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Licatesi Law Group, LLP

Bronx car accidents · served from our Corona office

Bronx Auto Accident Lawyers

A driver who fled, had no insurance or was driving a City vehicle does not necessarily end your claim. Some of those paths start with very short deadlines.

Over 40 years of experience. Free consultation; no fee unless there is a recovery.

(516) 227-2662
Signs for the Major Deegan Expressway and Jerome Avenue above the Cross Bronx Expressway, seen from the Morris Avenue overpass in the Bronx.

Who may pay

When the other vehicle fled, had no insurance or belongs to the City

Start with what you know about the other vehicle. Each row is a different path with a different first deadline.

It drove off and is unknown
Report it to the police within 24 hours, or as soon as reasonably possible if that could not be done. Uninsured motorist coverage under a policy that covers you may apply (Insurance Law 3420). If none does and you meet MVAIC's eligibility rules, its affidavit is due within 90 days; a late affidavit is accepted only on proof that filing on time was not reasonably possible, by MVAIC or with court permission (Insurance Law 5208).
It was identified but uninsured
Uninsured motorist coverage first; otherwise, if you qualify, an MVAIC affidavit generally within 180 days, with the same limited late-filing route.
It was a City-owned vehicle (injury claim)
A notice of claim with the City Comptroller within 90 days of the incident, then a lawsuit within one year and 90 days (NYC Comptroller).
It was a bus
The operator decides the rules. An injury claim against New York City Transit itself needs a notice of claim and suit within one year and 90 days (Public Authorities Law 1212); other operators differ. See our Bronx bus accident page.
It was an insured private car or truck
No-fault from the applicable insurer, and any injury claim against the at-fault driver and, depending on the facts, the owner; generally three years to sue.

No-fault still comes first

Whatever happened to the other driver, your own benefits claim has its own clock (DFS no-fault FAQ).

Within 30 days
Written notice of the accident to the applicable no-fault insurer.
45 days
Proof of claim for medical services, within 45 days after the date each service is rendered.
90 days
Proof of claim for lost earnings, within 90 days after the work loss is incurred, and for other necessary expenses, within 90 days after the services are rendered.
If late
Each of these limits applies unless written proof gives a clear and reasonable justification for the delay (11 NYCRR 65-1.1). Do not wait on that exception.
Alongside
A separate file on fault, injuries and any claim against whoever caused the crash. Our no-fault and PIP guide covers denials and medical exams.

No-fault and crash file review

We build the Bronx crash file around deadlines and proof

Bronx claims can involve hit-and-run questions, uninsured drivers, congested expressways and witnesses who leave quickly. We preserve the police report, no-fault forms, the medical timeline, vehicle damage, witness accounts and the uninsured-motorist or MVAIC options before the record goes stale.

  • Police report and the time it was made, which matters for a hit-and-run MVAIC claim.
  • Every insurance policy in the household that might include uninsured-motorist coverage.
  • Video from buildings, stores, buses and traffic cameras near the scene.
  • Fleet or agency details when a City, transit or commercial vehicle was involved.

For where crashes are reported in the Bronx, the City's official map is Vision Zero View. We do not publish our own crash statistics.

Published results

Bronx Auto Accident Results

None of the firm's published motor-vehicle results names the Bronx. The three involving a municipal vehicle, an MTA van or a municipal bus are listed first; the rest are the firm's results from across New York and New Jersey, quoted exactly as recorded.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.

See the full verdicts and settlements archive

  • $300,000

    $300,000 Settlement — Municipal Vehicle Rear-End Collision

    Client was rear-ended by a municipal vehicle and sustained neck and back injuries.

  • $750,000

    $750,000 Settlement — MTA Van Collision

    An MTA van struck our client's vehicle, causing a neck injury. The matter ultimately settled for $750,000.

  • $250,000

    $250,000 Settlement — Municipal Bus Rear-End Collision

    A municipal bus rear-ended our client, resulting in injuries that required an ablation procedure.

  • $250,000

    $250,000 Settlement — Queens Parkway Rear-End Collision

    After being rear-ended on a busy Queens parkway, our client suffered a torn shoulder and herniated discs in his lower back. His injuries disrupted his work and daily life, ultimately requiring surgery.

  • $1,021,235

    Million Dollar Verdict — Long Island Auto Accident

    Plaintiff was involved in an auto accident in Long Island sustaining an exacerbation of prior neck and back injuries resulting in spinal surgery and physical therapy. Following careful deliberation, a Suffolk County jury awarded plaintiff a verdict for pain and suffering in the amount of $1,021,235 after a minimal $50,000 pre-trial offer.

