New York Hit and Run Accident Lawyers

Were you injured in a car accident where the other driver fled the scene? If so, you were the victim of a hit and run, and you may face serious challenges as you try to pursue fair compensation.

If you are considering taking legal action, our hit and run accident lawyers in New York would like to help. Call our office at 212.221.1000 to get a free case review and learn more about our services.

How Our Hit and Run Lawyers Can Assist You

After a hit and run, you could be entitled to collect compensation. The legal system, however, will not necessarily make it easy for you to do so.

That is why Shulman & Hill was founded: to help people like you navigate the law and get the money you need and deserve. We offer many services to our clients, including:

• Investigating the circumstances of the accident and collecting enough evidence (i.e., medical records, police reports, and witness testimony) to build a persuasive casefile
• Communicating with all other parties on your behalf and advising you on how to respond to any allegations or statements they make
• Filling out and submitting all paperwork on your behalf
• Seeking fair compensation through whatever channels are available to us
• Giving you our contact information so you can let us know if you have questions or concerns or if something new happens with the case
• Updating you on your case regularly, so you know what is happening and what decisions you have to make
• Charging a contingency fee, so you do not have to pay any upfront costs to get started on your legal case

Challenges Unique to Hit and Run Cases

In many personal injury accidents, it is common practice to identify the liable party and sue them for the harm they did. Unfortunately, in hit and run accidents, finding the liable party is often difficult.

Shulman & Hill’s hit and run accident lawyers in New York have the experience and the drive to handle such tough cases. We can work with you to:

• Come up with a feasible plan of action that may work for your case
• Determine how much compensation you qualify for based on the nature of your injuries and how serious they are
• Determine who should pay the damages you are eligible for. If we cannot find the hit and run driver, there are other ways to seek compensation

You Can Recover Hit and Run Compensation

It is easy to feel overwhelmed and uncertain after being involved in a hit and run accident. Rest assured that help is available. Our legal team could manage your entire case, and you could qualify for various types of compensation that may ease your burden.

Here are the three main types of compensation you could ask for after a hit and run:

• Pain and suffering: Your injuries may have caused you a great deal of distress, discomfort, and unhappiness. They may even impact your long-term health.
• Medical expenses: This is the cost of receiving all necessary treatment to ensure you survive the injury and recover from it as fully as possible.
• Loss of wages: When you are injured, you cannot go to work and earn the money your family needs to live on.

The amount you seek for each of these categories should reflect:

• The losses you already endured, such as the immediate physical pain you experienced at the time of the crash and while completing medical treatments
• Current and ongoing losses, such as lingering symptoms or your continuing inability to work
• Losses you may incur in the future, such as the cost of additional medical treatments or the permanent impact your injuries have on your ability to hold a job

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) reports that car accidents cost New Yorkers billions in economic losses alone every year. If someone else is responsible for your accident, you should not have to pay for such losses yourself. Our team fights hard to ensure our clients get what they deserve after suffering serious injuries.

What About Wrongful Death Compensation?

If you lost a loved one in a hit and run accident, please accept our condolences. Our team understands that this is a painful time for your family—and that no amount of compensation can bring your loved one back.

However, wrongful deaths can be very expensive, both now and over the long term. You may want to consider seeking compensation to help you cover:

• Any medical bills your loved one incurred prior to their passing
• The income you expected your loved one to earn throughout their career
• Intangible losses related to the wrongful death, such as your loved one’s conscious pain and suffering

What to Do After a Hit and Run

There are several aspects of your well-being that you should take action to protect following a hit and run. These include your:

Health

Your first priority after any accident should be getting appropriate medical attention. This could mean different things to different people. For instance:

• If you are bleeding a lot, are in serious pain, or you were unconscious for any length of time, call 911.
• If you have visible injuries but are not in immediate danger, make an appointment with your regular doctor as soon as you get home.
• If you feel no adverse symptoms, you should still see your doctor to make sure you are all right.

Once you have taken measures to preserve your own health, you can look after others if you are able. This could mean checking on your passengers or the occupants of any other vehicles involved in the collision.

Safety

If you or your vehicle are in the middle of the roadway after an accident, you should move to the side of the road while staying near the accident scene. This does not count as a hit and run. Instead, it is a common-sense safety measure to prevent additional accidents or further damage.

Legal Rights

Your right to compensation does not last forever. New York law (found at CPLR § 214) generally gives most people three years to file a personal injury claim in response to a car accident.

You can consult with our firm whenever you are ready to learn more about your rights, even if you are not yet certain about filing a lawsuit. We can help you by:

• Assessing your case for free so you know if you have a valid case
• Being honest about what the legal process might be like and how long it might take
• Answering your questions about the law, our services, and any other legal topic you want more information about

We usually recommend that hit and run survivors contact us as quickly as possible because this may give us more time to figure out the best way to handle their case.

How Do Hit and Run Accidents Happen?

Car accidents have many potential causes, including:

• Driving over the speed limit
• Driving too fast for the conditions (for instance, in a heavy snowstorm, even driving at the speed limit could be too fast)
• Driving after drinking alcohol or taking drugs
• Driving while too tired to pay full attention to the road
• Distracted driving (e.g., texting or tuning the radio)
• Failing to pay attention to traffic signs, such as stop signs, yield signs, or traffic lights
• Defective auto parts that cause the driver to lose control of their vehicle
• Poorly maintained roads that pose undue hazards to road users

A car accident becomes a hit and run when the driver responsible for the crash leaves the scene without:

• Stopping their vehicle
• Trying to render appropriate assistance
• Reporting the accident to the proper authorities

Anyone can get caught in a hit and run accident, from drivers and passengers to bicyclists and pedestrians. Shulman & Hill can represent you regardless of where or how the accident occurred.

Why Do Hit and Run Accidents Happen?

There are many reasons why a person might choose to leave an accident scene without stopping, including:

• Fear of consequences
• The mistaken belief that they did not cause any serious harm
• Lack of care or empathy for others
• The fact that they are too drunk or high to realize what they did

None of these reasons is a good excuse for not stopping to assist after causing an accident. You deserve the chance to recover financial compensation after such an event. Our team would like to help you do so.

Can You Prevent Hit and Run Accidents?

In one sense, yes. You can prevent hit and run accidents by always driving carefully and, if you do cause a crash, stopping to help whoever you hit.

However, you cannot control other drivers’ behavior. If they decide to leave the accident scene, that is on them, not you. After a hit and run, however, you can take steps to learn more about your rights.

Call Our New York Office Today

A hit and run accident can upend your life in ways you may struggle to recover from. As New York’s premier personal injury law firm, Shulman & Hill has the dedication and the experience to help you fight for the monetary compensation that could make your recovery a little easier. Call 212.221.1000 to find out what our lawyers can do for you.