After your car accident, you may be disoriented, unsettled, and injured. Your priority should be getting medical treatment, but depending upon the specifics of the accident, it is probably best to notify your insurer too. In many instances, you have to notify your insurance company of the accident so that they will provide coverage that you are entitled to.
While contacting your insurer may be a prudent course of action, you are best served by contacting an experienced and dedicated personal injury/car accident law firm and allowing your lawyer to handle all the communications on your behalf. You do not have to advance any payment to have a lawyer do this for you so there really is no reason not to handle it this way.
- Why Do You Have to Notify Your Insurance Company of an Accident?
- Do I Need to Notify My Insurance if a Car Accident Wasn’t My Fault?
- Do I Have to Report Every Incident to My Insurer?
- When Should I Get a Lawyer After a Car Accident in New York?
- Contact Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. for a Car Accident Lawyer Near You
Why Do You Have to Notify Your Insurance Company of an Accident?
First of all, if you don’t notify your insurer of the accident, you may not qualify for certain coverages.
For example, if your car was damaged and you carry collision coverage you might need a rental vehicle, but your insurer may not cover one unless you report your accident promptly.
Additionally, if you suffered injuries in the accident, your insurer should cover your treatment costs and a portion of your lost earnings if the injuries rendered you disabled from employment, so long as you report the incident. The report would be in the form of filing an “NF-2” or Application for No-Fault Benefits. Making sure you have taken the necessary steps to lock in No-Fault coverage may be invaluable to you.
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Do I Need to Notify My Insurance if a Car Accident Wasn’t My Fault?
Since New York is a no-fault state, your insurance company—not the other driver’s insurer—will typically be responsible to pay the medical costs, percentage of lost earnings and some related necessary expenses, (e.g., travel cost to treatment, home assistance, etc.,) that resulted from your accident.
So, you should notify them about the accident regardless of fault. If you retain our firm we will gladly handle the correct and timely submission of the application for No-Fault benefits as well as communications with your No-Fault carrier, relieving you of the stress and anxiety, permitting you to focus on your treatment and recovery.
Do I Have to Report Every Incident to My Insurer?
Let’s say you back your car over a sidewalk curb, resulting in damage to your car’s suspension. In this case and others in which another party is not involved, you don’t have to report the incident to your insurer. Instead, you can take your car in for repairs and leave it at that.
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When Should I Get a Lawyer After a Car Accident in New York?
If your accident involved another party, you may want to work with a lawyer from our firm. A lawyer will protect you from any accusations from the other driver or their insurance company. You might even want to call a lawyer before you call your insurer since your insurer may try to diminish your damages and even deny your claim, and a lawyer will protect you from those situations too.
It is ironic that despite collecting your premiums and spending huge sums to advertise how wonderfully they will be to you, once you file a claim, even with your own insurer, their objective is to minimize their payout to you, and pay you nothing if they can. We are all too familiar with their objectives and strategies and our mission is to protect your rights and win the best possible outcomes for you.
With a car accident lawyer from our firm on your side, you won’t have to defend yourself or negotiate with anyone. Instead, your lawyer will take care of communications and negotiations and, if necessary, represent you in court. In addition to that, your lawyer will:
- Investigate the incident for you
- Gather evidence for your claim, such as your medical bills and the police report
- Corroborate your evidence with a statement from an accident reconstructionist or another expert, if necessary
- List and valuate your damages, including your medical bills, your vehicle repair/replacement bills, your pain and suffering due to your injuries, and more
- File your claim or suit on your behalf, meeting the filing deadline for a personal injury lawsuit, outlined in New York Civil Practice Laws & Rules § 214, (or such other statute of limitations as may apply depending upon the detailed circumstances of your case)
- Communicate with you in English, Spanish, Greek, Bengali, Tamil, or Kannada
How common are car accidents? Almost every motorist will be in at least one minor collision. Determining the likelihood of experiencing a car crash can help you better prepare for dealing with the incident.
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Contact Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. for a Car Accident Lawyer Near You
You might want to calm down after your accident and forget your worries for a while, and that isn’t a problem so long as you contact your insurer soon. Contacting them the day after your accident or before then will help ensure your insurance will cover your damages.
Better yet though, you should first connect with an attorney from our firm to ensure you provide timely notice to protect and assert your rights. There’s a lot one of our lawyers will do for you, and we’ll tell you more during a free consultation. We can meet you anywhere on Long Island or elsewhere in the New York metropolitan area. Call us today for your free consultation.
Call or text 516-932-0400 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form