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Auto Accident Lawyer Near Me
NY/NJ auto accident lawyers with four offices: Uniondale, Brooklyn, Corona and Teaneck. We handle the no-fault claim and the injury claim together.
Over 40 years of experience and $100 million+ recovered firmwide. Free consultation.
No-fault first
New York No-Fault Insurance Experts
Auto accident cases in New York are shaped by no-fault insurance. The no-fault claim, the serious-injury threshold and the lawsuit against the at-fault driver each have their own rules, and they work best when handled together.
We Handle Your No-Fault Claim:
- Written notice within 30 days; a late notice needs written justification
- Medical proof within 45 days of treatment; lost-wage proof within 90 days
- Eligible benefits up to $50,000 of basic economic loss (medical bills, 80% of wages to $2,000 a month, other expenses), from the insurer of the vehicle you were in or, for a pedestrian, the vehicle that struck you
- Denials, delays and insurer medical exams (see the PIP guide)
Sources: 11 NYCRR 65-1.1; Insurance Law 5102(a).
AND Your Injury Lawsuit:
- Prove the serious injury threshold
- Pursue pain and suffering when a serious injury is proven
- Lost earnings and medical costs beyond basic no-fault, and future damages
2026 changes apply by commencement date. They cover personal-injury actions under New York's no-fault law (Insurance Law article 51) commenced on or after May 26, 2026; what matters is when the lawsuit is commenced, not the accident date (DFS Circular Letter No. 3 (2026)). For those actions:
- the former 90/180 serious-injury category no longer applies;
- a claimant whose culpable conduct is greater than that of the defendant, or of the defendants combined, is barred from recovery; otherwise, including at an even 50/50 split, damages are reduced by the claimant's share (CPLR 1411);
- except in an action for death, non-economic damages are limited to $100,000 for an injured person who is at fault, is not barred under CPLR 1411, and was operating an uninsured vehicle they were responsible for insuring (unless the lapse in coverage was less than 30 days), was operating while impaired and was convicted of that offense, or was operating in the commission of, or immediate flight from, a felony and was convicted of it (Insurance Law 5104(d)).
No-Fault Evidence Review
We Build the Record Before the 30-Day No-Fault Clock Becomes a Problem
Auto accident cases in New York need two tracks at once: the no-fault claim and the serious-injury case. We preserve damage photos, early treatment records, police reports, and witness details before delays give insurers room to dispute the injury timeline.
- No-fault deadline control
- We track the 30-day notice and the 45- and 90-day proof windows while your injury claim is still developing.
- Damage-to-injury proof
- Vehicle damage, impact direction, emergency care, and follow-up records help establish causation.
Where crashes happen
NYC Roads & Intersections: Crash Evidence to Preserve
On busy corridors like these, video from nearby businesses, signal timing and road conditions need to be checked early. If a road defect or signal problem played a part, a public body may also be responsible, with its own short notice deadline.
Roadway context
- Queens Boulevard (Queens)
- Wide multi-lane boulevard with heavy pedestrian crossings
- Atlantic Avenue (Brooklyn)
- Busy corridor with frequent rear-end and turning crashes
- Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
- Heavy truck traffic and narrow lanes
- Long Island Expressway (I-495)
- High speeds, congestion and work zones
- Grand Concourse (Bronx)
- Multi-lane boulevard with speeding and signal violations
- FDR Drive (Manhattan)
- Curves, merges and limited shoulders
Intersection context
- Broadway & West 96th Street (Manhattan)
- Heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic, complex signal timing
- Flatbush Avenue & Atlantic Avenue (Brooklyn)
- Complex multi-leg intersection with turning conflicts
- Northern Boulevard & Main Street (Queens)
- Commercial traffic and crowded crossings
- Houston Street & Avenue of the Americas (Manhattan)
- Crosstown traffic and red-light conflicts
- Victory Boulevard & Richmond Avenue (Staten Island)
- Suburban intersection with left-turn crashes
Injuries
Auto Accident Injury Categories & Compensation
Compensation depends on liability, the injury and its evidence, treatment, and available coverage. New York's serious injury threshold generally governs non-economic loss such as pain and suffering, not every claim for excess economic loss or property damage. We do not publish "typical ranges"; each case is valued from its own records.
- Whiplash & Soft Tissue Injuries
- Cervical and lumbar strains, muscle and ligament injuries, chronic pain.
- Treated through no-fault. A lawsuit for pain and suffering needs a serious injury, usually a significant or permanent limitation shown by objective findings such as MRI and measured range of motion.
- Fractures & Broken Bones
- Arm, wrist, leg, ankle, rib, pelvic and facial fractures; surgery with plates or screws.
- A fracture is a listed serious-injury category, but the defense can still contest whether the crash caused it.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
- Concussion through severe brain injury; memory, attention and mood changes.
- Neurological and neuropsychological testing, imaging, and evidence from family and work about everyday changes.
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, stenosis, and partial or complete paralysis.
- Imaging, surgical records and specialist opinion connecting the injury to the crash, including any prior condition.
- Internal Injuries & Organ Damage
- Liver or spleen injury, collapsed lung, internal bleeding.
- Emergency and surgical records. Abdominal pain, trouble breathing or dizziness after a crash need immediate care.
- Wrongful Death
- A spouse, children, parents or the estate representative may be involved.
- The estate representative brings the action, generally within two years of death (EPTL 5-4.1).
Fault
Proving Driver Negligence in NYC Auto Accidents
Important Evidence to Preserve
- Surveillance footage
- Businesses, traffic cameras and dashcams. Private video is often overwritten, so preservation letters go out early.
