Car Accidents

Car Accident Lawyers Serving New York & New Jersey

If you’ve been in a car accident in New York or New Jersey, the weeks that follow can feel like a second crisis on top of the first. You are trying to recover physically while the insurance company calls repeatedly, asks for a recorded statement, and pushes a settlement number that does not come close to covering your actual losses. Meanwhile, the bills for emergency care, imaging, and follow-up treatment are arriving at a pace that makes it difficult to focus on anything else.

At Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C., our New York and New Jersey car accident lawyer has been representing injured drivers, passengers, and pedestrians since 1975. We handle car accident claims on contingency, so you owe us nothing unless we secure compensation for you.

Trusted car accident lawyers with over 51 years of experience.

How do car accident claims work in these two states?

New York and New Jersey both operate under no-fault insurance systems, but the specifics differ in important ways. In New York, your own insurance pays your initial medical bills and a portion of lost wages through Personal Injury Protection benefits regardless of who caused the crash, and this coverage applies up to $50,000. If your injuries are serious enough to meet the threshold defined by New York Insurance Law § 5102(d), you can step outside the no-fault system and file a claim directly against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering and other damages.

New Jersey gives drivers a choice when they purchase coverage between a “limitation on lawsuit” option and a “no limitation” option, and that decision directly affects whether you can sue for non-economic damages after an accident. Many people do not realize which option they selected until they are injured and attempting to file a claim, which is why having an attorney who understands the NJ no-fault system review your policy early in the process is critical.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in New York and New Jersey

Car accidents take many forms, and the circumstances of the collision shape both the injuries and the legal strategy. Our firm handles a broad range of auto accident matters across both states.

• Rear-end collisions. Often caused by tailgating or distracted driving, these crashes frequently result in whiplash and soft tissue injuries that may not present symptoms for hours or even days after the impact.
• Intersection accidents. Running red lights and failing to yield at intersections are among the leading causes of serious collisions. According to NHTSA data, approximately 39,345 people died in traffic crashes nationwide in 2024.
• Head-on collisions. These crashes occur when a driver crosses the center line due to impairment, fatigue, or distraction, and the force of two vehicles meeting head-on frequently causes catastrophic injuries including traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage.
• Hit-and-run accidents. When a driver flees the scene, victims may need to rely on their own uninsured motorist coverage, and our attorneys help clients navigate that process while working to identify the driver when possible.
• Drunk driving accidents. Drivers who cause crashes while impaired face both criminal charges and civil liability, and we pursue full compensation for injuries caused by intoxicated drivers.
• Distracted driving crashes. Texting, phone calls, GPS adjustments, and other distractions behind the wheel cause thousands of preventable accidents across New York and NJ each year, and cell phone records can be subpoenaed to prove that the driver was not paying attention at the time of the crash.
• Multi-vehicle pileups. Chain-reaction crashes complicate liability because multiple drivers may share fault, and we investigate each vehicle’s role to pursue claims against all responsible parties.
• Uninsured motorist claims. When the at-fault driver lacks adequate coverage, your own UM/UIM coverage becomes critical, and we help clients access every available source of recovery.

Why Choose Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. for Car Accident Cases in New York and New Jersey?

A Track Record That Speaks for Itself

Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. has recovered millions of dollars for clients injured in motor vehicle accidents across both states. We secured an $836,000 settlement for a motorcyclist hit by a car, a settlement exceeding $500,000 for a driver in a two-car collision, and a $365,000 jury verdict for a woman who sustained back injuries in a three-car accident. These outcomes required aggressive negotiation and a willingness to go to trial when the insurer refused a fair offer.

Barry S. Kantrowitz has practiced law for over 40 years and is licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been repeatedly recognized as a Super Lawyer in New York. He earned his law degree from Boston University School of Law.

Kate Carballo practices personal injury litigation across New Jersey and New York and is a Certified Civil Trial Attorney designated by the New Jersey Supreme Court. Kate is a member of the American Association for Justice and was named to the Super Lawyers list from 2024 to 2026.

Our personal injury lawyer in New York and New Jersey handles car accidents from disputed-liability fender benders to high-speed highway crashes with permanent consequences.

