I’m posting my story for two reasons: One, it can be used as a bit of a primer as to what to do after a car accident (take pictures, speak only to the police, be compliant with your medical treatment) and Two, because if you are in a Long Island car accident and hire me to represent you, you know that I have walked in your shoes.
It’s been over five years since my car accident and now that the statute of limitations, which is three years from the date of accident in New York, has passed, I can tell you my story.
I will never forget that morning. It was a gorgeous, sunny day in July. I had just dropped my daughter off at day camp and I was on my way to District Court in Ronkonkoma to appear on arbitrations. I was driving my beloved Sasha. A 2011 Venetian Red Hyundai Sonata. Fancy cars aren’t my thing and I leased Sasha after hearing how well the car performed in crash tests.
During rush hour, I normally take the Long Island Expressway Service Road to points west. This day was no different. Despite all the lights, I like the scenery on the Service Road. That morning, I was actually marveling that all my lights were green, in my favor, and it was smooth sailing past the Zebra Technologies building. On my approach to the next intersection, Holbrook Road, I could see the green light as I made my way downhill.
Things start to get a little hazy here. I know I got about halfway through the northbound lane on Holbrook Road when I felt a huge BAM!!!!!!!!! on my front driver’s side quarter panel. The myriad of airbags inflated to my side and in front of me, and then quickly deflated. I could feel a searing pain in my left arm. My car stopped dead short. The next thing I saw was probably the scariest slow-motion scene I have ever watched: the car that I assumed hit mine rolled over the hood of my car from driver’s side to passenger side, and then rolled over again onto its roof in the southbound lane of Holbrook Road, where it came to a rest.
After more than five years, I don’t remember exactly how I got out of my car. I don’t know if someone opened my door or if I managed to get it open myself. I know I was alternately crying from pain and screaming in horror because I honestly did not know if I had the green or if the light turned red and I had just killed someone. I do know that once I got out of the car, a man was right behind me yelling
“You had the green! You had the green!” Upon hearing this, I gave this man a huge hug as I continued to cry. The hugging did not last long as I needed to know what happened to the driver and passengers, if any, in the other vehicle, a Toyota RAV4,
who were still upside down. People who were near the Toyota were shouting that there was a baby in its carrier in the back seat. Of course, there went the water works again. I had just dropped my baby safely off at camp and here was this little soul, who’s condition was unknown. Upon hearing that the baby was ok, my knees went weak.
