A serious crash can leave you managing pain, medical appointments, missed work, vehicle damage, and a claims process that starts moving before you understand the full impact of your injuries. A Rockland County car accident lawyer or personal injury attorney can protect your rights, preserve important evidence, and help you pursue the compensation available under New York law.
The Rothenberg Law Firm has represented injured people and families in personal injury claims for more than 55 years. Our New York car accident lawyers prepare cases carefully, explain the process, and take on the legal burden so you can focus on your health and your family. Our Rockland County office is located at 17 Main Street, Suite 314, Monsey, NY 10952.
Whether the collision happened on the New York State Thruway, the Palisades Interstate Parkway, Route 59, Route 9W, or a local street in New City, Nyack, Nanuet, Spring Valley, Suffern, Pearl River, or another Rockland County community, the steps you take next can affect both your health and your claim.
If you were injured, call The Rothenberg Law Firm at 1-800-624-8888 for an accident lawyer free consultation. You do not pay attorneys’ fees unless we recover compensation for you through a settlement or verdict. Case costs and expert fees are separate and are explained before you move forward.
What to Do Right After a Car Accident in Rockland County?
Focus first on safety and medical care. If you are able, these steps can also help preserve the facts surrounding the crash:
- Call 911. Ask for police and emergency medical help. A police response can create an official record and identify drivers, witnesses, vehicles, and the crash location.
- Get medical attention. Some injuries are not obvious at the scene. A prompt evaluation protects your health and creates a record of symptoms that may develop after the collision.
- Exchange information. Obtain the other driver’s name, contact information, license plate, driver’s license, insurance information, and vehicle details when it is safe to do so.
- Document the scene. Photograph vehicle positions, damage, skid marks, traffic signals, signs, debris, road conditions, visible injuries, and nearby cameras. Do not put yourself in danger to gather evidence.
- Identify witnesses. Ask for names and contact details. Note nearby homes, businesses, dashboard cameras, or traffic cameras that may have recorded the crash.
- Give prompt written No-Fault notice. Each eligible injured person generally must give the applicable No-Fault insurer written notice as soon as reasonably practicable, but no later than 30 days after the accident. Late notice may be accepted if the injured person submits written proof providing a clear and reasonable justification for the delay. Insurance-policy, MVAIC, municipal, and hit-and-run requirements may impose additional or different deadlines.
- Submit a motorist crash report if required. If you were driving in New York and the crash injured or killed anyone or caused more than $1,000 in damage to any one person’s property, Vehicle and Traffic Law § 605 generally requires you to report the crash to DMV within 10 days. The report may be submitted through DMV’s online portal or by using Form MV-104. Separate rules apply when the driver is physically unable to make the report.
- Be careful with recorded statements and settlement papers. Before describing evolving injuries or signing a release, make sure you understand what the document may affect.
Should I Get a Lawyer for a Car Accident That Wasn’t My Fault?
You should consider speaking with a lawyer if you were injured, missed work, face ongoing treatment, suffered significant property damage, were hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, or expect a dispute about fault. A consultation is also useful if several vehicles, a rideshare driver, a commercial vehicle, a government vehicle, or a dangerous road condition may be involved.
Even when another driver caused the collision, a claim may involve questions about insurance coverage, medical proof, the serious-injury threshold, future losses, and the 2026 rules governing certain New York motor-vehicle lawsuits. A personal injury lawyer can investigate the crash, preserve video and witness evidence, review the applicable policies, document how the injuries changed your life, and prepare the claim for negotiation or litigation when needed.
You may not need representation for every minor, property-damage-only collision. But when physical injuries, severe injuries, or complicated coverage issues are involved, a free consultation can help you understand your options before you make a decision.
Statistics of Car Accidents in Rockland County, NY
We utilized the most recent information from data.ny.gov, to report on 2024 Rockland County Crash data. Unfortunately, in 2024, there were 17 fatal accidents, as well as 278 accidents that led to an injury. We have also found that the weekends reported the least amount of crashes. With Saturday having the lowest, at about 11.5% of the total crashes. Tuesday was the highest, in which over 16.5% of total crashes occurred.
