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Car Accident Lawyer
If you were hurt in a car crash in New York — as a driver, a passenger, or a pedestrian struck by a vehicle — get medical care first. Then preserve what you can: photographs of the vehicles and the scene, the other plate and insurer if given to you, the names of witnesses, and the police report number if officers came. Call The Frankel Law Firm. There is no fee to speak with us or for us to evaluate a potential case.
Auto accidents in New York
Car crashes happen on city avenues, parkways, bridges, and neighborhood streets across Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and nearby counties. Rear-end collisions, left-turn crashes, intersection failures, lane-change sideswipes, and multi-vehicle pileups all appear in real New York cases. Drivers, passengers, and pedestrians can be hurt in the same event — and the legal path that may apply depends on who was hurt, who was driving, the insurance picture, and whether a private driver, commercial vehicle, rideshare car, bus, truck, or public entity is in the mix.
Fact patterns vary. Another driver may have run a light, failed to yield, followed too closely, or drifted from a lane. A pedestrian may have been in a crosswalk or near a curb. A passenger may have been with a friend, a taxi, or a rideshare driver. Weather, road design, and distracted driving can all play a role. This page focuses on New York auto and car accidents — driver, passenger, and pedestrian injuries — and on the evidence, insurance, and deadline questions that often come up early. It does not decide fault for any crash.
If a large truck or tractor-trailer was involved, see truck accidents. If a motorcycle was involved, see motorcycle accidents. If an Uber or Lyft car was part of the crash, see Uber accident lawyer or Lyft accident lawyers. Broader personal-injury doors live under personal injury and other injury. Call The Frankel Law Firm to talk through what happened.
Drivers, passengers, and pedestrians
A driver hurt in a crash may have questions about the other driver’s insurance, about no-fault benefits through their own policy, and about whether a liability claim against another party makes sense on the facts. A passenger often has different first questions: whose policy responds, whether the host driver’s coverage applies, and whether a third-party driver is in the picture. A pedestrian struck by a car faces still another set of early issues — identification of the vehicle, available coverage, and, in some cases, a public entity if a city vehicle or public roadway design question is raised.
Say clearly, when you call, whether you were driving, riding as a passenger, or on foot when you were hurt. Say whether the other vehicle was a private car, a taxi, a bus, a truck, a motorcycle, or a rideshare. That distinction helps the firm ask the right first questions. It does not decide the outcome of any claim.
It is not accurate to say that every crash makes another driver automatically liable, that liability is always absolute, or that every injury after a collision supports a damages action. Courts and insurers look at the evidence — how the crash happened, who had the right of way, what the vehicles and the scene show, and what medical records document. Talk to The Frankel Law Firm before assuming who may be responsible on your facts.
Insurance and third-party themes — qualified
New York auto cases often involve both no-fault (Personal Injury Protection) benefits and, separately, questions about a liability claim against another driver or other third party. No-fault can cover certain medical expenses and lost wages under policy rules, regardless of who caused the crash, when coverage applies. A liability claim against another party is a different track: it may turn on fault, serious-injury thresholds that New York law can impose in some automobile cases, available policy limits, and the evidence. Whether both tracks are available, how they interact, and which insurers to notify are fact-dependent.
Third-party themes can include another private driver, a commercial operator, a rideshare company or its insurer depending on the trip status, an employer if the other driver was on the job, a vehicle owner who lent the car, or, in some fact patterns, a public corporation. Construction vehicles on or near a job site can raise separate questions; Labor Law §§ 200, 240(1), and 241(6) are not the default for an ordinary car crash. Those statutes may matter only when the facts are construction-related — for example, a worker or bystander hurt in connection with a construction vehicle or site operation. For that overview, see construction accidents. Do not assume Scaffold Law applies to a typical auto accident.
Insurers may ask for a recorded statement early. You are not required to give one before you have spoken with counsel. Do not guess at facts you do not know. Call The Frankel Law Firm before you assume which coverage applies, which notices are due, or whether a serious-injury analysis is in play for your matter.
Evidence to preserve after a car crash
Evidence fades. Cars are repaired or towed, scenes are cleared, cameras are overwritten, and witnesses leave. When it is safe to do so, these steps often help:
- Get medical care and keep every discharge paper, imaging report, and follow-up note.
- Photograph the vehicles (including plates and damage), the roadway, traffic controls, skid marks if visible, weather or lighting, and your injuries — date-stamp if you can.
- Write down the other driver’s name, license, plate, and insurer if given to you, and the names and phone numbers of witnesses.
- If police came, keep the report number and ask how to obtain a copy of the accident report.
