- September 15, 2024
- Tucker Law
- Car Accident Lawsuits
If you drive a car, you probably have an idea about what you are supposed to do after a car accident. You are supposed to contact the authorities to report the accident and get immediate medical attention. Furthermore, if you are able, you are supposed to share contact information, including insurance information, with any other drivers involved in the accident. Getting the other driver’s insurance information may seem unimportant in a no-fault state, but it is required. Sometimes getting that information may be complicated by various factors. This guide will help you get the information you need as smoothly as possible.
At the Scene of the Accident
Typically, the easiest time to get the other driver’s insurance information is while you are still at the car accident scene. This is when both cars are present, presumably with insurance information in the glove box. If you are physically able, you should share contact information with the other driver while at the accident scene. This means you should collect their:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Car insurance company name
- Car insurance policy number
- Driver’s license number
- License plate number
- Trucking company name and direct contact information if it was a truck accident.
Typically, you can get most of this information by looking at their driver’s license and insurance card. Depending on the information available on the insurance card, you may also have to look at their license plate. While you can write this information down, it is better to take a picture of these documents, if you can. You can then forward this information to another account or party by including the pictures as an attachment in an email. This will ensure that you have a backup copy if something happens to your phone.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Take a picture of the other driver’s insurance card to ensure you don’t lose their insurance information.
What to Do if You Are Badly Injured at the Accident Scene
If you are seriously injured, sharing information with the other driver might not be possible. You could be too hurt to leave the car or even to get to your glove compartment. You have a couple of options in this situation. First, if someone else is present and you trust them (like a passenger who wasn’t seriously hurt), you can have them act in your stead. They can collect the information and provide it for you when you are recovered enough to do something useful with it.
If that isn’t an option, let the responding police officer know that you are too seriously hurt to share information. They will collect the insurance information for both parties as part of their report. You can get that information later by contacting the police when you have recovered. While you are required to share information, that requirement only stands if you are physically capable. The police will aid you when that isn’t the case.
Were you seriously injured in a car accident? You may need the insurance information of the other party to get full compensation for your injuries. If you have any difficulty getting this information, let us know immediately when you contact Tucker Lawyers at (516) 399-2364 after a car accident.
If the Other Driver Doesn’t Cooperate
The previous advice assumes that the other driver will cooperate. But what do you do if they don’t? Typically, the driver has no choice but to cooperate, because the police are present at the accident scene. However, if you are involved in a hit-and-run accident, the other driver will be gone when the police arrive.
In this situation, you should try to gather as much information about the other vehicle and driver as possible. The best information you can get is the other driver’s license plate number. You may get this information if you have a camera in your vehicle, are lucky enough to see the plate number, or can find a witness who saw the plate number. You can also investigate the area to see if there are any street cameras or ATM cameras that might have gotten an image of the plate number.
Even if you can’t get any information about the plate number, it will help to know what state it was from. That combined with information about the color, make, and model of the car may be enough for the police to track down the owner of the vehicle. When the police arrive, you should give them as many details as you can about the car that struck you so they can potentially uncover the culprit.
Using Legal Resources
If you leave the car accident without the other driver’s insurance information (or you lose that information after getting it), you can use legal resources to get access to it. Your best resource is typically the New York insurance information lookup website run by the Department of Motor Vehicles. You will need to provide the site with the date of the accident, vehicle year, vehicle make, and registrant’s name. That information may not be available, though, if you were involved in a hit-and-run accident.
When you don’t have this information, you will probably have to rely on the police. The police can do a license plate lookup and get information like insurance information. Conversely, if you do the same lookup, you will only see information about the vehicle and not about the driver. Typically, the police will be as helpful as the law allows when you have been the victim of a car accident.
Contact Tucker Lawyers Today After a New York Car Accident
Getting insurance information from the other driver in an accident isn’t only required by law — it can also help you get the compensation you need. If you have difficulty getting this information, the attorneys at Tucker Lawyers can help.
Were you involved in a car accident in New York? Consult with an experienced car accident attorney by contacting Tucker Lawyers at (516) 399-2364 today.
Managing Attorney John. J. Tucker, Esq.
John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ Attorney Bio ]