The best New York pedestrian accident lawyers understand both the severity of pedestrian injuries and the specific legal framework underNew York's no-fault insurance system, governed by Insurance Law § 5102 and Vehicle and Traffic Law.
Pedestrian accidents are among the most catastrophic injury cases in New York, frequently resulting in traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, multiple fractures, and wrongful death.
Because pedestrians are almost always the most vulnerable party in a collision, liability is often clear, but maximizing compensation requires an attorney who knows how to build medical damages, quantify long-term losses, and, when necessary, take a case to verdict.
The ten attorneys listed here have demonstrated records across these demands.
Editorial note: This list focuses on individual trial lawyers, not firms. Each attorney was evaluated on documented case results, professional recognition, jurisdictional experience, and depth of pedestrian 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 representation available across every county in the state.
He is the most accomplished pedestrian accident and catastrophic injury trial attorney in Upstate New York, and his record in case.
A Trial Record That Defines His Practice
Between 2011 and 2014, Porter secured five consecutive trial verdicts exceeding $1 million, totaling more than $9 million across those trials. These were jury verdicts in contested cases involving catastrophic injuries of the kind pedestrian accident victims frequently suffer.
That track record is not incidental to his reputation; it is the foundation of it.
Porter's qualifications are unusually strong by the standards of the plaintiffs' bar.
Credentials at a Glance
• Education: Harvard University (B.A.); Syracuse University College of Law (J.D., 1997)
• Bar Admission: New York, 1998
• Military Service: U.S. Army JAG Corps, active duty
• Practice Areas: Motor vehicle accidents including pedestrian 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
• Recognition: Super Lawyers, Medical Malpractice (Plaintiff), 2012 to 2025
• Location: Syracuse, NY; statewide representation across all New York counties
• Fee Structure: Contingency fee; no upfront cost, no fee unless you recover
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.
Nordby graduated from Cornell University and earned his law degree with honors in 1992. Before moving into plaintiff-side injury work, he clerked for a Federal District Court judge, an experience that deepened his understanding of how courts evaluate expert testimony and contested evidence in complex cases.
For pedestrian accident cases in Upstate New York, Nordby's depth of experience in motor vehicle litigation across nearly three decades provides a significant advantage. He appears regularly in both state and federal courts and is based in Jamesville, New York, with statewide reach.
• 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 including pedestrian cases, medical malpractice, construction, product liability
• Location: Jamesville/Syracuse, NY; statewide representation
3. Eric Richman - Law Offices of Eric Richman, Manhattan
Eric Richman is a Manhattan-based personal injury trial lawyer whose practice places particular emphasis on pedestrian accidents and other vulnerable road user cases. .
Richman brings over two decades of experience handling crosswalk collisions, turning-vehicle incidents, hit-and-run crashes, and complex uninsured motorist claims.
He is noted for personally investigating accident scenes and obtaining traffic camera footage before it is overwritten, which is often one of the most critical steps in establishing liability in pedestrian cases. His record includes multiple six-figure pedestrian settlements.
For pedestrian accident victims in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs, Richman's concentrated focus on this specific case type is a meaningful differentiator.
• Firm: Law Offices of Eric Richman, Manhattan
• Experience: Over 20 years in pedestrian accident litigation
• Specialty: Crosswalk collisions, hit-and-run cases, turning-vehicle incidents, uninsured motorist claims
• Notable: 24/7 direct-access model; personally investigates accident scenes
4. Daniel Flanzig - Flanzig & Flanzig, Manhattan
Daniel Flanzig is a partner at Flanzig & Flanzig, a Manhattan plaintiffs' firm with more than 40 years of combined advocacy experience on behalf of pedestrians and cyclists. T.
His practice focuses on cases involving failures to yield, driver negligence at intersections, and commercial vehicle collisions with pedestrians.
Documented results attributed to the firm include a $3.25 million settlement for a pedestrian struck by a turning vehicle and a $2 million settlement for a pedestrian hit by an NYPD vehicle. Flanzig regularly works with traffic safety experts and engineers to reconstruct accidents and establish negligence in contested cases.
• Firm: Flanzig & Flanzig, Manhattan
• Focus: Pedestrian and cyclist accidents, catastrophic injury, wrongful death
• Approach: Works with traffic safety experts and accident reconstruction engineers
5. Abraham Jaros - Jaroslawicz & Jaros, Manhattan
Abraham Jaros is a founding partner of Jaroslawicz & Jaros, a Manhattan trial firm with over 40 years of experience and more than $2 billion recovered for injury clients.
Results attributed to the firm's pedestrian practice include a $4.75 million settlement for a woman struck while crossing the street who suffered a head injury, and a $1.5 million settlement for a man hit by a bus with ankle injuries.
