If you have been involved in a car accident before, you understand why it is important to have a skilled Brookhaven car accident lawyer on your side. Top-quality representation ensures that you receive reasonable compensation for your damages. What happens if the insurance company refuses to finance your car repairs or medical expenses? How about compensation for the loss of wages due to the accident or injuries suffered in the accident?
At Cellino Law, our attorneys offer you a free initial consultation to go through the details of your case and get the claims process started. Regardless of the accident’s extent, we will offer you legal counsel and provide answers to any questions that you may have or clear any uncertainties.
Our team of Brookhaven personal injury attorneys has years of experience and are capable of mounting a strong defense to protect your rights following a car accident. By working with us, you can be assured of unmatched legal representation. What’s more, you can rest assured that you will receive a good amount of compensation. Our skillset, comprehension of the law, and success rate have made us a stand-out player in the field of personal injury law in New York.
How Do You Report A Car Accident In New York?
By law, a driver is supposed to inform the local authorities in New York of an accident as soon as it happens, especially if it caused any injury or fatality. The driver who was liable for the accident should be the first to report it. However, you should not always rely on them and should instead report it yourself.
Where property is damaged, the driver who is liable for the accident should make an accident damage report in the presence or absence of the other driver. However, this report should only be made where the estimated damages exceed $1,000.
After the accident, a driver is expected to make a report and written statement within the first ten days. However, an exception to this is when the driver gets injured and is unable to report the accident. In such a case, it is not clear when the driver should make the report. However, our experienced lawyers advise that the report be made as soon as the injured driver recovers adequately to do so.
What Information Should You Collect After a Car Accident?
Collecting some information while at the scene of the accident is important as it helps your case greatly later. Some of this information includes:
- Model, make, year, license, and registration number of every vehicle involved in the accident.
- The official name, residential address, contact information, driver’s license number, and insurance details of all the drivers involved in the accident.
- Official names, precinct, and badge numbers of officers who arrived at the accident scene.
- The precise accident location
How Much Will It Cost To Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
At Cellino, we understand that medical and other costs after a car accident can make meeting legal fees in a personal injury case hard. We provide you with the legal counsel that you need at no upfront cost, making it affordable for any car accident victim. We don’t charge any fees until you are awarded compensation for the damage you sustained due to the car accident.
Our attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning that we provide the legal representation at our cost until you receive your compensation. The contingency fee model also acts as an assurance that you will receive compensation for your personal injuries. Our attorneys go through each case carefully to determine the likely outcome.
What Damages Can Be Compensated After a Car Accident?
Basically, personal injury compensation claims must be based on a loss. The losses can either be economic or non-economic. Punitive damages can also be available to car accident victims where the driver liable for the accident is found to be negligent.
Economic or financial claims provide monetary compensation for the costs and losses caused by the car accident. These may include the following:
- Damage to the car or other property
- Loss of wages
- Current medical expenses as well as future medical expenses due to the injuries sustained in the car accident
Non-economic losses are also factored where victims suffer serious injuries as per section 502 of the State Insurance Law. Some of these serious injuries include:
- Physical disfigurement
- Loss of an unborn baby in the uterus
- Broken bones
- The loss of a bodily function or damage to a body organ
- Serious limitation to the use of a body organ or function of a system
- Loss of a limb
In some instances, car accident victims may also sue for punitive damages in a personal injury lawsuit. These are non-economic damages and are normally caused by the misconduct or negligence of the driver at fault. This compensation is usually calculated as a proportion of the compensation amount to be received.
New York’s Statute of Limitations for Auto Accidents
It is important that car accident victims file claims for the compensation of damages suffered in a car accident with a certain time frame from the date that the accident occurred. It is therefore advisable to contact a lawyer in Brookhaven soon after the auto accident occurs and work with them so that you don’t miss such important deadlines.
According to New York Laws claims made against a defendant should be filed not later than one week from the date of the car accident. The statute of limitations applies in these cases and meeting this deadline is critical to compensation.
The statute of limitations in New York allows for claims seeking compensation for the injuries suffered following car accident injuries to be filed three years from the date of the car accident. However, for claims made against a government, the plaintiff should file the claim within 90 days.
Reach Out To Our Brookhaven Car Accident Lawyers And Schedule A Free Consultation Today!
Keep in mind that getting everything ready, including the documentation to file the claim for your compensation is critical to getting your much-deserved compensation. Get in touch with our injury firm in Brookhaven to find out how our lawyers can help you get the compensation that you deserve following the injuries suffered in the car accident. Our lawyers will also advise on the compensation you can get for the damages to your car, lost wages, and any other loss incurred following the auto accident.