Winter, spring, summer, or fall Long Island and the five boroughs are jam packed with cars on the roads. The more traffic the more of a chance that accidents will occur.
In 2020, there were 62,000 crashes on Long Island and 88,000 in New York City; 23,000 of the accidents on Long Island involved injuries and approximately 55,000 of them in New York City.[1]
At some point in our lives, we will all most likely be involved in a minor accident. It’s startling and scary but there are some important things you need to make sure happen after the accident if you aren’t seriously injured. If you are injured, make sure that you call 911 or have someone else call right away.
One of the first things you should do after an accident is call the police. On Long Island, the police will respond to all accidents, but in the five boroughs they will only come to the scene if you need an ambulance, or your vehicle towed. Make the call regardless of where you are so that there is a record of the call for the insurance company. If you are unable to get a police report, make sure that you collect as much information as possible; that includes all the names, contact and insurance information of the other people involved, as well as any witness information.
Pictures are another critical piece needed after an accident. Make sure you take pictures of the scene, pictures of any cars involved and the damage they sustained, pictures of the vehicles’ license plates and any road conditions or hazards that could have caused the accident, such as potholes, broken traffic lights, obstructed views or poorly places signs and markings.
Once you have all that information you need to contact an attorney as soon as possible. That information will help with your case and to ensure a swift recovery process. We are here to help. There is no charge for a consultation and personal injury attorneys do not get paid unless you receive a recovery from the accident.
We are always here to answer your questions, so please reach out.
[1] Source: Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research