The best car accident lawyers in New York combine trial experience with a thorough command of the state's no-fault insurance system, the serious injury threshold under New York Insurance Law § 5102(d), and the procedural requirements that determine whether a claim produces meaningful compensation or none at all.
According to Super Lawyers, New York consistently ranks among the most competitive jurisdictions in the country for motor vehicle accident litigation, with hundreds of attorneys competing for recognition in the motor vehicle accidents category alone.
New York's no-fault system insulates at-fault drivers from lawsuits unless the injured person meets a statutory definition of serious injury, which means the quality of legal representation directly affects whether you can recover anything beyond basic medical bills.
The ten attorneys listed here have demonstrated records handling motor vehicle accident cases at the level these claims demand.
Editorial note: This list evaluates individual trial lawyers, not firms. Each attorney was assessed based on publicly available information including documented results, professional recognition, and depth of car accident practice. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
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1. Michael S. Porter - Porter Law Group
Michael S. Porter is the founder and managing partner of Porter Law Group, a personal injury and medical malpractice firm based in Syracuse, New York, with statewide representation across every county in the state.
Recognized by Super Lawyers in Medical Malpractice (Plaintiff) continuously from 2012 through at least 2025, Porter has built one of the strongest plaintiff-side trial records in Upstate New York across motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, product liability, and wrongful death.
Between 2011 and 2014, Porter secured five consecutive trial verdicts exceeding $1 million, totaling more than $9 million across those trials.
Credentials at a Glance
- Education: Harvard University (B.A.); Syracuse University College of Law (J.D., 1997)
- Bar Admission: New York, 1998; U.S. District Courts, Northern and Western Districts of New York
- Military Service: U.S. Army JAG Corps, active duty
- Practice Areas: Motor vehicle accidents including car, truck, and motorcycle cases, medical malpractice, wrongful death, product liability, construction accidents
- Trial Record: Five consecutive verdicts over $1 million between 2011 and 2014, totaling more than $9 million
- Location: Syracuse, NY; statewide representation across all New York counties
- Fee Structure: Contingency fee only; no upfront cost
2. Eric C. Nordby - Porter Law Group
Eric C. Nordby is a senior trial attorney at Porter Law Group with nearly 30 years of experience litigating serious personal injury and wrongful death cases in New York state and federal courts. Vehicle collisions, including car accidents, form a core part of his practice alongside medical malpractice, construction accidents, and defective product claims.
He has secured millions of dollars in recoveries for clients across all of these areas.
Nordby graduated from Cornell University and earned his law degree with honors in 1992. After law school he clerked for a Federal District Court judge, an experience that gave him direct insight into how courts evaluate contested evidence and expert testimony in complex civil cases.
Credentials at a Glance
- Education: Cornell University (B.A.); Law degree with honors, 1992
- Clerkship: Federal District Court Judge
- Experience: Nearly 30 years in serious personal injury and wrongful death litigation
- Practice Areas: Motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, construction accidents, product liability
- Location: Jamesville/Syracuse, NY; statewide representation
3. Ben B. Rubinowitz - Gair, Gair, Conason, NYC
Ben B. Rubinowitz is the managing partner and lead trial lawyer at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, one of New York City's most recognized plaintiffs' personal injury firms. The firm's car accident practice page describes its attorneys as having "a long record of success" in catastrophic motor vehicle litigation, and Rubinowitz is the most prominent individual trial lawyer associated with that record.
His practice encompasses car, truck, and bus accident cases alongside other complex personal injury and wrongful death matters, with multiple high-value vehicle cases tried to verdict in New York courts.
- Firm: Gair, Gair, Conason, New York City
- Role: Managing partner and lead trial lawyer
- Focus: Catastrophic motor vehicle cases, car and truck accidents, wrongful death
- Strength: Substantial New York City trial record in high-value vehicle accident matters
4. Andrew Friedman - New York City
Andrew Friedman is a New York City-based plaintiffs' personal injury attorney individually recognized by Super Lawyers in the Motor Vehicle Accidents category, which covers car accident litigation specifically.
