Long Island Car Accident Lawyer

A car accident can change your life in an instant, leaving you with painful injuries, mounting medical bills, and insurance adjusters calling before you have caught your breath. You deserve a legal team that listens first and then begins to fight for everything you are entitled to.  At Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., our Long Island personal injury lawyers have spent more than thirty-five years standing beside injured New Yorkers, including clients hurt by drunk drivers, defective vehicles, and negligent employers.  Our firm offers complimentary consultations anywhere on Long Island, at a hospital, or in your home, and our multilingual staff assists clients in Spanish, Greek, Bengali, and Creole. If negligence caused your crash, a Long Island car accident lawyer from our team is ready to listen and walk you through your options. When you are ready, please call our firm for a free consultation.

Common Causes of Car Crashes on Long Island

Most accidents are not accidents at all — they are the result of a driver who failed to take reasonable care behind the wheel. Distracted driving is the one we see constantly — a driver glancing at a text, punching an address into a GPS, or reaching for something that rolled off the passenger seat. Add speed to that same lapse in attention and the outcome gets worse fast. On roads like the Long Island Expressway, Sunrise Highway, and Northern State Parkway, where traffic already moves quickly, a driver who is not fully paying attention has far less room to react before a crash happens. Failure to yield the right-of-way, particularly at intersections and while turning, causes many of the crashes we handle, along with drivers who follow too closely and leave themselves no time to react when traffic slows. Impaired driving is another significant factor. Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs have slower reaction times and impaired judgment, and the consequences are often severe. Drowsy or fatigued driving carries similar risks, particularly during long commutes or late-night travel. Proving what caused a crash is rarely simple. Drivers deny fault more often than they admit it. Dashcam footage disappears within days if nobody asks for it. Requesting a driver's phone records may seem impossible to do on your own. This is the kind of digging a Long Island car accident lawyer from our team will address early on in a case, while you are still focused on recovering rather than chasing down evidence yourself.

For a free legal consultation with a Car Accident lawyer serving Long Island, call (516) 932-0400

How Our Car Accident Lawyers Support You

Hiring a lawyer after a collision means handing someone else the weight you have been carrying alone — the phone calls, the paperwork, the uncertainty about what happens next. We take that responsibility seriously. Since 1991, Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients across New York, and our attorneys bring nearly a century of combined legal experience into every case we take on. From the moment you hire our law firm, we take over the day-to-day work of your personal injury case so you can direct your energy toward healing. Here is what that looks like in practice:

• We keep you updated. You will never wonder what is happening with your case. We explain each development in plain language and answer your questions as they come up, so you always know where things stand.
• We identify every liable party. Responsibility for an accident does not always end with the other driver. We investigate thoroughly to determine whether an employer, vehicle owner, or another party also bears responsibility for what happened to you.
• We communicate with insurance companies on your behalf. Insurance adjusters are trained to protect their company's bottom line, not your recovery. We handle every conversation and piece of correspondence so you aren't pressured into an early statement or a lowball offer.
• We gather evidence to support your car accident claim. From police reports and witness statements to surveillance footage and medical records, we build the proof needed to show what happened and how it has affected your life.
• We determine an appropriate value for your case. We look beyond your immediate bills to consider your long-term medical needs, lost income, and the personal toll the accident has taken.

Some clients want a call every time there is a significant development in the case. Others would rather we handle things and check in only when a decision needs to be made. We will work with your preference. Behind every case is someone whose routine, finances, and plans got disrupted by a crash that was not their fault, and that is what we are working to make right, not just a number on a settlement sheet. We tailor our approach to what genuinely helps you, and we work on a contingency-fee basis, so you pay nothing upfront and owe nothing if we don't recover on your behalf. Case costs and expenses are advanced by the firm and repaid only out of a recovery. 

Long Island Car Accident Lawyer Near Me (516) 932-0400

Understanding New York's No-Fault Insurance Laws

New York requires drivers to carry no-fault insurance, known as Personal Injury Protection (PIP), so your own policy pays for certain medical bills and a portion of lost income after a crash, no matter who caused it. That sounds simple enough until you are the one waiting on a check. We regularly see insurers cut off physical therapy after too few sessions, months before a treating doctor agrees the treatment is no longer needed.

