Bear Car Accident Lawyers
More than 100 years of combined experience fighting for injured drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and their families
Whether you’re doing local errands, visiting friends in Bear, or using US Route 40 or Delaware Route 7 to travel to New Castle, Glasgow, Christiana, or Red Lion – you run the risk of being in a car accident every time you drive. At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we have the experience and resources to show how your accident happened, why it was preventable, and who is responsible. Our Bear car accident lawyers are respected by former clients, insurance carriers, and defense lawyers for our record of impressive recoveries including:
- $1,975,000 after a drunk driver caused our client to suffer severe leg injuries from a drunk driver
- $1,500,000 for a young man who was injured in an intersectional accident
- $1,350,000 for a pedestrian injured by a negligent car driver
How can we help?
- Why do clients hire your Bear car accident lawyers?
- What types of car accidents do you handle?
- Why do car accidents happen in Bear?
- What types of injuries do car accidents in Bear cause?
- How dangerous are car accidents?
- What insurance covers my Delaware car accident claim?
- Who is responsible for my car accident?
- What’s the value of my car accident claim?
Why do clients hire your Bear car accident lawyers?
Our lawyers are respected throughout Delaware because we listen to our clients, thoroughly prepare each phase of your case, anticipate the arguments insurance companies are likely to assert, and are able to handle any type of car accident from rear-end collisions to multi-vehicle collisions.
At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we work with investigators who examine the car accident site, talk with witnesses including witness who may have videos of the accident. We review the police report and speak with the investigating police officer. When necessary, we work with car part safety experts and traffic reconstruction experts.
Our lawyers discuss all aspects of your injuries with your treating doctors (and our own medical experts if necessary). The discussion includes the diagnostic tests to verify your injuries, the medical care you’ve received and will need (including lifetime medical care), and every way your injuries are preventing you from working, functioning, and enjoying your family and your life.
Our Bear personal injury lawyers will file a complaint against everyone responsible for your accident. We then question the defendants and every witness.
We prepare formal demand letters that itemize all your financial and personal damages. We settle many car accident cases for the insurance policy limits. We’ve also obtained many jury verdicts because we understand how to argue your case and speak to juries.
What types of car accidents do you handle?
Our Bear car accident lawyers are ready to handle your accident case however it happened.
Some of the car accident cases we handle include:
- Head-on accidents. Head-on crashes usually occur because a driver tries to pass by driving into an oncoming lane, a driver misses a turn, or because a driver is drunk or distracted. Head-on crashes often cause deaths and catastrophic injuries.
- T-bone accidents/broadsides. Broadsides often happen in intersections, when a driver fails to yield, or when a driver enters a road from a side street or parking lot. The front of one car (usually the at-fault car) strikes the side of another car. These accidents often cause very serious injuries and fatalities.
- Rear-end collisions. These accidents often occur when the driver in the rear is speeding or distracted.
- Single-vehicle accidents. We file claims on behalf of any injured passengers.
- Multiple-vehicle accidents. Many accidents involving multiple vehicles are chain reaction accidents or accidents due to a sudden emergency.
- Intersection accidents. These accidents in Bear are often due to a driver entering the intersection too soon or not completing their turn properly.
At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we also represent the victims of pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, Uber and Lyft rideshare accidents, and construction zone accidents.
Why do car accidents happen in Bear?
It’s essential that we show why the driver who struck you was negligent. Some of the common causes of car accidents are:
- Impaired driving (under the influence of alcohol or drugs)
- Driver distraction including texting, talking on a cell phone, looking at a GPS, eating, drinking, or looking at another passenger instead of the road
- Speeding, failing to yield, reckless driving, and other traffic violations
- Driving while fatigued
- Driving too fast for traffic or weather conditions
- Dangerous roads
- Defective car parts such as brakes, tires, fuel lines, steering mechanisms, seatbelts, or airbags
- All other causes depending on how your accident happened
What types of injuries do car accidents in Bear cause?
