What Happens When Insurance Tries to Blame You? How to Push Back After a New York Car Accident
Introduction
By Kari Law Group, PLLC
📍 Richmond Hill, NY | ☎️ (718) 395-1818 | ✉️ info@karilaw.com
If you’ve been in a car accident in New York and the insurance company is trying to shift the blame onto you — you're not alone. It happens more than you'd think. The other driver might have rear-ended you, run a red light, or ignored the rules of the road — yet somehow, you’re the one being questioned.
Let’s walk through what this really means and what you can do right now to protect your case and your peace of mind.
Why Insurance Companies Try to Pin the Blame
Let’s be honest — insurance companies are in the business of saving money. If they can reduce the payout by saying you were “partially at fault,” they will. It doesn’t mean they’re right — it means they’re trying to reduce your compensation under New York’s comparative negligence rule.
Here’s how it works:
• If you're found to be even 10% at fault, your compensation gets reduced by that percentage.
• If you’re 50% at fault, you only get half.
• But even if you’re 90% at fault, you can still recover — just a much smaller amount.
That’s why it matters a lot how the blame gets divided.
Common Tactics Used Against You
Some of the ways insurance adjusters try to push fault your way:
• Twisting your words: You say “I didn’t see him coming” and suddenly it’s your fault.
• Using gaps in the police report to raise doubt.
• Downplaying their driver’s actions — like claiming a speeding driver was “just going with the flow of traffic.”
• Asking for a recorded statement and using it against you later.
You don’t have to face this alone — and you shouldn’t.
What You Can Do to Push Back
✅ Don’t admit fault — even casually. You can be polite and cooperative without saying anything that sounds like an apology.
✅ Get medical attention immediately. Even if you “feel okay,” injuries can show up later — and a medical record is key.
✅ Document everything. Photos of your vehicle, the scene, traffic signs, injuries — they all matter.
✅ Let your attorney handle communications. If they call you, forward it to your legal team. They know the language, the loopholes, and the pressure tactics.
How Kari Law Group, PLLC Can Help
At Kari Law Group, we’ve dealt with these situations time and time again. We investigate every detail — from traffic camera footage to black-box data — to build a case that shows exactly what happened.
We’ll fight to:
• Dispute false or exaggerated claims of fault
• Maximize your settlement, even if you're partially at fault
• Handle all talks with the insurance company so you don’t have to
And if they still won’t play fair? We’re ready to take them to court.
Final Word
Insurance companies might try to make you feel like the accident was your fault. Don’t let them intimidate you out of the compensation you deserve.
📞 Call us at (718) 395-1818 or visit karilaw.com
📍 Based in Richmond Hill — proudly serving clients across NYC, Long Island, and beyond.
💬 We speak English, Russian, Spanish, and Georgian.