- Note the exact location, the approximate time, and whether a bus, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, or rideshare vehicle was involved.
- Ask, or have someone ask, whether a camera covered the intersection or the block — do not invent a duty to obtain records you cannot safely get.
- Keep damaged clothing, glasses, or personal items in a bag rather than discarding them until you have spoken with counsel.
- Save texts, emails, and any early messages from insurers; do not give a recorded statement before you have spoken with a lawyer.
This checklist is not legal advice and is not a substitute for an evaluation of your facts. Safety comes first — do not stand in traffic or return to an unsafe roadway solely to take photographs.
Time limits — ask before you assume
CPLR § 214 sets a three-year period for many personal-injury actions. Exceptions, discovery rules, and other statutes can change the analysis. No-fault benefits have their own notice and filing windows under the Insurance Law and policy terms; those can be shorter than a lawsuit deadline. When a public corporation is involved — for example a city vehicle, certain public roadway claims, or another public entity — General Municipal Law § 50-e generally requires a Notice of Claim within ninety days after the claim arises. Late-notice relief under § 50-e(5) is discretionary, not automatic.
Always ask The Frankel Law Firm. Do not compute a deadline from this page, and do not assume that a private three-year period, a no-fault window, or a ninety-day public notice period applies to your matter.
Talk through what happened
If a car crash in New York left you hurt as a driver, passenger, or pedestrian, call The Frankel Law Firm. There is no fee to speak with us or for us to evaluate a potential case.
Free evaluation of a New York car crash
Describe the crash, who was hurt, and which vehicles were involved. Calling is enough — you need not fill out a form first. Call The Frankel Law Firm at (212) 888-5100.
Questions about auto accidents in New York
What kinds of auto accidents does this page cover?
This page focuses on New York car and auto accidents involving drivers, passengers, and pedestrians — including rear-end, intersection, left-turn, and multi-vehicle crashes. Call The Frankel Law Firm for a free evaluation of your situation.
Is the other driver always liable after a crash?
No. Responsibility may turn on how the crash happened, right of way, evidence from the scene and vehicles, and applicable insurance rules. It is not accurate to say that every crash makes another driver automatically liable or that liability is always absolute. Ask The Frankel Law Firm before assuming who may be in the case.
How do no-fault benefits and a liability claim fit together?
No-fault (PIP) can cover certain medical expenses and lost wages under policy rules when coverage applies. A liability claim against another driver or third party is a separate track and may involve fault and other New York automobile-law questions. Whether both tracks apply turns on the facts. Call The Frankel Law Firm; this page is general information, not legal advice.
What evidence helps after a car crash?
Photographs of the vehicles and scene; plates and insurer information; witness names; the police report number; medical records; and any camera information you learn about can all matter. Preserve what you can when it is safe. Do not give a recorded statement to an insurer before you have spoken with counsel. Call The Frankel Law Firm; the evidence checklist on this page is general information, not legal advice.
How soon should I call if a city or public vehicle is involved?
When a public corporation is involved, General Municipal Law § 50-e generally requires a Notice of Claim within ninety days after the claim arises. That period can be short. Always ask The Frankel Law Firm promptly; do not compute a deadline from this page, and do not assume the ninety-day period — or a private three-year period — applies to your matter.
What if an Uber, Lyft, truck, or motorcycle was involved?
Say so when you call. For rideshare, see Uber accident lawyer and Lyft accident lawyers. For trucks, see truck accidents. For motorcycles, see motorcycle accidents. Call The Frankel Law Firm either way — we will help you sort out the next step.
Does Labor Law § 240 apply to ordinary car crashes?
No — not as a default. Labor Law §§ 200, 240(1), and 241(6) may matter only when the facts are construction-related, such as a construction vehicle or site operation. Ordinary auto accidents are not Scaffold Law cases by label. For construction overview, see construction accidents. Ask The Frankel Law Firm before assuming which theory — if any — fits.
What does it cost to call The Frankel Law Firm?
There is no fee to speak with The Frankel Law Firm or to evaluate a potential auto accident case. If the firm takes a matter, fee terms are explained in writing before anything is signed. Ask on the first call.
More information
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This page is general information about New York auto and car accidents. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Whether no-fault benefits, a liability claim, a serious-injury analysis, Labor Law §§ 200, 240(1), or 241(6) in construction-vehicle facts, or a Notice of Claim applies depends on the facts. It is not accurate to say that every crash makes another driver automatically liable, that liability is always absolute, or that Labor Law § 240 applies to ordinary auto accidents. A telephone call or online inquiry does not create an attorney-client relationship. The firm represents a client only if it agrees to do so. Please do not send medical records until representation has been agreed.