Accidents happen all the time, and unsuspecting people may get badly hurt. When an accident is someone else’s fault, they should be held responsible. A lawyer can help you file a personal injury lawsuit and get financial compensation for your injuries.
If the accident is serious, call 911 and get an ambulance. The police may also be sent to the scene to provide help and investigate. If they uncover valuable evidence, we can use it as part of your civil lawsuit. Your claims may include medical costs, damaged property, pain, suffering, and more. You should speak to an attorney as soon as possible, and your time to file a lawsuit is limited, and the clock may already be ticking.
Receive a confidential case review for free when you call our personal injury attorneys at Basch, Keegan & Spada at (845) 303-2748.
What Should You Do if You Are Injured in an Accident?
After an accident, you should focus on getting help. If it is possible and safe to do so, you may also try to preserve or document evidence from the accident.
Call 911
Accidents can be serious, and if anyone is injured in the slightest, call 911 and get help immediately. If your injuries are not so serious that you feel the need for an ambulance, you should still report the accident to the authorities and go to the hospital as soon as possible.
Call a Lawyer
Call a lawyer to discuss your accident, injuries, and damages. It is understandable to be unsure about what to do next. You may have mounting costs from the accident, and those responsible might not show any sign of trying to make things right. An attorney can review your situation and advise you of your legal options, including filing a personal injury lawsuit.
Preserve as Much Information as Possible
As you wait for help to arrive at the accident scene, it is a good idea to preserve as much information about the accident as possible. If you have a camera, take photos and record videos of the accident scene. Once the scene is cleared away, evidence may be lost, but we may preserve it in photos and videos.
Damages You May Recover in a Beacon, NY Personal Injury Lawsuit
Your damages should reflect the numerous losses and painful experiences from the accident. Your damages are unique to your situation, but below are some damages that come up frequently in personal injury cases.
Medical Expenses
Your injuries likely require emergency medical care, which is likely expensive. Even one visit to the emergency room can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Kee track of all your medical bills so our personal injury lawyers can claim all your medical costs as part of your damages.
Property Damage
Talk to your attorney about whether you lost property in the accident. Some accidents inherently involve property, like car crashes. Other accidents may involve the loss or destruction of smaller personal items. Either way, property damage may add up to enormous costs, and it should be claimed as part of your damages.
Income and Wages
If you are hurt, you may need time off from your job to recover. For some, this might require spending days, weeks, months, or longer away from their jobs. Unfortunately, this means you may lose income at a time you really need it. The longer you are unable to work, the greater your damages should be.
Pain and Suffering
Some injuries are not outwardly visible or measured in terms of financial cost. Non-economic damages often revolve around the plaintiff’s physical and mental pain and suffering from an accident. These damages are somewhat challenging to articulate, but they are generally higher in cases where injuries and other losses are more severe.
How Much Time Do You Have to Prepare Your Personal Injury Lawsuit?
If you are injured in New York, you have 3 years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit in civil court. If you do not file your case by the end of this period, you may be barred from ever bringing your claims in court.
It can take time to prepare a lawsuit before we file it, and the sooner you contact a lawyer, the more time they may have to prepare your case.
Where to Find Evidence to Support Your Personal Injury Case
Evidence to support your lawsuit may come from almost anywhere, and evidence has a way of being unpredictable. Below are some places we should begin to look for evidence.
The Accident Location
The place where you were injured likely has a lot of important evidence. Remnants of the accident, including debris and damage to the surrounding area, may be extremely telling, and you should take photos and videos of the area.
We may also check the area for security cameras. If videos of the accident exist, they may be very helpful to your case.
Personal Records
Certain records may also be useful. After you go to the hospital, we should ask for copies of your medical records. It may take time to fully compile these records, so we should ask for copies as soon as possible.
Other records may also exist regarding the accident. Police reports about the accident may lead us to new evidence, or business records from a business you are suing for damages may help us prove what happened.
Witnesses
Eyewitnesses are people who watched the accident unfold. They may testify about what they saw, including how you were involved in the accident and whether the defendant acted negligently. The more witnesses we have who can support your version of events in court, the stronger your case may be.
How to Review Evidence in a Personal Injury Case That The Defendant Controls
If the defendant controls certain pieces of evidence that we need to review, they may not simply hand it over of their own free will. Even so, we may still access this evidence during the discovery phase of the case. During this time, both parties are required to exchange relevant evidence so that each side may build the strongest case possible. If the defendant refuses to turn over evidence during discovery, we can ask the court to make them.
Get Help Now by Calling Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Beacon, NY
Get a confidential case assessment for free when you call our personal injury lawyers at Basch, Keegan & Spada at (845) 303-2748.