Motor vehicle accidents are frightening events that most people are lucky enough to never have to deal with. Motor vehicle accident victims universally report that the experience was traumatic and that it was difficult to make good decisions on the spot. It’s well established that being in a state of shock can impact judgment, so it’s important to be aware of these common mistakes that Queens, Brooklyn, and Bronx accident attorneys say people make after being involved in an accident.
Not Reporting the Accident
The biggest mistake is not reporting the accident to the police and your insurance company. Post-COVID, the police are much less likely to come to the scene of a minor accident, but it’s still worthwhile to call 911 and try to convince them to come to the scene and document the accident. The best Queens and Brooklyn Traffic accident attorney will always remind you that reporting an accident to your insurance company is usually a policy requirement, so failing to report an accident in a timely manner could void your policy, leaving you without first-party benefits, property damage coverage or defense of a lawsuit against you. Every experienced Queens personal injury attorney will remind you never to get talked into “keeping the insurance companies out of it” when you have a collision with another vehicle!
Not Documenting Properly
Unless you’re completely physically incapacitated, you should take pictures and videos to document the scene of the accident. Every Queens and Bronx accident attorney knows that documentation can be crucial for determining who was at fault for the accident. In addition to documenting the accident scene, it’s important to document your injuries and prove they were caused by the accident and not something else. That’s why every experienced Queens and Bronx car accident attorney recommends taking an ambulance to the hospital emergency room from the scene of an accident. If this isn’t possible, or it’s too late, the next best thing is to go to an emergency room or urgent care centre as soon as possible after the crash.
Handling the Case Yourself
Every insurance company has a policy of offering pennies on the dollar to injured people who handle their own claims. In some cases, the lowball offer can be corrected by hiring an attorney later on, but missing deadlines or revealing detrimental information to the defendant’s insurance company could permanently doom your case. That’s why it’s always best to contact an experienced Queens personal injury attorney as soon as possible after any type of accident. Wittenstein & Wittenstein has been helping injured people since 1959. Call us at 718-261-8114 for a free case review.
