Best Personal Injury Lawyers in NYC, New York

Updated November 2026 · 10 firms · how we rank below

We ranked 10 New York City personal injury lawyers by published results, focus and access. The top firm, Gair Gair, reports a $272.5 million settlement in the Tribeca crane collapse; every attorney below offers a free consultation, and New York court rules cap the usual contingency fee at 33 1/3%. The general deadline to sue in New York is 3 years, but claims against the City need a notice of claim within 90 days.

The ranked list

Recoveries are firm-reported. We could not verify a current Google, Avvo or FindLaw star rating for any firm this month, so no rating lines are shown. Check any attorney's registration on the New York courts attorney search.

NYC personal injury lawyers by borough

An office address is not a service limit. Ask any firm whether it takes cases from your borough.

Which one fits your case

• Location: If getting to an office matters, start with the borough table. Jacoby & Meyers also offers home and hospital visits.
• Severity: For death, paralysis or brain injury, look first at firms 1 to 4, which publish the largest trial results. For a fracture or a few months off work, a borough firm may serve you just as well.
• Timing: If the City, a city bus or NYC Transit is involved and day 90 is close, call today. Car crash victims also need the no-fault notice in by day 30.
• Offer already on the table: Rosenberg Minc Falkoff & Wolff publishes several results won after the client turned down an offer.
• Language: Ginarte has Spanish and Portuguese pages; Block O'Toole & Murphy has Spanish and Polish.

How we rank

We scored each firm on four things: 40% published case results in personal injury (size and relevance to NYC accident cases), 25% focus on personal injury, 20% public ratings volume, and 15% accessibility (free consultation, languages, offices across the boroughs). We could not verify a current star rating from Google, Avvo or FindLaw for any firm this month, so the ratings share was scored equally for all and no rating lines are shown. When ratings are added, they will be third-party numbers with a source and date. Recoveries are as published by each firm; we did not check them against court records. Firms do not pay to be ranked. This list ranks firms by the method above; it does not claim any firm is the best for your case.

Top rated personal injury lawyers in NYC

The firms at the top of this list are there because they publish the largest trial and settlement results in New York accident cases: Gair Gair ($272.5 million, Tribeca crane collapse), Block O'Toole & Murphy ($110,174,972 for a paralyzed cyclist) and Sullivan Papain ($14.45 million for a pedestrian struck by a police car). All figures are firm-reported. A big past result does not predict yours. It does show the firm will take a case to a jury when an insurer refuses to pay a fair amount, and insurers track which firms do that. Ask any attorney how many cases like yours they have tried.

Personal injury lawyer near me: how to narrow this list

Start with the borough table. If two firms fit, call both; every consultation on this list is free. On the call, ask three things: who will actually handle your file, whether they have tried a case like yours, and what fee percentage goes in the retainer. Get the fee schedule in writing. Then look up the named attorney on the New York courts attorney search to confirm the registration is current. If no firm here feels right, the City Bar's referral line (212-626-7373) can point you to a screened lawyer.

How much does a personal injury lawyer cost in New York

Usually nothing up front. New York court rules limit contingency fees in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Under 22 NYCRR 603.25(e) (First Department: Manhattan and the Bronx) and 691.20(e) (Second Department: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island), the retainer must use one of two schedules. Schedule A is a sliding scale: 50% of the first $1,000, 40% of the next $2,000, 35% of the next $22,000, and 25% of anything over $25,000. Schedule B is a flat fee of up to 33 1/3%, the one-third most retainers use. Medical malpractice is different: Judiciary Law 474-a sets 30% of the first $250,000, stepping down to 10% above $1,250,000.

Deadline to file a personal injury claim in New York

Most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within 3 years, under CPLR 214(5). Claims against New York City run much shorter. You must file a notice of claim within 90 days of the incident (General Municipal Law 50-e), and the lawsuit within 1 year and 90 days (General Municipal Law 50-i). The NYC Comptroller does not accept notices of claim by email. After a car crash, the no-fault notice is due sooner still: 30 days. Medical malpractice and wrongful death have their own clocks, so ask an attorney about those.

What to do after an accident in NYC

Get medical care first, and tell the doctor every symptom, because your records become the evidence. Call 911 so there is a police report. Photograph the scene, the vehicles or hazard, and your injuries, and get names and phone numbers of witnesses. If a car was involved, send the no-fault application to the insurer within 30 days. If the City, a city bus or NYC Transit is involved, mark day 90 on a calendar. Do not give a recorded statement to the other side's insurer before you talk to a lawyer.

