HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
Nobody is truly prepared for a car accident. Sometimes it’s just a nuisance fender-bender
with property damage, but other times it can be a life-altering event. Usually, it’s someplace in-between. Since accidents are so common in New York
City, it’s a good idea to know what to do in case you have a car accident. Wittenstein & Wittenstein is a law firm
with accident
attorneys in Queens that will answer all your questions after
accident. They also share some basic
information about what to do.
THE FIVE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO RIGHT AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
Call the police
(911).
Never make an agreement with the other vehicles to exchange
information and handle everything “without the insurance.” This puts you in great jeopardy. If somebody is hurt, they can sue you, and
claim you “left the scene,” and if you don’t file with your insurance company,
they may say that you violated the policy, and refuse to defend you. It’s also sometimes hard to tell if you were
hurt right after an accident and the insurance company may not pay the bills if
there is no police report.
Get medical
attention if you are hurt.
If you have been bounced around in the car or hit any part of
your body on a part of a car, it’s always worthwhile to get immediate medical
attention. Some injuries do not show up
until later, and some serious internal injuries have mild symptoms or no
symptoms at all. The emergency room will
know just how to check for any serious trauma.
If you are badly hurt, don’t worry about your car, the police will make
sure it is towed someplace safe. Always
put your health above your property!
Call your lawyer.
It’s a good idea to keep your lawyer’s card in your
car. Make sure to call your trusted
Brooklyn Car Accident Attorney, and never accept referrals from “runners” that
give you cards for lawyers or medical facilities. This practice is illegal and unethical, and
the quality of service you will receive will reflect this! If you are treated at a hospital, you may
receive solicitation calls from lawyer’s offices and medical facilities that
have stolen your personal information from the hospital - avoid these scammers
at all costs. Don’t speak to any
insurance companies until you speak to your lawyer.
Take pictures and
videos of the scene
If you are physically able, take as many pictures and videos
of the scene at your possibly can. You
want to show the positions of the vehicles after the accident, the damage to
the vehicles, the location of the accident, skid marks and anything you think
might be helpful to show how the accident happened, and who was at fault. These photos and videos can also show how
serious the accident was. You can interview
witnesses with video, and also take pictures of driver’s licenses and insurance
cards, making the trading of information a snap.
THINGS TO CONSIDER THE DAY AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
Now that the important immediate things are taken care of,
you can consider next steps. Experienced
accident attorneys in Queens will tell you that these next steps are quite
important:
FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR
BROOKLYN CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY
Now that you have a better idea about the injuries you
sustained, it’s time to call your Brooklyn
car accident attorney for advice. He
may say that your injuries are not serious enough to merit making a case, or he
may tell you to come in and begin one.
Be very careful not to call the insurance company before you call your
attorney, as they may try to take a recorded statement or jeopardize your legal
position. If accident attorneys in
Queens tell you that you do not have a case, they can also advise you about how
to handle collecting your property damage on your own. If you are not happy with what they are
offering you for your car damage, you can take the car to a shop for another
estimate and negotiate a higher amount.
You usually do not need a lawyer to settle a property damage claim.
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