Michael Brook: As usual, it's time for our weekly 10-minute session with Michael Brook, the head of the Bureau of Accident Investigations. Hello, Alexander. Hello, dear listeners. I wish you all good health and hope you avoid any accidents. But if, God forbid, you do get injured in any way, for example, in a car accident, or if you hurt your back, neck, or fall and injure yourself, the best and most reliable thing you can do is call me as soon as possible at 718-256-5610. I will immediately connect you with a lawyer who will thoroughly consult with you about your situation. You can call me at any time, day or night, any day of the week. I will come to your aid immediately, connect you with an attorney, send an ambulance if necessary, and help in every way possible. So once again, my phone number is 718-256-5610. If you don't have it handy, you can always find me on the Internet by looking up Michael Brook.com, or enter my phone number 718-256-5610, and you will find my website where you can download my contact card directly to your phone so you always have my information handy.
Michael Brook: Don’t be surprised, although it’s hard to surprise you, Michael, but here's a general question. Who pays for the treatment if a pedestrian is hit by a car? Many people, listeners, are interested in this because they may not have medical insurance. What happens in this situation, please answer.
Michael Brook: Different states have different laws on this matter. For example, in New York State, if a pedestrian is hit by a car, the car's insurance that hit them pays for their treatment up to $50,000. Additionally, the lawyer I recommend to you will sue the driver and obtain compensation for the pedestrian's health damages. In New Jersey, things are a little different. For instance, if a person has their car or a car at home owned by family, like children, parents, or a spouse, who live together, their car insurance will cover the treatment. There are no issues with raising your insurance rates because the car wasn't involved in the accident. This is just the procedure in New Jersey, which is a bit different from New York. If the perpetrator's insurance is inadequate and doesn't cover something, then the lawyer will obtain money from the victim's insurance, i.e., the person's own if they have a car in New York.
Michael Brook: If they don't have insurance, there is a special city organization that covers everything. I’ll give you an example: a family from New Jersey contacted me. They were crossing the street, and a car hit the mother and child at the intersection. The police arrived and filed a report. They called and reached out to my service, and I immediately provided them with an attorney licensed in New Jersey. But during the process, they asked me questions. 'We recently arrived and have no medical insurance; who will pay for our treatment?' I told them not to worry, that New Jersey laws mandate that the perpetrator pays. They replied, 'We do have a car, we bought an inexpensive one.' I said, 'Then your car insurance will cover your treatment.' They were concerned that their insurance rates would go up, but I reassured them they wouldn’t. The car wasn't involved in the accident, but you bought additional medical coverage with your car insurance, which acts as a sort of medical insurance. I provided them with a very good lawyer who managed to get the maximum possible from the perpetrator, whose insurance was $300,000—almost a third of a million—obtained for the mother and child who were hit by the car. In addition, their car's insurance, even though it was cheap, covered all treatment expenses and subsequently got reimbursed from the perpetrator's insurance. That's how it works in New Jersey.
So if anything happens, the simplest thing is to save my phone number and call me as soon as possible at 718-256-5610 or look up 718-256-5610 on the Internet, and you'll reach my website where you can download my contact card. Thank you for your always thorough response, and let's hear from Samuel.
Samuel: I have a question. I heard the previous question to Alexander Grant. In our situation, we don’t have a car, and we live in New York State. The car that hit us fled the scene. What will happen in this situation? No one managed to photograph the license plate. Who will pay for our treatment in such a situation?
Michael Brook: Thank you. The main thing is not to leave the scene of the accident. You must call for an ambulance or police to come to the scene if you can't do it yourself, we will do it. The important thing is not to leave the scene because a situation might arise like Samuel’s. If you stay at the scene, and emergency services or police take you from there, there's a special city organization called MVA-C or AQ that pays for injuries and health damage. But it's essential not to leave the scene to receive compensation from this organization. Sometimes the culprit is found; sometimes, they are not. This organization acts as supplementary coverage if the perpetrator is not found. Here's an example: a person got hit by a car in New York, sustaining multiple fractures. The car fled the scene. I referred this case to an attorney named Alan Ripka. The attorney handled the case against the city organization that paid for the person’s complete treatment up to $50,000 and a further compensatory payment of $25,000—the maximum possible amount they give. In such events where the perpetrator is not found, for example, if there was no camera at the intersection, this city organization is the sole option for compensation. Although it doesn’t happen often, in this particular legal battle against the city, which is complex, Alan Ripka succeeded. I recommend jotting down my phone number and always keeping it with you so you can call immediately anytime, day or night, any day.
Michael Brook: 718-256-5610 is the number. Now, let's hear from Alexander.
Alexander: You are welcome. Michael, I have a question. An aide who works with us takes care of my father, who unfortunately can’t move himself. She was taking him, and the wheelchair hit some rut, causing him to fall and fracture his leg. Can we sue the home attendant in such a situation? What can be done?
Michael Brook: In principle, you can sue. The woman transporting the client was responsible for the fall, but as you mentioned, the wheel hit a rut, so perhaps she isn’t at fault, but rather the entity responsible for maintaining the walkway. I had a similar case where a wheelchair hit a rut; a relative was driving, but it doesn’t matter if it wasn't a home attendant. The wheel hit, causing the person to fall and break their leg. I referred the case to an attorney who determined who was responsible for the sidewalk rut. They sued the entity—a large corporation owning the nearby apartment building responsible for the walkway. The person also suffered a leg fracture, and the lawyer I provided secured half a million dollars $500,000 from the building’s insurance. If something similar happens, contact me as soon as possible at 718-256-5610, anytime, day or night. If you need it, visit my website through the phone number 718-256-5610 and download my contact card, so my information is always at your fingertips. In case of accidents, injuries, or fractures, the Bureau of Accident Investigations will direct you to experienced lawyers who will secure maximum financial compensation for you. Call 718-256-5610, 2 5 6 5 6 10.