Rockland County Car Accidents by City
| Location | Crashes |
| Clarkstown | 2652 |
| Ramapo | 1660 |
| Orangetown | 1028 |
| Spring Valley | 981 |
| Haverstraw | 689 |
| Stony Point | 430 |
| Chestnut Ridge | 267 |
| Nyack | 266 |
| West Haverstraw | 222 |
| Suffern | 190 |
| Montebello | 169 |
| New Hempstead | 166 |
| Sloatsburg | 136 |
| Hillburn | 79 |
| South Nyack | 73 |
| Piermont | 71 |
| Wesley Hills | 69 |
| New Square | 46 |
| Upper Nyack | 20 |
| Pomona | 19 |
| Grandview On Hudson | 9 |
Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle
- Rear-end crashes and chain-reaction collisions
- Intersection, failure-to-yield, red-light, and stop-sign crashes
- Side-impact, T-bone, head-on, sideswipe, and rollover collisions
- Highway and multi-vehicle crashes
- Distracted, fatigued, speeding, aggressive, drunk, or drug-impaired drivers
- Hit-and-run and uninsured or underinsured motorists
- Uber, Lyft, taxi, delivery, bus, and other commercial vehicles
- Crashes involving pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists
- Defective vehicles or parts and negligent maintenance
- Fatal collisions and potential wrongful death claims
Different collisions raise different questions. A rideshare crash may involve more than one policy. A commercial-vehicle case may require employer records, driver logs, inspection materials, or maintenance documents. A hit-and-run claim may turn on prompt notice, uninsured motorist coverage, camera footage, or MVAIC eligibility. The right investigation begins with the facts of your crash.
Causes of Rockland County Car Accidents
Many car accident claims involve negligence, meaning a driver or another party failed to use reasonable care under the circumstances. Common causes include:
- Phone use and other distracted driving
- Speeding or driving too fast for traffic, weather, or road conditions
- Following too closely
- Unsafe lane changes, passing, or merging
- Failure to yield at intersections, crosswalks, and highway entrances
- Driving while impaired or fatigued
- Defective brakes, tires, steering, lights, or other vehicle components
- Unsafe road design, work zones, poor maintenance, or inadequate signs
The police report may be useful, but it is rarely the only evidence. An investigation may also examine electronic data, surveillance footage, photographs, vehicle damage patterns, witness accounts, driver records, road conditions, and professional analysis. When more than one person or company contributed to the collision, each potential source of responsibility and insurance coverage should be reviewed.
How a Rockland County Car Accident Lawyer Can Help
A legal claim is not only about showing that a crash occurred. It must connect the responsible conduct to your injuries and document the full effect on your work, finances, health, family, and daily life. The Rothenberg Law Firm takes a preparation-first approach built around the facts, the law, and the medical evidence.
- Listen to what happened and identify immediate deadline or coverage concerns
- Preserve scene evidence, obtain reports, and look for witnesses or available video
- Review No-Fault, liability, uninsured/underinsured, rideshare, commercial, and other potential coverage
- Communicate with insurance companies and defense representatives
- Gather medical records and work with appropriate investigators, medical professionals, or reconstruction resources when the case requires them
- Document current and future medical needs, lost income, reduced earning capacity, pain, and daily limitations
- Prepare the case for settlement, mediation, litigation, or trial based on the evidence and your informed decisions
Statute of Limitations for Car Accident Cases in Rockland County
Under CPLR § 214(5), a negligence-based personal-injury action against a private defendant generally must be commenced within three years, typically measured from the date of the crash. That general rule does not control every deadline arising from a collision.
- Each eligible injured person generally must give the applicable No-Fault insurer written notice as soon as reasonably practicable, but no later than 30 days after the accident. Written proof providing a clear and reasonable justification is generally required for late notice. Medical bills generally must be submitted within 45 days, and proof of lost earnings generally must be submitted within 90 days, subject to applicable exceptions.
- A driver generally must report the crash to DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed or if damage to any one person’s property exceeded $1,000.
- Tort claims against a city, county, town, village, fire district, or school district—and some related claims against public employees—generally require a notice of claim within 90 days and commencement of the lawsuit within one year and 90 days. In a municipal wrongful-death matter, the 90-day notice period generally runs from the appointment of the estate’s representative, while the action generally must be commenced within two years after the death. A court may permit a late notice in some circumstances, but that relief is discretionary and subject to an outside time limit.
