Brooklyn Car Accident Attorneys

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A Brooklyn car accident lawyer at Finz & Finz P.C. can identify every insurance policy that applies to your crash, establish whether your injury clears New York’s serious injury threshold, and handle the insurer while you recover. Brooklyn’s busy roadways, including the Belt Parkway, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Ocean Parkway, and intersections along Flatbush Avenue, present constant risks for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A collision leaves people managing injuries, medical expenses, and uncertainty about what to do next, often while an insurer is already asking questions. We prepare every case for trial, so insurers understand we are ready to present the evidence in court.

Our Brooklyn office is at 31 Spencer St, Suite 1202, Brooklyn, NY 11205. Call 718-946-2273 for a free case review.

Do I Need a Lawyer After a Brooklyn Car Accident, and What Is My Case Worth?

Brooklyn Car Accident Attorneys at Finz & Finz

You are not required to hire a lawyer, but New York’s no-fault system limits what you can recover on your own, since you can only sue for pain and suffering once your injury meets the state’s serious injury threshold. Case value depends on medical costs, lost income, and injury severity, and it generally increases when a lawyer identifies every available insurance policy, including your own underinsured motorist coverage. A free consultation with a Brooklyn car accident lawyer can clarify whether your injury qualifies you to pursue compensation beyond your no-fault benefits.

Why Brooklyn Clients Choose Finz & Finz P.C.

Choosing a law firm is one of the more consequential decisions you make after a collision, and the difference usually shows up in how a case is prepared rather than in how it is pitched.

We build car accident cases the way we build the medical malpractice cases the firm is known for: records first, evidence second, and settlement discussions only once we know what the case is worth. A crash disrupts your work and your daily life, and we handle the filings and the negotiations so you can focus on treatment.

We have recovered over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients.

Results may vary. Prior case outcomes do not guarantee similar results.

We litigate against national insurance carriers and have the resources to carry a disputed case through trial rather than settling it because the file has become expensive. That matters most when liability is contested, when injuries are severe, or when the carrier disputes whether the serious injury threshold is met.

Consultations are free, and we are reachable 24/7. If you are dealing with an insurance dispute, a serious injury, or a question about the threshold, call 718-946-2273 for a free case review.

Types of Car Accidents We Handle in Brooklyn

Car accidents occur in a variety of ways, and each type can present different questions about liability and insurance coverage. We represent clients in a broad range of accident cases across Brooklyn.

• Rear-end collisions
• Head-on collisions
• T-bone, or side-impact, accidents
• Multi-vehicle pileups
• Sideswipe accidents
• Hit-and-run accidents
• Rollover accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Uber and rideshare accidents

The type of accident affects how fault is determined and how an insurance claim is handled. A rear-end collision usually starts with a presumption against the following driver, while a T-bone at a Flatbush Avenue intersection can turn entirely on signal timing and witness accounts. Rideshare crashes add a further question about which policy is in force, because coverage depends on whether the driver was logged in, en route, or carrying a passenger at the moment of impact.

During a free case evaluation, we can explain your legal rights and options, regardless of the type of crash.

What Types of Compensation Are Available After a Car Accident in Brooklyn?

New York civil law allows people injured in a crash to seek financial recovery for the harm they suffer, and the value of a case depends on the severity of the injuries and their long-term impact. We work with economic and medical professionals to calculate the extent of your damages.

A claim needs a detailed accounting of both current and future losses. Compensation may include:

• Medical expenses: emergency care, surgical treatment, hospital stays, and ongoing rehabilitation.
• Lost wages: income lost while you were unable to work during your recovery.
• Future earning capacity: the reduction in your ability to earn a living where a permanent disability is established.
• Pain and suffering: damages for the physical pain and emotional distress caused by the accident.
• Supplemental costs: home modifications, medical equipment, and transportation needs related to your injury.

We pursue the coverage available under the at-fault driver’s policy and, where it applies, under your own underinsured motorist coverage.

That second policy is easy to overlook and often decides what a serious Brooklyn case is actually worth. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is your own insurer standing in when the at-fault driver has no policy, or one too small to cover the harm, and most New York auto policies carry it under Insurance Law § 3420. It matters in hit-and-run cases, where the responsible driver is never identified, and in serious-injury cases where a minimum-limits policy runs out long before the medical bills do.

Proving Liability in Brooklyn Intersection Accidents

Proving negligence is the foundation of any successful car accident claim, and a Brooklyn collision can raise different factual questions depending on where it happened. Intersections along Atlantic Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue are frequent sites of severe collisions, and we act quickly to preserve evidence before it is lost.

We measure skid marks, analyze vehicle debris, and assess traffic signal timing, and in many cases, we locate surveillance footage from nearby businesses or traffic cameras that captured the impact.

We also examine the conduct of the at-fault driver, subpoenaing cell phone records where distracted driving is at issue and reviewing the police report for traffic violations. The goal is a liability case strong enough to support either a settlement or a trial.