His inclusion on the Super Lawyers "Best New York, NY Car Accident Attorneys" list reflects peer nomination and independent evaluation of his professional achievement in auto injury cases. Super Lawyers' selection process makes recognition in a specific subcategory like motor vehicle accidents a more meaningful signal than general directory listings based on self-submission.
- Location: New York City
- Recognition: Super Lawyers, Motor Vehicle Accidents category
- Focus: Plaintiff personal injury with emphasis on motor vehicle accident cases
5. Adam Cahn - New York City
Adam Cahn is a New York City personal injury attorney individually listed on Super Lawyers' "Best New York, NY Car Accident Attorneys" page, with repeated recognition in the motor vehicle accidents category. That consistent, multi-year inclusion indicates a docket weighted toward car accident litigation and sustained peer acknowledgment of his work in that area over time.
- Location: New York City
- Recognition: Super Lawyers, Motor Vehicle Accidents category, multiple years
- Focus: Plaintiff personal injury with a car accident emphasis
6. Michael Cohan - Cohan Legal, NYC
Michael Cohan is the founder of Cohan Legal in New York City, a personal injury practice representing accident victims throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Long Island.
His practice focuses on car accidents and other negligence-based injury cases, covering fault investigation, insurer negotiation, and litigation of auto accident claims. For car accident victims in the five boroughs or Long Island who want direct access to a dedicated injury attorney, his geographic concentration on the New York City market is a practical advantage.
- Firm: Cohan Legal, New York City
- Focus: Car accidents and negligence-based injury claims in NYC and Long Island
- Coverage: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Long Island
7. Richard M. Kenny - Law Office of Richard M. Kenny, NYC
Richard M. Kenny is the founder of The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny in Manhattan, a personal injury practice with substantial experience in car accidents, construction accidents, and other serious injury matters.
The firm's materials reference multi-million-dollar injury recoveries across its practice and emphasize what it describes as "award-winning legal expertise" and "extensive experience with New York injury law" in auto-injury cases. Kenny is the primary named trial lawyer associated with the firm's car accident docket.
- Firm: Law Office of Richard M. Kenny, Manhattan
- Focus: Car accidents, construction accidents, serious personal injury
- Coverage: New York City
8. Michael A. Linden - Linden Law, NYC and Long Island
Michael A. Linden is the founding attorney of Linden Law, a New York personal injury practice representing clients injured in car accidents and other matters throughout New York City and Long Island.
His practice covers crash investigation, fault analysis, and both settlement and litigation of auto accident cases. His dual coverage of New York City and Long Island is a practical strength, given that Nassau and Suffolk counties generate a high volume of serious car accident claims that many Manhattan-focused attorneys do not regularly handle.
- Firm: Linden Law, New York City and Long Island
- Focus: Car accidents and personal injury
- Coverage: New York City and Long Island, including Nassau and Suffolk counties
9. Alex Cornejo - New York City
Alex Cornejo is a New York City personal injury attorney individually named on Super Lawyers' dedicated car accident attorney list for New York City. His inclusion in the motor vehicle accidents subcategory reflects peer recognition and independent evaluation specific to car accident litigation, placing him among the recognized practitioners in New York City's plaintiff personal injury market.
- Location: New York City
- Recognition: Super Lawyers, Motor Vehicle Accidents category
- Focus: Car accident and personal injury plaintiff litigation
10. Gregory Spektor - New York City
Gregory Spektor is a New York City personal injury attorney recognized by Super Lawyers in the motor vehicle accidents category, reflecting documented peer acknowledgment of his car accident practice in the New York City market.
- Focus: Car accident and personal injury litigation
- Location: New York City
- Recognition: Super Lawyers, Motor Vehicle Accidents category
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in New York?
The standard statute of limitations for a personal injury claim in New York is three years from the date of the accident, under CPLR § 214. If the at-fault vehicle was owned or operated by a government entity, such as an MTA bus or municipal vehicle, you must file a notice of claim within 90 days of the accident before you can sue. No-fault benefit claims must generally be filed within 30 days of the accident.
