Long Island Car Accident Attorneys
After a New York car accident, no-fault insurance pays your medical bills and part of your lost wages no matter who caused the crash. You may sue the other driver for pain and suffering only if your injury meets the state’s serious injury threshold. Most Long Island crash lawsuits carry a three-year deadline.
A Long Island Car Accident Lawyer at Finz & Finz P.C. represents drivers, passengers, and pedestrians hurt in crashes across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Call 212-513-1000 for a free case review, 24/7. You pay no fee unless we recover money for you.
What Does Finz & Finz P.C. Do for Long Island Car Accident Clients?
Finz & Finz P.C. handles the no-fault claim, proves the serious injury threshold, and pursues the at-fault driver for the losses no-fault does not cover. We deal with every adjuster so you stop taking their calls. If the insurer refuses a fair offer, we take the case to trial.
Insurers price cases partly on whether the lawyer across the table tries them. Our results include a $50.0 million motorcycle accident settlement, a $24.5 million truck accident settlement, and a $22.57 million wrongful death verdict.
We have won over $1 billion for our deserving clients.
Prior results do not predict or promise any outcome in your case.
Where Our Work Starts
The first weeks after a Long Island crash set up everything that follows. We focus on the tasks that protect your claim early.
- Filing your no-fault application before the 30-day deadline
- Getting the police report from Nassau County, Suffolk County, or the State Police
- Preserving dashcam, traffic camera, and business surveillance footage
- Tracking your treatment so your records support the serious injury threshold
- Identifying every insurance policy that might cover the crash
How Does New York No-Fault Insurance Work After a Long Island Car Accident?
New York no-fault insurance pays up to $50,000 in basic economic loss after a Long Island car accident, regardless of who caused the crash. Your own auto policy usually pays it.
If you do not own a car, a household relative’s policy usually pays first. Otherwise, the policy on the car you rode in or the car that hit you pays.
No-fault gives you quick access to money, but it comes with strict rules. You must file a written application within 30 days of the crash, according to the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). Medical providers must submit bills within 45 days of treatment.
What Basic Economic Loss Covers
Insurance Law §5102 defines basic economic loss. It covers several categories of loss up to the $50,000 limit.
- Necessary medical, hospital, and rehabilitation expenses
- 80% of lost earnings, up to $2,000 per month for three years
- Up to $25 per day for household help and other necessary costs for one year
Mandatory no-fault coverage also includes a separate $2,000 death benefit on top of the $50,000 limit.
No-fault covers none of your pain and suffering. That money comes only from a lawsuit against the at-fault driver, and the serious injury threshold decides whether that lawsuit exists.
When the Other Driver Carries Too Little Insurance
New York requires only $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person, and many Long Island drivers carry just that minimum. A serious injury often costs far more. Supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorist (SUM) coverage on your own policy may fill the gap.
SUM claims carry their own notice rules and policy deadlines. We review your policy early so a late notice to your own insurer does not cost you that coverage.
What Counts as a Serious Injury Under Insurance Law §5102(d)?
A serious injury under Insurance Law §5102(d) means an injury that fits one of nine legal categories. Fractures, significant disfigurement, and permanent loss of use all qualify.
You must meet one of these categories to sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering. Insurance Law §5104 bars that lawsuit otherwise.
The table below lists each category and an example of the injuries that may qualify.
| Serious Injury Category | Example |
|---|---|
| Death | A fatal crash on the Southern State Parkway |
| Dismemberment | Loss of a finger, hand, or limb |
| Significant disfigurement | Facial scarring from broken glass |
| Fracture | A broken wrist, rib, or vertebra |
| Loss of a fetus | Pregnancy loss caused by the crash |
| Permanent loss of use | Total loss of use of an arm or leg |
| Permanent consequential limitation | A lasting, measurable loss of motion in the spine |
| Significant limitation of use | A major restriction in how a body system functions |
| 90/180-day injury | A medically determined injury that prevents substantially all usual daily activities for 90 of the first 180 days |
Why Do Soft-Tissue Cases Draw the Most Claims?
