Buffalo Personal Injury Lawyer

Every year, thousands of people across Western New York are hurt through no fault of their own, in car crashes, on unsafe properties, at construction sites, and in hospitals where trust should have been honored.

At the Law Offices of Steve Boyd, PC, our Buffalo personal injury lawyer team has obtained significant results for injured people and their families. We know what these cases demand legally and emotionally, and we approach every case with the preparation and determination it deserves. Call us today at (716) 600-0000 for a free consultation.

Why Buffalo Injury Victims Trust The Law Offices of Steve Boyd, PC

When you are hurt because of someone else’s negligence, choosing the right legal team can change everything. Our firm has obtained substantial recoveries for injury victims across Western New York.

• Multi-Million Dollar Recoveries: Including a $3.5 million settlement for an individual sexual abuse survivor and $3.125 million for a car crash victim.
• Free Consultations: We review your case at no cost so you can make an informed decision with no financial pressure.
• No Fee Unless We Win: Our contingency fee structure means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

These examples reflect some of our past cases. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, as every case depends on its own facts, evidence, and applicable law.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim in New York?

A personal injury claim arises when someone is harmed because another person, company, or institution acted negligently. In New York, negligence means a party failed to exercise reasonable care, and that failure caused measurable harm to someone else. To bring a valid claim, four elements must be present: the defendant owed a duty of care, that duty was breached, the breach caused the injury, and the injury produced real damages.

In most cases, New York follows a pure comparative negligence rule. Under this standard, an injured person can recover compensation even if they were partly at fault for what happened. Damages are reduced by their percentage of responsibility. That means an injured person who was 20 percent at fault in an accident could still recover 80 percent of total damages. This rule is different for motor vehicle accidents, where New York law can limit recovery for at-fault drivers. Understanding how comparative negligence applies to your situation is one of the first things our Buffalo personal injury attorneys can assess.

Common Injuries in Buffalo Personal Injury Cases

The severity of an injury influences most aspects of a personal injury claim: the medical evidence required, the expert witnesses needed, and the compensation recoverable. These are the injuries most commonly seen in personal injury cases across Western New York.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

A traumatic brain injury can result from a car accident, a fall, a construction site incident, or any blow to the head with sufficient force. TBIs range from concussions with temporary symptoms to severe injuries causing permanent cognitive impairment, memory loss, or personality changes. These cases require neurological expert testimony and careful documentation of how the injury affects every area of the victim’s life.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Damage to the spinal cord can result in partial or complete paralysis, loss of sensation, and long-term dependence on medical care. The lifetime cost of a serious spinal cord injury is substantial, and our Buffalo personal injury lawyers can work to seek compensation for future medical treatment and long-term care needs.

Broken Bones and Orthopedic Injuries

Fractures and orthopedic injuries range from straightforward breaks to complex injuries requiring surgery, hardware implantation, and months of physical therapy. When a fracture causes permanent impairment or chronic pain, it supports a claim for both economic and non-economic damages.

Burns and Scarring

Severe burns are among the most painful and disfiguring injuries a person can sustain. They often require multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and long-term psychological treatment. Permanent scarring and disfigurement are recognized categories of non-economic damages under state law.

Internal Organ Damage

Internal injuries are not always immediately visible, which makes them especially dangerous. Damage to the liver, kidneys, spleen, or other organs can result from high-impact collisions or blunt force trauma and may require emergency surgery and extended hospitalization.

Catastrophic Injuries

Some injuries permanently alter a person’s ability to work, live independently, or care for their family. Catastrophic injury cases require the highest level of legal preparation because the stakes, financially and personally, are enormous. Our personal injury attorneys in Buffalo, NY, at the Law Offices of Steve Boyd, PC, approach every catastrophic injury case with the level of preparation and dedication it deserves.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Buffalo

As a Buffalo personal injury law firm, we handle the full range of serious injury cases across Buffalo and Western New York, from motor vehicle accidents and medical malpractice to construction accidents and slip and falls.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Car, truck, and motorcycle crashes are the most common sources of serious injury in New York. Recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows New York recorded 1,114 traffic fatalities in a single year, with 1,537 vehicles involved in fatal crashes.