When You Can Step Outside No-Fault

No-fault coverage does not pay for pain and suffering, and it will not fully compensate you if you suffer catastrophic injuries. To pursue a claim against the at-fault driver directly, New York law requires that you meet a "serious injury" threshold. This includes, but is not limited to, injuries such as a bone fracture, significant disfigurement, or a permanent loss of use of a body part or system. Insurance companies know this threshold is where many claims either move forward or get shut down, and they scrutinize it closely. We have seen adjusters argue that a client's injury does not qualify even when medical records clearly show otherwise, simply because a lower payout benefits the insurer. When your injuries are real and well-documented, you should not have to fight an insurance company alone to prove it.  A Long Island car accident lawyer from our team will work tirelessly to build your case so that it reflects the true weight of what you have been through rather than what an adjuster is willing to admit.

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Common Injuries in Car Collisions

The injuries our clients face vary as widely as the accidents that cause them, but some patterns show up often enough to be worth understanding. Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries are the ones people tend to shrug off first, then end up living with for months. A fracture might mean six weeks in a cast, or it might mean surgery, hardware, and a recovery that stretches well past a year. Head injuries worry us the most in the early days after a crash, since a concussion does not always look serious right away. Someone can walk away from a crash feeling fine and develop headaches, memory trouble, or mood changes over the following days. Spinal cord injuries and internal injuries sit at the more severe end of what we see. A spinal cord injury can mean partial or permanent loss of function. Internal bleeding is not something you can identify by how you feel, and it can turn dangerous fast without treatment. There is also the part of an injury that never shows up on an X-ray: the anxiety after a crash, the trouble sleeping, the hesitation to get behind the wheel again. That is real harm too, and it belongs in how we evaluate your case. Whatever your diagnosis, a Long Island car accident lawyer from our team works to make sure it is fully understood and that it can be used as evidence to support a compelling case on your behalf.

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Recoverable Damages in a Car Collision Case in New York

The cost of an accident rarely ends with a hospital bill. A herniated disc can mean months of physical therapy. A traumatic brain injury can mean a return to work that never quite feels the same. The compensation we pursue is built around the injury in front of us, not a formula that treats every crash the same way. Depending on your injuries and the circumstances of your crash, the damages we pursue include:

• Medical costs, covering emergency treatment, ongoing care, and future treatment your injury may require
• Lost income and diminished earning capacity, for time missed at work now and any long-term impact on what you are able to earn going forward
• Property damage and out-of-pocket costs, including vehicle repair or replacement and other expenses tied directly to the crash
• Pain and suffering and emotional distress, accounting for what the accident has cost you physically and emotionally
• Impaired quality of life, when your injuries affect your independence or your ability to do the things you once enjoyed

We work with medical experts, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and economists when your case calls for it, so the value we pursue is not a guess — it reflects your recovery, the work you cannot yet return to, and the things you used to do without a second thought. A Long Island car accident lawyer on our team makes sure we account for all of it, not just what shows up on a bill.

What Is My Case Worth?

There is no set price tag for an injury after a car crash. Two people with the same diagnosis can walk away from a case with very different outcomes, because value depends on more than the injury itself. The strength of the evidence proving how the crash happened, the severity and permanence of the injury, how clearly your medical records connect your treatment to the crash, and whether you share any percentage of fault under New York law can all raise or lower what a case is ultimately worth. This is the kind of detail we build into every case we take on. We recovered $4.1 million for a passenger who suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a rollover accident, and $1 million for a construction worker who suffered a head injury when the van he was driving was struck at an intersection. Every case is different, and no result guarantees a similar outcome, but these recoveries show what happens when an injury is documented thoroughly and pursued with the seriousness it deserves.

Wrongful Death Damages After a Fatal Motor Vehicle Accident on Long Island

If you lost a loved one in a crash, we offer you our deepest condolences. There is no version of this that feels fair, and no settlement that replaces the person you lost. What we can do is stand beside your family and pursue accountability for what happened. If another driver's negligence caused the crash, your family has the right to pursue compensation for:

• Medical bills incurred before your loved one passed
• Funeral and burial costs
• Lost income and financial support your family depended on
• The loss of the guidance, care, and companionship your loved one provided

These losses are different for every family, and we take the time to understand what your loved one meant to the people left behind, not just what a settlement worksheet requires. Our Long Island wrongful death lawyers are honored to guide eligible family members through this process. We want you to have the space to grieve with your family, without the added burden of insurance calls or legal deadlines pressing in on you during an already painful time.

