When someone comes to us after a car accident in New York City, they are usually dealing with pain, missed work, medical bills, and insurance companies that have already started asking questions. We know how disorienting those first days can be. Our role is to protect your health, preserve the evidence, and make sure you understand your rights before an insurance company tries to decide the value of your case for you.

We represent injured people throughout Manhattan and the five boroughs, and we regularly handle cases in New York County Supreme Court. Local experience matters in this city — from securing nearby camera footage before it is overwritten to dealing with insurers that handle high-volume NYC claims every day. To see how car accident cases fit within the broader range of vehicle-related injuries we handle, visit our motor vehicle accidents page.

What To Do Immediately After a Car Accident in NYC

The steps you take right after a crash can make a real difference in both your recovery and your case.

Call 911 and request police and medical assistance.
A police report creates an official record and often identifies witnesses and initial findings.

Get medical care right away.
Head, neck, and back injuries may not fully appear for hours or days. Early treatment connects your injuries to the crash.

Exchange complete driver and vehicle information.
If you are able, obtain the other driver’s name, contact details, driver’s license number, license plate, insurance information, and employer details if they were working.

Photograph the scene and the vehicles.
Capture damage, intersections, street signs, skid marks, and visible injuries. This evidence can disappear quickly once vehicles are moved.

Look for witnesses and nearby cameras.
Security cameras, traffic cameras, and storefront cameras are common in Manhattan, but footage is often overwritten within days.

Report the accident to your own insurance company.
Provide basic facts only. Avoid recorded statements or broad medical authorizations until your injuries are understood.

Be cautious with early settlement offers.
Quick offers are often far lower than what serious injury claims require.

We guide our clients through each of these steps so that avoidable mistakes do not undermine an otherwise valid claim.

Why Car Accidents Are So Common in NYC and Manhattan

New York City traffic is unlike anywhere else. Congestion on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, sudden stops on the Cross Bronx Expressway, and constant merging along the Grand Central Parkway lead to frequent multi-vehicle collisions.

In Manhattan, dense corridors such as Park Avenue, Broadway, Canal Street, and the West Side Highway combine taxis, delivery vehicles, cyclists, buses, and pedestrians in tight spaces. Even low-speed impacts can cause serious injuries, and fault is often disputed because multiple vehicles and witnesses are involved.

Car Accident Cases We Handle

We handle car accident cases throughout Manhattan and the five boroughs, and many of them share the same underlying issues — dense traffic, multiple vehicles, and conflicting accounts of how the crash occurred.

Rear-end collisions are common in stop-and-go traffic and often lead to neck and back injuries that worsen over time. Intersection crashes at busy crossings, particularly where turning vehicles meet pedestrians and cyclists, frequently involve disputed fault and multiple witnesses.

We also represent people injured in pedestrian knockdowns, which remain one of the most serious types of crashes in Manhattan. You can learn more about those cases on our pedestrian accidents page.

Rideshare collisions involving Uber and Lyft drivers present unique insurance issues depending on whether the driver was logged into the app or transporting a passenger. We address those situations on our rideshare accidents page.

When a driver leaves the scene, hit-and-run cases require immediate investigation and often depend on alternative insurance coverage and nearby camera footage. Additional information is available on our hit-and-run accidents page.

Commercial and delivery vehicle crashes are increasingly common throughout New York City and may involve employer liability and higher insurance limits. We discuss those cases on our delivery truck accidents page, as well as more serious truck accidents involving large commercial vehicles.

Finally, we represent riders and cyclists who are injured because they have little physical protection in a collision. More information is available on our motorcycle accidents and bicycle accidents pages.

The Injuries We See After NYC Car Accidents

Many clients initially believe they are only sore, only to develop more serious symptoms days later. We commonly see:

• Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
• Herniated discs and spinal injuries
• Neck and back pain
• Fractures and broken bones
• Knee and shoulder injuries
• Soft-tissue injuries that limit movement

To pursue compensation for pain and suffering in New York, an injury must meet the serious injury threshold, meaning it causes significant limitations, fractures, or long-term impairment affecting daily life and work.

Understanding No-Fault Insurance in Plain English

New York’s no-fault system means your own insurance generally pays for medical treatment, a portion of lost wages, and certain out-of-pocket expenses, regardless of who caused the crash. These benefits must usually be applied for within 30 days.

No-fault does not compensate for pain and suffering and does not fully replace lost income. When injuries meet the serious injury threshold, we pursue claims against the at-fault party for the full impact of the injury.

When a Lawsuit Becomes Necessary

If an injury qualifies as serious under New York law, a lawsuit may be brought to recover damages beyond no-fault benefits.

New York follows comparative negligence, which means a person may still recover compensation even if they share some responsibility for the accident, though the recovery may be reduced.

We evaluate fault, secure medical documentation, and prepare each case with litigation in mind when necessary.

How We Handle Car Accident Cases in Manhattan

When we take on a car accident case, we focus on building it the right way from the start.

We investigate the crash, secure surveillance and traffic camera footage before it is lost, and work with local medical providers to document injuries in a way that reflects how they affect daily life and the ability to work.

We handle all communication with insurance companies, identify every available insurance policy, and prepare cases for New York County Supreme Court when litigation becomes necessary.

Our goal is to calculate the full cost of the injury — including future medical care and lost earning capacity — and pursue a result that reflects what our client has actually experienced.

Visiting Our Manhattan Office

Our Manhattan office is easily accessible from the FDR Drive, the West Side Highway, and crosstown routes such as Canal Street. Multiple subway lines and bus routes stop within walking distance, making it convenient for clients traveling from Midtown, Downtown Manhattan, Harlem, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Meeting with a local attorney near your home, workplace, or medical providers can make the process easier while you focus on recovery