Car accidents are traumatic experiences. Whether you suffered minor harm or severe injuries, dealing with the aftermath of a crash can be a difficult experience. Victims may incur several types of economic and non-economic damages because of an accident.

Monetary damages related to a crash may be recovered by victims. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you will either file a claim with your own insurer or file a lawsuit against another negligent driver in order to receive compensation. A car accident lawyer can offer guidance and support when filing an insurance claim or a car accident lawsuit.

If you were injured because of a car accident in Hempstead, get help recovering the compensation available to you. Contact our experienced Hempstead car accident lawyers by calling The Carrion Law Firm at (631) 910-7493 for a free case review.

Evidence Used to Establish Fault in Hempstead Car Accident Lawsuits

After crashes that caused serious injuries or property damage, claims for damages may be brought against other at-fault drivers. However, proving fault can be a difficult task. Defendants’ insurers may attempt to shift blame onto the plaintiff in order to refrain from paying the full value of their claim. The following are examples of evidence our Hempstead car accident lawyers can use to establish fault on behalf of another driver:

Eyewitness Testimony

Eyewitness testimony can be extremely beneficial when proving which driver caused an accident. Our lawyers can use written or oral testimony from eyewitnesses to affirm the events before, during, and after an accident. Accordingly, crash victims should attempt to exchange contact information with any witnesses to the accident if possible.

Surveillance/Security Footage

Additionally, surveillance or security footage can be used to determine which driver is at fault for an accident. Surveillance footage from traffic cameras and nearby businesses can be used to show why a crash occurred. However, recovering such footage can be difficult. Our experienced Hempstead car accident lawyers can help gather surveillance footage in your case.

Police Officers’ Accident Reports

After each crash, a police officer should visit the scene and draft an accident report. These reports usually detail officers’ observations from accident scenes. Further, accident reports will contain statements from parties to the crash. Accordingly, police officers’ accident reports can aid our attorneys in proving fault for an accident.

Physical Evidence from the Crash Scene

Furthermore, physical evidence from the crash scene may be used to prove fault. For instance, if you were struck by a driver who committed a hit-and-run, glass shards from the accident scene may be matched with the offender’s damaged vehicle to identify the culprit and establish fault. However, some physical evidence from the scene may be too large to bring to court. Accordingly, there are other methods for documenting evidence from the scene of an accident.

Photo Evidence from the Crash Scene

Photo evidence from the crash scene may also be used to prove fault. For example, photos of a crushed vehicle can be used to demonstrate that another motorist was traveling at high speeds at the time of a crash. Furthermore, photo evidence may be used to prove weather and road conditions at the time of an accident.

Expert Witness Testimony

Expert witness testimony is also used to establish fault in Hempstead car accident lawsuits. People are considered experts in a field because of their education, training, and experience. In car accident lawsuits, accident reconstruction experts can be summoned to help determine why a crash occurred. Furthermore, if a defective product caused an accident, engineering experts can be called to explain the defect.

There are multiple other types of experts who can also be called. Our experienced Hempstead car accident lawyers can help call the right expert witnesses to support your case.

Where and How a Car Accident Might Happen in Hempstead

Car accidents might be somewhat common, but they can be very complicated and difficult to figure out. Talk to your attorney about where and how your accident occurred. Knowing this information might help your lawyer determine who should be held liable for the crash, what kind of evidence is necessary to prove your claims, and where we might find such evidence.

Roads and Highways Around Hempstead

We should first consider where the accident occurred. Hempstead is a somewhat densely populated area of Long Island, and there are numerous local roads and major highways where a crash could happen. For example, Meadowbrook State Parkway is a major highway that runs north to south through Hempstead and many surrounding towns and neighborhoods. Speed limits tend to be higher on larger highways, and traffic is often heavier, especially in places where highways intersect, such as where Meadowbrook intersects with Southern State Parkway. If drivers are not on their guard, accidents can be disastrous.

We should also consider busy local roads like Hempstead Turnpike. This road spans most of the Hempstead area and intersects with dozens of other local roads. As such, drivers have to be aware of their surroundings at all times.

The location of your accident might give us insight into how to handle your case. For example, if your accident happened on a major highway, we should consider speed as a possible factor, as speeding is not uncommon here, and check for nearby traffic cameras. If your accident happened on a smaller local road, we might rely more on witnesses who live in the area or stopped to render aid.

