Knowing the right steps to take immediately after an incident helps protect both your safety and your legal rights.
Car accidents can be stressful and disorienting, but knowing the right steps to take immediately after an incident can help protect your safety and your legal rights.
Whether you're involved in a minor fender-bender or a more serious collision, this step-by-step guide walks you through what to do after a car accident in Brooklyn.
1. Make sure everyone is safe
Check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If anyone is hurt, call 911 right away: New York law requires you to notify the police immediately when someone is injured or killed. If the cars can be moved and no one is hurt, move them out of traffic and turn on your hazard lights.
2. Exchange information
Before leaving the scene, show your driver's license and insurance information to the other driver, and get theirs. Write down:
- Name, address and phone number
- Driver's license number
- Insurance company and policy number
- License plate, make, model and color of each car
- Names and phone numbers of any witnesses
If you hit a parked car or damaged property and the owner isn't there, leave your details and report it to the nearest police precinct as soon as you can.
3. Document the scene
Take photos before the cars are moved, if it is safe: the damage to every car, the license plates, the position of the cars, street signs and the road conditions. Note the time and the exact location. Photos taken right away are the best evidence for an insurance claim.
4. See a doctor
Even if you feel fine, get checked. Some injuries, like whiplash, don't show right away, and a doctor's record helps with any insurance or legal claim. If symptoms such as headaches or neck pain appear later, see a doctor again.
5. Report the accident to DMV when required
In New York, each driver must file a Report of Motor Vehicle Accident (form MV-104) with DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed, or if the damage to the property of any one person, including you, is over $1,000. Failing to file is a misdemeanor, and your license or registration can be suspended until the report is filed. A police report made at the scene does not replace your own MV-104 when one is required.
If the damage is $1,000 or less, no one was hurt and you exchanged information, you don't need to call the police or file a report, though you may file one if you are unsure about the amount.
6. Call your insurance company
Report the accident to your insurer promptly and give them the facts you collected. Stick to what happened, and avoid guessing about fault at the scene or on the phone.
7. Don't admit fault
Avoid saying anything at the scene that could be taken as admitting fault, even if you are unsure what happened. Let the police and the insurance companies determine liability, and stay calm with the other driver.
8. Get the car checked
Even a minor collision can hide damage behind a bumper or under the car: bent brackets, a damaged radiator, or misaligned wheels. Have the car inspected before you rely on it again. In New York, your insurer cannot require you to use a particular repair shop: the choice is yours.
When a lawyer can help
If fault is disputed, someone is seriously injured, or the insurance claim gets complicated, it may be wise to consult an attorney. Many offer a free first consultation.
Preventing the next one
- A defensive driving course sharpens your reactions to hazards.
- Regular maintenance of tires, brakes and lights reduces the risk of an accident caused by a mechanical failure.
How S.R. Auto can help
If the car can't be driven, our tow truck can bring it to our shop at 300 McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint. We repair cars under insurance claims and work with all major insurance companies. Call (718) 349-9742.