What is the serious injury threshold and how does it affect my case?
The serious injury threshold is the legal standard you must meet to bring a claim for pain and suffering against the at-fault driver. Under Insurance Law § 5102(d), serious injury includes death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, fracture, loss of a fetus, permanent loss of use of a body organ or member, permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member, significant limitation of use of a body function or system, and a medically determined injury preventing you from performing substantially all of your usual daily activities for at least 90 out of the 180 days following the accident.
What should I do immediately after a car accident in New York?
Call 911 and get emergency medical attention, even if you feel fine at the scene. Photograph the vehicles, the accident scene, road conditions, and any visible injuries. Get the other driver's insurance information and contact details, and collect witness information. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company before speaking with an attorney.
How much is a car accident case worth in New York?
The value depends on the severity of your injuries, cost of past and future medical treatment, lost wages and earning capacity, and pain and suffering. Cases involving traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, or permanent orthopedic injuries can produce substantial recoveries. Because New York's no-fault system separates initial medical recovery from pain-and-suffering claims, total recovery for a serious injury case often involves both no-fault benefits and a separate personal injury settlement or verdict.
Can I still recover if I was partially at fault?
Yes. Under New York's pure comparative negligence rule, codified in CPLR § 1411, you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault. Your total compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If a jury awards $200,000 and finds you 25% responsible, you recover $150,000. Insurance adjusters routinely try to assign blame to the injured party to reduce settlement value, which is one reason experienced legal representation matters from the earliest stages of the claim.
What does no-fault insurance cover and what does it not cover?
PIP covers medical expenses up to $50,000 and 80% of lost wages up to $2,000 per month for up to three years, regardless of fault. It does not cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, or loss of enjoyment of life. To recover those damages you must bring a separate claim against the at-fault driver and meet the serious injury threshold. Medical expenses that exceed the $50,000 PIP limit also become part of your personal injury claim.
What if the other driver does not have insurance?
Your own policy may include uninsured motorist coverage that applies even to collisions where the other driver has no insurance. If you do not have your own policy, a family member's policy may cover you depending on your household situation. The New York Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC) also provides compensation for victims of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers who have no other available coverage. An attorney will identify every applicable source of recovery.
Should I accept the insurance company's first settlement offer?
No. First offers are designed to close the file before you understand the full extent of your injuries and before you know your long-term losses. Accepting any settlement requires signing a release that bars any future claims, even if your condition worsens. An experienced car accident attorney will assess whether any offer reflects the full value of your claim and negotiate before any release is signed.
How long does a car accident case take to resolve in New York?
Straightforward cases with clear liability and moderate injuries may resolve through settlement within one to two years. Cases involving disputed liability, catastrophic injuries, multiple defendants, or government entities often take longer, particularly if the matter proceeds to trial. New York courts have experienced significant scheduling backlogs, and Supreme Court trials can take several years to reach. An attorney can give you a realistic timeline based on the specific facts and the current scheduling in the relevant court.
Finding the Right Car Accident Lawyer in New York
Car accident claims in New York are more legally complex than they appear. The no-fault system, the serious injury threshold, government notice requirements, and the need to build medical damages comprehensively before any settlement discussions begin all require a level of legal skill that general practitioners cannot reliably provide.
The ten attorneys on this list represent a cross-section of documented experience across the state, from Upstate New York trial lawyers like Michael S. Porter and Eric C. Nordby to New York City practitioners like Ben Rubinowitz and the Super Lawyers-recognized attorneys serving the metropolitan market.
For car accident victims in Central or Upstate New York, or for cases involving catastrophic injuries where trial experience is the most important factor, Michael S. Porter at Porter Law Group represents the strongest available option.
His office can be reached through the personal injury contact page on the Porter Law Group website. Initial consultations are available without charge, and the firm works on a contingency fee basis.
Attorney advertising. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. The rankings and assessments expressed in this article reflect the opinion of the author based on publicly available information.
