Please send us a message online or call us at (585) 939-3939 to schedule a consultation and discuss your options for legal relief.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at (585) 939-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Rochester, 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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