Experience You Can Trust

What to do at an accident scene in New York

On Behalf of | May 23, 2018 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

New York has some of the busiest highways and roads in the Northeast. With millions of residents, visitors and workers in Mahopac and around the state, many drivers are bound to find themselves involved in a motor vehicle accident at one time or another. This post will explain what you should do at an accident scene in New York so you do not compromise the scene or put yourself in any further legal trouble.

It is extremely important to know that you should never leave the scene of an accident in which you are involved, even if you were not the at-fault driver. You must remain at the scene until law enforcement officials say you are released. You will need to give a statement and exchange insurance information with the other drivers involved.

It’s also a good idea to move your vehicle to a safe place after an accident, if the vehicle is movable. This decreases the likelihood that you will be involved in a subsequent accident. If the vehicle cannot be moved, you should get as far away from it as possible and out of moving traffic if you are not seriously injured.

Never touch evidence or move debris after a serious accident. The police will need to take pictures of where it all came to a stop to help reconstruct the accident as part of their investigation.

Drivers should also be honest about what happened when the police ask for a statement. You don’t have to give them what you think happened. You just need to tell them how you were involved and what occurred.

Motor vehicle accidents can run the gamut from very minor to tragic, causing thousands of dollars in injuries and property damage. If you follow the tips outlined in this post, you should have no trouble at an accident scene in Mahopac.

Archives

Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock