New York Car Accident Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced New York car accident attorneys who can navigate the state’s no-fault PIP system and the strict "serious injury" threshold under Insurance Law § 5102(d).

Free to use — no fee unless you win
Matched with a New York attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free New York car accident case review

A New York attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your New York car accident case

When you submit a New York car accident matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A car accident matter needs someone who handles car accident work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under New York law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in New York who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with a car accident claim in New York

Day 0
It happens.
Get medical care and keep every record. New York is a no-fault state, so your own PIP coverage pays first medical bills regardless of who caused it.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A New York car accident attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the file.
Reports, medical records, witnesses, camera footage, insurance policies. This is the part insurers hope you skip.
Months 1–6
Demand and negotiation.
Your attorney sends a demand and negotiates with the insurer. New York’s fault rule matters here — Pure comparative fault.
Before the 3-year deadline
Suit is filed if it has to be.
New York gives 3 years from the date it happened. Filing keeps your leverage; missing it ends the claim.
Resolution
Settlement or verdict.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

Statute of Limitations: 3 years
3 years from the date of the crash (CPLR § 214)
Fault Rule: Pure comparative
Pure comparative fault (CPLR § 1411)
Damages Cap: No cap
No statutory cap on non-economic damages in standard auto cases
Minimum Liability Insurance: 25/50/10
$25,000 / $50,000 / $10,000 plus $50,000 PIP (V.T.L. § 311)
Insurance System: No-fault
No-fault PIP. Tort recovery requires "serious injury" threshold (Ins. Law § 5102(d)).
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

New York records over 300,000 crashes each year, with serious injuries concentrated on the FDR, the Long Island Expressway, the Bronx-Whitestone, and major upstate routes including I-87 and I-90. New York’s no-fault system (Insurance Law § 5101 et seq.) requires PIP coverage that pays first regardless of fault, with $50,000 in basic benefits. To sue for pain and suffering, you must meet the "serious injury" threshold under Insurance Law § 5102(d). New York is also a pure comparative fault state.

Exhibit B

When to call a car accident attorney in New York

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Car Accident cases we take in New York

Which one is closest to yours?

Rear-end collisions

The trailing driver is generally presumed negligent under New York law, but adjusters still push sudden-stop and brake-checking defenses. Whiplash and soft-tissue injuries are heavily contested under the serious injury threshold.

Sound like yours? A New York attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do New York car accident attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

New York · Car Accident

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most New York car accident attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Car accident attorneys in New York work on a contingency fee basis — typically 33-1/3% under Judiciary Law § 474-a. Some cases involving infants or wrongful death require court approval of fees. Case costs are typically advanced by the firm and deducted from the final recovery.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your New York car accident compensation can include

A New York car accident recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Economic Damages

Medical expenses, lost wages, future care costs — no statutory cap. PIP offsets first $50,000 in basic economic losses.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

New York car accident questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a New York attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

Three years from the date of the crash for personal injury under CPLR § 214. Claims against the City of New York, MTA, or other municipalities require a Notice of Claim within 90 days under General Municipal Law § 50-e, with a 1-year and 90-day deadline to file suit.

New York requires every driver to carry $50,000 in PIP coverage under V.T.L. § 311, which pays your medical bills, lost wages, and essential services regardless of fault. To sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering, you must meet the "serious injury" threshold in Insurance Law § 5102(d) — nine specific categories including significant disfigurement, fracture, permanent loss of use of a body organ or member, and the catch-all 90/180-day disability category.

You file an uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/SUM) claim against your own policy. New York requires UM coverage on every policy under Insurance Law § 3420 and offers Supplementary Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (SUM) coverage to boost limits.

No, and you usually shouldn’t. Anything you say can be used to dispute the serious injury threshold. Refer the adjuster to your attorney or your own insurer.

It depends on medical bills, lost income, future treatment, vehicle damage, and whether you meet the serious injury threshold. New York does not cap non-economic damages in standard auto cases, and Manhattan, Bronx, and Brooklyn juries are historically among the most plaintiff-favorable in the country.

The same statute of limitations and fault rules apply, but New York City’s expressways see heavy commercial truck traffic, taxi/rideshare density, and chain-reaction collisions. Federal trucking regulations and multiple insurers add complexity.

New York car accident attorneys typically work on contingency: no upfront cost, paid a percentage of the recovery if they win. New York allows contingency fees up to 33-1/3% in most personal injury cases under Judiciary Law § 474-a. If there’s no recovery, you owe no attorney fee.

Car Accident attorneys by city in New York

Same New York rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in New York

All New York practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysNew York holds dog owners strictly liable for bites only if the owner knew the dog was vicious — ordinary negligence claims for the bite itself are largely barred.

Business Dispute attorneysNew York’s Commercial Division handles cases over $500K — and the state’s recently strengthened non-compete enforcement rules cut both ways.

Consumer Protection attorneysNew York’s deceptive-practices and false-advertising laws let consumers recover triple damages up to $1,000 plus attorney fees — a workhorse for everyday claims.

Criminal Defense attorneysNew York’s 2019 discovery and bail reforms reshaped criminal practice — your attorney needs to know how the new evidence-sharing timelines interact with NYC DA offices.

Defective Product attorneysNew York is one of the leading states for products-liability law — its courts established strict liability for defective products and have shaped duty-to-warn doctrine for decades.

Employment attorneysThe NYS Human Rights Law is broader than federal law (1 employee minimum), and NYC’s Human Rights Law is broader still — both with longer filing deadlines than federal.

Family Law attorneysNew York divides marital property equitably — and a 2010 reform brought "no-fault" divorce, ending the require-grounds era. Maintenance follows a presumptive formula.

Immigration attorneysNYC has one of the highest immigration-case loads in the country — the New York immigration court calendar is years out, so motions to advance matter.

Lemon Law attorneysNew York’s Lemon Law covers both new and used cars — and the state’s Lemon Law arbitration program is a real alternative to suit.

Medical Malpractice attorneysNew York has no damages cap, but judgments over $250K are paid out in installments over time — and state law caps your attorney’s contingency fee on a sliding scale.

Personal Injury attorneysNew York’s 3-year injury filing deadline and pure comparative fault are generous — but no-fault auto and the construction-site "scaffold law" carve out their own rules.

Slip and Fall attorneysNew York City requires written notice to the City within 90 days of municipal-property claims — miss it and your case is gone.

Social Security Disability attorneysNew York SSA hearing offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx are among the busiest nationwide — counsel helps you climb the hearing queue.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysThe NYS Workers’ Compensation Board runs claims through lump-sum settlements and Independent Medical Examinations — process matters as much as facts.

New York Car Accident Attorneys

How we match your New York car accident case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with a car accident claim in New York

It happens.

Tell us what happened.

Your attorney builds the file.

Demand and negotiation.

Suit is filed if it has to be.

Settlement or verdict.

When to call a car accident attorney in New York

Car Accident cases we take in New York

Rear-end collisions

Intersection T-bone crashes

Highway pile-ups on the LIE and FDR

Drunk driving crashes

Distracted driving

Hit-and-run

Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) and taxi crashes

Motorcycle crashes

Pedestrian and bicyclist injuries

Crashes involving teen or elderly drivers

NYC expressway and bridge-corridor crashes

Wrongful death from a crash

How much do New York car accident attorneys cost?

What your New York car accident compensation can include

Economic Damages

Non-Economic Damages

Punitive Damages

Property Damage

Wrongful Death

PIP/No-Fault Benefits

New York car accident questions, answered

Car Accident attorneys by city in New York

Other case types in New York

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