Car Accidents

Experienced New York Car Accident Lawyers

Thankfully, most drivers will never be involved in a motor vehicle accident. However, with more than 20,000 deaths and more than 1,500,000 serious injuries each year resulting from car accidents, the risk of having an accident is an ever-present reality.

If you or a loved one is involved in a motor vehicle accident, your first priority is to seek proper medical attention. In addition, there are other important steps that must be taken following an accident to protect your rights. As soon as possible you or a family member should call an attorney who is experienced in handling motor vehicle accident claims.

For the past 30+ years, our New York car accident lawyers at Barasch & McGarry have represented hundreds of clients injured in car accidents. We have the expertise and investigative resources to thoroughly process car accident injury cases from start to finish. We can assist you in making sure that your rights under New York’s no-fault laws are protected so that you are not saddled with burdensome medical bills down the road.

Throughout litigation we use respected and experienced private investigators to ensure that all evidence is preserved by obtaining photographs and witness statements and conducting scene investigations.

Our injury attorneys guide you through the difficult process of litigation and do our very best to obtain a favorable jury verdict or settlement on your behalf.

My husband and I were very pleased with the outcome. He received as much assistance as needed to understand every single document and the progress of his case. Everybody we had work with was highly professional, motivated, friendly, supportive and always available to us.

J.H.
Personal Injury Client

What To Do If You Are In A Motor Vehicle Accident In New York

Take these steps to document and accident—

• Call the police and make sure any injured parties are attended to. Try to protect the accident scene.
• Write down the names and addresses of all drivers and passengers involved in the accident.
• Get the make and model of each vehicle involved, plus the other driver’s license number and insurance information.
• Get the names, addresses, and phone numbers of any witnesses who stay around after the accident.
• Call your insurance agent as soon as you can, even if you are far from home, and it was somebody else’s fault. Request a no-fault insurance application.
• Keep records of the expenses you incur as a result of the accident and copies of all paperwork.
• Speak to an attorney as soon as possible to ascertain your legal rights.
• See a doctor to make sure that you get well and to ensure that your complaints are documented.
• Take photos showing the accident scene, where the cars came to rest, and the damage to both cars.

Car Accident No-fault Insurance Benefits

If you are injured in a car accident, you are entitled to receive no-fault insurance benefits for accident-related losses regardless of who was at fault for the accident. No-fault benefits may include payment for your medical and prescription expenses, lost wages, and other incidental expenses for items such as travel to doctors and household care, up to $50,000. These benefits are paid by the insurance company insuring the vehicle you were in, or if you were a pedestrian, the vehicle that struck you. No-fault benefits are in addition to any right you may have to bring a lawsuit against the negligent driver who was responsible for causing your injuries.

To receive no-fault benefits, the injured party must contact the no-fault insurance company, request an application for benefits, and return the completed application. The insurance industry has successfully restricted injured victims’ rights. Injured persons have only 30 days from the day of the accident to apply for no-fault benefits. Doctors and hospitals have only 45 days to file for payment.

To protect yourself if you are involved in an automobile accident, it is critical that you obtain the name and address of the no-fault insurance company as soon after the accident as possible. Then, contact an attorney to help you file the no-fault application timely and appropriately. Time constraints on no-fault benefits do apply so it’s important to act quickly in the aftermath of an accident.

Of course, if we can be of any assistance to you concerning no-fault benefits or any other accident-related issue, we invite you to contact our car accident lawyers.