The aftermath of a car accident can be confusing and scary. After you’ve been involved in an accident, not only do you have to deal with injuries, other drivers, and the police, but you also must act in a way that gives you the best possible chance at obtaining financial compensation for your injuries. Therefore, it’s important to know what steps to take should you ever find yourself involved in a car accident. In this article, we explain what to do after a car accident in New York.
Contact the Police
After a New York car accident, you should immediately contact the police. In fact, if your accident involves an injury, death, or property damage, you are required by New York law to immediately contact the authorities. However, even if your accident is minor, and you don’t believe anyone has been injured, it is still advisable to have the police come to the scene.
Seek Medical Care
This step usually goes hand in hand with the previous one. When you call the police to report your accident, the operator will send medical personnel if anyone was injured in the accident. However, even if you don’t believe you were injured, you should still seek a medical evaluation—accident symptoms sometimes take days or even weeks to arise.
Take Photos and Videos
If you can move around safely after your accident, you should take photographs and videos of the accident scene. When doing so, be sure to capture footage of any visible damage to your vehicle, the area surrounding the accident, any skid marks on the road, and any obstacles in the road that may have contributed to the accident.
Gather Information
There are several key pieces of information that you’ll need in order to successfully pursue financial compensation for your injuries. Important evidence you should gather following a car accident includes
- your medical records related to the accident;
- the names, contact information, and insurance information of everyone involved in the accident; and
- the names and contact details of any witnesses to the accident.
Report the Accident
You should also report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible. The longer you wait to report the accident, the more difficult it may be to obtain compensation for your injuries. In addition, in New York, you must file a motor vehicle accident report with the Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days of the accident if it resulted in over $1,000 of damages. Failure to do so could result in the suspension of your license.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
Finally, if you’ve been involved in a car accident in New York, you should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. At the Law Offices of Frank J. Dito, Jr., we represent car accident victims in Brooklyn and Staten Island. When you come to us for assistance, we’ll do everything in our power to ensure that you obtain the financial compensation you deserve. Please contact us today to schedule a free consultation.