Best New York City, NY Car Accident Lawyers Of 2024

• Diana M. A. Carnemolla
• Jonathan S. Damashek
• David J. Dean
• David M. Godosky
• Thomas A. Moore
• I. Bryce Moses
• Devon Reiff
• Roy F. Scaffidi
• Herbert S. Subin
• Barry Washor

New York is a no-fault state. This means that, usually, you can’t bring lawsuits after an accident. “No fault” is a bit misleading, however, since a determination of fault will certainly be made if you’re able to bring a suit.

You can sue for damages after a car accident in New York for:

• Losses that exceed no-fault benefits
• Non-economic damages (like pain and suffering)
• Serious injuries

According to the Consolidated Laws of New York, Section 5102, serious injury is defined by the laws of New York as: “(i) Death, (ii) dismemberment, (iii) significant disfigurement, (iv) a fracture, (v) loss of a fetus, (vi) the permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system, (vii) a permanent consequential limitation of a body organ or member, (viii) a significant limitation of the use of a body function or system, or (ix) a non-permanent medically-determined injury or impairment that prevents an injured person from performing substantially all of their usual and customary daily activities for not less than 90 of the 180 consecutive days immediately following an accident.”

If this sounds complicated to you, you’re not alone. Proving a “serious injury” in New York can be complex and require expert assistance from an experienced NYC car accident attorney.

Car Insurance Requirements in New York

Here are the minimum amounts of liability car insurance coverage required by the state of New York:

• $10,000 for property damage for a single accident
• $25,000 for bodily injury for one person and $50,000 for injury for two or more people
• $50,000 for the death of one person and $100,000 for death of two or more people

It’s important to keep in mind that these are the minimum requirements for liability insurance. New York does not require that you have collision or comprehensive coverage at all. It does require that your insurance coverage remains in effect as long as the car is registered in the state and that the insurance be issued by a company certified by the NY state DMV.

If you’re leasing or financing a vehicle, you will likely be required to have collision insurance as well as the mandatory liability coverage. Collision insurance will pay for damages to your car no matter who is at fault, and it is often much more expensive than liability coverage alone.

New York also requires Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. All drivers must carry at least $50,000 of PIP coverage per person, which will cover up to that amount of expenses for treatment of injuries for the driver and each passenger.

While your liability insurance will pay for damages to others if you cause an accident, you can’t be sure that another driver will have enough insurance to cover your damages if the accident is their fault. This is why the state also requires uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in an amount equal to the liability insurance requirement for injuries.

It’s worth knowing that the bare minimum uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in the state will only protect you for accidents that occur in New York. Any accidents that occur outside of the state with an underinsured or uninsured motorist wouldn’t be covered at all—unless you pay the extra cost to have that coverage extended.

Conducting a Google search for car accident lawyers in New York City yields hundreds of results. There are certainly many to choose from. Finding the best for you means asking the right questions when you are considering them.

Here are the most important things to consider when looking for a car accident lawyer in NYC.

Ask For Referrals

There’s a good chance that you know more than one person who has needed a lawyer in an accident case, so asking around is a great way to start. When you find someone who has a referral, ask them specifically what they liked about working with that attorney. This will give you a good idea of what to expect in the interaction. Also, ask about things they didn’t like so that you get a broad picture of the relationship.

If you come up short with referrals, then try searching for an NYC car accident lawyer online. Consider both the overall rating, as well as the number of reviews to get a good read on how satisfied clients are with the lawyers, and keep in mind that people are more likely to leave reviews when they’re mad than when they’re happy. Not that bad reviews should be ignored, but don’t let one or two negative reviews steer you away from an attorney who seems like a good fit.

Are They Car Accident Law Experts?

As you can see from our reviews above, accident lawyers can and do sometimes pursue other kinds of cases.

While some lawyers specialize in car accident cases exclusively, others are more generalists who practice personal injury law dealing with other cases such as workers’ compensation. You can work with either, but be sure that your attorney has experience in your type of case even if they have a broad practice.

What Is Their Fee Structure?

Car accident lawyers in New York should work on contingency, which means they only get paid when you get a settlement or verdict.

Their pay is a percentage of your compensation, so you want to be sure the fees fall in line with the industry standards of 33% to 40%. Settlement amounts usually factor these fees in so you aren’t losing money by having a lawyer work for you, but if someone is charging more than the standard, this might start to eat into what you take home from a settlement.

Do They Have Courtroom Experience?

