Representing Car Accident Victims in all of New York
Injured in a crash? A trusted New York car accident lawyer can make all the difference. If you have been hurt in a car accident in New York, you already know how fast things can spiral. The medical bills don’t wait, the insurance company starts asking questions, and suddenly, your entire lifestyle has changed to the point where your future can feel uncertain. You deserve professional help from a car accident lawyer who can get you both compensation and clear guidance on the steps to take at each stage.
At Alex Yadgarov & Associates, we have 15+ years of combined experience helping people across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island recover financially after car accidents. To us, your case is not only about filing paperwork. We advocate for you and investigate as required so you can focus on your recovery with a stress free mindset.
You pay nothing unless we win. Let’s start off with a free initial consultation. It will cost you nothing to learn your rights, but it could cost you everything if you wait too long as there’s a statute of limitations. Reach out today to see if you stand a chance for justice and compensation.
Car accident statistics in New York indicate that approximately 3.1% of New York drivers are involved in a crash every year. When you are driving in one of the busiest and most congested urban areas in the country, staying aware of how to reach out to a professional car accident lawyer who can provide immediate guidance in the case of an automobile accident is essential.
Out of all the NYC boroughs, Brooklyn and Queens usually report the largest number of car accidents. For example, statistics from 2022 indicate that 32,788 collisions occurred in Brooklyn alone in 2022. Brooklyn holds over 2.5 million residents, resulting in a large number of cars on the streets. Another reason for Brooklyn’s high accident rate is the fact that major roadways such as Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Atlantic Avenue run through this borough, leading to high traffic volumes.
Car accidents in New York also involve pedestrians, cyclists, and multi-vehicle pileups. The most common car accident types in New York are rear-end collisions and left-turn crashes at intersections. Most of our clients claim compensation for car accident injuries such as the following:
If you are someone who frequently drives in New York, staying aware of how car accidents happen in this area can help you to avoid them in the future. Based on what our clients have experienced, they required our accident lawyers’ support as a result of:
Sometimes, you may be partly responsible for the car accident. The New York law still allows you to pursue compensation under the pure comparative negligence law. This means if multiple parties share fault, you can recover damages by an amount that’s reduced by your percentage of fault with the support of a trusted New York car accident lawyer.
If you have been injured in a car accident in New York, one of your biggest concerns would be money. Having to pay unexpected medical bills while losing wages is stressful and does not help with healing. But not to worry, New York is a no-fault insurance state, which means your own insurance policy will cover certain damages, regardless of who caused the accident.
Important: The written notice of a no-fault claim must be submitted within 30 days of the car accident and any medical bills must be submitted within 45 days. Your lost wage claims should be submitted in a period of 90 days.
In addition, keep in mind that not all medical offices accept no-fault insurance. Before seeking medical care from a doctor, get your New York car accident lawyer to check if your medical visits will be covered by no-fault insurance.
New York’s no-fault insurance law includes two forms of coverage: PIP and MVAIC. The most common type of no-fault insurance in New York is personal injury protection (PIP). PIP is provided by your own auto insurance company to cover:
However, PIP does not cover:
You should be aware of MVAIC (Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation) coverage if you are hit by an uninsured or unidentified (hit-and-run) driver. MVAIC is state-backed medical coverage for complicated car accident situations. Your car accident lawyer in New York will know whether you should pursue PIP or MVAIC insurance.
Once your insurance company has received medical bills, insurance agents are highly likely to audit your claim for legitimacy and require you to attend an IME. An IME is the Independent Medical Examination conducted by a doctor representing the insurance company to verify your car accident injuries. If you fail to attend a scheduled IME, you may be denied reimbursement for treatment expenses.
Although New York’s no-fault insurance system was introduced to simplify the claims process in theory, in practice, the no-fault process has become frustrating due to insurers attempting to cut off benefits via IMEs. Car accident victims don’t have the time or the health to manage insurance red tape. Our clients have come to us with complaints on how claiming no-fault insurance is a challenge for them due to these reasons:
Our car accident lawyers have worked with a large number of clients across all New York boroughs and can negotiate with your insurance company to avoid claim denial. Even if your no-fault insurance claim is denied, you still have options to challenge the denial and fight for your rightful compensation by:
Requesting arbitration
This process is less expensive and faster than filing a lawsuit. When you challenge a denied no-fault claim through arbitration with the American Arbitration Association (AAA), a neutral arbitrator will review the case without a jury or courtroom appearance.
Filing a lawsuit
If arbitration isn’t successful or appropriate for your situation, you may also file a civil lawsuit against the insurance company for breach of contract or bad faith denial. This route is more time-consuming but may be necessary if the insurer acted improperly. Our car accident lawyers will help you decide whether this is the best route to take.
Appealing within the insurance company
Sometimes, a simple internal appeal to the insurer with additional documentation or legal support can reverse the denial without needing formal arbitration or a lawsuit. However, you need to bring in an experienced New York car accident lawyer to your case from the beginning to get this done successfully.
A skilled New York car accident lawyer can:
Don’t let a no-fault claim denial stop you. Let’s fight it together.
If your no-fault claim has been denied or delayed, don’t go up against the insurance company alone. Our experienced New York car accident lawyers know how to challenge unfair decisions and get you the benefits you’re entitled to.
Get a free consultation at 866-995-9035. Se habla español.
While it’s true that New York is a no-fault state, you can sue the at-fault driver in certain situations. Yes, it’s more work, but we encourage our clients to sue if their injuries meet what the law calls a “serious injury threshold”. No-fault insurance limits your ability to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Under New York Insurance Law § 5102(d), a serious injury includes:
If your injuries meet any of these criteria, you may be entitled to pursue a personal injury claim outside the no-fault system. Don’t make this decision on your own. A professional car accident lawyer at Alex Yadgarov & Associates can offer free advice at an initial consultation on whether you should file a personal injury lawsuit.
Suing the at-fault driver allows you to seek full compensation not just for medical expenses and lost wages, but also for:
If you are thinking of filing a personal injury claim, that means you are stepping outside the no-fault system to prove that the other driver was negligent. A skilled New York car accident attorney will gather strong evidence that supports your claim. You will be needing the following types of evidence from your car accident:
The sooner your car accident lawyer can begin investigating the accident, the better. Surveillance footage can be erased, road conditions change fast in New York, and witnesses’ memories fade. If you act fast, there’s a high chance of preserving important evidence for your case.
Figuring out what to do right after a car accident is not easy considering how chaotic and overwhelming it is. But how you react in those first few hours and the days to follow can impact your car accident case. Here’s a step-by-step guide that every driver in New York should know:
Call 911 immediately.
Your safety should be the first priority. If anyone is injured, you should be calling the police right away. When the police arrive, they will secure the scene and create an official accident report. This report is useful if you need to file a personal injury lawsuit in the future.
Document the scene.
If you are physically able and the accident scene is safe, you can start gathering evidence on your own. Take wide-angle and close-up photos of vehicle damage, road conditions, traffic signs, skid marks, license plates, and injuries. Before the vehicles are moved, try to capture their positions as well. You can also collect names and contact details of witnesses and note down what they have to say while their memory is fresh.
Seek medical attention.
Even if you feel fine, have a consultation with a medical professional. There are two main reasons to do this. Firstly, some injuries such as internal bleeding and soft tissue damage don’t show symptoms right away. Secondly, a doctor’s medical report is necessary documentation to support your personal injury claim.
Notify your insurance company.
New York is a no-fault state. So, you’ll start off with a no-insurance claim through your own insurer no matter who caused the crash. But be careful with what you say. Anything said can be used to minimize or even deny your benefits. It’s better to consult a trusted New York car accident lawyer before providing a recorded statement or accepting a settlement. Insurance agents negotiate to lowball your settlement as much as possible.
Contact a New York car accident lawyer.
The sooner you consult an experienced accident attorney, the sooner they can protect your rights. Evidence is time sensitive and filing no-fault insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits comes with strict deadlines. It's normal to feel doubtful about getting legal help since you can’t be sure as to whether you’ll benefit from it. But there’s no risk in reaching out. We offer a free initial consultation and only get paid when we win your case should you decide to let us help you get the compensation you deserve.
If someone else’s negligence caused your crash, a New York car accident lawyer can help you pursue compensation for different types of damages via no-fault insurance as well as personal injury law. Here’s a breakdown of damages you may be entitled to:
Medical expenses
Your no-fault insurance can cover up to $50,000 in PIP. However, in serious injury cases, your medical costs can far exceed that. You may be entitled to compensation for:
Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
If you missed work due to your injuries or can no longer perform your job as you once could, you can claim:
Our car accident attorneys also work with vocational and economic experts to estimate the total impact on your future income.
Pain and suffering
This includes the physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life caused by your injuries. These damages are not easy to measure without the expertise of well trained car accident lawyers who are familiar with car accident injuries in New York. Examples of pain and suffering include:
Property damage
You can seek compensation for the cost to repair or replace your vehicle and other personal belongings damaged in the crash via a personal injury claim. Compensation can be sought for properties such as:
Out-of-pocket expenses
Even small costs add up. You can seek reimbursement for:
In rare cases where the reason behind the car accident is drunk driving or reckless speeding, you may also be awarded punitive damages. These damages punish the at-fault driver in order to prevent similar behavior in the future.
Calculating damages after a car accident is not just about adding up bills. Some damages are measurable while others aren’t. At Alex Yadgarov & Associates, our skilled New York car accident lawyers are capable of assessing your case accurately by evaluating how your injuries have affected your body, your mind, and your ability to earn. Our goal is to fight aggressively as needed to get you compensated fairly.
Even though New York follows a no-fault insurance system, fault still matters. How fault is determined is particularly important if you want to pursue compensation via a personal injury claim. Let’s understand how fault is assigned and how it affects your car accident case in New York:
After a car crash in New York, your own insurance covers medical bills and lost wages, no matter who was at fault under Personal Injury Protection (PIP). But this coverage is limited. If your injuries are “serious” as per New York Insurance Law (§5102), you can step outside the no-fault system and sue the at-fault driver.
By now, you are familiar with how the no-fault insurance system works. Let’s say you are partially responsible for the accident and still want to file a personal injury claim to recover damages that aren’t covered by PIP. This is where the pure comparative negligence rule applies.
This means you can recover damages, but your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if your damages total $100,000, but you are found 20% at fault for the crash, you can still recover $80,000.
This system allows for more fairness, but it creates opportunities for insurance companies to blame you and reduce their payout. That’s why having a seasoned New York car accident lawyer negotiate with insurance agents for you is essential. Our accident attorneys push back against unfair blame-shifting tactics used by insurance companies.
Some accident cases in New York are extremely complicated due to the high traffic density in the area. Fortunately, if your car accident is straightforward, then determining fault is not too challenging. Examples of common scenarios where fault is clear in NY car accident cases include:
If you have been seriously injured in a car accident in New York, the insurance company is not on your side. They are looking to minimize how much they pay. Finding a skilled car accident lawyer who can prove fault is the first step toward full compensation.
If you are recovering from a car crash, medical bills and lost wages are causing enough alarm as it is. Most accident victims hesitate to consult a car accident attorney in New York due to legal bills. The good news? Car accident lawyers in New York, including our team, usually work on a contingency fee basis. That means:
A contingency fee is a percentage of the compensation you receive through a settlement or court award. In New York, this percentage is usually one-third (33.33%), although it can vary slightly depending on the case type or firm.
This one-third fee will cover the following legal services:
At a reputable law firm like Alex Yadgarov & Associates, we maintain transparency on our fee structure. During your free consultation, we’ll explain:
So you don’t need to lose money when hiring a powerful New York car accident lawyer. With contingency-based fees and no upfront costs, justice is accessible to anyone.
Ready to get the compensation you deserve? Let’s talk.
Speak directly with a trusted New York car accident lawyer today. We’ll review your case for free, explain your options, and you won’t owe us a cent unless we win.
Get a free consultation at 866-995-9035. Se habla español.
Car Accident FAQs
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in New York?
In New York, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit after a car accident is three years from the date of the crash. Exceptions apply to city-owned vehicles or other government entities (in this case, you have 90 days to file a notice of claim). Always consult a New York car accident lawyer early to avoid missing critical deadlines.
What if the other driver was uninsured or fled the scene?
You may still be able to recover compensation through your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage or by filing a claim through MVAIC (Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation). A skilled car accident lawyer in New York can help you determine your eligibility and guide you through the process.
Do I really need a New York car accident lawyer for a minor car accident?
Even in what seems like a minor fender bender, injuries like whiplash or concussions can develop later. Insurance companies may try to minimize your claim. Speaking with a New York car accident lawyer ensures you know your rights and aren’t pressured into a low settlement.
Will I have to go to trial?
Not always. Most car accident claims are settled out of court. However, if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, our New York car accident lawyers are ready to take the case to trial to protect your rights.
Can my New York car accident claim be denied if my car wasn’t well-maintained?
Yes. Insurers may deny or reduce your claim if they can show your car had maintenance issues like bald tires or bad brakes that contributed to the crash. Keep maintenance records and vehicle inspection reports to protect your claim.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
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