In just three weeks, last year in New York City, 12 pedestrians were killed by cars or buses either going through pedestrian crossings or running on to sidewalks. The number of pedestrian deaths each year is alarmingly high but this number does not even include the numbers killed and injured while driving in cars in New York City.
Motor vehicle accidents in NYC are not isolated instances so it is extremely important to know the steps you need to take when it happens. Being involved in a motor vehicle accident is so traumatizing, but it is absolutely critical that you know exactly what to do in the case of this type of accident so that you can recover everything you are entitled to by law.
These are the steps you need to take to report a car, bike, bus or pedestrian accident.
- You need to notify the police immediately so that they can write up an accident report at the scene. Make sure to get the accident report number so that you can request a copy of this.
- If the property damage of any person is $1,001 or more, all drivers involved are required to file a Report of Motor Vehicle Accident (MV-104). This report must be filed no more than 10 days after the accident.
- If a person is injured or killed all drivers and the police are required to file an accident report with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to take your case so that you can recover money to cover your medical bills, pain and suffering, loss of income, and all property damage.
Helpful hints
- You should always obtain an accident report. Even if you think you weren’t hurt, injuries can sometimes take a few days to become evident.
- Always wait for the police to arrive before leaving the scene of an accident.
- Be sure to take down the license plate numbers of all vehicles involved right away, in case any drive away before the police get there.
- You don’t need to, and shouldn’t, speak to anyone at the scene of the accident other than the police.
- When speaking with the police, be careful what you say. Keep to the facts. You don’t need to feel guilty or admit fault as you don’t know at that moment what factors actually led to the accident.
When you have been injured or a loved one has been killed due to a motor vehicle accident the last thing you want to think about is dealing with the bureaucracy of government and insurance companies. The best course of action is to report the accident, give the very basic facts to the police and then hire an experienced and successful motor vehicle accident attorney.
If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident in NYC, feel free to call the personal injury attorneys at the Ashley Law Firm for a free consultation.