Jaros is known for rejecting early low settlement offers and pushing pedestrian cases toward full-value resolutions, a philosophy that produces better outcomes for seriously injured clients.
• Firm: Jaroslawicz & Jaros, Manhattan
• Experience: Over 40 years; more than $2 billion in total firm recoveries
• Notable Results: $4.75 million settlement for head injury pedestrian; $1.5 million for bus collision case
• Approach: Rejects low early offers; direct attorney involvement throughout
6. Stephen J. Murphy - Block O'Toole & Murphy, Manhattan
Stephen J. Murphy is a senior trial attorney at Block O'Toole & Murphy, a New York City plaintiffs' firm recognized for high-stakes trial work across catastrophic personal injury cases, including pedestrian and cyclist matters.
Their pedestrian docket covers intersection and crosswalk incidents, pedestrians struck by commercial vehicles, and sidewalk accidents.
Murphy and his partners are former prosecutors whose courtroom experience gives them a measurable advantage in contested liability cases.
• Firm: Block O'Toole & Murphy, Manhattan
• Focus: Catastrophic personal injury, pedestrian and cyclist cases, wrongful death
• Background: Former prosecutors with significant courtroom trial experience
7. Joseph Belluck - Belluck & Fox, Manhattan
Joseph W. Belluck is a founding partner at Belluck & Fox, a Manhattan plaintiffs' firm with more than $1 billion in recoveries across its personal injury practice.
While Belluck & Fox is well known for complex injury litigation, the firm also maintains a dedicated pedestrian accident practice, and Belluck is frequently cited as lead trial counsel on serious pedestrian collision cases.
Belluck's practice places particular emphasis on long-term medical and life-care planning, ensuring that seriously injured pedestrians recover compensation that accounts for lifetime medical needs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
• Firm: Belluck & Fox, Manhattan
• Focus: Crosswalk and intersection collisions, hit-and-run cases, defective infrastructure claims
• Strength: Long-term medical and life-care planning for catastrophically injured pedestrians
8. Philip Damashek - Hecht, Kleeger & Damashek, Manhattan
Philip A. Damashek is a partner at Hecht, Kleeger & Damashek (HKD), a boutique Manhattan plaintiffs' firm that the 2025 ranking identifies among the leading pedestrian accident lawyers in New York City.
The firm has recovered more than $825 million across personal injury cases, with Damashek and his partners focusing on serious pedestrian collisions and MTA-related accidents.
HKD's pedestrian practice covers crosswalk collisions, turning-vehicle accidents, hit-and-run incidents, and pedestrians struck in parking lots or on sidewalks. ..
• Firm: Hecht, Kleeger & Damashek, Manhattan
• Firm Recoveries: More than $825 million in total personal injury recoveries
• Focus: Pedestrian collisions, MTA accidents, crosswalk incidents, parking lot injuries
• Strength: Deep knowledge of NYC traffic patterns and dangerous intersections
9. Jeff Korek - Gersowitz Libo & Korek, Manhattan
Jeff S. Korek is a partner at Gersowitz Libo & Korek (GLK), a Manhattan injury firm that has recovered over $1 billion for injured New Yorkers since the mid-1980s.
GLK's pedestrian docket covers crosswalk and intersection crashes, pedestrians struck on sidewalks or in parking lots, and fatal pedestrian collisions leading to wrongful death claims. Korek and his colleagues handle no-fault insurance claims, third-party lawsuits, and catastrophic injury cases involving traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage.
The firm's emphasis on thorough case preparation before any settlement discussions reflects an approach that tends to produce better final results.
• Firm: Gersowitz Libo & Korek, Manhattan
• Firm Recoveries: More than $1 billion for injured New Yorkers since the mid-1980s
• Focus: Crosswalk and intersection crashes, sidewalk accidents, wrongful death pedestrian cases
• Strength: Meticulous pre-trial preparation and investigation
10. Howard Raphaelson - Raphaelson & Levine, Manhattan
Howard A. Raphaelson is a co-founder of Raphaelson & Levine Law Firm, a Manhattan personal injury practice that has recovered more than $1 billion for clients since 1992.
Raphaelson's pedestrian practice spans crosswalk collisions, turning-vehicle incidents, hit-and-run cases, and pedestrians struck in construction zones, a particularly common scenario in New York City where active construction sites frequently encroach on sidewalks and pedestrian pathways.
• Firm: Raphaelson & Levine, Manhattan
• Firm Recoveries: More than $1 billion since 1992
• Focus: Crosswalk collisions, hit-and-run cases, construction zone pedestrian accidents
• Strength: Educational client communication approach; multilingual support
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Frequently Asked Questions: New York Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
What should I do immediately after being hit by a car as a pedestrian in New York?