New York is a no-fault insurance state, which means your own insurer pays initial medical and lost-wage costs regardless of fault. To pursue additional compensation from an at-fault driver, your injuries must meet the serious injury threshold defined under New York Insurance Law.

Defective Products

Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers have a duty to design, manufacture, and market reasonably safe products for their intended use. When a design flaw, manufacturing defect, or failure to warn causes injury, product liability law provides a path to recovery. These cases often involve large corporate defendants with extensive legal resources. We are local attorneys who partner with the nation’s leading firms in defective product cases.

Construction Accidents

New York law provides specific protections for construction workers injured on job sites, imposing duties on property owners and general contractors that, when violated, create significant liability. Falls from scaffolding, crane collapses, and being struck by falling objects are among the most serious construction injuries seen across Buffalo and Western New York.

Slip & Fall Accidents

Property owners in New York have a legal duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition for visitors. When a wet floor, uneven surface, poor lighting, or other hazardous condition causes a fall, the owner may be liable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 37 percent of people who fall require medical treatment or face restricted activity for at least a day. What that statistic does not capture is the financial pressure, lost income, and long-term physical impact those injuries impose on real people and families.

Dog Bite Attacks

Homeowners’ insurance provides coverage for a dog owner if the dog attacks someone. In a recent change to New York Law, owners can be held responsible in two ways. 1. If they are negligent, like letting their pet wander without a leash, or leaving their gate open. 2. If they know that their pet is dangerous to humans. Dog attacks can cause serious physical injuries and permanent scarring.

How Much Is My Buffalo Personal Injury Case Worth?

No attorney can guarantee a specific outcome, but the value of a personal injury case is built on identifiable categories of loss. These are the key factors our attorneys can consider when evaluating a claim:

• Medical Expenses: All past and current costs related to your injury, emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, medication, physical therapy, and follow-up treatment.
• Lost Income: Wages, salary, or self-employment income lost because your injuries prevented you from working during recovery.
• Future Medical Care: When an injury requires ongoing treatment, future surgeries, or long-term rehabilitation, those projected costs are considered in the claim.
• Pain and Suffering: The physical pain and emotional distress caused by the injury and its aftermath, including anxiety, depression, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Permanent Disability: When an injury results in a lasting limitation, loss of a limb, chronic pain, or inability to return to your occupation, the long-term impact on earning capacity and quality of life can increase case value.

Documentation has a critical role in every personal injury claim. Our Buffalo personal injury attorneys can work to identify and preserve every relevant piece of evidence from day one.

What Compensation Can You Recover in Buffalo?

New York law recognizes two broad categories of compensatory damages in personal injury cases: economic and non-economic. Economic damages cover quantifiable financial losses, including medical bills, lost wages, future treatment costs, and property damage. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disfigurement.

In cases involving a death, surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim to recover financial losses, including the income and support the deceased would have provided. New York does not cap compensatory damages in most personal injury cases, meaning the full extent of a victim’s losses can be recovered.

The Personal Injury Legal Process in Buffalo

Most personal injury cases move through a predictable sequence of phases. Understanding that sequence helps injured people know what to expect and how to participate in their own cases.

The process begins with an investigation. Our Buffalo personal injury lawyers can immediately gather evidence, including accident reports, surveillance footage, witness statements, and medical records. Evidence degrades quickly, and some of it must be preserved through legal action before it disappears.

After investigation, claims are formally filed, and the discovery phase begins. Both sides exchange information, take depositions, and retain expert witnesses. Many personal injury cases resolve during settlement negotiations after discovery is complete, when both parties have a clear picture of the evidence and the likely outcome at trial. When settlement negotiations do not produce a fair resolution, litigation remains an option.

Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in New York

Under New York Civil Practice Law and Rules § 214, most personal injury claims must be filed within three years of the date of injury. Missing that deadline permanently bars recovery, regardless of how solid the case may be.

