Queens in New York is one of the most densely populated areas in the city. With motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians crowding the streets late into the night, the region also records a high number of accident cases each year. According to NYPD traffic data, about 173,500 accidents in New York in 2019 and about a fourth of them were in Queens.
What comes after can be very disorienting for those involved in the accidents and, sometimes, downright scary. If you are severely injured and want to file for compensation, you should do it under the supervision of a Queens car accident lawyer.
Here are some things to do in the aftermath of a car accident in Queens.
- Do Not Leave without Reporting
If your injuries from the accident are so severe that you have been incapacitated, then paramedics will come and remove you as soon as someone calls 911. However, in New York, it is illegal to leave the accident scene without providing the details to law enforcement authorities who will shortly arrive.
Move yourself and anyone else in the car to safety, but stay close to the scene of the accident. Do not try to do anything to the damaged vehicle yourself, as officers in Queens will come to look at it for circumstantial evidence.
- Seek Medical Care and Documentation
Once you have provided all the necessary information to the police, seek medical help. You will be taken to the nearest medical facility if you have called 911. In case your injuries are too severe, someone will call your emergency contact. You or your family members should note all the discomfort and medical issues surrounding the accident. Request the hospital to maintain a detailed record of your medical examination and your injuries, to be handed over to you, your authorized contacts, or a Queens car accident lawyer. They can be provided in the court of law should you want to file for compensation.
- Gathering Evidence
If you are not too disoriented from the accident, then as you wait for the authorities to arrive, start gathering your evidence. This is especially true if you know that the accident was caused due to the negligence of the other party. Click photos and shoot scenes of the accident on your phone.
Look for obstacles around the scene that might have prevented you from moving out of the way or caused you to swerve your car. Click the pictures of the damages on your car or skid marks and debris from the car crash. All of this can be used as evidence when you decide to sue.
- Preparing for Comparative Negligence
In all areas of New York, including Queens, comparative negligence is taken into account for liability. It means whether the accident resulted from the fault of all the parties involved and if yes, what was the percentage of each party’s fault.
The factors leading to the accident can be shared between the parties based on circumstantial evidence. It might look like one party is solely to be blamed for hitting someone, but it could be established that the person or car hit should also not have been there in the first place.
The police report has a huge role in this matter, and a Queens car accident lawyer will look into all these aspects while presenting your case so that you are held least accountable.
With a lawyer helping you, you can be sure that you will also get the reimbursement you deserve from the insurance company. The lawyer will advise you about the legal options and take care of the formalities while you recuperate from the accident, and be your guide so that you do not have to undertake this enormous task alone.