It is not uncommon to see police vehicles at the scene of an accident. In fact, calling the police should be (and usually is) the first course of action for people involved in a car accident, as not only can police provide an authoritative legal perspective to an accident, but the testimony and notes they take in the accident can be crucial to a court hearing. But recently in New York, police were involved in an accident in a different way.
While details of the events leading up to the accident are scarce, reports confirm that two vehicles collided in the afternoon in Brooklyn. One of these vehicles was a civilian car in which the windshield and passenger door had been destroyed. The other was a police van, the front of which had been smashed in during the accident. The two officers were among four victims who were hospitalized as a result of the accident.
It is not something that is often talked about, but police officers can be involved in car accidents as well, and if you find yourself in an accident involving a police officer, it is even more important that you seek legal assistance. Law enforcement officials have an above average understanding of the legal factors at play in a car accident, and if you hope to get the compensation you deserve, it is in your best interests to seek an attorney.
We are not trying to imply that law enforcement officials would try to smudge the timeline of events in order to minimize their liability, but those who are involved in an accident with officers may be frightened about filing a claim. Of course just because the other party involved in an accident contains police officers does not diminish your right to compensation if you were not at fault.
Source: New York Post, “NYPD cops among four hospitalized in car wreck,” Larry Celona and Dana Sauchelli, June 8, 2015