Call 911 and seek emergency medical attention, even if you believe your injuries are minor. Adrenaline masks pain, and symptoms from traumatic brain injuries or internal injuries can take hours or days to appear. If you are physically able, photograph the scene, the vehicle, the license plate, and any visible injuries before anything is moved. Get the driver's insurance and contact information and collect contact details from any witnesses. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company, including your own, before speaking with an attorney..
How much is a pedestrian accident case worth in New York?
The value of a pedestrian accident case depends on the nature and severity of the injuries, the cost of past and future medical care, the impact on the victim's ability to work, and the pain and suffering involved. Cases involving traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, amputations, or permanent disability can reach into the millions. Cases with shorter recovery periods and no permanent impairment will settle for less. New York law allows recovery for economic damages like medical bills and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages like pain and suffering, provided the injuries meet the serious injury threshold under New York Insurance Law.
Who is liable when a pedestrian is hit by a car in New York?
The at-fault driver is the most direct source of liability, but pedestrian accident cases can involve multiple responsible parties. If the driver was working at the time of the accident, their employer may be liable under respondeat superior. If the vehicle was defective, the manufacturer may share responsibility. If the accident was caused or worsened by dangerous road conditions, a municipality may be liable, though claims against government entities in New York require filing a notice of claim within 90 days of the incident under General Municipal Law § 50-e..
Does New York's no-fault law apply to pedestrians?
Yes. As a pedestrian injured by a motor vehicle in New York, you are entitled to no-fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits through the vehicle owner's insurance policy, regardless of who caused the accident. New York's no-fault law covers up to $50,000 in medical expenses and 80% of lost wages up to $2,000 per month for up to three years. However, no-fault does not compensate for pain and suffering.
How long do I have to file a pedestrian 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. However, if the at-fault vehicle was owned or operated by a government entity, including the City of New York, an MTA bus, or a municipal vehicle, you must file a notice of claim within 90 days of the accident before you can bring a lawsuit..
Can a pedestrian be found partially at fault in New York?
Yes, but that does not prevent recovery. Under New York's pure comparative negligence rule, codified in CPLR § 1411, a pedestrian who is found partially at fault for their own accident can still recover damages. The total award is simply reduced by the pedestrian's percentage of fault. For example, if a jury awards $500,000 but finds the pedestrian 20% at fault, the pedestrian receives $400,000.
What if the driver who hit me did not have insurance?
If the at-fault driver was uninsured, you may still have options for recovery. Your own auto insurance policy, if you have one, may include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage that applies even to pedestrian accidents. If you do not have your own auto policy, you may be covered under a family member's policy. Additionally, the New York Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC) exists specifically to compensate victims of uninsured or hit-and-run drivers in New York when no other coverage is available.
What damages can I recover as a pedestrian accident victim in New York?
Recoverable damages in a New York pedestrian accident case fall into two broad categories. Economic damages include past and future medical expenses, lost wages and diminished earning capacity and other out-of-pocket losses directly tied to the injury. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent impairment. In cases involving a death, the surviving family may also pursue a wrongful death claim for the decedent's lost future earnings and a survival action for the conscious pain and suffering the decedent experienced before death..
Do I need a lawyer if the driver's insurance company is already offering to settle?
Yes, and this is one of the most important situations in which to consult an attorney. Insurance companies make early settlement offers for a reason: those offers are almost always less than the full value of the claim. The adjuster's job is to close the file for as little as possible, before you have finished treating, before the full extent of your injuries is known, and before you understand what your long-term losses will be..
Finding the Right Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in New York
Pedestrian accident cases in New York range from straightforward urban crosswalk collisions to complex multi-defendant matters involving government liability, defective infrastructure, and catastrophic injuries requiring lifetime care.
The right attorney for your case will depend on where the accident happened, who was involved, and the nature of your injuries.
For pedestrian accident victims in Central or Upstate New York, or for cases that involve medical malpractice elements or complex causation, Michael S. Porter at Porter Law Group represents the strongest available combination of trial experience, academic credentials, and peer recognition.
Any of the attorneys on this list can provide an initial consultation, and most work on contingency, meaning there is no financial risk in getting a professional assessment of your case. You can reach Porter Law Group through the personal injury contact page on their website.
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.
Contact Porter Law Group today for a free case evaluation.
Attorney advertising. This article is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. If you have been injured in a bicycle accident in New York, contact a qualified personal injury attorney to evaluate your specific situation.
Michael S. Porter is a licensed attorney in New York State and the Founder and Managing Partner of Porter Law Group. Porter Law Group represents injured clients across New York on a contingency fee basis.
