Everclad Law Group represents drivers, passengers, and pedestrians hurt in car accidents across Nassau County, Long Island, and New York City. Harvard and DA-trained attorneys with 10+ years recovering millions for the injured. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The call is free. The fee is contingent on winning.
A New York car accident claim is a legal action to recover compensation for injuries and losses caused by another driver’s negligence. New York is a “no-fault” state: every auto policy includes $50,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) that pays the injured person’s medical bills and 80% of lost wages regardless of who caused the crash.
To sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering, the injury must meet New York’s serious injury threshold under Insurance Law §5102(d): fracture, significant disfigurement, permanent loss of use, significant limitation, or non-permanent injury disabling normal activities for 90 of the first 180 days. The general statute of limitations is 3 years from the accident (CPLR §214), but the No-Fault application is due in 30 days and Notice of Claim against any municipal entity in 90 days. Everclad Law Group represents car accident clients across Nassau County, Long Island, and NYC on contingency, with no upfront cost.
Car accidents on Long Island and in NYC come in shapes the insurance company would rather you didn’t understand. Here is how we approach the cases we see most.
From Belt Parkway pile-ups to Sunrise Highway rear-ends to LIE chain-reactions. These cases often turn on dashcam, 911 audio, EZPass, and ELD data — evidence with limited retention windows — and on careful evaluation of soft-tissue presentations that may mask more serious underlying injuries.
Criminal DWI charges run on a parallel track, but they don’t substitute for your civil claim.
Texting, GPS, in-dash infotainment. Cell-phone records subpoenaed early are the difference between “he-said-she-said” and a documented timeline of inattention.
VTL §1141 puts the burden on the left-turning driver. Light-cycle analysis, sight-line photographs, and witness statements decide these cases.
Recovery may come through Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage or the MVAIC state fund, depending on the policy and the facts. MVAIC paperwork must be submitted within 90 days.
A $1.25M liability layer applies when the driver is in Period 2 or 3 (en route or with passenger). Period 1 (logged in, waiting) carries lower limits. Identifying the correct policy period is the threshold legal question.
A partner of the firm leads every case, supported by the firm’s resources at each stage so nothing slips between calls.
A licensed New York attorney reviews your case, by phone, video, or at your home or hospital bed. Always confidential.
Personal injury cases often depend on evidence with short retention windows — scene photographs, dashcam, surveillance video, medical records, 911 audio, and timely No-Fault filings. Early review identifies what is available and what each case requires.
Each matter is prepared with the possibility of trial in mind — depositions, expert work, motion practice. Settlement leverage flows from preparation, not from posture.
Where a recovery is obtained, lien negotiation and medical accounting are part of the settlement process before any net distribution to the client.
Credentials, focus, and a boutique structure built so injured New Yorkers never face an insurance company alone. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Two partners lead every matter the firm takes on. You get direct access to the attorney guiding your case, with the team’s resources behind them.
Founding Partner
A courtroom-first lawyer trained at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, where he tried cases in front of New York juries. Yoni built Everclad around the principle that case value is driven by trial preparation, and that insurers calibrate offers to the credibility of that preparation.
Partner
Harvard Law School. Over a decade of complex litigation. Joe leads the firm’s complex-litigation work and builds case files prepared for trial from the outset.
A small sampling of the reviews that have made Everclad one of the highest-rated personal injury firms on Long Island.
Unbelievable experience! I thought the process would be draining but they handled it in the most efficient way possible!
I started my case with them and it has been the best decision I have made. I definitely recommend them. It is the best law firm. I am infinitely grateful for their hard work, dedication, responsibility, professionalism, and good assistance.
Amazing law firm! I highly recommend.
The questions we hear most often from drivers, passengers, and pedestrians hurt in New York car accidents — answered by attorneys who answer them every day.
See all 45 FAQs →Six steps, in order:
(1) Call 911 and report the accident.
(2) Get medical attention, even if you feel fine. Concussions and soft-tissue injuries surface hours or days later.
(3) Photograph the scene, vehicles, license plates, road conditions, and visible injuries.
(4) Exchange information and gather witness contacts.
(5) File an MV-104 report with the NY DMV within 10 days if damages exceed $1,000.
(6) File your No-Fault application (NF-2) within 30 days and talk to a personal injury attorney before giving a recorded statement to any adjuster.
Under CPLR §214, the general statute of limitations for personal injury is 3 years from the date of the accident. Claims against a municipal entity (NYC, MTA, NY State, a school district) require a Notice of Claim within 90 days under GML §50-e. No-Fault PIP applications must be filed within 30 days. These deadlines are strict.
New York is a no-fault state. Your own auto insurance pays up to $50,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) for medical bills and 80% of lost wages up to $2,000/month, regardless of who caused the crash. To sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering, your injuries must meet New York’s serious injury threshold under Insurance Law §5102(d).
Under NY Insurance Law §5102(d), a serious injury includes: death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, bone fracture, loss of a fetus, permanent loss of use of a body organ or function, permanent consequential limitation, significant limitation of use, or any non-permanent injury preventing your usual daily activities for 90 of the first 180 days after the accident.
You can still recover. New York follows pure comparative negligence under CPLR §1411. You may recover damages even if you were 99% at fault, with your award simply reduced by your percentage of fault. This is among the most plaintiff-favorable comparative fault rules in the country.
Recovery is still possible through your own Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage, which New York requires on all auto policies. For hit-and-run cases, the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC) also provides recovery. MVAIC paperwork must be submitted within 90 days.
Rideshare cases involve layered coverage. When the driver is logged in carrying passengers or traveling to a confirmed pickup (Period 2 or 3), a $1.25M liability policy applies in New York. When logged in but waiting for a ride request (Period 1), lower limits apply — generally $75,000/$150,000 bodily injury. When offline, only the driver’s personal insurance covers the incident. Identifying the correct policy period is critical.
Not without consulting an attorney first. Adjusters are trained to ask questions designed to minimize claims, and statements can be used against you. You are generally not legally required to provide recorded statements to the other driver’s insurer. Let your lawyer handle communications.
Walk-ins welcome by appointment. Home and hospital visits available throughout Nassau, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx.
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