What Happens if I Live in New Jersey and Get into an Accident in New York?
Car wrecks happen all too often on the busy and sometimes chaotic streets of New York City. In fact, in 2015, there were more than 200,000 traffic collisions in New York City alone. Although cutting down on car accidents, particularly those involving pedestrian deaths, has been a huge priority of the mayor, the fact is that collisions will probably always be a part of our lives so long as error prone humans are behind the wheel.
Following a car wreck, you are likely to experience shock, stress, surprise, anger, and a whole range of powerful emotions, alone with any serious injuries that occurred at the accident scene. But being an out-of-state driver from New Jersey or elsewhere adds a new wrinkle to an already stressful and emotionally charged situation, one which may leave you wondering what happens or where to go from here if you are an out of state driver involved in an accident in New York, whether in Manhattan or elsewhere across the state. Given the proximity of other states, it isn’t unusual to see numerous plates from New Jersey or Connecticut on a daily basis, along with a handful of other states, so it’s only a matter of time before a car wreck or collision occurs between a New York State driver and an out-of-state driver.
First and foremost, if you’ve been involved in a car wreck in New York, you should check on the well-being of yourself, your passengers, as well as the well-being of other drivers or individuals involved in the accident. The next step should be to call the police to report the accident. Then take the time to document the scene of the accident with your cellphone camera and be sure to exchange contact information with the other driver.
Finally, as an out of state driver, or someone who was involved in an accident with an out of state driver, it is important to realize that when you are driving in the state of New York, that you consent to drive under the laws of New York, which means that New York ultimately has the jurisdiction if you are involved in an accident. This means that New York laws, rules, and courts apply, regardless of whether you are from New Jersey or New Hampshire, including insurance requirements.
New York is a no-fault state, which means that drivers turn to their own insurance in the event of an accident in order to receive compensation, rather than that of the at-fault driver. According to New York Insurance Law 5107, every insurer that is authorized to conduct business in New York State, or that is controlled by, controlling, or under common control with an insurance provider that provides motor vehicle liability coverage in any state or Canadian province, must meet the financial security requirements set forth under New York law. This means that they must meet minimum requirements for bodily injury, death, property damage, and no-fault requirements as well.
New Jersey is itself a no-fault state as well, so there shouldn’t be problems with the no-fault coverage, but there have been times where an insurance provider has put up resistance to meeting the minimum coverage requirements set by New York law.
It’s for this reason that many drivers turn to an experienced New York auto accident attorney to help them ensure that their insurance company ends up paying what they are responsible for. The experienced team at Greenberg & Stein has handled all manner of car accident cases in New York, including those involving out of state drivers.
Having great legal representation is one of the best steps you can take following a car wreck or accident in order to ensure that you receive the compensation you need for medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.
If you’ve been involved in an accident in New York City, speak to one of our car accident attorneys here at Greenberg & Stein to discuss the details of your case and how we can be of help to you. Call us today at 888-411-3966 to schedule your free legal consultation.