New York’s personal injury law firm
Click For Your Free ConsulationPosted in Car Accidents on April 1, 2022
New York uses a no-fault auto insurance system. After a car accident, you will look to your insurer for injury compensation. You will only seek compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurer if you exhaust your no-fault benefits or you suffer a serious injury.
As a result, you may need to know the other driver’s insurance information. Without this information, you risk bearing the burden of paying for your car accident injuries. The person who caused them will walk away cleanly.
Here are some of the most common ways to find out whether someone has car insurance in Brooklyn, NY.
After a car crash in New York, you must:
If the accident caused any injuries or deaths, you must also call the police. When the police arrive, you must show the officers your ID and insurance information card.
Under most circumstances, you will have the other driver’s insurance information. Armed with the other driver’s name, address, insurer, and policy number, you can file a claim against the at-fault driver if you meet New York’s tort claim threshold.
But for a variety of reasons, your condition after a car crash might not allow you to get the necessary insurance information. For example, you might not get the other driver’s information if:
If the other driver does not offer their insurance card, here are three ways to get their insurance information.
Tempers sometimes flare after a car accident. If you believe that asking the other driver for their insurance information will spark a confrontation, ask the police to help you.
Under New York law, all drivers must show their insurance information to the responding officers. The officer can act as the go-between to get the other driver’s insurance information for you.
The responding officers must prepare an accident report for any accident that causes an injury or death. The accident report includes:
You can get the insurance information for the other driver from the accident report. If your accident was investigated by the NYPD, you can get the accident report seven days after your accident.
You can also get a copy of the accident report from the New York DMV. Keep in mind that the DMV may take up to 60 days to post your accident report online.
The New York DMV will conduct an insurance search for you. But you must have a copy of the accident report to request a search. Thus, you will typically only resort to a DMV search if the accident report lacks the other driver’s insurance information.
Once you have the other driver’s insurance information, you and your injury lawyer can file an injury claim against the other driver’s bodily injury liability (BIL) coverage. Vehicle owners in New York must carry at least $25,000 in BIL coverage to meet New York’s auto insurance mandate.
This compensation may be essential if you exhaust your no-fault insurance benefits or suffer a serious injury. This compensation can pay for your medical expenses, reimburse you for lost wages, and cover your non-monetary losses like pain and suffering.
If you need legal assistance, contact the Brooklyn car accident lawyers at Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation.
We have two convenient locations in New York:
Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers – New York City Office
450 7th Ave #409
New York, NY 10123
(212) 564-2800
Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers – Brooklyn Office
26 Court St Suite 2511
Brooklyn, NY 11242
(718) 802-1600