Don’t Settle For Less

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What to Do If You Have Been Injured In a New York Motor Vehicle Accident

No matter what kind of motor vehicle accident you are involved in; whether you are a driver, passenger or pedestrian; whether the vehicle is an automobile, truck, motorcycle, bus or taxi; whether the accident happened at an intersection, stop sign or highway, the rules regarding coverage for health related expenses and lost wages remain the same. New York is a “no-fault” state and regardless of fault, an injured person involved in an New York motor vehicle accident whether it is an automobile, truck, bus or taxi is eligible for no-fault benefits, which include reimbursement of medical, hospital and/or health-related expenses as well as lost wages. However, in order to be eligible for these benefits, an application must be filed with the proper insurance company within thirty days after the accident. In New York State, the proper insurance company for an injured driver or passenger is the insurance company for the vehicle the driver or passenger occupied at the time of the accident. For a pedestrian, it is the insurance company for the vehicle that struck the pedestrian.

How Do You Obtain Information If You Were In a New York Auto Accident?

Of course, the first the question that comes to mind is: How do I obtain this information? If the injured person is a driver or passenger, the identity of the vehicle is likely to be known. On the other hand, if the injured party is a pedestrian or passenger in a bus or taxi, the unknown vehicle information is not so readily available. Police reports are a public record and easily obtainable. If police respond to the scene, listed on the police report is the vehicle information and insurance code for all vehicles involved in the accident. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles assigns a code number to each insurance company licensed to do business in New York State. In the event that the police do not respond to the scene of the accident, it is incumbent upon the injured person to ask someone at the scene to take down at the very least the plate number for the vehicle that was involved in the accident. If it is at all possible, try to get the name and address of the vehicle’s owner and operator. Realistically speaking, this is a lot to ask of a person who has just been injured in an automobile, bus, taxi or truck accident. However, without identifying the car responsible to pay the no-fault benefits, the injured party may not have anywhere to look for reimbursement of medical/health related expenses and lost wages.

The Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel has the experience, knowledge and expertise to identify the proper insurance company who would be responsible to pay no-fault benefits to an injured victim of a New York automobile accident.

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