Hit by a car as a pedestrian in NYC

A pedestrian hit by a car in New York is covered by no-fault too. The no-fault claim pays medical bills and part of lost wages, and written notice is due within 30 days. To sue the driver for pain and suffering, the injury must meet the serious injury threshold described below; a fracture qualifies. If the car belonged to the City, such as a police car or sanitation truck, the 90-day notice of claim also applies. Sullivan Papain reports a $14.45 million verdict for a pedestrian struck by a police car (firm-reported).

Rear-ended in New York: what changes

Being rear-ended in New York starts like any car crash: no-fault coverage pays medical bills and part of lost wages, and written notice is due within 30 days. What decides a lawsuit is usually not who was at fault but how badly you were hurt. To recover for pain and suffering from the driver who hit you, you need a serious injury under Insurance Law 5102(d). Neck and back soft-tissue injuries are often disputed, so steady treatment and objective tests such as MRI findings matter. Block O'Toole & Murphy reports a $32,756,156 car accident verdict (firm-reported).

Slip and fall in NYC

A slip and fall in New York City is a premises case. In general you must show the owner created the hazard or knew, or should have known, about it in time to fix it. Photograph the spot before it is cleaned up, and keep the shoes you wore. Sidewalk falls can involve the property owner next to the sidewalk or the City, and a claim against the City needs a notice of claim within 90 days. Ginarte reports $12 million for a trip and fall in a Bronx sidewalk hole; Parker Waichman reports a $4,500,000 trip and fall verdict (both firm-reported).

No-fault (PIP) 30-day filing rule

New York is a no-fault state. After a car crash, personal injury protection (PIP) pays reasonable medical bills and part of lost earnings, whoever caused the crash. The catch is the clock. The mandatory endorsement in 11 NYCRR 65-1.1 says written notice must be given no more than 30 days after the accident, unless there is a clear and reasonable reason for the delay. Missing it is a common way to lose benefits. Pedestrians and cyclists hit by a car need to file within the same 30 days.

Serious injury threshold: Insurance Law 5102(d)

No-fault bars most lawsuits against another driver unless the injury is "serious." Insurance Law 5102(d) lists the qualifying injuries: death; dismemberment; significant disfigurement; a fracture; loss of a fetus; permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system; permanent consequential limitation of an organ or member; significant limitation of a body function or system; or a medically determined injury that kept you from substantially all of your usual daily activities for at least 90 of the 180 days after the accident. Defense lawyers often fight over this threshold.

Lowball insurance offer: what to do

A fast, low offer usually comes before your treatment is finished, when the insurer knows the least about your injury. Do not sign a release until you know your full medical picture; once signed, it usually ends the claim. Ask the adjuster to put the offer in writing, and ask a lawyer what similar cases resolved for. Rosenberg Minc Falkoff & Wolff reports $13.5 million after a rejected $7.5 million offer, and a $5.3 million verdict against a $300,000 offer (both firm-reported).

Hit by an MTA or city bus: the 90-day notice of claim

Bus cases have short deadlines. For the New York City Transit Authority, Public Authorities Law 1212 requires a notice of claim that meets General Municipal Law 50-e, which sets 90 days, and the lawsuit must start within 1 year and 90 days of the incident. Other MTA units and private bus lines can follow different rules, so confirm which company ran the bus. For City-owned vehicles, file with the NYC Comptroller within 90 days. Rosenberg Minc Falkoff & Wolff reports a $5.3 million bus vs. motorcycle verdict (firm-reported).

Not sure? The New York City bar lawyer referral service (Legal Referral Service of the New York City Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers Association): 212-626-7373 nycbar.org/get-legal-help

FAQ

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in New York?

Three years for most cases (CPLR 214(5)). Against New York City: notice of claim within 90 days, lawsuit within 1 year and 90 days.

How much does a personal injury lawyer cost in New York?

Usually a contingency fee capped at 33 1/3%, or a sliding scale (50/40/35/25%) under 22 NYCRR 603.25 and 691.20. Medical malpractice follows Judiciary Law 474-a.

What is the no-fault 30-day rule?

Written notice of a no-fault claim must be given within 30 days of a car accident (11 NYCRR 65-1.1), unless there is a clear and reasonable excuse.

What is the serious injury threshold?

The list of injuries in Insurance Law 5102(d), such as a fracture, a permanent limitation, or being unable to do usual activities for 90 of the first 180 days. You need one to sue another driver for pain and suffering.

What if I was hit by an MTA or city bus?

File a notice of claim within 90 days and sue within 1 year and 90 days (Public Authorities Law 1212 for NYC Transit; General Municipal Law 50-e and 50-i for the City).

Should I take the insurance company's first offer?

Not before your treatment is done and you know your full injury. A signed release usually ends the claim.

Is there a free lawyer referral line in NYC?

The City Bar's Legal Referral Service takes calls at 212-626-7373.

How were these firms ranked?

40% published results, 25% personal injury focus, 20% ratings volume, 15% accessibility. No firm paid to be listed.