Fractures and scarring usually meet the threshold on their face. Neck, back, and shoulder injuries depend on medical proof, such as range-of-motion testing and MRI findings. Insurers send you to their own doctor for an independent medical exam, and that doctor’s report becomes important for the defense.
How Do Long Island Car Accident Claims Differ in Nassau and Suffolk Counties?
Long Island car accident claims differ between Nassau and Suffolk counties in three ways. The filing court, the police agency, and the government deadlines all change.
Nassau County cases go to Nassau County Supreme Court. Suffolk County cases go to Suffolk County Supreme Court, which sits in Riverhead and Central Islip. The responding police agency depends on the road.
The Nassau County Police Department covers most of Nassau. The Suffolk County Police Department covers the five western towns, and East End towns run their own departments. New York State Police patrol the state parkways, while county police highway units patrol the Long Island Expressway.
Crashes Involving Government Vehicles or Road Defects
A crash involving a county bus, a town truck, or a dangerous road condition follows much shorter deadlines. Several rules apply at once.
- County and town claims: A notice of claim within 90 days under General Municipal Law §50-e
- State roads: A claim or notice of intention within 90 days in the Court of Claims under Court of Claims Act §10
- Pothole and defect claims: Many towns require prior written notice of the defect under Town Law §65-a
- Hit-and-run crashes: A police report in 24 hours and notice to the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC) in 90 days under Insurance Law §5208
New York State owns the Long Island Expressway and the state parkways. A road defect claim on those highways goes to the Court of Claims. The 90-day window closes quietly while most people focus on their recovery.
Which Long Island Roads Lead to the Crashes We Handle?
Our Long Island car accident cases often trace back to the Long Island Expressway, the state parkways, Sunrise Highway, and Hempstead Turnpike. Each road has its own crash pattern. That pattern often shapes how we prove fault.
Long Island Expressway (I-495)
The Long Island Expressway carries heavy commuter and truck traffic from Queens to Riverhead. Rear-end crashes in stop-and-go traffic and lane-change collisions near exits are common LIE claims. Commercial trucks add underride and blind-spot claims.
Northern State and Southern State Parkways
The parkways ban commercial vehicles and run with narrow lanes, short merges, and limited shoulders. Speed and tight curves on the Southern State add to the risk of serious collisions.
Sunrise Highway and Hempstead Turnpike
Sunrise Highway switches between expressway and signaled road across the South Shore, and drivers misjudge those transitions. Hempstead Turnpike runs through dense commercial strips with frequent turns and heavy foot traffic, which leads to pedestrian and left-turn crashes.
Meadowbrook and Wantagh Parkways
The Meadowbrook and Wantagh Parkways carry heavy summer beach traffic to Jones Beach. Congestion near the causeways and sudden braking produce rear-end and merge collisions.
What Is a Long Island Car Accident Claim Worth?
A Long Island car accident claim is worth the losses no-fault leaves unpaid, plus the value of your pain and suffering. Once your injury meets the serious injury threshold, the at-fault driver’s insurer answers for both. A fair number depends on whether your doctors expect the injury to be permanent.
Insurers value claims broken, and we build the case the same way. Each piece needs its own proof.
Economic Losses Beyond No-Fault
No-fault stops at $50,000 and covers only 80% of lost wages up to its monthly cap. Anything above those limits becomes part of the claim against the at-fault driver, including future surgery and lost earning capacity. Pay stubs, tax returns, and a treating doctor’s work restrictions carry this part of the case.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering covers physical pain, lost sleep, and the activities the injury took from you. A Nassau or Suffolk jury hears about it through your treating doctors and the people who see you every day. A spouse who watched you struggle up the stairs often makes the point better than any medical chart.
Your Spouse’s Claim
New York lets a spouse bring a separate claim for the loss of services and companionship. Lawyers call it a derivative claim because it rises or falls with yours. It adds value only when the main case succeeds.
What Lowers a Claim’s Value
Gaps in treatment, a prior injury to the same body part, and a share of fault all reduce what a claim is worth. Your share of fault cuts your recovery by that same percentage. We deal with each of these problems early, before the insurer uses them against you.
