Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
Any car accident can cause injuries, deaths, and other losses, but victims of hit and run accidents may struggle to recover compensation for their losses. If you suffered an injury or lost a family member in a hit and run accident, you can try seeking damages on your own, but you may not know where to start. Our hit and run accident lawyers in New York City with Shulman & Hill are here to help.
New York City’s congested roads and aggressive drivers are part of city life, and unfortunately, that combination can lead to traffic accidents. As the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles explains, drivers must report any accident in which a person is injured or killed, or the property damage exceeds $1,000. Hit and run accidents occur when drivers ignore this law and fail to stop, exchange information with the other driver, and report the accident.
How Our Hit and Run Accident Lawyers in New York City Can Help Your Case
Dealing with the trauma of a hit and run accident is stressful enough. However, dealing with the aftermath may feel equally traumatic. You want to ensure you get the compensation you deserve, but you may not know how much that is or how to go about obtaining it. Making a mistake in the insurance claims process could cost you the money you need.
You can avoid legal missteps and manage the recovery process by working with an attorney after a hit and run accident in New York City. An injury lawyer with Shulman & Hill will evaluate your case, explain the legal and insurance processes to you, and help you seek damages from the liable party. Most importantly, our lawyer will be on your side and look out for your best interests at every step.
Our hit and run car accident lawyers can:
Investigate the Hit and Run Accident
The police and insurance companies will investigate your hit and run accident, but we will investigate it independently. We can begin working on your case once you contact us and we agree to work together. The sooner you contact us, the better, as much of the evidence related to a car accident is time sensitive. For example, many businesses only keep security camera footage for 24 to 48 hours.
The biggest challenge in a hit and run case is typically identifying the driver who fled the scene. If you took pictures of the other driver, their vehicle, or their license plate, we can use that information. Damage to your car, such as dents and paint transfers, may be useful. We will also collect footage from nearby traffic or security cameras, interview eyewitnesses, and collect police reports.
Estimate the Value of Your Damages
An evidence-based estimate of your damages is critical as you seek compensation from the responsible driver and their insurance company. Insurance companies are notorious for making lowball offers, and you may accept such an offer unless you know how much your case is really worth.
Our lawyer will gather your medical bills and records, wage statements, tax records, expert medical testimony, and interviews with you and the people close to you to assess the value of your damages. We will use this estimate as we pursue compensation.
Handle Insurance Matters
Dealing with insurance companies after a hit and run accident can be stressful. You must gather documents from every healthcare provider who treated you, submit reams of paperwork, and spend more time than you want to on the phone. Not only that, but the seemingly friendly insurance agents may try to trick you into saying that the accident was your fault.
Our hit and run accident lawyers in New York City can take over these tasks. We have experience dealing with insurance agents and know what to say and what not to say when speaking with them. We can gather your documents for you, fill out the accident-related paperwork, and submit an insurance claim for you. By taking over the insurance matters, we free you up to focus on your health and healing.
Negotiate a Settlement
Our lawyer can negotiate a settlement with the other driver’s insurance company. We will use evidence to substantiate our estimate of your damages and advocate for your fair compensation.
Sue the At-Fault Driver
Our lawyer can pursue compensation through both negotiations and in court. We also can file a lawsuit for compensation directly from the driver who fled the scene.
How Much Is My New York City Hit and Run Accident Case Worth?
Many factors affect how much a personal injury case is worth. Your age, income, the extent of your injuries, and medical treatment costs influence your case’s values. Our lawyer will investigate your hit and run accident and gather evidence to estimate how much it is worth. If you were hurt in the accident, your damages may include:
- Medical expenses for treatments you have received, such as emergency room care, ambulance expenses, X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, surgery, follow-up visits, speech, occupational, or physical therapy, prescription medication, and medical equipment.
- Future medical expenses if you require more surgeries or other procedures, additional medical equipment, assistance with activities of daily living, or other ongoing care.
- Past lost income, including salary, tips, and wages if you took unpaid time off work because of your injuries.
- Future income loss if you can no longer work or work in the same capacity because of your injuries.
- Pain and suffering if you endured emotional or physical trauma because of the accident.
If you lost a family member in a hit and run accident, you may be able to recover damages for wrongful death. No amount of money can ever replace your loved one, but seeking damages allows you to hold the hit and run driver accountable for their actions. You may be able to recover:
- Medical expenses for treatment your relative received after the accident but before he or she passed away
- Funeral and burial expenses, such as cremation or embalming fees, an urn or casket, a memorial service, flowers, and transportation
- Pain and suffering your relative experienced after the accident
- Loss of support and services, such as household chores, household maintenance, and childcare that your loved one would have provided if they had survived
- Loss of financial support for the income and benefits your loved one would have provided
- Loss of parental care and guidance if your relative left behind surviving children
Affording a Personal Injury Lawyer in New York City
You might think personal injury lawyers are only for people with a lot of money, but that is not the case at Shulman & Hill. We believe everyone should be able to access professional legal services, regardless of their income. So, our attorneys accept a contingency fee instead of upfront attorney’s fees and costs. This payment structure means that anyone can afford to work with our lawyers.
A contingency fee comes from a portion of your insurance settlement or jury award if you recover one. In other words, we collect this fee only if we win your case. You never have to pay anything out of pocket. Because we assume the risk with this payment structure, we carefully select cases that have a good chance of success.
We also offer free case consultations, which means you can tell us about your case and get to know our team without making a financial commitment. You can tell us what happened from your perspective, and we can evaluate your case’s chance of success. If you feel comfortable working with us and we feel confident in your case, we can move forward together.
Legal Deadlines in a New York City Hit and Run Accident Case
Under New York law (CPLR § 214), you generally have three years from the accident date to file a lawsuit for personal injury against the hit and run driver. If your family member suffered fatal injuries from the accident, New York law generally gives you two years from their death date (which may fall after the accident date of the accident) to file a wrongful death lawsuit (EPTL 5-4.1).
The law allows for some exceptions to these deadlines. Our lawyer serving New York City will go over your case’s details, establish an events timeline, and determine how state laws and any exceptions could affect you.
