If you have been injured in an accident in a street in New York City, you need to be aware of the pitfalls of pursuing a claim against the City of New York or other potential defendants.
The first item that needs to be investigated is the exact location of the accident. An accurate description of the defect is needed in order to provide “notice” to the City that you were injured and intend to sue. Metes and bounds description (the same measurements taken by land surveyors) are used to pinpoint the location. You are urged to take photos of the scene as soons as possible.
You should hire an experienced Personal Injury attorney who will provide investigative services. An investigator will be able to take photos and measurements of the roadway defect.
Its is also important to note that if the defect appears to have been caused by a defective repair (e.g., a utility contractor that improperly repaired the roadway cut), then your investigator will be looking for an “A-Tag” This tag is a small, round plastic tage that it affixed into the asphalt when a contractor completes any work performed in the roadway. It contains numbers that correlate to a private contractor and the color of the “A-Tag” determines the nature of the work performed (e.g., white tags are water projects, yellow tags indicate electric work, etc).
You only have ninety (90) days to make a written Notice of Claim against the City of New York, so it is highly recommended that you contact the Law Office of Charles DeStefano to protect your rights.