Insurance Companies May Try to Shift the Blame to Car Accident Victims

New York follows a rule called comparative negligence, meaning more than one person can share responsibility for a crash. Under this rule, the compensation you recover is reduced by whatever percentage of fault is assigned to you. If you are found more than 50 percent responsible, you may be barred from recovering compensation for pain and suffering altogether.  This is where the experience, skill, and determination of your lawyers become a major factor in your case. When we are retained, we intend to win every dollar our injured clients are entitled to.  Insurance companies rely on this rule to their advantage. An adjuster may argue you were speeding when you were not, that you should have braked sooner, or that you were partially distracted, even when the evidence does not support it. These arguments cost real money: shifting even a small percentage of blame onto you can substantially lower the value of your claim. A Long Island car accident lawyer on our team investigates every detail of your crash so an insurance company's version of events can be defeated, and pursues the full compensation you are owed under New York law.

How We Build and Prove Your Case

Most car accident cases settle without ever reaching a courtroom, but the strength of any settlement offer depends entirely on the evidence behind it. Insurance companies evaluate claims based on what can be proven, not on how serious an injury feels to the person living with it, so the investigation we conduct in the days and weeks after your crash often determines the outcome of your case long before any settlement number is discussed.

Preserving Evidence Before It Disappears and Building a Complete Picture of Your Case

Evidence from a car accident has a shelf life. Dashcam footage gets overwritten, memories blur, and a witness who was easy to reach the day of the crash can be impossible to find a month later. A Long Island car accident attorney from our team moves quickly to request and preserve the evidence that shapes your claim, including:

• Police reports, which document the initial account of the crash but are often incomplete or based only on what officers observed after the fact
• Surveillance and dashcam footage from nearby businesses, traffic cameras, or other vehicles, which many systems overwrite within days
• Witness statements, since people who saw the crash firsthand become harder to locate and their memory of events fades the longer a case takes to move forward

From there, we build a fuller picture of how the crash happened and how it has affected you. This can include photographs of the vehicles and accident scene, medical records connecting your treatment to the crash, and, in more serious cases, testimony from accident reconstructionists who can recreate the sequence of events or life care planners who can speak to what your recovery will require over time.

Preparing for Trial, Even When We Expect to Settle

If an insurance company refuses to offer appropriate compensation or denies your claim outright, we are prepared to file a personal injury lawsuit and take your case before a judge and jury.  This means presenting the evidence we have gathered, cross-examining the witnesses and experts the defense puts forward, and countering any argument that minimizes what happened to you or the extent of your injuries. Insurance companies track which firms regularly try cases and which ones settle no matter what they are offered, and that reputation shapes the offers you receive well before a courtroom ever comes into play. A Long Island car crash lawyer from our team prepares every case as though it may go to trial, even when, from a statistical point of view, we know that is unlikely. That level of preparation is often the difference between an insurance company's first offer and the compensation you actually deserve.

The Clock Is Ticking on Your Car Accident Case

New York gives you a limited window to file a car accident lawsuit, and that window is shorter than most people expect. Missing this statute of limitations typically means losing your right to pursue compensation altogether, regardless of how strong your case might otherwise be. The deadline is not always the same for every case. A claim against a private driver follows one timeline, while a claim involving a government vehicle, such as a municipal bus or a county-owned truck, can carry a far shorter deadline and additional notice requirements you must meet within months, not years. Wrongful death lawsuits also have their own separate deadline. Determining which timeline applies to your case is not something to guess at, and a free case review with our firm will tell you exactly where you stand. At Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., we recommend calling us as soon as you are able after having been in a car accident for a free consultation. We will make sure no deadline catches you by surprise while you focus on your recovery.

Steps to Take After an Accident on Long Island

What you do in the hours after a crash can shape your case just as much as what happened in the moment of impact. Insurance companies look closely at how a claim was handled from the start, and small missteps early on can be used against you later.

Get Medical Attention Right Away

Some of the most serious injuries, including concussions, whiplash, and internal injuries, do not show clear symptoms right away. Seeing a doctor promptly creates a medical record connecting your injuries to the crash, which becomes difficult to establish later if you wait.

Report the Accident and Get a Copy of the Report

Depending on where your accident happened, your report may come from Nassau or Suffolk County police or a local precinct. Either way, if your condition permits, request a copy once it becomes available. If for any reason you are unable to obtain a copy, no worries; we will secure a copy on your behalf once you have retained our services. 

Document What You Can at the Scene

Take out your phone if it is safe to do so. Photos of the vehicles, the road, the traffic signals, and your own visible injuries matter more than people realize once weeks have passed and the details start to blur. A written report will never capture what a photo does.

