4 Car Accident Facts

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If you’re injured in a car accident seriously, the first thing you need to do is call 911. You want to get the police and an ambulance there as soon as possible if you’re suffering from injuries. If you’re able to do it, you want to take photographs of the accident scene. You want to take photographs of your motor vehicle. You want to take photographs of the area where the accident occurred. You want to make sure you give the police an accurate statement of what happened. Very often clients will come to me with a police report and say, “It’s not what happened.” I’ll say, “Well, did you talk to the police officers and give them a clear statement?” The answer is no. You want to make sure you give the police officers a clear statement. At some point early on, you’re going to need to call a lawyer. A lawyer will help guide you through the process to make sure that your rights are protected. If you’re entitled to recovery from anyone that may have been involved in causing the accident, they’ll be able to make sure that you get that recovery.

Mistakes to Avoid

One of the questions I get all the time is, “What are the mistakes that clients can make when they’re seriously injured in a car accident?” I just had a call the other day from a client who was in an accident two months earlier and called me to pursue a claim against the driver that caused the accident, but she never went to see a doctor initially. She said her back and neck were bothering her. They were bothering her from the outset when the accident happened. I said, “Why didn’t you go to the hospital?” I hear various answers. “I had to get home to my children,” or sometimes, “I had to get to work, but it was really bothering me.” Why didn’t you go see a doctor between then and now? Same reasons: I was too busy. I had to go to work. It’s a problem. If you’ve suffered an injury and you’re experiencing pain, you need to seek medical attention right away. That’s one problem that I often see, and I think it’s one of the biggest ones.

The second biggest one is when a client is not honest with the attorney. When a client comes to see me, I’m going to ask questions like, “Were you ever in an accident before? Did you ever suffer an injury to your neck, back, knee, whatever the injury might be?” If the answer should be yes but is no, it could be problematic down the road. It is extremely important that a client be honest with the attorney, so the attorney can properly represent and guide the client through the process.

Choosing An Attorney

If you’re in a serious accident, a car accident in the state of New York, and you’re in need of an attorney, here are some things that you should look for. First, you want to make sure the attorney practices personal injury law, specifically personal injury litigation. An estate attorney is not going to help you. They may want to take your case, but they’re not experienced in the nuances that exist relevant to personal injury litigation. You want an attorney that you can feel comfortable with; I think that’s very important. You want to sit down with that attorney; not with a paralegal; not with the legal assistant. You want to sit down with the attorney, and you want to talk to the attorney, ask the attorney questions. How do you feel after you’ve had that conference with the attorney? I think that’s very important, too.

Finally, it’s important to understand that some law firms are mid-size, some are big. Some law firms are set up where you never really talk to the attorney. You talk to a paralegal or a legal assistant. It’s very rare that you sit down with an attorney. That’s also something to think about when choosing the right attorney to handle your case.

Car Accident Case

Clients often ask me, “What steps do I take if I’m injured in an accident?” The first step I think is to find an attorney that handles personal injury car accident litigation in New York. That would be the first step. Second step is you want to make sure that you’re seeking the medical attention that you need.

In New York, you have to prove that your injury is serious enough to justify compensation. If you’ve suffered an injury and you’re experiencing pain in your neck, your back, wherever the case may be, or your knee, or you broke your arm, your leg, you need to seek medical attention. You need to follow your doctor’s advice and do exactly what it is that they want you to do to help you get better; that’s very important.


Were you or a loved one involved in a crash and have questions about these 4 car accident facts?

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