What Do You Do in the Weeks After a Long Island Car Accident?
In the weeks after a Long Island car accident, you protect your claim by filing for no-fault, following your treatment plan, and keeping records. The crash itself is over by then. The claim is just starting, and small habits at home shape its value.
Most clients call us once they are home and the first doctor visits are behind them. These steps make the most significant difference from that point forward.
- File your no-fault application with the right insurer within 30 days
- File an MV-104 report with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 10 days if anyone got hurt, under Vehicle and Traffic Law §605
- Keep every appointment and follow your doctor’s referrals
- Save receipts for prescriptions, travel to appointments, and household help
- Stay off social media about the crash and your activities
The serious injury threshold rewards patients whose records tell a consistent story. A folder of receipts and a steady treatment history often carry more weight than any single scan.
What Types of Car Accident Cases Does Our Long Island Team Take?
Our Long Island team takes car accident cases involving drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists hurt by negligent drivers. We also handle hit-and-run and uninsured driver claims. Each crash type has its own page with deeper detail.
Different crash types bring different insurance rules and proof. The cases we handle most often on Long Island include the following.
- Hit-and-run crashes and uninsured driver claims
- Rear-end, T-bone, and head-on collisions
- Truck accidents on the LIE and service roads
- Motorcycle accidents on the parkways and North Shore roads
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents on Hempstead Turnpike and village streets
Hit-and-run victims still have options. MVAIC and your own uninsured motorist coverage may pay when police fail to identify the driver.
FAQ for Long Island Car Accident Lawyer
How much does a Long Island car accident lawyer cost?
A Long Island car accident lawyer at Finz & Finz P.C. costs nothing upfront. We work on contingency, so our fee comes only from a recovery. You owe no attorney fee if we recover nothing.
How long do I have to sue after a car accident on Long Island?
You have three years from the crash to sue after a car accident on Long Island under CPLR §214(5). Claims against a county, town, or the state require a notice within 90 days. Wrongful death claims have two years.
How long does a Long Island car accident case take?
A Long Island car accident case usually takes one to three years. Cases with a clear serious injury and adequate insurance often settle sooner. Cases that go to trial in Nassau or Suffolk County Supreme Court take longer.
What happens if no-fault denies my claim?
If no-fault denies your claim, you may challenge the denial through arbitration or a lawsuit. Many denials follow an insurer’s medical exam or a late application. We review the denial and the deadlines before you respond.
Is a passenger able to file a claim after a Long Island crash?
Yes, a passenger may file a no-fault claim and a lawsuit after a Long Island crash. A passenger may pursue any at-fault driver, including the driver of the car they rode in. The same serious injury threshold applies.
Do I need a lawyer if the other driver admitted fault?
Yes, you still benefit from a lawyer when the other driver admitted fault. Fault does not decide a New York car accident lawsuit alone. You must still prove a serious injury, and insurers fight that element hardest.
What do I avoid saying to the insurance adjuster after a Long Island car accident?
Skip recorded statements to the other driver’s insurer, guesses about fault, and any talk of minor injuries. Your own no-fault insurer may require an exam, and your lawyer may attend it. Adjusters use early statements to limit your claim later. Send every other question to your lawyer.
Why is the first settlement offer after a car accident so low?
The first settlement offer usually comes before your treatment ends, so it reflects only the bills already paid. Insurers also bet that an unrepresented driver accepts quickly. A fair valuation waits until your doctors know whether the injury is permanent.
Am I able to recover money if I was partly at fault for a crash in New York?
Yes. New York follows pure comparative fault under CPLR §1411, so your share of fault reduces your recovery instead of barring it. A driver found 30% at fault still recovers 70% of the damages, as long as the injury meets the serious injury threshold.
Protect Your Long Island Car Accident Claim Before the Insurer Builds Its File
The insurer started its file the day of the crash. Its adjusters and doctors look for gaps in your treatment and slips in your statements. A call to us puts someone on your side of that file.
Call Finz & Finz P.C. at 212-513-1000 for a free case review, day or night. We serve Nassau and Suffolk counties and charge nothing unless we recover money for you.
