As usual, it's time for the weekly ten-minute chat with Michael Brook, the head of the Bureau of Accident Investigation and Road Traffic Incidents.
Misha: Hello.
Alexander: Hello, dear radio listeners. I wish everyone health and hope you don't encounter any unpleasant situations. But if, God forbid, under some circumstances, you get injured in any way, for example, in a car accident, and you have back, lower back, or neck pain, or for example, you fall somewhere and hurt or break something — God forbid — if you are working on a construction site and fall from a height, in all these situations, the best and most reliable action is to call me as soon as possible at 718-256-5610. I will immediately connect you with a lawyer who will consult with you in detail. You can call me at any time, day or night, any day of the week. I will immediately come to your aid, connect you with a lawyer, and send an ambulance if needed, and so on. I will assist in every way possible.
So once again, my phone number is 718-256-5610. If you can't remember, just search the internet for "Michael Brook" or my phone number, and you will find my website and can download my contact information directly to your phone. You will always have my information handy.
Michael: Don't be surprised, although it's hard to surprise you. Here's a general question. Who pays for treatment if a pedestrian is hit by a car? Many listeners are interested because some might not have medical insurance at all. So what happens in this situation? Please explain.
The laws vary in different states. For example, in New York, if a pedestrian is hit by a car, the car's insurance that hit them will pay for their treatment up to $50,000. Besides this, the lawyer I provide will sue the driver and get additional money for the health damage for the pedestrian who was hit.
In New Jersey, things are a bit different. If a person has their own car at home, or even if it's not their own but a family member's, like their children, parents, or spouse, the insurance for that car will cover the treatment. Then they pursue the responsible party themselves. The insurance doesn't increase due to this, and there are no problems, because the car wasn't involved in the accident. But this is the order in New Jersey and is slightly different from New York. If the responsible party has inadequate insurance or does not cover something, the lawyer will get the compensation from the injured party's insurance, if applicable in New York.
If they don't have insurance, there's a special city organization that covers everything. For instance, a family from New Jersey contacted me; the mother and child were crossing the street and were hit by a car at an intersection. The police arrived, made a report, and they contacted my service. I immediately provided them with a lawyer with a New Jersey license. They asked questions like, "We recently arrived and don’t have medical insurance. Who will pay for our treatment?" I told them not to worry; under New Jersey law, the responsible party pays if they don't have a car. They said they already have a car. I told them then that insurance would cover their treatment. When they asked if this would raise their insurance, I assured them it would not, since the car wasn't involved in the accident. It acts like additional medical coverage, just like medical insurance. I provided them with an excellent lawyer who managed to get maximum compensation possible from the guilty party, whose insurance was $300,000, nearly a third of a million, for the mother and child hit by a car. Additionally, their car insurance, even though it was cheap, fully covered all treatments before they pursued the responsible party for reimbursement.
So, if anything like this happens, the easiest solution is to save my phone number and call me as soon as possible at 718-256-5610, or search the internet for the phone number, and you'll find my website and download my business card right from the site.
Thank you for such a thorough answer. Let's listen to Samuel.
Samuel: I have a question. I heard the previous question from Alexander Grant, and we're in a similar situation. We live in New York, and the car that hit us left the scene. What happens in this situation since no one got the license number? Who will pay for our treatment in such a situation?
The main thing is not to leave the accident scene. You need to call an ambulance and the police to the scene. If you can't do it yourself, we'll do it for you. It's essential not to leave the scene, as a situation like Samuel's might arise. If you stayed at the accident scene and an ambulance or police arrived and took you from the scene, then there is a special city organization called MVAC or MVAIC, which pays for treatment and health damage. For compensation from this organization, it's crucial not to leave the accident scene. Sometimes the responsible party is found, sometimes not. This organization acts as an additional coverage if they aren't found. For example, a person was hit by a car in New York, resulting in multiple fractures. The car fled the scene, and I transferred the case to lawyer Alan Ripko. He handled the case against the city organization, which paid for the person's full treatment up to $50,000 and provided $25,000, the maximum possible amount they offer. So, if something like this happens, and the responsible party isn't found — for instance, there was no camera at the intersection where the person was hit or nobody recorded the incident — the only option to get compensation is from the city organization. This doesn't happen often, but I provided a lawyer who was a former prosecutor, and he quickly secured compensation. It's not an easy case against the city, but Alan Ripko managed.
I recommend recording my phone number and always having it with you, just in case. Always call as soon as possible, at any time of day and night, any day of the week, at 718-256-5610.
Thank you, Samuel, and we have time for questions from Alexander.
Alexander: Welcome, Michael. We have a home attendant caring for my father, who unfortunately cannot move. As she was pushing him, the wheelchair wheel fell into a pothole, and he fell, resulting in a broken leg. Can I sue the home attendant? What actions can be taken in such a situation? Please advise.
In principle, the office can be sued if the woman transporting the client is at fault for the fall. But as you mentioned, the wheel fell into a pothole, so perhaps she isn't at fault — the pothole itself may be. I had a similar case where a disabled person was transported, and the wheel fell into a pothole. It wasn't a home attendant, but a relative, which isn't significant. The wheel caused the fall, and the person broke a leg. I passed the case to a lawyer who determined who was accountable for the pothole being on the sidewalk. They sued the owner of the property, which happened to be a large corporation owning neighboring multi-family buildings. They were responsible for the sidewalk and left the defect there. As I mentioned, it also resulted in a broken leg, and the lawyer I provided got half a million — $500,000 — from the building's insurance. So if something like this occurs, just call me as soon as possible at 718-256-5610, at any time of day or night, any day of the week, and I'll connect you with a lawyer immediately, or search the internet now 718-256-5610, and download my business card from my website. You'll always have my information handy.
In the event of an accident, injury, or fracture, the head of the Bureau of Accident Investigation and Road Traffic Incidents will direct you to experienced lawyers who will secure maximum compensation for you. 718-256-5610.