What Are Your Rights After a Car Accident in Long Island?
As many as 4.4 million people are injured in car accidents per year. Despite better safety regulations and advanced safety features in passenger cars and trucks, car accidents remain a threat to the health and well-being of motorists and their passengers.
If you are in a car accident on Long Island, New York law requires you to stop at the scene of the accident — whether the accident involves a pedestrian, a moving car, a parked car, or someone’s property. If you leave the accident scene, you may be charged with hit-and-run and face severe penalties. If it is a significant accident, call 911. A police officer and emergency medical technicians (EMT) will respond to the accident scene if people have been injured.
You should provide your information to others involved in the crash. That information should include:
- Your name and driver’s license number
- The vehicle identification number of the car you are driving
- The name and address of the car’s owner
- The name and address of your insurance company
- Your insurance policy number
If you were injured in a car accident, the driver’s insurance company may contact you. The insurer may talk with you about your accident. Anything you say to the insurer can be used to limit or deny your claim. Consult with an experienced Long Island personal injury lawyer – and don’t sign anything. Do not answer any questions from any insurance company and refer all inquiries to your attorney.
You have the right to hire a car accident attorney after an auto accident if you were injured. You could be owed significant compensation if your injuries were caused by someone else’s carelessness or neglect. It’s always wise to protect your rights. Consider hiring a qualified and knowledgeable Long Island car accident attorney to represent you.
Our Long Island personal injury law firm has significant resources to handle complex motor vehicle accident cases. We have handled cases involving spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and other life-changing injuries. Our Long Island law firm also represents family members who have lost loved ones in fatal motor vehicle accidents on Long Island in wrongful death claims. Our experienced Long Island injury attorneys know how to aggressively pursue the compensation you need in this difficult time.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Claim in New York?
Insurance companies require you to immediately report a car accident. New York law gives you three years from the date of the accident to commence a lawsuit against the other party.
With New York’s no-fault laws, you must file a damage claim with your own car insurance company. No-fault insurance is designed to cover medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, and lost wages. The law allows you to step outside of the no-fault system only in the event of serious injury. With certain exceptions, the no-fault law does not allow compensation for pain and suffering.
Multiple deadlines exist for a claim of lost wages. The Long Island car accident lawyers at Finz & Finz, P.C., can advise you on how and when to go about making that claim.
Our personal injury lawyers can listen to the details of your car accident and determine whether you may have a personal injury case. Please bring as much information as you have to your initial consultation. The accident information should include the police report, your medical records, proof of lost income, and the names and addresses of any witnesses. If you do not have the police report, we can obtain it on your behalf.
Our aggressive stance provides our clients with the financial compensation that they need and deserve. That’s why you need an experienced New York car accident lawyer from Finz & Finz, P.C., on your side.
Most Dangerous Roads on Long Island
Over the decades that Finz & Finz, P.C. has practiced law, we have been able to identify some of the most dangerous roads where auto accidents and pedestrian accidents are likely to occur on Long Island. Route 25 (Jericho Turnpike) runs through the whole length of Long Island and records a number of fatal accidents yearly. Some of the other dangerous roads in Long Island include:
NASSAU COUNTY:
- Brewster Street, Glen Cove
- Conklin Street and Route 24, Farmingdale
- Fulton Avenue, Hempstead
- Fulton Street and Route 109, Farmingdale
- Grand Avenue, Baldwin
- Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont
- Jericho Turnpike (Route 25)
- Merrick Road, Lynbrook
- Middle Neck Road, Great Neck Plaza
- Mineola Boulevard, Mineola
- N. Main Street and Merrick Road, Freeport
- Nassau Road, Roosevelt
- Newbridge Road and Broadway, Hicksville
- North Franklin Street, Hempstead
- Park Avenue, Long Beach
- Post Avenue, Westbury
- Sunrise Highway, Valley Stream to Freeport
- West Merrick Road, Valley Stream
SUFFOLK COUNTY:
- Carlton Avenue, Central Islip
- Islip Avenue, Central Islip
- Jericho Turnpike (Route 25), Centereach
- Main Street, East Hampton
- Main Street, Patchogue
- Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton
- Montauk Highway, Shirley-Mastic
- Roanoke Avenue, Riverhead
- Route 110 and New York Avenue, Huntington Station
- Routes 25A and Route 112, Upper Port Jefferson
- Suffolk Avenue, Brentwood and Central Islip
- Wicks Road and 5th Avenue, Brentwood
- William Floyd Parkway, Shirley-Mastic
In a recent year, the Nassau County police department released information regarding the most dangerous intersections in the county based on the number of crashes that occurred there. Those Nassau County intersections where an auto accident is most likely to occur are:
- South Oyster Bay Road, Syosset: 129 crashes
- Searingtown Road, North Hills: 110 crashes
- South Oyster Bay Expressway, Syosset: 100 crashes
- North Broadway, Jericho: 90 crashes
- Sunnyside Boulevard, Woodbury: 78 crashes
- Willis Avenue, Roslyn Heights: 77 crashes
- Mineola Avenue, Roslyn Heights: 68 crashes
- Jericho Turnpike, Jericho: 64 crashes
- North Hyde Park Road, North Hills: 63 crashes
- Glen Cove Road, East Hills: 55 crashes