Distractions

Distractions are extremely common on the road nowadays, thanks in no small part to advancements in technology and electronic communication. Perhaps some of the biggest distractions today are cell phones. Maybe the other driver was texting or answering a phone call. Maybe they were scrolling through social media while trying to keep one eye on the road.

People often justify this behavior by claiming they only looked away from the road for a split second. In the end, a distracted driver should be held responsible for causing an accident. In cases involving cell phones, we might be able to demand access to phone records to prove that the defendant was on their phone when the crash happened.

Heavy Traffic

All drivers must contend with traffic, which may be very heavy one day and practically nonexistent the next. Drivers must be able to adjust their driving to the conditions of the day. If traffic is bad, drivers should be more defensive on the road. Heavy traffic is often linked to accidents. Speeding drivers or drivers who ignore signs and signals might hit not just one other driver but many drivers.

Traffic-related accidents are common, especially during the summer tourist season when vacationers flock to the beaches around Hempstead and many other beaches around Long Island. People in a hurry to get to places like Atlantic Beach, Long Beach, or Jones Beach State Park might not be as careful as they should be. When everyone is heading to the beach at the same time, it is a recipe for disaster.

Speeding

Speed is a factor in all sorts of accidents. Even if speed is not the primary cause of a collision, it might still be an important element. Often, speed makes a bad accident even worse. What might have been a fender-bender might instead be a massive collision. Like many towns and neighborhoods on Long Island, Hempstead is densely populated, and traffic tends to be heavy. Speed can be extremely dangerous under these conditions.

Steps to Take After a Car Accident in Hempstead

It can be difficult to keep your composure after an accident. Particularly if serious injuries were suffered, the aftermath of a car crash can be a hectic experience. However, there are certain things victims can do that protect their ability to pursue damages related to an accident. You should take the following steps after suffering a car crash in Hempstead:

Stay at the Scene

You should never flee the scene of an accident. Those who leave the scene of an accident can be charged with a hit-and-run and may be unable to seek monetary damages. Accordingly, you should find a safe space to remain at the scene of an accident until the police arrive.

Call 911

You should also call 911 as soon as possible after an accident. The dispatcher will be able to send help to anyone who requires emergency medical treatment. Additionally, a police officer will visit the scene to draft an accident report.

Exchange Information

Next, you should exchange names, phone numbers, and addresses with other parties to the accident. License plate numbers and insurance information should also be collected from other drivers involved in the crash. This information will be very valuable when building your case.

When exchanging information, you should avoid apologizing or making any statements that can be construed as an admission of fault. Such statements can be used against you in a future car accident lawsuit.

Document the Crash Scene

You should also document the scene of an accident with photographs and videos if possible. Photographic evidence can help establish fault and property damages in your car accident case.

Seek Medical Treatment

Furthermore, you should not wait to seek medical treatment for your injuries. Proper documentation of your injuries is required to recover monetary damages related to the injuries. Furthermore, some injuries may begin to worsen if left untreated. Our Hempstead car accident lawyers can help refer the appropriate physicians to treat your injuries.

Contact Our Lawyers

No matter the circumstances of your case, our Hempstead car accident lawyers can provide support if you have been injured because of a car crash. After contacting our lawyers, our team will review the facts of your case for free to determine the best course of action. The assistance of our experienced lawyers will be highly beneficial when seeking financial compensation.

When is the Best Time to File a Car Accident Case in Hempstead

People often take some time to themselves after a car accident to rest, recover, and consider their legal options. This is perfectly reasonable, and you should take the time you need. However, taking too much time might do more harm than good in your case. The statute of limitations imposes a strict time limit on personal injury claims.

According to C.V.P. Law § 214, personal injury cases, such as those related to auto accidents, must be filed no later than 3 years after the collision. The clock starts ticking almost immediately, and time is of the essence. It is not unusual for plaintiffs to spend many months working on their case and getting it ready before anything is filed. The sooner you speak to an attorney about your accident, the more time they may have to prepare your case.

If your accident is particularly complex or your injuries are severe, it is best to maximize the time you have to prepare your case. In such cases, it is often harder to obtain evidence, accurately evaluate damages, and build your claims. Again, the sooner you hire a lawyer, the better.

If You Were Injured Because of a Car Accident in Hempstead, Our Lawyers Can Help

If you were injured because of a car accident in Hempstead, seek assistance from our experienced Hempstead car accident lawyers by calling The Carrion Law Firm at (631) 910-7493 for a free case review.