What to Do After an Accident
Obviously, no one ever plans on having an accident. It often happens so quickly that you literally may not know what hit you. However, there are certain actions that you can take at the accident scene itself which can strengthen your case. Those actions depend upon the type of accident in which you were involved. When you call the White Plains personal injury attorneys at Worby Vecchio Edelman after an accident, we’ll obtain full information from you on the facts of your accident. The more information you can give to us, the more we can ultimately help you. There are filing deadlines which you will have to meet, and some of them are in as little as 30 days from the date of the accident.
Car Accidents: Get the License Plate Number
If you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident, the first thing we recommend is that you obtain the license plate numbers of all vehicles involved. There are multiple reasons for this, which include an ability to identify the owners of all vehicles involved, and just as important, the insurance company for each of the vehicles.
The most immediate reason for this advice is that bills for accident-related medical treatment will not be paid by your regular medical insurance, but rather through No Fault insurance. If you were driving your own vehicle (or any other vehicle with the owner’s permission) your medical bills will be paid by that vehicle’s No Fault insurance. Even if the other vehicle was completely at fault, your own automobile insurance will still pay your medical bills. You are required to put that insurance carrier on notice of that accident within 30 days.
Insurance Information
It’s easy enough if you were driving your own vehicle, but consider this scenario: you are a passenger in a friend’s vehicle, and the accident was not your friend’s fault. Under that circumstance, you will have to obtain your friend’s insurance information in order for your medical bills to be paid. It’s not always easy to obtain that information; some people might hesitate to identify their insurance company, due to fear of a rate increase. That is why we recommend that you obtain the license plate numbers for each vehicle involved in the accident. We can then run a license plate check, and identify the proper insurance company to pay No Fault benefits.
Location of the Accident and Obtaining a Police Report
It’s much easier for us to investigate an accident if we have a police report, but in order to do so we have to be aware of the location of the accident. You’ll know where you were if you were the driver, but many times passengers are not paying attention to that type of detail – so it’s a good idea to take photographs of the surrounding area, and especially the street signs at the nearest corner.
Positioning of the Vehicles
The positioning of the vehicles – where they come to rest – following an accident can be crucial in determining who was at fault, so try and take photographs of the vehicles before they are moved. Try and take photos of the damage to each vehicle too.
Limit Your Conversation
Try and limit your conversation with other people at the scene, especially the driver of any other vehicle involved in the accident. It’s never a good idea to admit fault, because that statement is probably admissible in Court, and can be used against you if your case were to go to trial.
Obviously, you can’t follow this advice in all cases; your ability to do so will depend upon your physical condition immediately following the accident. Your immediate health should always be your first concern. Try and get as much information as you can; it will certainly benefit you.
Next month we’ll focus on steps to take after a fall down accident. That type of accident has its own complexities, and there are things you can do to help yourself after you fall.
Contact the Accident Attorneys of Worby Vecchio Edelman LLC
The White Plains accident attorneys are experienced in all facets of personal injury law. Call us if you were involved in any type of accident. We’ll answer your questions, and help you navigate your way through the many immediate details that you’ll encounter. We work on contingency, so we only charge a fee if we are successful in your case.
