Mariners Harbor Car Accident Lawyer
Vehicle accidents are frequent occurrences in the Staten Island neighborhood of Mariners Harbor. Whether you are only minorly injured or experience traumatic bodily harm, you can seek financial compensation from those responsible with the help of a skilled lawyer. Depending on the accident, you might be in great need of help.
After a car accident, you should call for help and get to a safe place on the road. You should contact the authorities and inform them of the accident, and they may come to your location and render emergency aid. When you are ready, call a lawyer about initiating a civil claim against the other driver. Before we can begin your case, we must navigate New York’s insurance laws. New York drivers must carry no-fault insurance that covers them no matter who caused the accident. Under specific conditions, you may step around insurance and file a civil lawsuit. Before filing your case, we need to take stock of your damages so that you can get all the financial compensation you deserve.
Our Staten Island car accident attorneys can offer a free, private case review when you call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.
What to Do After a Vehicle Crash in Mariners Harbor
A car accident can be scary, and you might be hurt, but you must take the necessary steps to get to safety and get help. While it might be difficult, depending on your injuries, try to get to a safe place. This might mean exiting your vehicle and waiting off the side of the road until help arrives. If you cannot exit your car, wait inside until the police and an ambulance get there. If you or someone else at the accident scene has a phone, call 911 immediately.
Getting help should be your top priority, but you might be in a position to quickly and safely collect valuable evidence. For example, many drivers take pictures of the accident to send to insurance companies. Your pictures may also be used as evidence in a courtroom. Even a few quick photos can greatly help your case.
Talk to others nearby if you can. Exchange information with the other driver and try to get the names and contact information of other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, as they might have valuable witness testimony. Scan the general area. What is around you? Do you see cameras? If you do, our car accident attorneys might also return later to get copies of video footage from traffic or security cameras.
Contact an attorney as soon as you can. You might be in no position to begin legal action on your own, and the clock on your claim might already be ticking. Your attorney can get your case started while you recover from your injuries.
How to Begin a Car Accident Case in Mariners Harbor
Starting a legal claim for damages after a car accident might feel overwhelming. You might still be recovering from injuries and have no idea where even to get started. Your attorney can take charge of the case while you focus on recovering. Generally, many car accident victims choose to file insurance claims or civil lawsuits to get the compensation they need.
No-Fault Insurance
In New York, drivers are required by law to carry car insurance that includes a no-fault policy. No-fault car insurance, often called personal injury protection (PIP) insurance, may apply regardless of who caused the accident. Since it is your own insurance policy, you would file with your insurance provider rather than the other driver’s, and you would not have to provide evidence of fault to get compensation. The one important caveat to no-fault insurance in New York is that drivers may not file lawsuits unless special conditions are present.
According to I.S.C. § 5104(a), drivers may file a civil lawsuit for damages only if they can prove they experienced a “serious injury” as a result of the accident. We must provide evidence of your injuries when we file the initial complaint. If we cannot prove that your injuries meet this legal requirement, the court could reject the complaint.
Civil Lawsuit
What exactly constitutes a serious injury? According to § 5102(d), serious injuries include dismemberment, serious disfigurement, fractures, lost pregnancies, death, the limitation or total loss of the use of body parts, functions, or system, and non-permanent, medically determined injuries that inhibit your ability to perform normal daily tasks for 90 days during the 180-day period after the crash.
Many injured Staten Island drivers choose to file lawsuits rather than pursue insurance claims because their damages exceed their policy limits. No-fault insurance only covers so much, and if your accident is very serious, you might incur damages beyond what your insurance is willing to pay for.
Recovering Damages in Mariners Harbor Car Accident Cases
Your damages represent the losses and injuries you want compensated after the car accident. They may encompass a wide range of financial costs, painful physical injuries, and even psychological damage. While certain kinds of damages tend to be common across many car accident cases, their value and other details may be specific to your circumstances.
Economic Damages
Your economic damages may be established by proof of your costs from the accident. Medical bills may be a major factor in these damages, as medical care tends to be very expensive. Aside from medical care, we should also consider the cost of the damage to your care. Repairs or a replacement vehicle may be quite costly. Additionally, your injuries might prevent you from returning to your job, and you might lose income. All these costs and more should be accounted for in your claim for economic damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Your non-economic damages tend to be more subjective and might not be related to monetary costs at all. As such, we may not be able to prove these damages with evidence of costs. Instead, we must show how the accident impacted your life, health, and mental well-being. For example, physical pain from your injuries, psychological injuries related to trauma, the loss of enjoyment of your life, and other painful personal experiences may be claimed.
Speak to Our Mariners Harbor Car Accident Attorneys About How to Get Fair Compensation
Our car accident attorneys can offer a free, private case review when you call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.