Lieberman Injury Law: Your Car Accident Law Firm in New York
What can you do if you are walking in New York City and a car hits you? New York City is known to be one of the most pedestrian-friendly places to live in the United States. It’s one of the few places where you can live without needing to own a car, due to the ability to walk in every neighborhood or get around via public transportation. However, New York City is very congested these days, and there’s no shortage of car accidents in New York!
While traveling on foot may be the most common way to get around New York City, it’s also possibly dangerous when drivers, cyclists, or other pedestrians don’t follow the rules or act carelessly and recklessly. In these situations, you will need the best car accident law firm in New York specializing in pedestrian car accidents.
Lieberman Injury Law has a personal injury team licensed in New York and Florida, which is especially important for those dual-residence clients who have escaped the humid summer heat in Florida – and who need to plan for any issues most effectively handled by a law firm experienced and knowledgeable about the legal particulars of both New York and Florida. Our South Florida legal team has years of combined experience, and we’ve handled all manner of legal cases in both states. We know the state law inside and out, including the expected outcomes for a wide range of cases, particularly ones where a car has hit a pedestrian. We are a smaller firm that manages our time wisely, and pays significant attention to every client and case, unlike the giant heavily-advertised firms whose partners will meet you once and most likely never touch your file again.
According to the New York City Department of Transportation, pedestrians account for nearly half of all car accident fatalities in New York City. Pedestrians are also ten times more likely to die in this kind of car accident than the occupants of motor vehicles. In addition, according to statistics by the DMV, there are more than 15,000 crashes involving pedestrians in a single year, which leads to nearly 300 pedestrians being killed. The consequences of an accident between a car and a pedestrian can be severe even if not deadly, and sadly, many of these car accidents in New York could have been avoided.
What to Do if You are Hit By a Car in New York: Tips From Lieberman Injury Law
If you or someone you love has been involved in a car accident while walking the streets of New York City, then you may be wondering what to do. If you are fortunate enough to have survived, the moments immediately following an accident can prove crucial in terms of any potential legal or insurance claims that Lieberman Injury Law can help you with. You may feel confident that you can handle this situation on your own, perhaps thinking that it’s not too bad; but remember that the driver of the car will be backed up by their insurance company, which has a full legal team and a staff whose aim is to reduce or minimize your claims. This is why you need a tenacious and experienced legal attorney who will fight for you and will help you form a plan of action that will ensure that you secure the compensation you need following an accident.
Here are some tips for the steps you can take after being hit by a car in New York:
- First, tell yourself to breathe and remain calm at the scene of a car accident. It’s understandable that you may be inclined to lose your cool, but flying into a rage or volleying insults at the driver will not allow you to take stock of the surroundings or help you make the best decisions.
- Next, call the New York City Police Department or 911 immediately to report the accident, and try not to let the driver who hit you leave the scene. It’s a common mistake to think that you can file a report later, and a police accident report will be an important document to have on hand when you file an insurance claim. Pedestrians involved in accidents, even one that isn’t their fault, sometimes feel embarrassment due to the scene being caused on a busy street and, thinking that they haven’t suffered any injuries, will let the driver leave the scene. Then later after the shock and adrenaline have worn off, they find out they’ve broken a wrist or suffered some other injury.
- An officer will respond to your location and take a report. This means assessing the damages and interviewing key witnesses to help determine the likely cause of the accident. At the scene of the accident, you should not forget to collect the driver’s information, along with that of any witnesses, your name and driver’s license number, the vehicle identification number of the car you are driving, the name and address of the car’s owner, the name and address of your insurance company, and your insurance policy number. Make sure the investigating officer records complete insurance information on the crash report for all parties involved.
- Use your cell phone to take pictures of the scene of the accident from as many angles as possible, and be sure to include as much of the surroundings, including street lights, traffic signs, the vehicle(s) involved, and your own injuries. You should then seek out medical attention to fully evaluate the extent of your injuries.
- Within 30 days of the accident, you should file your claim for no-fault benefits from the insurance company of the driver. Do not provide the insurance company with any additional details or allow yourself to be pressured into providing a full report. They may attempt to find discrepancies and have your claim thrown out.
Lieberman Injury Law Firm for Car Accidents in New York
The team at Lieberman Injury Law is fully-equipped at handling all manner of personal injury accidents and lawsuits, even including cases involving pedestrians and cars on busy New York City streets. Every case is unique, and you can be assured that our team will explore every legal option available to ensure that you receive a fair and just compensation if you’ve been hit by a car while walking.