Fact-Checked
A Staten Island car accident lawyer can protect your claim from the day of the crash. New York rewrote its motor vehicle injury laws in May 2026, and those changes now shape how much you recover, or whether you recover at all. At MooreJustice Accident & Injury Lawyers, we handle no-fault benefits, insurance negotiations, and personal injury lawsuits for injured drivers, passengers, and pedestrians across Staten Island and Richmond County.
Our team pursues the at-fault driver while you focus on medical treatment. Insurance adjusters open their file within hours of a collision, and yours should be built just as quickly. Call (917) 809-7014 for a free case evaluation with a Staten Island car accident lawyer.
Injured by someone else’s negligence?
We prepare motor vehicle cases for trial, and insurers price their offers accordingly. The Law Offices of Darren T. Moore, P.C. has secured a $5,025,000 verdict in a three-car collision and a $3,300,000 recovery for a driver struck by a tractor-trailer. We have additional case results published on our site.
One of our attorneys has spent more than 17 years representing injured New Yorkers. The firm is recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Super Lawyers, and the American Association for Justice, and is a member of the New York State Bar Association.
Our investigation begins with the police report, the 911 audio, camera footage from nearby businesses, and the vehicles themselves before they are repaired or scrapped. That groundwork matters most in the cases insurers expect to contest.
We handle every Staten Island car accident case on a contingency fee basis under a signed retainer agreement. Our phones are answered 24/7, hablamos español, and we can meet you at home or at the hospital when travel is difficult. For injuries that fall outside a motor vehicle claim, our Staten Island personal injury lawyer page covers the rest of our work in the borough.
After a car crash, your own auto insurance pays your initial expenses first, no matter who was at fault. Under New York’s Insurance Law § 5102, basic No-Fault coverage provides up to $50,000 per person to help pay for financial losses caused by your injuries.
These benefits protect more than drivers. Passengers in your car and pedestrians hit by an insured vehicle can also collect No-Fault benefits under the same policy.
No Pain and Suffering: No-Fault pays only for direct financial losses. It pays zero dollars for physical pain, emotional distress, or loss of enjoyment of life (you must file a separate personal injury claim against the at-fault driver to recover those damages).
Strict Deadlines: No-Fault runs on very tight state deadlines that can instantly destroy your claim if you miss them:
Call (917) 809-7014 and let us handle the filings while you recover.
Part EE of Chapter 58 of the Laws of 2026 rewrote the rules that govern every Staten Island car accident claim. The Department of Financial Services confirmed that these amendments took effect on May 26, 2026, and apply to all actions and proceedings commenced on or after that date.
Previously, recovering pain and suffering from an at-fault driver required an injury that qualifies as a serious injury. The 2026 amendment removed the category covering a non-permanent injury that prevented normal daily activities for 90 of the first 180 days. What remains is:
Soft tissue injuries now demand objective medical proof. Our attorneys work with treating physicians early to document limitation before an insurer argues the injury falls short.
New York applied pure comparative fault for 50 years. Under CPLR § 1411, shared fault still reduces damages proportionally in most injury cases. A new subsection (CPLR § 1411(b)) changes that into a modified comparative negligence rule for motor vehicle claims. Recovery is now barred altogether when the injured person's fault is greater than that of the defendant or defendants.
Practically, an adjuster now has a reason to push more than half the blame onto you. These cases are decided by crash reconstruction, video, and witness statements.
Fault percentages are argued from evidence gathered in the first weeks after a crash. We document the sequence of events while memories are fresh, because the share assigned to an injured driver now carries consequences it never carried before.
Our attorneys represent people hurt in every kind of collision, including:
Collisions with a city bus or another public vehicle carry their own notice requirements. Our New York City car accident lawyer page explains how we handle motor vehicle claims across the five boroughs.
Once an injury meets the serious injury threshold, you can pursue damages that no-fault never touches:
One 2026 limit deserves attention: A $100,000 cap on non-economic damages applies to certain at-fault drivers, including a person operating an uninsured vehicle or convicted of driving while impaired. That cap does not apply to claims for injuries resulting in death.
Three deadlines determine whether a claim survives, and missing any one can end an otherwise strong case.
A Staten Island car accident lawsuit is filed in Richmond County Supreme Court, which sits at 26 Central Avenue in the 13th Judicial District. Because the 2026 amendments turn on when an action is commenced, filing timing now carries strategic weight it didn't before.
Yes. No-fault benefits come from your own policy regardless of fault, and you must provide written notice within 30 days. Your claim against the at-fault driver moves forward separately.
That depends on how fault is divided. Fault of half or less reduces your recovery proportionally, while fault greater than the other driver's now bars recovery in motor vehicle cases.
Three years from the date of the crash for most personal injury claims. A claim against a public corporation also requires a notice of claim within 90 days, which arrives sooner than most people expect.
Fractures, significant disfigurement, permanent loss of use, permanent consequential limitation, and significant limitation of a body function or system. The 90/180-day category was removed for actions commenced on or after May 26, 2026.
We work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay attorney fees from a recovery under the terms of your signed agreement. The case evaluation itself costs nothing.
Call 911, get medical attention the same day, photograph the vehicles and the scene, and collect witness contact information. Decline recorded statements from any insurer until you have spoken with a lawyer.
You deserve answers, accountability,
and full compensation
The rules governing Staten Island car accident claims changed this year, and insurers adjusted immediately. Fault arguments carry more weight, the serious injury threshold is narrower, and the deadlines remain unforgiving.
Our team at MooreJustice Accident & Injury Lawyers can review the police report, your medical records, and the available coverage, then explain your options in plain terms. Call (917) 809-7014 or contact our office to schedule a free case evaluation with a Staten Island car accident lawyer.
Darren Moore is the founder of The Law Offices of Darren T. Moore, P.C. and a dedicated New York personal injury attorney. Known for his relentless advocacy and client-focused approach, he has spent his career helping injury victims pursue justice and recover the compensation they deserve. Darren handles a wide range of personal injury matters and is committed to delivering personalized representation for every client.
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