Be Careful About What You Say

"I'm fine" is one of the most common things people say right after a crash, often before they even know if it is true. Skip that instinct with the other driver, and skip it with any insurance company, including your own, until you have talked to a lawyer. Statements made in the first hours often resurface later, twisted into something you never meant. A Long Island car accident lawyer from our team can walk you through each of these steps and take over from there, so you are not left guessing about what comes next while you are still recovering.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage After a Crash

Not every driver on Long Island carries the insurance New York law requires, and even those who do may not carry enough to cover a serious injury. When the at-fault driver has no insurance at all, or their policy limits fall short of what your injuries are worth, your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, often called UM/UIM, can provide a source of compensation. This coverage is part of most New York auto policies, but many drivers don't realize they have it or understand what it covers until they need it. If the at-fault driver's insurance is not enough to cover your medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering, a UM/UIM claim allows you to pursue the difference through your own policy instead of being left to absorb it yourself. Insurance companies do not make these claims simple. Because you are filing against your own insurer, the same company that would prefer to pay less rather than more, disputes over the value of a UM/UIM claim are common. A Long Island car accident lawyer from our team can review your policy, determine whether this coverage applies to your case, and pursue the compensation available to you under it.

Rideshare and Commercial Vehicle Accidents Can Make Claims  Complicated

Accidents involving rideshare drivers, delivery vehicles, or company cars often involve more insurance coverage than a typical two-driver crash, but that coverage does not always make a claim simpler. Different policies apply depending on the vehicle and the circumstances:

• Rideshare drivers, such as those working for Uber or Lyft, may be covered by the rideshare company's insurance policy, though the amount of coverage depends on whether the driver was waiting for a ride request, en route to a passenger, or actively transporting one at the time of the crash.
• Delivery drivers, including those working for food delivery apps or courier services, may be covered by their employer's commercial policy, their own personal auto policy, or both, depending on the company's insurance requirements
• Company vehicles, such as a work van or a car issued to an employee, are often covered under a business auto policy, which frequently carries higher liability limits than a personal policy.
• Taxi drivers are typically covered under a commercial policy carried by the cab company or the vehicle's owner, which often provides higher coverage limits than a personal auto policy, though disputes can arise over who technically owned or operated the vehicle at the time. 

A Long Island car accident lawyer from our team identifies which policy or policies apply to your accident and pursues compensation through every available source, rather than settling for whichever policy responds first.

Passengers Have Rights After an Auto Accident

If you were a passenger when the crash happened, you may assume your options are limited to whatever the driver you were riding with decides to do. That is not the case. As a passenger, you generally were not at fault for the crash, and you may have a claim against the driver you were riding with, the driver of the other vehicle, or both, depending on how the accident happened. This can create a more complicated situation when the driver you were riding with is a family member or friend, since some passengers hesitate to pursue a claim against someone they know. Their insurance policy, not their personal finances, is what covers the claim, and pursuing compensation you are entitled to does not need to come at the cost of that relationship. A Long Island car accident lawyer from our team can review the details of your accident and explain what your options look like as a passenger, separate from whatever the driver chooses to do about their own claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need Legal Representation If My Accident Seems Minor?

Even a crash that feels minor at the time can involve injuries that take days or weeks to fully show up, and insurance companies often use an early lack of visible injury to justify a lower offer. Speaking with a lawyer costs you nothing upfront, and it gives you a clear answer about whether your situation is worth pursuing before you sign anything or accept a settlement.

How Long Will My Case Take?

There is no set timeline for a car accident case. A claim with clear liability and well-documented injuries may settle within several months, while a more disputed case, or one that heads to trial, can take considerably longer. Once we understand the specifics of your situation, our team can give you a realistic sense of what to expect.

What If the Insurance Company Already Offered Me a Settlement?

Do not sign anything or cash a settlement check before speaking with a lawyer, even if the offer seems reasonable. Once you accept a settlement, you typically give up your right to pursue further compensation, even if your injuries turn out to be more serious than they appeared at the time of the offer. We can review any offer and let you know whether it reflects the true value of your claim.  Please remember, the insurance carrier is interested in the profits of their company, which means paying you as little as they can to “get rid of you,” not in maximizing the result of your claim. 

What If I Cannot Afford a Lawyer?

Our firm works on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs to hire us and no hourly bills along the way. We collect a fee only if we recover compensation for you; if we don't, you owe our firm nothing.

Talk to Us About Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer

At Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., we passionately advocate for the injured throughout Suffolk and Nassau Counties, and we know that reaching out after a crash is not always easy, especially while you are still hurting and unsure of what comes next. Our Long Island car accident attorneys will take the time to understand what happened to you, fight for the compensation you deserve, and carry the legal weight so you can focus on healing.  When you are ready, please call our firm for a free consultation, and we will walk you through whether driver negligence played a role in your crash and what your next steps may look like.

Call or text (516) 932-0400 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form