What to Do When You’re Involved in a Car Accident in Albany

Published on: 17 December 2018 Last Updated on: 15 December 2021
Car Accident

You can be driving across an intersection and then another vehicle suddenly comes out of nowhere on the left side and smashes into the driver’s side of your car.  Accidents like these do happen. Each year, millions of car accidents occur in the United States and Albany is no exception. It’s best that you know the steps you need to take when you get into a car accident. Here are some tips on what to do when you’re involved in a car accident in Albany.

Different Ways To Handle A Car Accident In Albany 

1. Action plan:

First things first, here is a rundown of the actions you need to take immediately after a car accident:

Step 1: Check if you have injuries.

Step 2: Check if your passengers are fine or have injuries that need to be addressed.

Step 3: Get to a safe place (park your car on the side or get out of your car if it is severely damaged).

Step 4: Call for help and call 911 immediately.

Step 5: Wait patiently for medics and the police to come and assist you.

Step 6: Exchange information with the other driver involved in the accident.

Step 7: Document the accident by taking pictures, finding out exactly what happened, and getting witness statements.

Step 8: Inform your insurance company about the accident for you to be able to claim your insurance policy.

This will all be discussed in the next paragraphs in detail.

2. Address all safety concerns:

The car accident would surely come as a shock to you, but you have to stay alert. Your vehicle could be damaged, and the passengers including yourself could be injured. Immediately check yourself and the other people who are with you in the car. If someone is hurt, call for help and call 911 immediately. Afterward, turn on your emergency hazard lights and place your reflective device at the back of your car so other cars on the road are warned that there was an accident.

3. Report your accident:

Report your accident

After you have addressed all injuries and safety concerns, you must report your accident. You might not know, but under the New York law, you are required to report the accident and submit proof of insurance of all parties involved in the accident. Furthermore, if there was damage, injury, or death in the accident, you’re required to file a form with the New York DMV. Here are also some information that you have to take note of regarding the other party:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Mobile number
  • Insurance company
  • Driver’s license number
  • License plate
  • Car make
  • Car model and year
  • Car color

Additionally, after you have addressed all safety concerns and gotten information regarding the car accident, try to take as many photographs of the scene as this may come in handy later on for the police report. In more serious cases, you might need a lawyer present to assist you on legal documents and representation when you file a police report. Call your family lawyer immediately if you need to. If you don’t have a lawyer yet, you can check out a law firm site online for legal assistance.

4. Contact your insurance company:

insurance company

Once you have reported your accident and addressed all injuries, it’s now time to contact your insurance company. It’s essential to know what your insurance policy covers. Gather all requirements asked by the company and claim the coverage to help you save money on the repair of the damages on your car.

6. File a personal injury lawsuit:

personal injury

If the car accident resulted in a serious injury, you might want to look into filing a civil lawsuit. Your insurance may only cover partial car damage repairs and medical expenses. In New York, you have around three years from your accident to file a lawsuit to cover the damages from the accident. You may wish to consult with a New York personal injury attorney as New York laws on injury and accidents are quite complex. You can check out Albany Courthouse pages and find more information about filing lawsuits.

Hopefully, you’ll never get into a car accident, but if you do, these are some tips that will prepare you for such an event.  Simply apply the tips listed above, and you’ll be able to easily recover from a car accident.

Read Also:

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Discrimination In The Workplace

