New York State has several major cities. There’s New York itself and also Buffalo. You can also visit Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, and others. You might live there as well.
New York generally has well-maintained roads, but you must still obey all traffic laws to remain safe there. For instance, you shouldn’t speed since that can cause dangerous situations and potentially serious wrecks.
The NHTSA says speeding killed 9,387 people in 2018, and you can expect similar numbers most years. If a New York speed-related car accident occurs, you should follow these steps.
Get Off the Road if You Can
If a speeder hits your car, maybe you are on a deserted highway, or perhaps you are in rush hour traffic. Maybe you are on a quiet neighborhood street. No matter where the speeder hits you, though, you should get off the road if you possibly can.
You should guide the car off the highway onto the median, or you may move it into a parking lot if there’s one nearby. If the vehicle won’t move because the accident damaged it too much, or if you can’t move because you’re injured, you must leave the car there. Someone else can move it later.
Assess Your Injuries
You should next check yourself and ascertain your injuries. Maybe you think you’re unharmed at first, but then you realize you’re hurt, but you didn’t notice. You might have adrenaline pumping that dulls the pain temporarily.
You can see whether anyone else needs medical attention as well. Check on any passengers in your car, then check the other vehicle or vehicles. It is always possible this accident involved several cars or even pedestrians or cyclists.
If you need medical help, or if anyone else does, call 911. Tell the operator your location if you know it. Tell them what happened and that you or someone else needs medical attention.
Even if you’re not hurt, and you think the crash didn’t injure anyone else, you should still call 911. The operator can contact the police. They must come and file a report, even if you and the other individuals involved sustained no injuries.
Give a Police Report
When the authorities arrive, you can tell them what happened. If the speeder fled the scene, you can tell the responding officers that. You can tell them what you remember concerning the vehicle. You might tell them the color, approximate year, make, or model if you can recall any of those things.
If you’ve hurt yourself and you can’t give the police a report right then, you can do that later. Just rest till the ambulance arrives and let them treat you. They might suggest you visit a hospital unless you refuse.
If you can give the police a report at the scene, tell them your name, license plate number, and what insurance you have. They’ll look up your information. In New York State, they’ll have most of your additional info if you just give them your license plate number.
Visit the Hospital
If the crash hurt you, then you must visit the hospital and have a doctor look you over. Hopefully, the wreck did not hurt you too badly. If you wore your seatbelt, and if the airbag deployed, you’re probably okay.
However, speed-related collisions can sometimes cause serious harm. If the crash hurt you badly, you might need emergency surgery, an X-ray, an MRI, or some other procedure.
The doctors can assess your condition. If the wreck did not hurt you too badly, then they should release you. You must first give the police your report and find out where you can collect your car.
Contact Your Car Insurance Company
Once you get home, you can contact your vehicle insurance company. You should tell them what happened, omitting no details. Though you should give a detailed account, you should not speculate about who caused the crash. The crash details can reveal that information without your opinion.
If the other driver sped and hit you, you should mention that. You can say that the other driver exceeded the speed limit, or you think they did. Again, the crash site details should reveal whether that’s true or not. Saying that if you believe it’s true couldn’t hurt, though.
Collect Your Vehicle
You should next figure out where you can get your vehicle. Maybe you called a tow truck and told them about a garage near your home. If you visited the hospital, the police probably handled those details.
Contact the garage and ask them about your car. The mechanics there can tell you whether you can pick it up or how much damage it sustained.
If it’s badly damaged, they might need some parts. They may have them on hand, or perhaps they must order them. That depends on how badly the crash damaged the car and whether you have a newer vehicle or an outdated or classic one with rarer parts.
Consider Contacting a Lawyer
If it turns out the other driver exceeded the speed limit and they totaled your car, you might think about contacting an experienced car wreck lawyer or law firm that can help you. If the crash hurt you badly, you may do that as well.
If you think the other driver’s insurance can cover your injury costs and your vehicle repair costs, you probably won’t sue the other driver. However, if they hurt you badly or you experience pain and suffering while you’re recovering, you may feel like you deserve some compensation.
You can contact an accident lawyer and tell them what happened. When they hear the details, they will decide whether you have a solid case. If you do, then they might represent you.
You can bring legal action against the speeder. If they exceeded the speed limit, then they broke the law. If you sue them and win, you might collect some serious money. You’ll likely need it during the aftermath.
