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New York Personal Injury Lawyer
If you were hurt in a serious accident in New York — a car crash, a fall on a sidewalk or wet floor, a construction-site injury, a rideshare collision, or another sudden event that left you injured — get medical care first. Then preserve what you can: photographs of the scene, the names of people who saw what happened, and any report you were asked to sign. Call The Frankel Law Firm. There is no fee to speak with us or for us to evaluate a potential case.
Personal injury in New York — where to start
Personal injury is a broad label for civil claims that arise when someone is hurt because of another person’s or entity’s negligence or other legal fault. In New York, that can include motor-vehicle crashes, premises falls, construction and elevation accidents, elevator and escalator incidents, defective products, and other fact patterns. The right legal path depends on how you were hurt, who owned or controlled the place or vehicle, what insurance may respond, and whether a private party or a public corporation is involved.
This page is a starting point for people who know they were hurt but are not yet sure which specialized door fits. It is not a substitute for the deeper pages on specific accident types, and it does not replace the firm’s lead-poisoning practice pages. Childhood lead exposure and related landlord cases have their own door at lead poisoning lawyer — that is a separate practice focus, not something this personal-injury overview tries to own in its title or lede.
If you already know the accident type, go directly to that page: car accidents, slip and fall, construction accidents, motorcycle accidents, Uber, Lyft, and related doors linked below. If you are unsure, call The Frankel Law Firm and describe what happened — we will help you sort out the next step.
Car crashes and premises falls
Many callers first reach this page after a car crash or a fall. Motor-vehicle cases raise questions about fault, no-fault benefits, Insurance Law serious-injury analysis for certain pain-and-suffering claims, and the policies of the vehicles involved. Premises cases raise questions about ownership, control, notice of a dangerous condition, and whether a sidewalk, lobby, stair, or other area was maintained safely. Neither category creates automatic liability. Each turns on evidence.
For a dedicated discussion of car crashes, see car accidents. For sidewalks, wet floors, ice, torn mats, and related premises hazards, see slip and fall. Truck, bus, motorcycle, bicycle, Uber, and Lyft crashes have their own doors when those vehicles or trip types were involved. Soft-linking those pages here is intentional: this overview points you toward the right depth page rather than repeating every treatise on one screen.
Construction and Labor Law — soft link, not ownership
Workers hurt on construction, demolition, or related jobs in New York often face a different set of first questions: workers’ compensation from their own employer, possible third-party claims against owners or contractors who are not the employer, and — depending on the facts — Labor Law §§ 200, 240(1), and 241(6). Elevation risks, falling objects, scaffold and ladder failures, and crane incidents appear in that body of law. This personal-injury page does not own the Scaffold Law treatise, the crane page, or the construction accidents page.
If you were hurt on a job involving height, falling objects, scaffolding, ladders, or heavy equipment, start with construction accidents. Related specialized doors include scaffold accidents, crane accidents, and elevator accidents when those facts fit. Ask The Frankel Law Firm before assuming which Labor Law section — if any — applies to your facts. It is not accurate to say that every construction injury is a § 240 case, that liability is always absolute, or that an employer is always sueable in a third-party action.
How personal injury cases differ from each other
Two people can both be “hurt in an accident” and still face very different paths. A passenger in a private car may deal mainly with no-fault and the other driver’s insurer. A rider on a motorcycle may face different coverage questions than a car occupant. A tenant who falls on a broken lobby step may raise premises and notice issues against a building owner or managing agent. A worker who falls from a scaffold may have workers’ compensation and Labor Law questions that a visitor to the same site would not.
Public entities change the timeline analysis. When a city agency, authority, or other public corporation is involved, General Municipal Law notice rules can apply on a short clock. Private defendants usually do not. Product defects, nursing-home neglect, school injuries, and other specialized doors raise still other first questions. The firm’s job on the first call is to hear what happened and point you toward the right next step — not to force every fact pattern into one label.
Evidence to preserve after a serious accident
Evidence fades across almost every personal-injury fact pattern. Cameras are overwritten, vehicles are repaired, floors are mopped, and scaffolding is struck. When it is safe to do so, these steps often help — then follow the deeper checklist on the page that matches your accident type:
- Get medical care and keep every discharge paper, imaging report, and follow-up note.
- Photograph the scene, the hazard or vehicles involved, and your injuries — date-stamp if you can.
- Write down the names and phone numbers of witnesses, responding officers or building staff, and any other people involved.
- Ask for a copy of any incident, police, or accident report you are asked to sign or that becomes available; do not guess at facts you do not know.
- Keep damaged clothing, gear, or personal items in a bag rather than discarding them until you have spoken with counsel.
- Save texts, emails, app messages, and any photos others send you about the incident.
- Note the address, approximate time, weather or lighting if relevant, and any prior complaints you made about the same condition.
- Do not give a recorded statement to an insurer before you have spoken with The Frankel Law Firm.
This checklist is not legal advice and is not a substitute for an evaluation of your facts. Safety comes first — do not re-enter a hazardous area to take photographs.
Time limits — ask before you assume
CPLR § 214 sets a three-year period for many personal-injury actions. Exceptions, discovery rules, infancy and other tolling doctrines, and different statutes can change the analysis. When a public corporation is involved, 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 or a ninety-day public notice period applies to your matter.
Talk through what happened
If a serious accident left you hurt in New York, call The Frankel Law Firm. There is no fee to speak with us or for us to evaluate a potential case.
Questions about personal injury in New York
What does this personal injury page cover?
This page is a starting overview for serious accidents in New York — car crashes, premises falls, construction injuries, rideshare collisions, and related fact patterns. It points you to deeper doors rather than replacing them. Call The Frankel Law Firm for a free evaluation of your situation.
Is this the same as the lead poisoning page?
No. Childhood lead exposure and related landlord cases have a separate practice door at lead poisoning lawyer. This personal-injury overview does not try to own that title or lede. Families dealing with lead exposure should start on the lead page or call The Frankel Law Firm and say so.
Should I read the car page, the slip-and-fall page, or the construction page?
If you were in a car crash, start with car accidents. If you fell on a sidewalk, wet floor, ice, or similar premises hazard, see slip and fall. If you were hurt on a construction job and Labor Law questions may apply, see construction accidents. Call The Frankel Law Firm either way — we will help you sort out the next step.
Is every accident automatically someone else’s fault?
No. Responsibility turns on the facts: who owed a duty, what they knew or should have known, how the injury happened, and what the evidence shows. It is not accurate to say that every accident makes an owner or driver automatically liable, or that liability is always absolute. Ask The Frankel Law Firm about your facts.
What evidence helps after a serious accident?
Photographs of the scene and injuries, witness and staff or officer names, incident or police reports, medical records, prior complaints, and preserved clothing or gear can all matter. Preserve what you can when it is safe. Call The Frankel Law Firm; the checklist on this page is general information, not legal advice.
How soon should I call if a city or public entity 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.
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 personal-injury case. If the firm takes a matter, fee terms are explained in writing before anything is signed. Ask on the first call.
How does this page relate to the other-injury page?
This page is the personal-injury overview at /personal-injury/. Related practice doors also live under other injury. Use the specialized door that matches what happened when you know it; call The Frankel Law Firm when you do not.
More information
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This page is general information about New York personal injury. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Whether negligence, premises liability, motor-vehicle coverage, Labor Law §§ 200, 240(1), or 241(6), workers’ compensation, product theories, or a Notice of Claim applies depends on the facts. It is not accurate to say that every accident makes a party automatically liable, that liability is always absolute, or that an employer is always sueable. Lead-poisoning matters are addressed on their own pages, not owned by this overview’s title. 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.