First Step To Dealing With Discrimination In The Workplace

Workplace disputes and challenges can be stressful. Daunting, even, when things take a more serious turn. When injustices transpire, it becomes more difficult to work without constantly fearing said injustices. Facing discrimination in the workplace should not deter you from standing up for your rights as an employee. Instead, here are the primary steps to take when they do. Steps To Take Against Workplace Discrimination Dealing with work discrimination can be jarring. You are feeling intimidated, and extremely anxious. Thinking almost everyone is against you. However, your one step can be a big movement for that organization still throwing a blind eye to discrimination. So, here is where you should start! 1. Talk To A Lawyer Regardless of what kind of discrimination you face at work, the distressing fact is that the courts have strict rules for what qualifies under “work discrimination.” You will need an expert who is knowledgeable about this segment of the law to push your claim forward. Hiring a lawyer does not instantaneously mean you are to brace yourself for upcoming court matters. Doing so is a kind of “safeguard.” How? A lawyer can help you recount the charges you are making and inform you about what qualifies under work discrimination, especially what you can legally do about it. That, and in an objective manner. 2. List Down The Offensive Actions Committed Against You We understand that recounting such actions can be painful, or traumatizing for others. Yet this is a crucial step that requires your attention— listing down every offense your perpetrators have carried out. Called a journal for tracking discriminatory behavior, be as detailed as possible with your entries. Be sure to include the date, location, and time each one took place. Alongside these, the perpetrator/s, witnesses (if there were), and other relevant information. 3. Report The Incident There is a possibility of them turning down your claim. Especially if it becomes apparent that you did not report the occurrences. As such, the company should be aware of these workplace events because it is a lawful requirement to act upon them. If they do not implement a body (due to the lack of familiarity regarding this motion), this could be held against them & you. Therefore, report the incident to your superiors and have Human Resources or any relevant department get these in writing and on record. 4. Understand The Incident Aside from speaking with your attorney about it, talk to your manager/s. Although quite in the minority, there are cases wherein acts were not deliberately made. Nevertheless, your superiors need to know of these to talk to the perpetrators and reiterate (or draft) company rules about work discrimination. It’s also an approach to seeking help with respect, and officially reporting the incident. 5. Prepare For Counterattacks And/Or Retaliation Even with legal advisers at your side, be ready for retaliation from your perpetrators. Whether through actions, threatening words, work-related retribution (i.e. disapproval of a raise, vacation leaves, etc.), be ready for them. But do not fret because a work-discrimination lawyer is aiding you every step of the way. The law can be used as your foundation and shield against those who premeditatedly intend for your harm within the walls of your workplace. What Kind Of Counterattacks We Are Talking About (...How To Deal With Them) When you report workplace discrimination, have you noticed subtle changes in how your work is evaluated? Is your performance suddenly being scrutinized even though your work hasn’t changed? Or are you being left out of important meetings? These are common forms of retaliation. But don’t worry, you can handle them! Keep track of everything. Documentation is key when it comes to proving your case later. Are You Being Excluded from Work? Are you dealing with meeting exclusion? Not on the loop on important information to achieve the right results? This is a deliberate strategy used to disempower you. Don’t let this become your reality! Stay focused, ask for what you need, and keep being professionally productive. Letting it be known that you cannot easily be pushed aside sends a strong message. Can You See Corporate Growth? Has a raise or promotion that seemed within reach suddenly been denied? This could be retaliation for your complaint. Look for patterns, keep all communication, and make sure to document everything. Your records will be important if you need to take legal action down the road. Stay focused, and don’t let these setbacks discourage you. Are You Facing Intimidation? Are you dealing with threats and verbal harassment? Unfortunately, this is a disturbing and common form of retaliation. Stay calm, and document any and all inappropriate comments or actions. Let your attorney know about what is happening. Yes, the more documentation, the better it is to prove your case. It Is Okay – You Got To Stay Strong Even if you’re getting hit with counter-complaints, know that it’s against the law for anyone to take revenge. Do you have a record of such avenging acts? Stay calm and be ready so you can easily prove your case rights. Keep going, and don’t let them intimidate or scare you. After all, they know you’ve had the courage to denounce their racism/sexism! They are seeing you as a threat and are scared, hence all the counterattacks. Better discuss these matters with your lawyer and start gaining evidence for your case. Read Also: 5 Safety Awareness Ideas to Maintain a Safe Workplace 5 Ways You Could Have Been Sexually Harassed in the Workplace How to Improve Workplace Security