    Read the case study

  • $800,000

    $800,000 Settlement — Auto Accident with Severe Injuries

    A hardworking individual's life changed dramatically after an accident at an intersection, leading to severe injuries that required spine surgery. Beyond the physical pain, the accident brought significant emotional and financial hardship.

    Read the case study

Injured in a Bronx auto accident?

If the other driver fled, had no insurance or drove a public vehicle, the first deadline may be days away. Call us now.

(516) 227-2662

Deadlines

Deadlines that depend on who is responsible

There is no single deadline for a Bronx crash. The first clock depends on who you are claiming against.

If you were injured

These are the first deadlines for an ordinary negligence claim for a non-fatal personal injury. Property-damage and other claims can run on different clocks.

The other driver or vehicle owner (a private party)
No notice of claim. A personal-injury lawsuit generally must be started within three years (CPLR 214(5)).
The City of New York itself (for example, a City-owned vehicle)
A notice of claim with the Comptroller within 90 days of the incident; a lawsuit within one year and 90 days (NYC Comptroller, GML 50-e).
New York City Transit itself (injury claim)
A notice of claim under GML 50-e and a lawsuit within one year and 90 days of the event (Public Authorities Law 1212). Many bus routes are run by other MTA entities with different rules, so identify the operator first.
An unknown or uninsured driver (MVAIC, if you qualify)
Hit-and-run: police report within 24 hours (or as soon as reasonably possible) and affidavit within 90 days; identified uninsured driver: affidavit generally within 180 days. Late affidavits are accepted only on proof that filing on time was not reasonably possible (Insurance Law 5208).
The State of New York itself
A negligence claim against the State goes to the Court of Claims: it must be filed and served on the Attorney General within 90 days after it accrues, or a notice of intention served within those 90 days and the claim then filed and served within two years (Court of Claims Act § 10(3)). A State worker or vehicle being involved does not by itself make the State liable.

If the crash caused a death

A wrongful death claim has its own clocks, which often start from the death or from the appointment of the estate's representative.

Against a private driver or owner
The estate's representative generally has two years after the death; if a criminal action is started against the same defendant for the same event, at least one year after that criminal action ends (EPTL 5-4.1).
Against the City, a county, town or village
Where a notice of claim is required, it is due within 90 days after the estate's representative is appointed (GML 50-e), and the lawsuit within two years after the death (GML 50-i).
Against the State
The claim must be filed and served within 90 days after the executor or administrator is appointed, or a notice of intention served in that time; in any event within two years after the death (Court of Claims Act § 10(2)).
Against a transit or bridge authority
Death claims follow separate notice and time-limit provisions, not the injury rules above. Identify the exact operator first.

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)).

Court and office

Where a Bronx case is filed

A New York action can be venued where a party lived when it was commenced or where a substantial part of the events happened (CPLR 503(a)). Suits against the City of New York and New York City Transit are tried in the county within the City where the claim arose (CPLR 504, CPLR 505), so a Bronx crash with a City vehicle or bus is usually a Bronx County case.

The Bronx is served from our Corona office at 100-17 Northern Boulevard, Corona, NY 11368. See Bronx locations and the Corona office, or call (516) 227-2662.

The Bronx County Courthouse at 851 Grand Concourse.

Questions

Bronx Auto Accident FAQs

Answers to common questions about Bronx auto accident cases. For benefits in depth, read our no-fault and PIP guide.

Serving all Bronx neighborhoods

We represent people hurt in car crashes throughout Bronx County and next door in Marble Hill, including:

  • Riverdale
  • Kingsbridge
  • Marble Hill (part of Manhattan, next to the Bronx)
  • Norwood
  • Bedford Park
  • Fordham
  • University Heights
  • Morris Heights
  • Highbridge
  • Concourse
  • Melrose
  • Mott Haven
  • Port Morris
  • Hunts Point
  • Longwood
  • Morrisania
  • East Tremont
  • West Farms
  • Belmont
  • Bronxdale
  • Allerton
  • Pelham Parkway
  • Morris Park
  • Van Nest
  • Parkchester
  • Soundview
  • Castle Hill
  • Unionport
  • Throggs Neck
  • Country Club
  • Pelham Bay
  • Co-op City
  • Eastchester
  • Wakefield
  • Williamsbridge
  • Baychester

Bronx auto accident? Find out which claims are still open

We check every path: no-fault, the other driver's policy, uninsured-motorist coverage, MVAIC and any public body. Free consultation; no fee unless there is a recovery.

(516) 227-2662

What to bring

  • Police report number and when the report was made
  • Every auto policy in your household
  • Photos, plates and witness names
  • Medical records and missed-work notes

Related

Other car and auto accident guides

Photo credits: Cross Bronx Expressway from the Morris Avenue overpass by Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.