A crash on the BQE may involve dense traffic and multiple vehicles, while collisions on the Belt Parkway, Atlantic Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, or Ocean Parkway involve different traffic patterns, signals, and roadway conditions. If a lawsuit becomes necessary, a Brooklyn case may proceed in Kings County Supreme Court, Civil Term, at 360 Adams Street, where the procedural rules differ from those in Manhattan.

What Is the Serious Injury Threshold for a Car Crash in New York?

New York operates under a no-fault insurance system, which means your own auto insurer pays your medical bills and a portion of lost wages up to a set limit, regardless of who caused the crash. Written notice of the claim has to reach your insurer within 30 days of the accident under Insurance Regulation 68, which the Department of Financial Services shortened from 90 days.

To sue for pain and suffering, you have to clear the serious injury threshold. Insurance Law § 5104 bars recovery for non-economic loss between covered persons except in the case of a serious injury, and Insurance Law § 5102(d) is where that term is defined.

The statutory categories are legal tests rather than medical ones:

• Death or dismemberment
• Significant disfigurement
• A fracture
• Loss of a fetus
• Permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function, or system
• Permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member
• Significant limitation of the use of a body function or system
• An injury that prevents you from performing all of your usual daily activities substantially for at least 90 days of the 180 days following the crash

We review the medical records against those categories. If your injuries may meet the threshold, if liability is disputed, or if the insurer is challenging your claim, a car accident attorney Brooklyn residents turn to can review the evidence and explain your options.

Does Partial Fault Reduce a Brooklyn Car Accident Claim?

Yes, it reduces the recovery, and it does not end the claim. New York follows pure comparative fault, so under Civil Practice Law and Rules § 1411, a claimant’s own share of the blame diminishes the damages in proportion to that share rather than barring them.

If a jury finds total damages of $100,000 and assigns the injured person 20 percent of the fault, the award is reduced to $80,000. The percentage comes out of the evidence, which is why a carrier’s early theory about what a claimant did wrong is an argument rather than a conclusion.

This comes up constantly in Brooklyn intersection and pedestrian cases. Being partly responsible is a question about the size of a claim, not about whether one exists.

How Does No-Fault Insurance Affect a Brooklyn Car Accident Lawsuit?

No-fault covers basic needs, but it does not compensate for pain and suffering or for expenses beyond the policy limits. To recover those damages, you have to bring a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.

Many people assume no-fault covers everything, which is rarely true after a severe crash. Insurance Law § 5102(a) sets basic economic loss at up to $50,000 per person, a figure that a hospital stay can quickly exhaust. A lawsuit lets you pursue the at-fault driver’s insurance for the balance and for non-economic damages.

Coordinating no-fault benefits with a bodily injury claim takes some care. We work to keep your medical bills paid while the case against the negligent driver is built.

Claims Against the City of New York and the MTA

Many Brooklyn accidents involve municipal vehicles, including sanitation trucks, police cars, and MTA buses. Claims against a government entity run on different rules and a much shorter timeline than claims against a private driver.

A notice of claim, meaning a formal written notice of the claim, generally has to be served within 90 days of the accident under General Municipal Law § 50-e to preserve the right to sue the City of New York. Transit claims run through Public Authorities Law § 1212, which requires the same 90-day notice and generally allows one year and 90 days to commence the action.

Missing that deadline can bar recovery, no matter how severe the injuries are. We handle the procedural requirements these claims carry and file the notices on time.

What Insurance Adjusters Do After a Brooklyn Car Crash

After an accident, an adjuster from the other driver’s carrier will likely contact you. Their job is to evaluate the claim for the company that employs them, and the practices below are routine parts of that process rather than anything unusual.

• Early settlement offers are made before the full extent of an injury is known.
• Recorded statements, which can later be compared against medical records and the accident report.
• Broad medical authorizations, which open the entire medical history rather than the records related to the crash.
• Extended timelines can pressure a claimant who is out of work.

We handle communication with the carriers, keep authorizations limited to the records that are actually relevant, and keep the discussion on the evidence.

What Should You Do Immediately Following a Motor Vehicle Collision in Brooklyn?

Call the police, get medical attention, and photograph the scene before anything changes. The hours after a crash are chaotic, and the steps you take during them influence the case that follows.

• Call the police so that an official accident report can be filed at the scene.
• Seek medical care promptly, even if you feel uninjured at the time.
• Gather evidence, including photographs of the vehicles, the scene, and any visible injuries.
• Exchange information, getting the other driver’s insurance and contact details without discussing fault.
• Contact a lawyer before speaking with any insurance representative.

Speaking with a Brooklyn car accident attorney early allows us to preserve evidence that might otherwise be lost.

Contact Us for a Free Case Evaluation After a Brooklyn Car Crash

You do not have to handle the aftermath of a car accident on your own. Carriers have experienced defense counsel evaluating these claims, and a legal team on your side of the file changes what the evidence looks like when a number is finally discussed.

At Finz & Finz P.C., we pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering, and we prepare each case as though it will be tried. Our Brooklyn office is at 31 Spencer St, Suite 1202, Brooklyn, NY 11205.

Call 718-946-2273 to discuss your case for free.