We handle every type of serious car accident injury including catastrophic (life-changing) injuries, permanent injuries, and injuries that require medical care and time to heal. The types of injuries we handle include:
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Spinal cord injuries including partial and full paralysis and herniated discs
- Burn injuries
- The loss of any part or all of an arm or leg/traumatic amputation
- Crush injuries including internal bleeding and organ damage
- Simple, complex, compound, and other types of broken bones/fractures
- Back, shoulder, and neck pain
- Muscle and nerve damage
- Ligament, tissue, and tendon damage
- Road rash
- Whiplash
- Vision and hearing loss
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Psychological injuries including PTSD
- All other serious injuries
How dangerous are car accidents?
There were more than 27,500 traffic accidents in 2023 according to the Delaware State Police.
The accidents caused 13 fatalities and 1,785 injuries.
Nationally, in 2022, more than 46,000 people died in traffic accidents in the United States according to the National Safety Council (NSC). Nationally, 2,383,000 suffered injuries in traffic accidents.
Cars traveling at 60 mph are going 88 feet per second. Many accidents can happen in just that one second.
What insurance covers my Delaware car accident claim?
If you drive or own a car, Delaware requires that you carry liability and PIP insurance.
Liability insurance
When we show that another driver causes (is liable for) your accident, we demand that the insurance company pay for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and property damage. The following minimum liability insurance coverage is mandatory:
- $25,000 for bodily injury for one person
- $50,000 for bodily injury for multiple people
- $10,000 for property damage
UM/UIM insurance
If the driver who causes your accident does not have any liability insurance or does not have enough insurance to cover your claim, you can collect from your own uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) carrier – only if you purchased UM/UIM coverage prior to the accident. Your right to collect damages from your UM/UIM carrier depends on showing that the responsible driver is liable and that your damages exceed any other insurance payments.
PIP insurance
All car owners should also have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. This coverage pays medical and wage loss damage if you, anyone in your household, or a pedestrian is injured (some conditions may apply). PIP coverage is mandatory in the following amounts:
- $15,000 for bodily injury per person
- $30,000 for bodily injury for one accident
There is no need to prove fault. PIP insurance pays for your medical and lost wages but not the covered person’s pain and suffering.
Who is responsible for my car accident?
Our Bear personal injury and wrongful death lawyers file claims against everyone who causes a car accident. The liable parties may include:
- A driver of any vehicle
- A negligent driver’s employer
- The owner of the vehicle if different than the driver – such as when parents allow their child to use their car and the child then causes an accident
- Stage and local agencies or entities such as the Delaware Department of Transportation or New Castle County,
- A manufacturer of defective car parts
- A seller of alcohol to someone who is visibly drunk the seller provides the alcohol
- Other defendants depending on how the accident happened
What’s the value of my car accident claim?
At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we verify all your financial damages and show the severity of all your personal damages. Our Bear car accident lawyers demand compensation for all your current and:
- Medical expenses
- Lost earnings, wages, and benefits
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Property damage including car repair/replacement damage
- Loss of bodily function
- Loss of consortium (marital enjoyment)
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Inability to enjoy life’s pleasures
We demand punitive damages when the responsible driver or any other defendants acted maliciously or recklessly such as when driver impairment causes your accident.
Our Bear car accident lawyers also file wrongful actions when car accidents are fatal. We demand payment for the funeral and burial costs; the loss of financial support; the loss of society, guidance, and companionship of the family members, and the mental anguish of each family member. [check the statute for mental anguish].
Talk with our Bear car accident lawyers today
At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we’ve obtained more than $60 million for our clients including many car accident recoveries. We’re seasoned trial lawyers who regularly fight for personal injury victims. We’ll meticulously prepare your case and aggressively assert your rights. Please call us or submit our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We have offices in Seaford, Newark, and Wilmington. Our lawyers handle cases on a contingency fee basis.