May 18, 2015 New York Car Crash: What Should I do First After a Car Accident? A New York car crash can be devastating. In 2013, 1,109 New York car crashes were fatal and 124,505 New York car crashes injured someone. Most New York car crashes involved two vehicles. The next most common New York car crash involved a single vehicle. The least common type of New York car crash involved three or more vehicles. 78.3 percent of crashes are caused by human factors. The most common human factors that cause New York car crashes are: driver inattention or distraction, following too closely, failure to yield the right of way, and unsafe speed. 20.7 percent of the people injured or killed in New York car crashes were between the ages of 21-29. What to do After a New York Car Crash. After getting immediate medical care, you or someone you trust (a lawyer, loved one, spouse, representative etc.) must coordinate and pay for your medical care, help with life changes, investigate the accident, and prepare for legal issues that can arise after a serious New York car crash. Step 1: file a claim for No Fault Benefits. Immediately make a claim for no fault benefits under New York no fault insurance law, also known as “Personal Injury Protection” (PIP). You can find New York car crash no fault claim forms here. You have THIRTY (30) days after a New York car crash to make a claim for up to $50,000 of medical and other benefits. The no fault claim should be mailed return-receipt-requested to the insurance company for the vehicle you were riding in. If you were on foot and hit by a vehicle, you should file the no fault claim with the insurance company for the automobile that hit you. If you do not know who hit you, you can file the claim with the insurer of a relative who lives in your house and who had an auto insurance policy at the time of the crash. If no relatives lived with you who had auto insurance and you do not know who hit you, you must file a claim with the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation. Serious and short deadlines apply. You cannot act quickly enough to exercise your rights under the no fault law after a New York car crash. Step 2: file a claim for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, also known as “UM/UIM or SUM”. Send a letter to your own auto insurance company to find out if you can recover money from an uninsured or underinsured motorist policy. In 2012, 5.3 percent of New York drivers had no insurance to pay for injuries caused in New York car crashes. In other words, when those uninsured drivers caused car accidents, they probably did not have money to pay for the damage. Even if a driver has insurance in New York, the mandatory minimum amount is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per collision. An auto accident can cause far more than minimal damage. When a serious car wreck happens and the careless driver has little insurance to pay for damage, the injured person may claim benefits under their Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM). UIM is optional insurance against the risk of being hit by a driver with less liability insurance than you. If you bought UIM or Supplemental Underinsured Motorist Coverage (SUM), you may have access to additional money. Step 3: call a New York Car Crash personal injury lawyer. A New York car crash personal injury lawyer will take your matter very seriously. The attorney will immediately take the steps outlined in this article (and more, based on your specific case) to help you afford your medical care, avoid missing important deadlines, and prepare you for legal issues that arise after a serious accident. by Clifford Tucker All 0 1