Several exceptions apply: claims against government entities require a Notice of Claim within 90 days, while wrongful death claims are subject to separate filing deadlines under New York law. For minors, the limitations period is extended and doesn’t begin until they turn 18. Medical malpractice claims are subject to a two-and-a-half-year statute of limitations.

Acting promptly protects your legal options. Contact the Law Offices of Steve Boyd, PC at (716) 600-0000 today for a free case review.

Unsure if you have a case? Let’s have a conversation; it will be completely confidential. We’ll believe you. We’ll walk you through the process so that you understand what this is, what we’ll do, and how your case will go as we stand with you every single step of the way.

Steve Boyd

free case consultation call us: 716-600-0000

What to Do After a Personal Injury Accident in Buffalo

The steps taken immediately after an injury can affect the strength of a legal claim. Following these steps can help protect your rights from the start:

• Seek Medical Attention Immediately: Treatment records establish a direct connection between the incident and your injuries. A gap in care gives insurers grounds to argue that the injuries were not serious or are unrelated.
• Report the Incident: File a police report if a vehicle was involved. Report a slip-and-fall incident to the property owner or manager in writing. Create a paper trail from the beginning.
• Document Everything: Photograph the scene, your injuries, and any hazardous conditions before they are repaired or changed. Preserve clothing and property damaged in the incident.
• Collect Witness Information: Names and contact details for anyone who saw what happened are valuable early and become harder to gather as time passes. Do not assume the police report will include witness contact information.
• Do Not Give a Recorded Statement to Insurance Adjusters: Insurers can use recorded statements to minimize claims. Speak with an attorney before providing any formal account to an opposing insurer.
• Contact a Personal Injury Attorney in Buffalo: An attorney can help preserve evidence, identify liable parties, and advise on your legal options.

Each of these steps protects your legal rights. Skipping one does not necessarily end a case, but it can make recovery harder and give the defense room to argue against you.

Case Results for Injury Victims Across Western New York

Our results reflect what happens when preparation meets determined advocacy. These are some of the outcomes our Buffalo personal injury lawyers, The Law Offices of Steve Boyd, PC, have secured for clients across Buffalo and Western New York:

• $3.5 Million — settlement for an individual sexual abuse survivor.
• $3.125 Million — recovered for a car crash victim.
• $2.9 Million — settlement for an individual sexual abuse survivor.
• $2 Million — recovered for a family in a high-speed collision.
• $1.45 Million — recovered for a truck crash victim.

These examples reflect some of our past cases. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, as every case depends on its own facts, evidence, and applicable law.

Why Choose Steve Boyd, PC as Your Buffalo Personal Injury Lawyer?

At the Law Offices of Steve Boyd, PC, we approach every personal injury case in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Tonawanda, and Batavia with the preparation and dedication it requires. We offer free case reviews and handle personal injury cases on a contingency basis, meaning no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Contact us today at (716) 600-0000 for a consultation.

Contact a Buffalo Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Recovering from a serious injury is hard enough without navigating the legal system alone. The Buffalo personal injury lawyers at The Law Offices of Steve Boyd, PC can help you understand your options and pursue the compensation you deserve under the law. Contact us today at (716) 600-0000 for a free case review.

Client Reviews

What Our Clients Are Saying About Us

Andrew P.

Mr. Boyd is a phenomenal lawyer! He answered all of my questions in a timely and professional manner. Highly recommend!

Bernard D

Always extremely timely and efficient. They have always done great work for us. I’m glad to have them on my side!

Rita A

Steve Boyd and his office are wonderful! They are responsive, attentive, professional, and empathetic. If you want a firm that will truly care about your case and getting you the highest potential settlement, Steve Boyd is your attorney.

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Steve Boyd

Since 1999, Steve has been a beacon of hope for survivors, representing them with utmost dedication in the most challenging times of their lives. Catastrophic injuries, accidents, sexual abuse, wrongful death incidents – your battle becomes his. Recognized by peers and clients alike, Steve successfully leverages his years of experience to secure substantial verdicts and settlements for clients. Representing over 3,000 personal injury survivors in New York State and Pennsylvania, his accolades speak for his unwavering resolve.

free case consultation call us: 716-600-0000