Most car accident cases don’t ever see the inside of a courtroom because lawyers can negotiate directly with insurance companies to get settlements.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t find an attorney who’s willing and able to take your case to court, though. Knowing that your attorney has fought and won in court might just make settlement easier. And if the other party absolutely won’t settle, you’ll feel better knowing you have an experienced litigator on your side.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident in New York City, you know how stressful and overwhelming the aftermath can be. You may not only deal with physical pain and financial chaos but also have to fight an insurance company and navigate the legal system. Having an experienced attorney during this challenging time can be vital for your financial and physical recovery. Here’s how a lawyer can help:

• Determine your rights and legal options.
• Guide you through the process of filing a claim or lawsuit.
• Negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf.
• Handle the paperwork and legal procedures involved in your case.
• Represent you in court if necessary.

Hiring a car accident lawyer in NYC can be especially important if a lot is at stake and you have a severe or permanent injury and steep medical expenses, wage losses and other damages. A skilled car accident attorney can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.

If you’re injured in a car crash in NYC, you may qualify for compensation for medical bills, income loss and other damages. What you can recover will depend on the specifics of your car accident case. The damages you can sue for fall into three categories: economic, non-economic and punitive.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are direct financial losses you incurred due to the accident and injury and can include:

• Healthcare Costs. You could recover all necessary medical expenses, such as hospitalization, surgery, medications, rehabilitation therapies, etc.
• Lost Wages. If you were unable to work due after the accident, you could qualify for lost income and lost future earning capacity.
• Property Damage. You could be entitled to repair or replace any property lost or damaged in the accident, such as your vehicle, phone, laptop and other items.
• In-Home Care. If you need help with the daily living tasks after your accident, you may qualify for in-home care and household help.
• Transportation Expenses. Transportation expenses include getting to and from medical appointments and other necessary destinations.

This list is not exhaustive. You could be entitled to additional or other economic damages, depending on the severity of your injuries and financial losses.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are awards you could receive for your intangible losses after suffering injuries in a car accident in NYC, such as:

• Pain and Suffering. Pain and suffering damages are tied to the severity of your physical injuries and can include chronic pain from injuries and discomfort during medical treatments, for example.
• Emotional Distress. Car crashes can be traumatic. You could receive compensation for any mental health effects, such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Reduced Life Quality. Severe injuries and disabilities can change your life forever. You could be entitled to awards for the inability to partake in activities and hobbies you enjoyed before the accident.
• Disfigurement and Scarring. Damages may be available for permanent physical disfigurement or scarring you may have suffered due to the crash.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are relatively rare in personal injury cases. They are not designed to compensate you for any losses but instead intended as punishment and deterrent for the wrongdoer. You could recover punitive damages in cases where the at-fault party’s conduct was particularly egregious, reckless or malicious, such as in drunk driving cases.

Discovering that someone is trying to sue you for a car accident in New York City can be upsetting. You may not know what to do and might be tempted to ignore the lawsuit. However, this could have numerous negative consequences, including losing the case by default. Here’s what to do instead:

• Notify your insurance company immediately after being served with a lawsuit.
• If your insurer doesn’t provide an attorney, seek legal advice.
• Gather evidence from the accident, such as photos and videos.
• Respond to the lawsuit within the specified deadline.
• Attend the relevant court hearings with your attorney.

Getting professional legal advice is critical to protect your rights and help you navigate the legal process when you’re getting sued. An experienced NYC car accident lawyer can help you gather evidence and build a strong defense. They can also negotiate with the other side’s attorney for a favorable case outcome.

To come up with the Best Car Accident Lawyers in New York City in 2024, Forbes Advisor considered many factors. Forbes Advisor’s mathematical module considers and weighs the information collected to calculate a specific rating and reviews these results to find the best attorneys in a given practice area.

Within the model, we take into account factors that legal professionals and consumers value in an attorney’s qualifications. After assigning weighted scores to hundreds of data points, we narrowed the field down to our top choices based on:

• Legal experience
• Special licenses & certifications
• Ethics and bar disciplinary measures
• Legal thought leadership
• Education & employment background
• Scholarly lectures & writings
• Awards & honors

Forbes Advisor collects public data from a variety of sources, including state bar associations, court records and other published sources on the internet. This information should not be considered comprehensive, however. It might not include additional relevant information on an attorney’s legal skills and experience.

Each lawyer listed here has their own merits. Bear in mind that our list relates to these lawyers’ legal backgrounds, but does not evaluate their personalities or their knowledge of the law. One attorney may be more suitable than another for your specific legal situation.

One thing that can’t be quantified, though, is the rapport you establish with your attorney. Personality goes a long way when teaming up with an attorney, especially when going through a potentially difficult legal situation. These rankings should serve as a reference and potential starting point in your search for the right lawyer for you and your legal concerns.

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