Injured in Brooklyn? Know Your Rights. Fight for What You Deserve.
Brooklyn's energy is one of a kind — and so are its streets. Crowded crosswalks, bike lanes, the subway, constant construction, and some of the busiest traffic in the country mean accidents happen here every day. If you've been injured in Brooklyn, you're not alone, and you're not without options. But New York's injury laws are complex and unforgiving of missed deadlines, so what you do next matters.
- You generally have 3 years to file an injury lawsuit in New York — but far less in some cases.
- If the MTA, the City, NYCHA, or a public hospital is involved, you may have only 90 days to file a Notice of Claim.
- New York's no-fault system pays your first medical bills — but to sue for pain and suffering, your injury must meet the serious injury threshold.
- New York uses pure comparative negligence — you can recover even if you were mostly at fault.
- We work on contingency: no fee unless we win, and our office is right here in Bay Ridge.
The Brooklyn accidents we handle
From a fender bender on the Gowanus to a fall on a city sidewalk, we represent injured Brooklynites across the borough in cases including:
- Pedestrian & Bicycle AccidentsCrosswalk, dooring, and hit-and-run injuries on Brooklyn streets→
- Car & Rideshare CrashesDistracted, reckless, and Uber/Lyft collisions→
- Subway, Bus & MTA InjuriesFalls and collisions on public transit — strict 90-day deadlines→
- Construction Site AccidentsFalls, scaffolds, and equipment injuries→
- Slip, Trip & Fall InjuriesSidewalks, stairwells, stores, and NYCHA buildings→
- Truck AccidentsCommercial and delivery-truck crashes→
- Motorcycle AccidentsWhere NY riders keep the full right to sue→
- Medical MalpracticeErrors at Brooklyn hospitals and clinics→
New York law is different — and it's unforgiving
This is where a local lawyer earns their keep. New York's rules are unlike New Jersey's or anywhere else, and a single missed deadline can end an otherwise winning case.
The deadlines that catch people
Most Brooklyn injury claims must be filed within three years (New York CPLR § 214). But medical malpractice is shorter at two and a half years, and wrongful death is just two years from the date of death. Waiting also lets evidence fade, so acting early is always safer.
The 90-day “municipal trap”
Here's the deadline that quietly destroys more Brooklyn cases than any other. If your injury involves a public entity — an MTA bus or subway, a city sidewalk, a NYCHA building, a city vehicle, or a public hospital — you generally must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident, and then file suit within one year and 90 days. Miss that 90-day window and the courthouse door usually closes for good, no matter how badly you were hurt. If a government agency might be involved, call a lawyer immediately.
No-fault and the “serious injury” threshold
New York is a no-fault state. Your own coverage (up to $50,000) pays your initial medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash — but you must file that no-fault claim within 30 days. To step outside no-fault and sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering, your injury has to meet New York's serious injury threshold (Insurance Law § 5102(d)): a fracture, significant disfigurement, a permanent or significant limitation, or an injury that keeps you from your normal activities for 90 of the 180 days after the crash. Building that medical proof is often what makes or breaks a case.
Pure comparative negligence — in your favor
Here's a rule that works for you. Under New York's pure comparative negligence standard, you can recover damages even if you were partly — or even mostly — at fault. If you're found 40% responsible, you still recover 60% of your damages. This is more forgiving than New Jersey, which bars recovery entirely once you're more than 50% at fault. It's also exactly why insurers fight to shift blame onto you.
Hurt on a construction site? New York's Labor Law protects you
Brooklyn is always building — and construction is dangerous work. Beyond workers' compensation, New York's Labor Law §§ 240 and 241 place strong, often absolute, liability on property owners and general contractors for gravity-related hazards like falls from heights, collapsing scaffolds, and falling objects. These protections are among the strongest in the nation and can cover subcontracted, temporary, and undocumented workers alike. If you were hurt building Brooklyn, you may have far more than a comp claim.
Your Brooklyn advantage
When you work with Onal Injury Law, you get a firm that knows this borough and fights for the people in it:
- We know Brooklyn's streets. Local knowledge lets us investigate accidents with an eye for the traffic patterns, intersections, and conditions unique to the borough.
- We speak your language. Our team communicates in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Turkish, so nothing gets lost during an already stressful time.
- We fight for the “little guy.” Insurers routinely downplay Brooklyn claims. We push back hard to protect your rights and maximize your recovery.
- We're here for the long haul — and we're available 24/7, from the first call to the final resolution.
Serving Brooklyn & the greater New York metro
From our office on Bay Ridge Avenue, we represent injured clients across Brooklyn, Queens, and New York City, including:
449 Bay Ridge Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Injured in Brooklyn? Don't wait on the clock.
New York's deadlines are strict — and some are as short as 90 days. Onal Injury Law will review what happened, explain your options in plain English, and take the fight on for you. The review is free, and there's no fee unless we win.
Get a Free Case Review → or call (201) 335-6788 — available 24/7Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in New York?+
For most injuries, three years from the date of the accident (CPLR § 214). But the window is shorter for some cases — two and a half years for medical malpractice, two years for wrongful death — and dramatically shorter if a government entity is involved. If the MTA, the City of New York, NYCHA, or a public hospital may be responsible, you generally have just 90 days to file a Notice of Claim.
What is the 90-day Notice of Claim, and does it apply to me?+
It's a special deadline for cases against public entities. If you were hurt on the subway or an MTA bus, on a city sidewalk, in a NYCHA building, or by a city vehicle, you usually must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident — separate from, and much shorter than, the three-year deadline. Miss it, and the case is often lost no matter how strong it is. This is the single most common way valid Brooklyn claims get thrown out, which is why it's critical to call quickly.
New York is a no-fault state — can I still sue the driver who hit me?+
Often, yes. Your own no-fault coverage (up to $50,000) pays your initial medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault, and you must file that claim within 30 days. To sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering, your injury has to meet New York's “serious injury threshold” under Insurance Law § 5102(d) — for example, a fracture, significant disfigurement, or a permanent or significant limitation. We build the medical proof needed to clear that threshold.
What if the accident was partly my fault?+
You can still recover. New York uses pure comparative negligence, which means you can be compensated even if you were mostly at fault — up to 99% — with your award reduced by your share of the blame. This is more forgiving than many states, and it's why insurers work hard to pin fault on you. We push back.
I was hurt on a Brooklyn construction site — what are my rights?+
Potentially more than you think. Beyond workers' compensation, New York's Labor Law §§ 240 and 241 place strong — often absolute — liability on property owners and general contractors for gravity-related and other construction hazards, such as falls from heights or falling objects. These are among the most powerful protections for injured workers in the country, and they can apply even to subcontracted, temporary, and undocumented workers.
How much does a Brooklyn personal injury lawyer cost?+
Nothing up front. Onal Injury Law works on contingency — the consultation is free, we advance the costs of building your case, and you owe no attorney's fee unless we win compensation for you.