Motor Vehicle Accidents

Documents To Show Your Attorney After A Car Accident

Following an accident, it is natural to feel frazzled and unsure of how to proceed. However, in 2018 alone, there were over 277,971 car accidents in New York alone. Even if you require more time to process, it is important that you take note of and prepare all the necessary information if you plan to have a successful claim.

This brings us to the big questions – what documents will I need to show my attorney?

Witness Account

While you are prepared to give a verbal account of everything that had transpired and the measures that you took following the accident, it is important that you write that everything that happened before, during, and after everything had happened. Make sure to take time to look over it so that you do not miss out any important details or if there are any inconsistencies. Once you have everything in order, make sure to bring this to your meeting with your lawyers.

Medical Records

This is relevant for individuals who had sustained an injury. Any medical records or photographs that can serve as proof of the injuries sustained, their impact, or the cost of treatment will be crucial information for your claim and subsequent compensation.

Police Report

The most important to do in the immediate aftermath of a car accident is to call and make an official police report of the accident. This report will later be essential evidence as it will have a description of the accident as well as the opinions and findings of investigations and interviews that were conducted by police.

Witness Statements

If there was anyone else on site when the accident occurred, it is a good idea to get their contact details. This will enable you to later ask if they are willing to write an account relating to what they have seen. Multiple witness statements will not harm your case and can even be important in strengthening your claim. Make sure to bring the contact details of the individuals to your lawyers so they may also contact them for any further information.

Insurance Details

You will need to provide your insurance details as well as any relevant health insurance details. If you were able to exchange insurance details with the other party, those are also important documents that your lawyer will require.

New York Vehicle & Traffic Law and Motor Vehicle Accidents

When it comes to determining fault and negotiating a settlement regarding motor vehicle accidents, any motor vehicle accident lawyer will need to know a series of New York Vehicle and Traffic laws and their application to lawsuits. These laws impose a strict guideline as to reporting after an incident, the information required in a report, as well as the processing of said report. It is necessary to follow this laws in order for you to have your claims and reports properly processed by the commissioner.

Section 600 – Which necessitates that anyone who has caused or who knows  that damage has been done to the property of another is required to provide identification materials for him or herself and for the vehicle involved. Failure to do so will constitute as a class B misdemeanor punishable by the law; and

Section 604 – Which applies to the contents and preparations for the reports required. Blanks forms for the reports required are supplied in city and town clerks as well as in the police department for general distribution. Any reports should therefore be submitted and filed following this standard, unless otherwise stated by the commissioner.

Section 605 – Which provides the information that is required within the report made by the owner of the vehicle or any relevant persons and any further specifications or exemptions that are applied following the stature of the individual.

If you are unsure which documents are needed for a motor vehicle accident claim, don’t worry; Pazer Epstein Jaffe Fein & Gozenput, P.C. is here to help.