Pedestrian Accident Attorney in Queens, NY

Queens has the widest arterials in the city and the pedestrian caseload that goes with them. Queens Boulevard, Northern Boulevard, Roosevelt Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard combine multiple lanes, service roads and elevated structures that block sight lines — conditions that turn an ordinary turning movement into a serious injury.

A good attorney will start with two things, not one. The claim, obviously. But also the no-fault application: in New York a pedestrian recovers medical and wage benefits from the striking vehicle's insurer under Insurance Law § 5103 — $50,000 of basic economic loss — and the NF-2 form is due within 30 days of the accident. That benefit exists regardless of fault, and it is the practical difference between getting an MRI in week two and getting it in month five.

The rest of what should come up at a first meeting:

• VTL § 1151 and NYC Administrative Code § 19-190 (the Right of Way Law) govern crosswalk right of way and can produce a summons that supports the civil claim.
• The serious injury threshold in Insurance Law § 5102(d) gates pain and suffering damages.
• Three years to sue under CPLR 214; two years for wrongful death.
• Against the City, the MTA or the New York City Transit Authority: notice of claim within 90 days (GML § 50-e), a § 50-h hearing, and suit within one year and 90 days.
• Pure comparative negligence under CPLR 1411 — being partly at fault reduces recovery, it does not bar it.
• Cases are filed in Supreme Court, Queens County, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica.

Ask how quickly the attorney will move to preserve video. Along Roosevelt Avenue and Queens Boulevard the useful footage usually comes from small businesses whose systems overwrite within days. General information, not legal advice.

Nothing at the start. New York injury attorneys work on contingency — paid from the recovery, nothing if there is no recovery. One-third of the net recovery is the customary arrangement, set out in a written retainer.

What determines the net:

• Whether the case settles pre-suit, in discovery, or at trial
• Case expenses — reconstruction, medical narratives, deposition transcripts, index and filing fees — and whether they are deducted before or after the fee
• Liens: no-fault, health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid
• The driver's limits, and whether a SUM claim becomes necessary
• Whether a municipal defendant adds the notice of claim and § 50-h steps

If the injured person is a minor, both the settlement and the fee require judicial approval. Our consultation and referral cost nothing.

Because on a road like Queens Boulevard the outcome depends on evidence that exists for about a week, and on a no-fault form due in thirty days.

• Free consultation; the referral costs you nothing.
• Available 24/7 at (800) 669-0060.
• English, Spanish, and Russian.
• Over 30 years of matching injured people with attorneys across New York and New Jersey.
• Local case experience in Queens County.
• Continued involvement after the introduction.

Attorneys in Michael Brook's network say the same thing about Queens intersections: obtain the DOT signal timing chart early. It converts a disputed "who had the light" argument into a documented sequence.

Disclaimer: Michael Brook Attorney Referral is not a law firm and provides no legal representation or legal advice. This is general information and does not replace advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. No result is guaranteed.