Car accident claims in Queens
A crash can leave you with injuries, a wrecked car, and bills that start arriving before you have any answers. We represent people injured in collisions across Queens: rear-end and intersection crashes, highway collisions, rideshare, hit-and-run, and crashes with uninsured or underinsured drivers.
Motor vehicle work is the majority of what this firm does. If you are deciding who to call, that is the most useful thing we can tell you about ourselves.
Where these crashes happen in Queens
Queens carries a mix of traffic that most of the city does not: arterial roads with heavy pedestrian crossings, three expressways, and the approaches to two airports. Queens Boulevard and Northern Boulevard run wide and fast through dense neighborhoods. The Van Wyck, the Long Island Expressway and the Grand Central Parkway put commuter traffic alongside commercial vehicles all day. Add the density of for-hire vehicles working the airports and the result is a borough where the other driver is often working, and often insured by a company rather than a person.
That matters more than it sounds. When the at-fault driver was on the job, there is usually a second policy and a company with its own interest in the outcome.
How New York's no-fault system affects your claim
New York is a no-fault state. Your own insurance generally pays your medical bills and a portion of lost earnings regardless of who caused the crash, up to your policy's basic limits. That part is not a lawsuit, it is a claim, and the deadlines are short.
No-fault does not cover pain and suffering. To bring that claim against the driver who hurt you, New York generally requires that your injury meet the “serious injury” threshold defined in Insurance Law §5102(d). That definition includes categories such as a fracture, significant disfigurement, permanent loss of use of a body organ or member, permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member, and significant limitation of use of a body function or system. New York has since removed the former “90/180-day” category, so a temporary inability to perform your usual activities no longer qualifies on its own, and the threshold turns on objective medical evidence of a permanent or significant injury. That change applies to actions commenced on or after May 26, 2026, which is a question of when a case is filed rather than when the accident happened. An older accident that has not yet been filed is affected by it.
Whether an injury meets that threshold is one of the most contested issues in New York auto litigation. It usually turns on the medical record, which is why what you do in the first weeks matters.
What we do
We collect the police report, the vehicle data, and the medical records, and we deal with the insurers so you are not doing it while you are hurt. We look for every source of coverage, including underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy, which people often do not realize they have.
Where the other vehicle was commercial or for-hire, we identify the company behind it and every policy that may respond, rather than stopping at the driver.
If a bus or a city vehicle was involved
Queens is served by a dense bus network, and a collision involving a city agency or a transit authority follows different rules from an ordinary crash. A notice of claim is generally required within 90 days, well before the ordinary deadline, and missing it can end the claim before it begins. That is one of the first things we establish, because the clock is much shorter than most people expect.
Where a Queens case is heard
Queens County Supreme Court, Civil Term, sits in two locations: 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica, and 25-10 Court Square in Long Island City. Our office is in Long Island City.
Deadlines
Most personal injury actions in New York must be started within three years of the crash under CPLR 214. Shorter deadlines can apply, including the 90-day notice of claim above. No-fault applications have their own much shorter deadlines. If time has already passed, call anyway, because the answer depends on the specific facts.
Related Queens pages
If the vehicle that hit you was a truck or commercial fleet vehicle, see our Queens truck accident page. If you were riding, see Queens motorcycle accidents, and if you were on foot, Queens pedestrian accidents. Our general car accident page covers New York City and Long Island more broadly.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in New York?
Most car accident lawsuits in New York must be started within three years of the crash under CPLR 214. Shorter deadlines apply when a public entity such as the City or a transit authority is involved, where a notice of claim is generally due within 90 days, and no-fault benefit applications have their own much shorter deadlines.
What is New York's serious injury threshold?
New York is a no-fault state, and to sue for pain and suffering your injury must meet the serious injury threshold in Insurance Law §5102(d), such as a fracture, significant disfigurement, or a permanent or significant limitation. The former 90/180-day category was removed for actions commenced on or after May 26, 2026, so the threshold turns on objective medical evidence. That date is about when a case is filed, not when the accident happened.
What if the driver who hit me was working at the time?
Where the at-fault driver was driving for a company, for-hire or commercial, there is often a second policy and an additional responsible party. We identify the company behind the vehicle and every policy that may respond rather than stopping at the driver.
What does it cost to hire a car accident lawyer?
Nothing upfront. Consultations are free and car accident cases are handled on a contingency basis, so there is no fee unless the firm recovers compensation for you.
