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

by

17 December 2018

Legal

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:

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Related

Criminal Lawyer

What To Look For When Researching A Criminal Lawyer?

There is a reason why normal individuals tend to keep their distance from lawyers, policemen, and the overall legal and judicial systems. For any normal human being understanding the complex and intricate workings of the legal system can become overwhelming. The process becomes even more cumbersome when you are facing a criminal charge and have to defend yourself in a court of law. This requires you researching the best criminal defense lawyers that can help you represent your case and walk away with the best possible outcome. Finding out criminal defense lawyers used to take place through the telephone Yellow Pages earlier. However, in 2021, there are new platforms, mediums, and ways of looking and researching a criminal lawyer. If you are looking to hire a criminal lawyer, please visit the website. The Importance of the Right Criminal Lawyer: why you need to get it right? A lot of individuals are pretty casual about selecting a criminal lawyer. They often depend on family connections, references, and television ads to hire one. What they do not realize is the fact that criminal lawsuits should not be taken lightly. In fact, they have serious implications for changing your life completely. Criminal lawsuits and convictions have the impact of not only changing your life but on your family as well. One false move on the part of your attorney can lead you to spend jail time in a state or federal prison. It can also tarnish your reputation and prevent you from securing employment opportunities once you end your sentence period. With the criminal legal system being a very complicated body to understand, you need to find a lawyer that can help you represent and argue your case in the best possible fashion. With several million Americans locked up in false criminal charges in penitentiaries up and down the state, you do not want to be the next statistic on that list. 5 Important Things to look for when researching a Criminal Lawyer 1. Integrity and Honest Principles-  A value that is often overlooked in this day and age is integrity and honesty. You need to hire a criminal lawyer that works according to a set of moral principles. This is important as you want the lawyer to defend your rights and secure an outcome that is in line with what is just and fair. A morally upright lawyer will be able to make the best decisions on your behalf in the case. 2. Empathy and Caring Skills-   While for a criminal lawyer you might be just one of his or her many cases, for your family and yourself, this is the only case. A criminal lawyer needs to fulfill expectations i.e be empathetic enough to understand what you and your family must be going through. Showing care can help the individual facing the lawsuit and his family feel confident. This can help them emotionally. 3. Communication and Articulation-  A good legal counsel can articulate the point of view of the client in front of the jury and judges clearly and comprehensively. The best criminal lawyers have a strong persuading power that can help convince and bring the jury to believe their client’s side of the story. This communication extends to judicial officers, investigators, and law enforcement. 4. Location, Distance, and Region- Many individuals make the mistake of selecting criminal lawyers that are stationed in some other states. You need to understand that the rules, regulations, and legal systems in different states can vary. Finding someone that is local and practices in the Court that your case will be tried at is the best possible solution. They would be better networked and know their way. 5. Fee Structure and Affordability-  As someone that is trying to defend themselves in a criminal lawsuit, you need to get the best lawyers. This is not an easy possibility as the best lawyers are expensive. This is one major reason why you need to see the fee structure and evaluate payment options and models. You do not want to be facing an uncomfortable situation with your lawyer over fee delays. The Final Word By paying attention to the above-mentioned important points, someone who is looking for a criminal lawyer will be able to make a much more informed decision. If you have any other questions, that you would like us to answer, let us know in the comments below. We will try our best to address them. Read Also: Civil Cases Versus Criminal Cases: What You Need To Know Criminal Case – Dos And Donts Criminal Law Enforcement