READ MOREDetails
Personal Injury Lawsuit

What Are The Effective Ways To Communicate With A Personal Injury Lawyer

Did you know that many people do not contact a personal injury lawyer because they are unsure about how to do so? While this might not be the only reason why people don’t hire a personal injury lawyer, it is certainly one of them. Not knowing what to say to a lawyer makes them think their case is out of their hands and simply sit, hoping for the best. Or even people do find the courage to call a lawyer; they call the very first number they get from their friends and family members and will stick with that. Personal injury lawyers are expensive but become even more expensive when you don’t choose the right one for your case. In addition, if you do not have the right representative in the courtroom, you may never be able to collect the compensation you want to recover. Hence, it is important that you hire the right personal injury lawyer. And for that, you need to communicate with the lawyer effectively. Effective Ways To Communicate With A Personal Injury Lawyer The goal here is not only to hire the right personal injury lawyer for your case but also the one that understands your case to the core. This can only be achieved with effective communication between you and the lawyer. That being said, we have listed down the most effective ways to communicate with a personal injury lawyer. 1. Prepare A List Of Questions You will never feel comfortable, whether this is your first time or you have already experienced filing a personal injury lawsuit. Every case is different and comes with different complexities. Hence, you probably want to know - What are the responsibilities?What can be the best-case scenario.?What can be the worst-case scenario?How long can it take to solve the case?How much will the lawyer charge?How often does the lawyer update you about the case?What are your rights? There are just too many things that you need to be aware of. The best thing is to prepare a list of questions like the above and ask them one by one. While it’s true that some personal injury lawyers might not seem approachable, you must avoid them. Instead, choose some like a Personal Injury Lawyer in Pasadena. Every member is friendly and will never make you feel you are talking to a lawyer. 2. Share Every Piece Of Information If you keep certain information to yourself and do not tell your lawyer, you might risk your case. Most people are afraid that they are at fault and fear the consequences of coming out if they tell everything to the lawyer. Guess what, it probably will. It will cause more problems for you if your lawyers are unaware of certain information where they cannot defend you. On the other hand, you must know that your lawyer is a professional and probably has a number of ways to pull you out of a difficult situation. What you think might be devastating for your case - but as a lawyer, they are dealing with it every day. If the case is so clean, why do you need a lawyer then? So, instead of hiding any information from your lawyers, tell them everything you know about the case. 3. Communicate Your Desired Result Sometimes it's hard to come up with the desired result. You want to fight the case, but at the same time, you want the desired result. This mostly happens when the other party is someone you know. If that is the case, it is possible that the case will not even reach the courtroom and will be solved during the mediation phase. If you want to return to work, tell your lawyer. There might be some provision of the laws that affect your choice. The better you keep our lawyers informed, the better positions they will be in to help you out. Be Honest With Your Personal Injury Lawyer When you file a personal injury lawsuit, you need to provide extensive information to the lawyer so that they can build the case effectively. The document also helps them to prepare arguments made by the insurance company. The information that you are asked to submit is as follows. Financial Situation: Yes, discussing your past or current financial situation might not help your personal injury lawyer, but it will certainly help them give you better advice. For instance, if you are suffering from any financial hardship, your lawyers can ensure that the settlement is structured in such a way that it protects you from creditors. Medical History: It is important that you be transparent about your medical history. An accurate medical history will help your personal injury lawyer build the perfect case for you. You must know that a preexisting condition doesn’t prohibit you from seeking compensation. If your lawyer is aware of the past injuries, he can accurately evaluate the compensation. Criminal History: If you have any past criminal history, disclose it. This will help your personal injury lawyer build the case on the past data as well. In addition, you will even have an idea of what the outcome of the case will be. Potential fault: There can be multiple parties at fault, depending on the circumstances. However, the court evaluates the severity of the fault by Comparative Negligence Law and then looks at the compensation claim. That means, even if you are partly at fault, if it is less than the other party, you recover the compensation claim. Ask Questions! While talking with a personal injury lawyer, you might stand among legal terms you don’t understand. Instead of just nodding your head that you understand, ask your lawyer about the meaning and how they are used. Letting your personal injury lawyer know will help them get a better idea of your understanding of the case. Remember your aim is to understand the legal framework around the personal injury lawsuit. Asking questions to your personal lawyer is the best way to communicate. You will eventually find yourself having a valuable conversation related to your case. Additional Resource: Top 10 Colorado Springs Personal Injury AttorneysWhat Personal Injury Law in California InvolvesFiling a Personal Injury Claim in Chicago5 CRITICAL THINGS TO LEARN ABOUT PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS IN ANN ARBOR

