Long Island Auto Accident Lawyers

No-fault pays eligible medical bills and part of lost earnings, up to $50,000 of basic economic loss per person, without first proving who caused the crash. It works the same in Nassau and Suffolk. A driver or passenger claims against the insurer of the vehicle they were in; a pedestrian against the insurer of the vehicle that struck them. Unknown or uninsured vehicles follow household-policy and MVAIC rules. No-fault does not pay pain and suffering.

Long Island crashes often happen at highway speed on the Long Island Expressway, the parkways or Sunrise Highway, and may involve drivers from several counties. Whether the crash and the parties are in Nassau or Suffolk decides the usual county for the lawsuit and, if a county is responsible, whose notice rules apply. A negligence claim against the State itself goes to the Court of Claims instead. Nassau crashes are covered in depth on our Nassau County page.

You can sue the at-fault driver, and in some cases the owner, for economic loss beyond basic no-fault benefits and for property damage. For pain and suffering you generally need a 'serious injury' under Insurance Law 5102(d). For actions commenced on or after May 26, 2026, the former 90/180 category no longer applies; the date the lawsuit is commenced, not the crash date, decides which rules apply. An injury lawsuit against a private driver generally must be started within three years.

Move to safety, call 911 and get the report number. Only if you can do it from a safe place, photograph the vehicles, plates and damage and note the exit or mile marker; never walk into or back into traffic. Get witness contacts, and do not argue about fault. Get medical care, for example at Nassau University Medical Center or Stony Brook University Hospital, and keep every record. Give written notice to the applicable no-fault insurer within 30 days, then call our Uniondale office.

For actions commenced on or after May 26, 2026, a serious injury means 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; or significant limitation of use of a body function or system (Insurance Law 5102(d)). The former 90/180 category is historical context for actions commenced before that date.

It depends on fault, the injuries and their proof, and the insurance available; we do not quote ranges.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 excess economic loss, property damage and, with a serious injury, pain and suffering. In personal-injury actions under the no-fault law (Insurance Law article 51) commenced on or after May 26, 2026, the fault bar and cap described on this page apply.

You can file a no-fault claim yourself. A lawyer helps when injuries are serious, fault is disputed, a commercial vehicle is involved, or a county or State party may be responsible and a notice is due. We gather the police report and video, track every deadline, assess the serious-injury question, deal with the insurers and file suit in the right county. Our Uniondale office serves Nassau and Suffolk. The consultation is free.

No-fault benefits move on their own claim process. A claim against the at-fault driver usually cannot be valued until treatment shows the long-term picture; if a lawsuit is needed in Nassau or Suffolk County, discovery and court conferences add time. Disputed fault, several defendants or surgery make a case longer. Timing is decided case by case; settling before future care and lost earnings can be estimated can leave costs uncovered, and we do not promise a timetable.

An expressway crash between private drivers follows the usual rules: no-fault from the applicable insurer, and any claim against the at-fault driver and, depending on the facts, the owner. Note the exit; it shows the county. An injury claim against the State itself must be filed and served in the Court of Claims within 90 days, or a notice of intention served; one against a county needs a notice of claim. Involvement alone does not make either liable.

We do not rank roads without data. New York State's Traffic Safety Statistical Repository, run by ITSMR, publishes county crash data for Nassau and Suffolk. For your case, the road matters for evidence and for who maintains it: the Long Island Expressway, the parkways, Sunrise Highway, Route 110 and Route 112 each have different camera and maintenance records. We try to request what exists early, because records can be overwritten.