What to Do When Someone Hits Your Parked Car

If someone hits your parked car on Long Island, it is crucial to take the right steps afterward to protect your rights. You may be able to seek compensation based on the degree of injuries you suffered, the damage to your vehicle, and more. Incidents involving parked cars are not unusual in Nassau and Suffolk counties or New York City. They are also not always as minor as many people assume. Significant property damage and serious injuries sometimes occur. Documenting what happened and how it impacted your life will help support your claim should you decide to pursue compensation.

Report the Accident to Local Authorities

We believe that contacting emergency services immediately after an accident if you have injuries is the wisest course of action. We strongly suggest that you call 911 or contact local police if there is a possibility of injuries. Doing so will help ensure you get the medical care necessary to address or rule out injuries, and that the crash is properly documented for your insurance claim. It is also necessary to ask the police to come out if the other driver left the scene without exchanging identification and insurance information. This scenario is a hit-and-run, which is illegal. The other driver must remain on the scene until police arrive and take a report or attempt to exchange identification and insurance information with you. To file an insurance claim, you will first need to complete a Report of Motor Vehicle Accident form and submit it through the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NYSDMV). You can do this by contacting the local police precinct or following the instructions online.

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Document the Types of Damages You Suffered

If your personal injuries and appropriate regard for safety allow, you should begin documenting your accident-related damages, expenses, and losses right away. This process could involve:

• Taking pictures and video of your vehicle and the surrounding area before moving it from the spot where it came to rest after the impact
• Taking photos of the license plates and, if possible, window registration stickers of all involved vehicles.
• Photographing and video recording the damage to the other car
• Getting names and phone numbers of all witnesses
• Noting and taking photographs of any cameras or other surveillance in the area
• Seeing a doctor to document any injuries and begin treatment as soon as possible
• Keeping a file of related expenses with receipts and bills
• Getting an estimate for your car repairs
• Giving your account of the accident to  law enforcement at the  scene

The recoverable damages in your case will depend on the losses and expenses you endured, among other factors. Some common examples include:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages if you missed work
• Car repairs
• Rental car costs or other expenses
• Replacement of damaged property
• Pain and suffering damages

If the accident involved injuries and they were serious, our personal injury legal team will help you navigate the process and handle your claim while you focus on healing. As soon as you call us, you will be provided a courteous, patient, comprehensive, free consultation to get started. We will answer your questions and address your concerns so that you make informed decisions about how you wish to proceed.

Seek Medical Attention

If you were in the parked car during the accident, you should seek medical care. Some injuries take days to manifest. For instance, according to Healthline, it can take 24 hours for signs of whiplash to develop.  Based upon reports from thousands of clients over our more than 30 years of representing car accident victims, symptoms of pain and loss of range of motion can begin to present even in the days following these first 24 hours. Quite frequently, the person who thought they were basically fine when the adrenaline from the accident was propelling them through the initial stress of the event, is racked with pain and unable to move and function days later. Waiting too long to seek medical care does more than jeopardizes your health; it can also jeopardize your case. You want to do everything possible to build a strong case against the other party. Neglecting to visit a healthcare provider will make it difficult to prove a connection between the collision and your injuries.

Keep All Documentation Related to Your Injuries

While visiting a healthcare provider, keep records of:

• The dates and times you visited a doctor
• The results of your diagnostic imaging scans
• The names of the healthcare providers you visited
• The details of your treatment plan
• Your daily pain levels

When you partner with our law firm, we will explain what other documentation could benefit your case.

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Contact Your Insurance Provider

New York operates on a no-fault insurance system. Following any type of car accident, an injured person would typically first file a claim with the insurance provider of the host vehicle. To do this, contact with the host vehicle insurer is ideally made within days of the collision.  When you retain our firm, we will take care of this for you. By contacting your insurance provider sooner rather than later:

• We draw a firm connection between your claim and the incident itself.
• We  “get the ball rolling” on your insurance claim. The insurance company has less reason to deny your claim’s validity.

Notifying your insurance carrier promptly can serve our goal of winning every dollar you deserve  as soon as possible,

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Avoid Doing These Things After Someone Hits Your Parked Car

Now that we’ve provided a list of the things you should do after an accident, here are some things you should avoid:

Sharing Information About Your Case Online

Cyberspace is not a safe place to share sensitive information. During your case’s progression, you should avoid sharing any statuses or posts that could be connected to your claim. If the claims adjuster sees these posts, they could use them to contest your claim.

Discussing Your Case with Uninvolved Parties

Nobody aside from you, your lawyer, and the at-fault party need to know about the accident. Again, anything you share could make its way back to the insurance company. Your lawyer will keep every aspect of your case confidential. We recommend that you do the same.

Accepting a Direct Settlement Offer

We know you may be eager to resolve your case as soon as possible. However, accepting the first settlement offer typically made when the insurance carrier for the at-fault party reaches out to you directly could ultimately do more harm than good. Chances are, it will not account for the full scope of your losses––only those you are facing right now. If you suffered harm in a collision, you want compensation that accounts for your past, present, and future losses. By consulting with your lawyer, you could learn whether the first settlement offer meets your needs.

Giving a Recorded or Written Statement

You do not have to give a recorded or written statement to the insurance carrier for the at-fault party.. Doing so only gives the insurance company more information to dispute your case.

What Should I Do If I Don’t Know Who Hit My Vehicle?

If you do not know what happened to damage your vehicle or the person who hit you left the scene, contact the local police department. They will attempt to look at surveillance video or use other tools to identify the driver. You could have additional options for securing a payout even if the other driver is never identified. When you hire a car accident attorney from our firm on Long Island, we will help you explore these options. (Property damage would be covered, less a deductible, if you carry collision insurance coverage. A bodily injury claim could be made against the Uninsured Motorist provisions of your car insurance policy.  As mentioned, we will review other potential options during your free consultation.)

Let Our Personal Injury Law Firm Handle Your Claim

If your accident involved injuries, you should consider hiring legal representation as soon as possible after the crash. Our team will evaluate your case to determine your options for filing a claim or lawsuit and securing compensation for your damages. We provide all prospective clients with a free case review, so you have nothing to lose by calling us to discuss our services. It is also important to keep in mind that you only have a limited time to sue the at-fault driver under New York Civil Practice Laws & Rules § 214. Additionally, other deadlines apply to all claims and lawsuits.  Finally, evidence such as surveillance and dashcam video, and witness statements are best obtained as soon as possible.  Delay in obtaining these items can result in them becoming unavailable for a variety of reasons.  For the above-stated reasons and others, you should act quickly following your accident to get the experienced, dedicated, and effective legal representation you deserve. Our law firm will prepare and file your claim, demanding an appropriate settlement based on your case. If the insurer refuses, a lawsuit is often possible.

Speak with Our Team at No Cost to Your Family

Speak with a Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. team member today for free. We will review your case and discuss your next steps for filing a claim and taking action to recover compensation. Schedule your free case review today. We are passionate advocates for the injured and handle car accident cases based on contingency fees.

Call or text (516) 932-0400 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form