READ MOREDetails
Great Lawyer

7 Characteristics of a Great Lawyer that can Help Win your Legal Battle

When you need legal help, it's critical to have the right lawyer to help you with your cause. Lawyers aren't all the same. Having the right legal team fighting for you can mean the difference between getting the right result in court and wondering what went wrong. If you're not familiar with the legal system, it can be hard to know if you have a lawyer who is up to the task. Here are seven characteristics of a great lawyer that can help in your legal battle from the attorneys at Lawyers Foyle Legal: 1. They listen: Being a great lawyer begins with being a great listener. Each case depends on what happened in that specific case. A lawyer can't be a great advocate for you until they fully understand the facts of your case. Your lawyer should remember the basic details about your case from one meeting to the next. They should actively listen to what you have to say, and they should ask questions. A great lawyer knows that you're more than just a case. Getting to know you and the details of your claim is a critical part of being a successful advocate. Your attorney should listen to you, ask questions, and allow you to ask questions, too. Being a good listener is the hallmark of the best legal minds in the world. A lawyer who does not listen is not someone who is able to help his or her clients to the best of their abilities. Listening allows for numerous details to be thrown up, which are relevant for the case at hand. Many people trust the Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney for the exact same reason. Their ability to listen to their clients and solve issues makes them sought-after in the industry. 2. They have experience in your area of law: Lawyers practice in many different areas of law. Some lawyers practice personal injury law and spend their time fighting for accident victims. Other lawyers focus on criminal law, wills and trusts, employment law, or patent law. Some legal practices are very specific to even a single law or issue. When you need a great lawyer, you need a lawyer that's experienced in the type of case that you have. Your lawyer needs to know the laws and court procedures that apply to the area of law that impacts your case. Thorough knowledge of the law and experience in the law is what gives an attorney the ability to advocate effectively for the client. Without a legal specialty in the right area, your attorney may miss critical rules and requirements. These errors may derail your case, or they may prevent you from fully getting the compensation that you deserve. Be sure that your attorney focuses in the right area of law and that they have the experience to help you with any unique issues that may arise in your case. 3. They can speak about your case: Your lawyer should be able to learn about your case and then give you a general idea of what to expect going forward with your claim. They should be able to tell you the basics about how the law applies in your case without having to turn to a textbook. Part of what your lawyer does for you is preparing you for what to expect in the legal process. They should be able to give you a rough idea of whether you have a case, a timeline for resolution of your claim, and what things you can do in order to achieve a better result in the legal system. A great attorney is honest with you about any issues that may make your case more difficult. If there are things that may cause you to lose your case or get a different result than you're hoping for, your attorney should be upfront with you about these things. They should help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your case as well as what may happen in the future as you go forward with your claim. 4. They stay in touch: A great lawyer is a communicator first and foremost. They speak to the courts, and they speak to the opposing parties in the case. However, it's also critical that your lawyer communicates with you. You should be able to approach your lawyer with questions and concerns. Likewise, your lawyer should reach out when they have questions about your case. They should keep you up to date on developments as your case moves forward. Your lawyer may communicate by phone or email. In any case, there should be an open door for you to communicate with your lawyer at any time. 5. They build your case through diligent case preparation: Even if the facts are on your side, there's still important work to do to build a legal claim. You must gather evidence in a way that you can present in court. There are technical rules about how to present evidence, and you must follow them. For each type of case, there are certain elements that the parties involved have to prove or disprove. A great lawyer knows how to build a legal claim. They know that you must diligently take steps to build your case and present it to the court. A great lawyer should be able to spot any issues that might be controversial in your case, and they should know how to respond to these challenges. 6. They work as your advocate and your guide: Ultimately, you decide how to resolve your case. If the other side extends an offer to resolve the claim through a settlement, your lawyer doesn't decide whether to take the offer. You make the final decisions for your legal matter. A great lawyer gives you the information that you need in order to determine whether you're making the right choices at every step. 7. They're passionate about what they do: A great lawyer goes the extra mile. They don't stop until the job is done. A passionate lawyer is a great lawyer because they work diligently on behalf of their clients. If your lawyer enjoys what they do, they put that enthusiasm to work to fight for you. How to know if you have a great lawyer: Having the right lawyer working for you is critical to your claim. A great lawyer offers outstanding legal services through training, experience, and passion. They must be a great listener. Together, you work to help you achieve the right result in the legal system. Read Also: Keys To Become A Successful Lawyer How To Find Best Car Accident Lawyer Near You Things To Consider Before Hiring A Divorce Lawyer

READ MOREDetails