- Police report
- Officer’s observations, any tickets, witness statements and the diagram.
- Photographs
- Vehicle damage from all angles, skid marks, signals, road conditions, plates and injuries.
- Witness information
- Names and phone numbers, before witnesses move or forget.
- Medical records
- Ambulance and ER records, imaging, treatment notes and therapy.
- Vehicle data
- Event data recorders can show speed and braking; the vehicle must be preserved before repair.
Common NY Vehicle & Traffic Law Violations
A traffic-law violation, or a ticket, can be strong evidence of fault, but the full facts still decide the case.
- VTL §1146 — Due care
- Drivers must exercise due care to avoid pedestrians, cyclists and others in the road.
- VTL §1180 — Speed
- No driving faster than is reasonable and prudent for conditions, and no exceeding posted limits.
- VTL §1111 — Traffic signals
- Running a red light or ignoring a signal.
- VTL §1129 — Following too closely
- No following “more closely than is reasonable and prudent”; most rear-end crashes start here.
- VTL §§1225-c, 1225-d — Phones and devices
- Holding a phone or using a portable electronic device while driving; phone records can be subpoenaed.
- VTL §1192 — Impaired driving
- Driving while intoxicated or impaired.
Expert Witnesses We Utilize
- Accident reconstruction
- Speed, point of impact and sequence from damage, scene marks and vehicle data.
- Medical experts
- Orthopedists, neurologists and pain specialists on severity, causation and permanence.
- Economic loss experts
- Lost earning capacity and the cost of future care.
Offices
4 Office Locations
- 423 RXR Plaza, East Tower, Uniondale, NY 11556 · (516) 227-2662
- 3857 Kings Highway, #1f, Brooklyn, NY 11234 · (718) 710-4880
- 100-17 Northern Boulevard, Corona, NY 11368 · 929-485-2662
- 696 Palisade Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666 · 908-667-0077
Prefer to compare offices by court and local page? See find our nearest office after a car crash.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Call (516) 227-2662 and we will set up a free consultation at the office nearest you: Uniondale (Nassau County), Brooklyn, Corona (Queens) or Teaneck, New Jersey. If you cannot travel because of your injuries, tell us when you call. Do not wait on the no-fault paperwork: written notice to the no-fault insurer is due within 30 days of the accident unless a delay is justified in writing, and private video near the crash is often overwritten.
New York is a no-fault state: eligible medical bills, part of lost wages and some other expenses, within $50,000 of basic economic loss per person, are claimed without proving fault, usually from the insurer of the vehicle you were in or, for a pedestrian, the vehicle that struck you. No-fault does not pay pain and suffering or car repairs. If your injury meets New York's serious-injury law, you can also claim against the at-fault driver for losses no-fault does not cover. We handle the no-fault claim and the injury claim together.
To recover pain and suffering from the at-fault driver, you generally need a serious injury under Insurance Law 5102(d). For actions commenced on or after May 26, 2026, the categories are death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, a fracture, loss of a fetus, permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system, permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member, and significant limitation of use of a body function or system. The former 90/180 category applies only as historical context to actions commenced before that date. Proof depends on medical evidence.
No honest answer is possible without the records, and we do not quote ranges. No-fault covers eligible basic economic loss up to $50,000. A claim against the at-fault driver can add economic loss beyond that, property damage and, with a serious injury, pain and suffering. Value depends on fault, the injuries and their proof, your age and work, and the insurance available. In personal-injury actions under the no-fault law commenced on or after May 26, 2026, the comparative-fault bar and, in specified at-fault driving and conviction cases, the Insurance Law 5104(d) cap can also limit recovery.
Move to safety and call 911 so a police report is made. Get medical care, even if you feel fine at first. Photograph the vehicles, damage, scene and injuries; get witness names; and note nearby cameras. Exchange information without arguing about fault. Give written notice to your no-fault insurer within 30 days. Keep every bill and wage record, do not post about the crash, and call (516) 227-2662 before giving a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer.
Talk to a lawyer before you sign. A release usually ends the claim for good, even if you later need surgery, and an early offer is made before anyone knows the full extent of the injury. We review the offer against your medical records, lost earnings and the coverage available, and we do not recommend settling until the medical picture is clear. The consultation is free: (516) 227-2662.
We have four offices: 423 RXR Plaza, East Tower, Uniondale (Nassau County); 3857 Kings Highway, Brooklyn; 100-17 Northern Boulevard, Corona (Queens); and 696 Palisade Avenue, Teaneck, New Jersey. We represent people throughout New York City, Long Island and New Jersey. A New York lawsuit is usually filed in the county where a party lives or where the crash happened.
It varies. No-fault benefits move through the no-fault claim process. A claim against the at-fault driver usually waits until treatment shows the long-term picture, and a case that needs a lawsuit then goes through discovery and court conferences. Disputed fault and surgery add time. We never rush to settle for less than a case is worth, and we do not promise a timetable.
What to bring
- Police report number
- Your insurance card
- No-fault claim number and letters
- Medical records and bills
- Proof of lost time from work
Related
Other car and auto accident guides
- New York auto accident claims: which coverage may pay
- Car accident lawsuits: fault and serious injury
- Brooklyn auto accident lawyer
- Find our nearest office after a car crash
- NY no-fault and PIP benefits guide
- The serious injury threshold explained
- Nassau County car accident lawyer
- New Jersey auto accident claims
- All verdicts and settlements
Photo credits: Meadowbrook State Parkway by Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped and resized; Uniondale welcome sign by AITFFan1, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.