“I retained KGG regarding a motor vehicle accident. KGG negotiated a good settlement with the other insured. I found the team at KGG to be fully committed to my case. I was kept aware of the progress of the case by email and phone. I wholeheartedly recommend KGG and will certainly use them again should the need arise.” — Hal Schlesinger

Understanding Car Accident Cases

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Car Accident Cases

After a serious car accident, the bills start arriving before you have even finished your first round of physical therapy. The ER visit alone might run $5,000 to $15,000 depending on what imaging and treatment you needed, and that is just the beginning. Orthopedic consultations, MRIs, injections, months of PT, and possibly surgery can push medical costs well into six figures for injuries that the insurance company will try to characterize as “soft tissue.”

Then there is the income you lose while recovering. If you work in a physically demanding job and your doctor puts you on restrictions for six months, that is six months of lost paychecks, potentially lost benefits, and in some cases a job that is no longer available when you are cleared to return. If the injury permanently limits what you can do, the calculation extends across your remaining working years.

New York and New Jersey also allow you to recover for the ways the accident has changed your daily life. The chronic back pain that wakes you up at 3 a.m., the headaches that make it hard to concentrate, the fact that you cannot play with your kids the way you used to. Juries in both states put real dollar values on those losses. In New York, comparative negligence reduces your recovery by your share of fault but never eliminates it. New Jersey bars recovery entirely if your fault exceeds 50%.

Important Aspects in Your Car Accident Case

We tell every car accident client the same thing in our first meeting: do not talk to the other driver’s insurance company before you talk to us. It sounds simple, but the pressure to cooperate is real. The adjuster calls within 24 hours, sometimes before you have even left the hospital, and asks to take a recorded statement. They frame it as routine. It is not routine. Every question has a purpose, and that purpose is to create a record they can use to reduce or deny your claim later.

Getting to a doctor quickly matters for medical reasons and legal ones. Concussions do not always produce symptoms at the scene. Herniated discs may take days to become painful. Internal bleeding can go undetected until it becomes an emergency. Beyond the health risk of waiting, the insurance company will use any delay between the accident and your first medical visit to argue that your injuries were not caused by the crash or were not serious enough to warrant the treatment you eventually received.

Save everything from the scene. Photographs of the vehicles, the road, the weather conditions, the traffic signals, and your injuries are all valuable. Get the names and phone numbers of anyone who witnessed the accident. If there is a dashcam video from your vehicle or any nearby car, secure it before it gets recorded over. This evidence is most useful when it is gathered in the first hours after the crash, and much of it becomes unavailable within days.

Car Accident Case Timeline

Most car accident cases in New York, NY and New Jersey, NJ follow a general progression.

• Medical treatment and stabilization of your injuries forms the foundation of the claim, and your attorney will generally wait until you reach maximum medical improvement before calculating the full value of your damages.
• Investigation includes obtaining the police report, reviewing witness statements, and in complex cases retaining an accident reconstruction specialist to establish what happened.
• Your attorney files the claim with the at-fault driver’s insurer or files a lawsuit within the applicable statute of limitations, which is three years in New York and two years in New Jersey.
• Discovery and depositions follow, during which both sides exchange documents and take sworn testimony from the parties and witnesses.
• Settlement negotiations can occur at any stage but often intensify after the medical evidence is complete, and trial follows if a fair settlement cannot be reached.

What to Bring to Your Car Accident Consultation

To make the most of your initial meeting with our attorneys, bring the following materials.

• The police accident report filed after the collision
• Photos of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and your injuries
• All medical records and bills connected to the accident
• Insurance policy information for you and, if available, the other driver
• Any letters or offers you have received from the other driver’s insurance company

The consultation is free and carries no obligation.

New York and New Jersey Legal Resources for Car Accidents

New York

These resources can help you research New York laws governing car accident claims and insurance requirements:

• New York State Unified Court System provides information on civil court procedures and filing deadlines for personal injury actions
• New York State Department of Financial Services publishes information on auto insurance requirements, no-fault PIP coverage, and insurance regulations that apply to motor vehicle accident claims
• NYS DMV provides accident reporting forms and information on the requirement to file a report within 10 days of a qualifying crash

New Jersey

These resources cover New Jersey car accident law and insurance rules:

• New Jersey Courts provides guidance on statutes of limitations and civil filing procedures for motor vehicle accident claims
• New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance publishes information on PIP coverage, no-fault insurance requirements, and the lawsuit threshold options available to NJ drivers
• New Jersey Legislature maintains searchable access to the statutes governing automobile insurance and personal injury claims

Reach Out to Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. to Schedule a Consultation

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident in New York or New Jersey, Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. can help. Contact us for a free consultation.