New York City Hit-and-Run Lawyer

Injured in a hit-and-run accident in New York City? Our skilled hit-and-run attorneys in NYC can help you recover compensation for your injuries.

You were hit. The driver took off. Now the medical bills are stacking up, work is on hold, and the only party left at the table is an insurance company already looking for reasons to pay you less than your case is worth.

That’s the fight Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers was built for. Hit-and-run claims in New York move on tight timelines, involve multiple layers of coverage most people have never heard of, and demand an independent investigation the police simply do not have the bandwidth to run.

Our New York City hit-and-run lawyers step in immediately to lock down surveillance footage, track down witnesses, file the paperwork that protects your right to compensation, and go head-to-head with adjusters who count on victims giving up. You have real options after a hit-and-run in New York, and we know how to use every one of them.

Injured in a hit-and-run anywhere in NYC, Long Island, or Westchester? Contact us now for a free consultation.

What Is a Hit-and-Run in New York?

A hit-and-run occurs when a driver leaves the scene of a collision without stopping to exchange information, render aid, or notify the police. Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 600, every driver must stop, identify themselves, and remain at the scene until police arrive.

Depending on whether anyone was injured, leaving the scene can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony.

Can You Recover Compensation If the Driver Is Never Found?

Yes, and this surprises many hit-and-run victims. New York law gives you real options for recovery even when the at-fault driver disappears for good.

A pattern our New York City hit-and-run attorneys consistently see in Manhattan hit-and-run cases is that the clearest lead doesn’t come from the crash scene itself, it comes from paint transfer and debris that a body shop can trace to a specific make and model.

We work with those specialists before a client’s own vehicle goes in for repair, because that physical evidence disappears the moment work begins.

Your Own Uninsured Motorist Coverage

New York requires every auto policy to include Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage. A hit-and-run driver is legally treated as an uninsured motorist, which means your own UM policy can compensate you for bodily injuries, no identification of the driver required.

The MVAIC Fund

If you have no auto insurance and aren’t covered by a household member’s policy, you may qualify for benefits through the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC), a New York State fund created to compensate victims of uninsured or unidentified drivers who have no other coverage.

MVAIC Deadlines You Cannot Miss

• Report to police within 24 hours: Missing this deadline is the most common reason MVAIC denies otherwise valid claims.

• File a Notice of Intention within 90 days of the accident (180 days for eligible pedestrians).

• Submit your NF-2 application within 30 days of the accident date.

• File a lawsuit within 3 years of the accident date.

What Happens When the Hit-and-Run Driver Is Found?

When police or our own investigation identifies the at-fault driver, your recovery options expand considerably. You can file a claim directly against their liability insurance and pursue full compensation for your injuries.

Drivers charged criminally for leaving the scene also face a legal principle called negligence per se, meaning their violation of the duty-to-stop law is itself proof of negligence in your civil case. A conviction or guilty plea becomes powerful leverage in settlement negotiations, and our NYC auto accident attorneys pursue your civil claim in parallel with any criminal case to take full advantage of that evidence.

Does No-Fault Insurance Cover a Hit-and-Run?

Yes. New York’s No-Fault system pays benefits regardless of who caused the crash. Through your PIP coverage, you’re entitled to:

• Up to $50,000 in medical benefits for your injuries

• 80% of your lost wages, capped at $2,000 per month

• $25 per day for expenses like transportation to medical appointments

To pursue pain and suffering compensation beyond No-Fault, your injuries must meet New York’s “serious injury” threshold, such as a fracture, significant disfigurement, or a permanent limitation of a body organ or system.

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Hit-and-Run?

We pursue every category of damages the law allows, across two groups.

Economic damages cover your direct financial losses:

• Past and future medical bills and rehabilitation costs

• Lost wages and diminished earning capacity

• Vehicle repair or replacement

• Out-of-pocket transportation and care expenses

Non-economic damages compensate for the personal toll the accident takes on your life:

• Physical pain and ongoing suffering

• Emotional distress and PTSD, particularly acute after being abandoned by a fleeing driver

• Loss of hobbies and activities you valued before the accident

• Impact on your personal relationships and family life

What we see when multiple coverage layers are in play, PIP, UM, and MVAIC, is that a claimant who files alone often never learns about the larger policy sitting behind the first one. Our New York City hit-and-run lawyers map every layer of available coverage, including any resident-relative policies that may stack on top, before we let an insurer present a number as the final word.

How Long Do You Have to File a Hit-and-Run Claim?

Several deadlines govern hit-and-run claims in New York, and some are measured in days, not years.

Claim Type	Deadline
No-Fault (NF-2) Application	30 days
MVAIC Notice of Intention	90 days (180 for pedestrians)
Municipal Notice of Claim (e.g., MTA bus)	90 days
Personal Injury Lawsuit	3 years
Wrongful Death Lawsuit	2 years

If a city-owned vehicle was involved, an MTA bus or sanitation truck, for example, you have just 90 days to file a Notice of Claim against the municipality, followed by one year and 90 days to bring a lawsuit. These deadlines are absolute.