READ MOREDetails
surveillance

Things to Know about Surveillance Methods

Surveillance is the method of closely observing a person, object, or place. This is the art and practice of watching a subject so that the person who does the investigating, often called as a detective or investigator, can document the whereabouts, interactions, and other things about it. Many people employ surveillance when there are cases of missing people, cheating spouses, vandalism, fraud, worker compensation cases, theft, and criminal investigations. Here are the Most Common Types of Surveillance There are a lot of ways that an investigator can carry out the surveillance of a subject. You will find tools such as electronics and technology that can make the job easier. There are also jobs such as physical observations and conducting interviews that can be used during the process. When it comes to electronic surveillance, this often utilizes devices such as wiretapping, CCTV cameras, television, radios, and others so that the investigator can document the activity. They can monitor their subjects’ email, social media accounts, or even hack their phones for information. There are also ways, such as physical observation. This involves following the subject anywhere he will go. This often includes stakeouts and disguises so that the individual being investigated will not become suspicious. There are cases when the person of interest is already caught, and the physical observation is done through the jail cell. Other investigators utilize interviews. They are often conducted to gain as much information as possible about the subject. The people that are interviewed are usually close to the person under investigation. They can be friends, neighbors, family, co-workers, and others. There are technical ways to watch a subject closely. This can involve photography where most cunning detectives take pictures of what happened during the day or night. Other technology can involve the use of audio recordings and videos. Some examples of these are dashcams used by drivers and surveillance cameras used by the police. Tactics Used for the Job Others employ tactics as part of the job. There is covert and overt. The overtones are surveillance cameras often used in convenience stores to prevent customers from stealing. The covert one is an undetected way of trailing a subject from a distance. There are times when the subject is mobile. This means that he can move freely, and the detectives often follow the person of interest anywhere. This can be done while on foot or riding a vehicle. There are times when the subject is stationary such as in cases of prison cells or when they parked their car the outside of a store and stay there for long periods. Mechanical investigations often involve the use of camcorders, voice recorders, cameras, videos, and other equipment. Human investigation can be done by checking files, and the source of information came from the team that makes the inquiry. Learn more through instructors with field knowledge about surveillance in sites such as Investive learning. You can get tangible skills and awareness if you are interested in this kind of field by talking to the right people. Why Do You Need Surveillance? There are lots of reasons why surveillance is conducted. These reasons can include preventing crime, obtain evidence, document the person’s current location, note the activities of the place where the person is, to get more pieces of information through interrogation, and to obtain other pertinent proof that can be used in court. Some conduct surveillance with their properties, spouse, or children so that they know their whereabouts and the status of the family. Most people have a sense of security when they know that their husbands or wives are not cheating behind their backs. Others want proof that their money, assets, and properties are safe. How Does a Surveillance Usually Work? The investigator will schedule a meeting with the client. They will ask about their expectations, what they want to happen, and the end result of the whole investigation. The detective may require a background check on the subject. He will note the physical description, phone number, full name, photographs, and other important information about the subject. The detective will then familiarize themselves with the area where they will be doing the surveillance. Familiarity with the location means that they can do the inspection at any time of the day. The person investigating can decide on the equipment that they will use, such as tinted windows, cameras, dash cams, videos, and more. They will plan a practical and reasonable explanation in case they are caught. Most of the investigators will follow the subject, and they keep several things in mind. These things can include never making eye contact or not walking by the house more than ones. Extensive notes are then taken, and the report should be very accurate.

READ MOREDetails
Criminal Defense Attorneys

What Do Criminal Defense Attorneys Do?

Criminal defense attorneys play the most important role during a criminal case. Starting from the assignment to the interview, investigation, evidence analysis, and more. They defend the person who is charged with a crime. The defense attorneys defend on behalf of the accused person. A criminal defense attorney investigates different facts and deals with the case for the accused person.  They also deal with the prosecutors to defend the clients.  In this article, you will clearly understand what do criminal defense attorneys do. Work of Criminal Defense Attorneys: A criminal defense lawyer gathers facts and theories to deal with the case on behalf of the defendant. If you want any legal advice for any criminal case, you can consult the Patrick Griffin criminal lawyer. 1. Case Assignment A defendant may directly contact a criminal defense lawyer, or the court can also assign a lawyer. Some criminal defense lawyers are also public defenders appointed by the courts, and the government pays them their fees. There are many private criminal defense lawyers who work independently or under a private legal firm. Private defense lawyers get more salary than public lawyers. Public lawyers get more cases than private lawyers because of referral processes. Sometimes courts also appoint private lawyers for some specific cases. 2. Interview the Client About the Case The criminal defense lawyers try to get more details about the case from the client. The lawyer asks some specific questions to the client to learn about the case and figure out the defenses and strengths of the case. The lawyer also identifies the weaknesses of the case. It is possible through questioning the defendant. 3. Investigation of the Case After asking the questions, the criminal defense lawyers also investigate the case for finding any possible defenses. The lawyer also questions the police about the procedures followed in the case. In addition to that, the lawyers may also talk to the witnesses who have some information about the case. The criminal defense lawyers also have the rights to review the case submitted by the prosecutor to the jury. This may help the lawyer to find some holes which can save their clients. 4. Evidence Analysis The criminal defense lawyers also analyze the evidence. This helps the lawyer to figure out different facts of the case. The lawyer can also test the evidence independently. Furthermore, the lawyer can also examine the evidence that may help him/her to determine if the legal theories working against the accused. 5. Communicate With the Client The criminal defense lawyers also stay in continuous contact with the client to offer the developments about the case and inform about the case. It’s important to keep the conversations confidential both for the lawyer and client. The lawyer also explains every possible consequence of the case that gives a better understanding of the client. 6. Assists Jury Selection Process The defense lawyers also assist with the jury selection process. If there is any biased feeling against the defendant of the jurors, the lawyers may try to remove them. 7. Trial Participation The criminal defense lawyers try to prove wrong the allegations made on the client. They participate in the trial process and fight against the case made by the prosecutor. The criminal defense lawyers also deal with the prosecutors for a plea bargain. More importantly, the criminal defense lawyers also convince the jury to reduce the sentence. Conclusion Hopefully, the above information has helped you to understand what is a criminal defense lawyer. The defense lawyer works on behalf of the accused person and defends the allegations or cases made on him/her. The lawyer works closely with the client to help them out of the case. If you have any queries, you can ask in the comment box. Read Also: Your Federal Disability Attorney and Lawyers 5 Top Tips to Help You Hire The Perfect Attorney Protect Your Rights Today With Domestic Violence Lawyers

READ MOREDetails