What to Do in the First 24 Hours After a Brooklyn Car Accident

In the first 24 hours after a Brooklyn car accident, work through six things in order: get to safety and call 911, photograph the scene and collect witness names, see a doctor the same day even if you feel fine, tell your own insurer, keep what you say to the other driver's insurance company short, and write down what happened while it is fresh. Two New York clocks start at the moment of the crash. You have 30 days to file a no-fault claim for your medical bills and lost wages, and 10 days to file an MV-104 crash report with the DMV if anyone was hurt or the vehicle damage tops $1,000.

In most Brooklyn crashes, yes. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the vehicles are blocking traffic, and stay at the scene. Leaving can create criminal liability under New York law regardless of who caused the crash. When officers arrive, ask for the report or complaint number before they leave.

There's a second report many drivers miss. If the accident caused injury, death, or more than $1,000 in property damage, New York also requires you to file form MV-104 with the DMV within 10 days. The police report and the MV-104 both create a timestamped record of the crash, which matters if the other driver later disputes fault or if an injury shows up days later.

See a doctor the same day. Adrenaline after a collision masks pain, and whiplash, concussions, and soft-tissue injuries often produce no symptoms for 24 to 72 hours. An emergency room, urgent care, or your own doctor all work. A same-day visit creates a medical record that ties any injury directly to the crash.

Prompt treatment also protects your benefits. New York no-fault pays your medical bills regardless of fault, but insurers can question a claim when treatment starts late. The sooner you are seen, the cleaner the record.

Report the crash to your own insurer promptly, because most policies require timely notice and this is what opens your no-fault claim. New York is a no-fault state, so your own Personal Injury Protection coverage pays your initial medical bills and part of your lost wages up to your policy limit, and basic coverage is $50,000. The written no-fault application, form NF-2, has to reach your insurer within 30 days of the accident.

The other driver's insurer is a different conversation. You're not required to give them a recorded statement, and early settlement offers usually land before anyone knows the full extent of your injuries. Keep what you say factual, skip apologies or guesses about fault, and don't accept a quick payout before a doctor has assessed you.

Two clocks run at once. The 30-day no-fault deadline covers your own medical and wage benefits. Separately, the statute of limitations for a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver is generally three years from the date of the crash. To step outside no-fault and recover for pain and suffering, your injury usually has to meet New York's serious injury threshold, which includes a fracture, significant disfigurement, permanent limitation, or an injury that keeps you from normal activities for at least 90 of the 180 days after the crash.

The deadlines get much shorter when a city bus, an MTA vehicle, or another government vehicle is involved. A notice of claim is generally due within 90 days. Because the short clocks run first, getting advice early keeps your options open.

You're not required to hire one. For anything beyond a minor fender-bender, it usually helps to talk to a car accident lawyer within the first few days, while surveillance footage still exists and witness memories are fresh, and before you give any statement to the other driver's insurer. In New York personal injury cases a lawyer works on contingency, so there is no fee up front and you pay only if the firm recovers money for you. A first case review costs nothing.

If another firm already turned your case down, that doesn't always mean it has no value. Shared-fault situations, hit-and-run drivers, and injuries that surfaced days later can still be recoverable, and your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply.

Karasik Law Group, P.C. handles car accident claims from its Brooklyn office on Shore Parkway and represents injured drivers, passengers, and pedestrians across all five boroughs and New Jersey. Founding attorney Alexander Karasik, Esq. has tried car accident cases in Kings County courts, works on contingency so you pay nothing unless he recovers money for you, and the firm advances the costs of building your case. For Brooklyn's Russian and Spanish speaking communities, you can go through your accident, your questions, and your settlement in Russian or Spanish. The firm also reviews cases other lawyers passed on and checks your own policy for uninsured and underinsured coverage others overlook.

For a free case review after a Brooklyn crash, call Karasik Law Group, P.C. at (929) 444-4444 or start online.

Yes. After a car accident your own no-fault coverage pays your initial medical bills and part of your lost wages regardless of who was at fault, up to your policy limit. A serious injury can move your case outside no-fault into a claim against the at-fault driver.

You may still have a path to compensation through the uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on your own auto policy. Report a hit-and-run to the police right away and note any partial plate or vehicle details you remember.

Yes. You can handle your case in Russian or Spanish with Karasik Law Group, P.C., including your questions, the calls with the insurance companies, and your settlement.

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