Brooklyn’s crowded streets make it a prime location for hit-and-run accidents. These events can happen when victims are inside their vehicles or while cars are left parked and unoccupied. However they occur, hit-and-run accidents often leave victims with injuries and property damage.
As a victim, there are things you can do to help your situation. Most importantly, call a New York City car accident lawyer from Tucker Lawyers. A Brooklyn hit-and-run lawyer from our firm will help you navigate the consequences of the accident to secure fair compensation.
Why Choose Tucker Lawyers?
With over 30 years of experience representing accident victims, Tucker Lawyers understands the discouragement and uncertainty victims feel in the aftermath of a hit and run. We want to support you fully. At your first meeting, your Brooklyn hit-and-run lawyer will assess your needs to help you figure out the next steps and answer your questions.
After this, your attorney will build your case, giving you updates throughout the process. If you have questions for your attorney, ask for answers at any time. We are always happy to speak with you.
How We Can Help
The team at Tucker Lawyers is committed to working for justice for residents of New York City and its surrounding counties. We have extensive knowledge of New York’s car accident laws and work to get compensatory justice for accident victims.
When you are a hit-and-run accident victim, you experience an added layer of injustice. Not only does someone else cause injury to you and your property, but they abandon you to face the consequences alone. When you connect with a Brooklyn hit-and-run accident lawyer, you do not have to face those consequences alone and are not without recourse. Your attorney will work diligently to get you the compensation you need to recover.
What to Do after A Brooklyn Hit-and-Run Accident
When New York drivers are involved in a car accident, they are legally required to stop and share contact and insurance information with the other involved parties. If there are injuries or if damage to a vehicle exceeds $1,500, drivers must call the police to take an official report.
Even if the driver hits an unoccupied car, perhaps one parked on the street or in a parking lot, they must put a note with their contact information on the damaged car’s windshield and report the incident to the police if they cannot find the car’s owner.
Hit-and-run events still happen even with these laws in place. While getting justice may be more challenging for hit-and-run victims, there are actions they can take to prompt a more positive outcome.
Make a Report
Call the police and make an official accident report. Having an official report will help your case if the offender is located.
Get Medical Care
If the hit-and-run produces severe injuries in you or anyone else, call for emergency care. Even if you believe your injuries are only minor, get prompt medical attention. Some symptoms, even of serious injuries, appear hours or a day or so after an incident occurs. Swift treatment and a documented diagnosis will protect your health and help support an injury claim.
Collect Evidence
Document every detail you can about the accident, such as the make, model, and color of the car that hit you, the license plate number, its direction, and the physical traits of the driver. If the hit and run occurred while you were away from your car, note specifics about the damage, the times you left and returned to the car and any additional relevant details.
Take pictures of the accident scene and note contact information from witnesses. If there are businesses nearby, ask if they can access security camera footage showing the accident.
Report to Your Insurance
You need to report the hit-and-run to your insurance but keep the discussion brief and factual. Do not offer speculations or comment on the degree of your injuries.
Connect with a Brooklyn Hit-and-Run Lawyer
The sooner you connect with a Brooklyn hit-and-run lawyer, the better. Your attorney can handle insurance discussions and build a stronger case with access to evidence while it is still fresh.
How a Brooklyn Hit-and-Run Lawyer Will Help You
An experienced Bronx hit-and-run lawyer from Tucker Lawyers has the resources, knowledge, and negotiating skills to manage all aspects of your case.
The Hit-and-Run Driver
Locating the hit-and-run driver is a best-case scenario. The team at Tucker Lawyers has resources and connections that can make finding the offender possible and create the potential for a third-party injury claim.
Not all hit-and-run drivers actually leave the scene. Some remain, but give you phony identifying information. Your attorney can still work to locate these drivers. But to protect yourself from this dishonesty, take pictures of the driver’s car and license plate.
Your lawyer will also know what evidence will help your insurance claim and possible third-party lawsuit and will make sure no important details go overlooked.
Your Insurance Company
New York is a no-fault state, which means those injured in car accidents use their own insurance, called Personal Insurance Protection (PIP), to cover their injuries regardless of who is at fault. By law, New York drivers must carry
- PIP to cover “reasonable and necessary” medical and other accident-related costs. PIP does not cover vehicle damage, pain and suffering, or other noneconomic losses
- Liability insurance should other parties file against them
- Uninsured Motorist Insurance (UMI) if they need to file against an uninsured driver. UMI only covers vehicle damage if victims prove contact with another vehicle caused the damage.
Drivers buy insurance because they have to and for protection when accidents occur. They expect insurance companies to be on their side. Unfortunately, this is not how it works. Insurance companies exist to make money; the less they pay you, the more they make for themselves. Therefore, your understanding of “reasonable” or “necessary” coverage may differ from your insurance company’s.
Do not settle for less than you deserve. To ensure you get what you need, put insurance negotiations in the capable and confident hands of a Brooklyn hit-and-run attorney.
Proving Negligence in a Brooklyn Hit-and-Run
Though New York is a no-fault state, victims can pursue third-party personal injury claims when they sustain severe injuries from an accident.
Through the meticulous investigation of your accident, your lawyer will compile evidence to prove driver’s negligence caused your accident and the accident caused your injuries and damages.
Compensation from a Third-Party Claim
Both economic and noneconomic damages can be covered by a third-party claim and settlement. Economic damages cover your financial losses:
- Medical bills and future care
- Income lost during recovery
- Lost future earnings and benefits if you cannot return to employment
- Repair or replacement of property damaged in the accident
- Other accident-related costs.
Compensation for noneconomic damages acknowledges:
- Physical pain
- Emotional and psychological distress
- Reduced enjoyment of life.
Understanding Fault in New York
New York follows a pure comparative fault system for third-party injury claims. This means injured parties can file a claim no matter how much fault they hold for the accident. Their compensation will be lowered in proportion to their level of fault.
For hit-and-run accidents, it is likely the court’s sympathy will be with the victim. However, the defendant’s representation will still look to protect their client and save them from making major payouts. You need a strong Brooklyn hit-and-run lawyer to fight for your fair compensation.
FAQs about Brooklyn Hit-and-Run Accidents
We will always answer your questions before moving forward, and some of the most common questions people ask us include:
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Should I try to chase the driver down?
Do not try to catch the driver on your own. Car chases are dangerous to you and others on the road and could lead to more injury. Further, the driver may have a weapon, be intoxicated, or try to hurt you if you confront them.
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What should I say to my insurance company?
Watch your words carefully. Even an innocent “I think I’m doing okay” can be used against you should injury symptoms arise later. Tell your insurance company your car has been damaged in a hit-and-run and that you will seek medical care. Then, leave discussions to your attorney.
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Do hit-and-run offenders face criminal charges?
It is against the law to leave the scene of an accident. When offenders are identified, they will face criminal charges and, if convicted, criminal penalties. The offender’s criminal status has no bearing on your personal injury claim. You can file a claim even if the driver is not convicted criminally.
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Why would a driver flee the scene of an accident?
Drivers flee for a lot of reasons. It may just be a case of panic. Or, the driver may already be on probation, be driving under the influence, or have immigration concerns. No matter the reason, it is unlawful to leave an accident scene.
These may not be your only questions; our attorneys will discuss your specific concerns in your initial consult.
Justice for Bronx Hit-and-Run Victims
Hit-and-run accidents bring increased challenges for victims needing compensation. Those challenges may be frustrating, but they are not a reason to give up hope.
Make an electronic request or call Tucker Lawyers at (516) 399-2364 to schedule a free case review with a compassionate but aggressive Brooklyn hit-and-run lawyer. We will work tirelessly to bring you justice.
Managing Attorney John. J. Tucker, Esq.
John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ Attorney Bio ]