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Immediate Steps To Take After an Injury in Brooklyn

Posted in Personal Injury on October 3, 2024

Immediate Steps To Take After an Injury in Brooklyn

Suffering an injury is never easy, and it can be even more overwhelming when it happens unexpectedly in a bustling area like Brooklyn, New York. Whether you were involved in a car accident, slipped and fell, or were hurt on someone else’s property, taking the right steps to protect your health and legal rights is important.

Talking with an experienced Brooklyn slip and fall lawyer can help you get compensation for damages.

What To Do After an Injury in Brooklyn, NY

Here’s what you should do in the immediate aftermath of an injury in Brooklyn:

Seek Medical Attention Immediately

The most important step after any injury is to prioritize your health and safety. Even if your injuries seem minor, seeking medical attention as soon as possible is crucial. Some injuries may not show symptoms right away but can become serious over time–and medical records can help your claim.

Medical records documenting your injuries and treatment can play a vital role in proving the extent of the harm you suffered. Additionally, delaying medical treatment can hurt your claim, as insurance companies may argue that your injuries were not severe or were unrelated to the accident.

Report the Accident

If your injury occurred on someone else’s property, in a car accident, or in a public place, be sure to report the incident to the appropriate parties. For instance:

  • If you were in a car accident, contact the police to file a report.
  • If the injury happened at a business or on private property, inform the owner or manager.
  • In case of a workplace injury, notify your employer immediately.

An official report can help establish a timeline and provide crucial details about the incident. The more documentation you have, the better.

Collect Evidence From the Scene

If you can, try to gather evidence from the accident scene. Take photos or videos of the location where the injury occurred, including any hazards that may have contributed to your accident. For example, photographs of wet floors, uneven pavement, or other dangerous conditions can be essential to your claim in a slip-and-fall case.

Additionally, contact information should be gathered from any witnesses who saw what happened. Their statements can support your version of events and strengthen your case if there are disputes about liability.

Available Damages After an Injury in Brooklyn

After suffering an injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to seek compensation for a variety of damages. The two main categories of damages in personal injury cases are economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages cover financial losses you’ve incurred as a result of your injury. This includes medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and future lost earning capacity.

Non-economic damages address more subjective losses like pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and scarring or disfigurement.

In some rare cases, punitive damages may be awarded if the responsible party’s actions were particularly reckless or malicious. These damages are intended to punish the at-fault party rather than compensate the victim directly.

How New York’s Comparative Fault Rule Affects Your Claim

New York State follows a pure comparative fault rule when determining liability in personal injury cases. This means that you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for the accident. However, your damages will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.

For example, if you were found to be 20% at fault for the accident and the other party was 80% at fault, you would still be entitled to recover compensation. However, your final award would be reduced by 20%, reflecting your share of the blame.

Having an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side can help ensure that you are not unfairly assigned a larger portion of fault than you deserve.

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer for Help

Navigating the aftermath of an injury can be overwhelming, especially when dealing with insurance companies and legal complexities. Consulting with an experienced Brooklyn slip and fall lawyers at Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers can provide you with the guidance and support you need throughout the process.

We have two convenient locations in New York:

Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers – Brooklyn Office
26 Court St Suite 2511
Brooklyn, NY 11242
(718) 802-1600

Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers – New York City Office
450 7th Ave #1605
New York, NY 10123
(212) 564-2800

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