- Claims against New York State or a public authority are governed by different statutes and may have different and substantially shorter notice, filing, or service requirements.
- A wrongful-death action generally must be brought by the decedent’s personal representative within two years after death. A related criminal proceeding may extend that period in circumstances specified by law.
- Hit-and-run, uninsured or underinsured motorist, MVAIC, workers’ compensation, and other policy-based claims may have separate notice and filing requirements.
The 2026 motor-vehicle amendments apply to actions and proceedings commenced on or after May 26, 2026, rather than solely according to the date of the crash. Because a missed deadline can affect or eliminate a claim, the relevant dates, defendants, insurance policies, and public entities should be reviewed promptly.
Types of Damages Available to Car Accident Victims
The compensation available after a Rockland County crash depends on the injuries, proof of fault, insurance coverage, the applicable No-Fault and Article 51 rules, and the short- and long-term effect on your life. A claim may involve No-Fault benefits, a property-damage claim, and, when permitted, a personal-injury lawsuit.
Economic Losses
- Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, imaging, medication, rehabilitation, medical bills, and other medical expenses
- Future treatment, therapy, assistive equipment, and related care needs
- Lost wages and employment benefits
- Reduced earning capacity when an injury affects future work
- Vehicle and personal-property damage
- Transportation, household help, and other documented out-of-pocket expenses
Non-Economic Losses
Non-economic damages may address pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and other personal consequences. When Insurance Law § 5104(a) applies, a covered person generally must establish a “serious injury” before recovering non-economic loss. The current statutory definition includes death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, a fracture, loss of a fetus, permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function, or system, a permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member, or a significant limitation of use of a body function or system.
For actions and proceedings commenced on or after May 26, 2026, the former 90-out-of-180-day category is no longer part of the serious-injury definition. In an Article 51 action seeking non-economic loss, the factfinder must determine fault before deciding whether the claimant sustained a serious injury.
The 2026 amendments also limit recovery for non-economic loss to $100,000 in certain cases involving an at-fault claimant who is not otherwise barred from recovery and who was operating a vehicle the claimant was responsible for insuring but left uninsured, subject to the statutory exception for a lapse of less than 30 days; was operating while impaired and was convicted; or was operating during the commission of, or immediate flight from, a felony and was convicted. That cap does not apply to an action for injuries resulting in death.
No lawyer can promise a dollar amount or a particular result. A careful review should account for the evidence, applicable law, available coverage, medical outlook, and the way the crash has affected you and your family.
Talk With a Rockland County Car Accident Lawyer
A collision can disrupt every part of your life, but you do not have to sort through the insurance and legal process alone. The Rothenberg Law Firm brings more than 55 years of personal-injury experience, a client-centered approach, and careful preparation to serious accident cases. We work to protect your rights, explain each stage clearly, and pursue the compensation available under the law.
Contact a Rockland County car accident lawyer at 1-800-624-8888 or use our online contact form for a free consultation. You do not pay attorneys’ fees unless we recover compensation for you. Contacting the firm does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.
Rockland County Car Accident FAQ
How much does it cost to hire a Rockland County car accident lawyer?
The Rothenberg Law Firm offers a free initial consultation and handles personal-injury cases on a contingency-fee basis. You do not pay attorneys’ fees unless the firm recovers compensation for you through a settlement or verdict. Case costs and expert fees are separate and will be explained before you proceed.
Should I get a lawyer if the car accident was not my fault?
Consider speaking with a lawyer if you were injured, missed work, need continuing treatment, face significant vehicle damage, or expect a dispute about fault or insurance coverage. A free consultation can help you understand whether representation may protect your claim.
What if the other driver was uninsured or left the scene?
You may still have options through No-Fault benefits, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, MVAIC, or another policy, depending on the facts. Report the crash promptly and have the applicable notice and policy deadlines reviewed as soon as possible.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in New York?
Many New York personal-injury lawsuits must be commenced within three years, but shorter or different deadlines can apply to No-Fault claims, MV-104 reports, government defendants, fatal crashes, hit-and-run claims, and insurance-policy notices. Ask a lawyer to review the dates in your case promptly.