Compensation Options for Pedestrians and Cyclists

You don’t need to own a car to recover after a hit-and-run. As a pedestrian or cyclist, you can access coverage through:

• The auto policy of the vehicle involved in the crash

• A qualifying household member’s auto insurance

• MVAIC, if no other coverage applies

We fight just as aggressively for pedestrians and cyclists as we do for any other client on our caseload.

How We Build Your NYC Hit-and-Run Case

We don’t wait for a police investigation to run its course, the moment you hire us, we launch our own.

Our team immediately sends legal preservation letters for DOT and MTA camera footage before it’s deleted, canvasses the accident scene for witnesses the police may have missed, works with accident reconstruction specialists, and checks area body shops for vehicles matching the description of the fleeing car.

At the negotiation table, we go in knowing exactly what your case is worth and accepting nothing less. Insurance carriers know Grigor Law takes cases to trial, that reputation is what forces them to treat your claim seriously from the start. If they won’t pay fairly, we file suit.

In our experience handling New York City hit-and-run claims, the 30-day no-fault filing window trips up more claimants than any other deadline in the case, because most people don’t realize the clock starts running before they’ve even identified every source of coverage.

We file the NF-2 application within days of taking a case specifically so that deadline is never the reason a client loses PIP benefits.

Does Partial Fault Affect Your Hit-and-Run Claim?

Not entirely. New York follows a comparative negligence rule under CPLR § 1411. Even if you shared some responsibility for the accident, you can still recover compensation, your award is reduced by your percentage of fault, not eliminated, unless your fault is greater than the other driver’s (a bar that took effect May 26, 2026), and we fight aggressively to minimize any fault attributed to you.

We Come to You

Our offices in Ridgewood (Brooklyn/Queens), The Bronx, and Hempstead serve clients across all five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester County. If your injuries prevent you from traveling to us, we send an attorney directly to your home or hospital room, because your access to strong legal representation should never depend on your physical condition.

What to Do After a Hit-and-Run in NYC

The steps you take in the first hours after a hit-and-run directly determine what compensation you can recover. Evidence disappears fast and critical deadlines begin running immediately.

Call 911 and File a Police Report

Call 911 right away and make sure a police report is filed before you leave the scene. Report the crash to police as soon as possible, timely reporting is often required to pursue state compensation, so don’t skip this step.

Document the Scene Before You Leave

While you’re still at the scene, gather as much information as possible:

• The fleeing vehicle’s license plate number, make, model, and color

• Names and contact information of any witnesses

• Photos of your injuries, vehicle damage, and the surrounding area

• Locations of nearby businesses or apartment buildings with security cameras

Surveillance footage can be deleted quickly, act fast.

Seek Medical Care and File Your No-Fault Application

See a doctor immediately, even if you feel fine, injuries like concussions and internal bleeding often show no symptoms for hours after impact. You have only 30 days to file a No-Fault application (Form NF-2) with your insurance company. No-Fault insurance, also called Personal Injury Protection (PIP), covers your medical bills and a portion of your lost wages regardless of who caused the crash.

Don’t Give Your Insurer a Recorded Statement

Report the accident to your insurance company, but refuse any recorded statement. Adjusters, even your own carrier’s, are trained to ask questions that reduce what you’re paid. Give only the basic facts, then let us handle every conversation from there.

Contact our law firm before speaking with any adjuster.

Contact Our Hit-and-Run Accident Law Firm in NYC Today

Surveillance footage disappears. MVAIC deadlines start running the moment the accident happens. And the insurance company is already building its case against you. Call Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers at (718) 249-7447 or contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation. We handle every hit-and-run case on contingency, you pay nothing unless we win.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Covers My Medical Bills If the Hit-and-Run Driver Is Never Identified?

Your own No-Fault (PIP) coverage pays first, up to $50,000 in medical benefits. If you have no auto policy and aren’t covered by a household member’s insurance, MVAIC provides equivalent No-Fault benefits in its place.

Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Pay for Vehicle Damage in a Hit-and-Run?

No, UM coverage in New York applies to bodily injury only. Vehicle damage claims generally go through your own collision coverage or, if you lack collision insurance, through MVAIC, which may provide property-damage benefits, contact us to determine what applies to your case.

Can I File a Hit-and-Run Claim as a Pedestrian with No Car Insurance?

Yes. Pedestrians without auto insurance can file a claim directly with MVAIC, provided the accident was reported to police within 24 hours and all other eligibility requirements are met.

Is the 24-Hour Police Report Deadline a Hard Requirement for MVAIC?

Yes, MVAIC routinely denies claims where the 24-hour police report wasn’t filed, even in cases involving serious, well-documented injuries. This deadline cannot be waived.

How Much Does a New York City Hit-and-Run Lawyer Cost?

Nothing upfront, we work exclusively on a contingency-fee basis, collecting only a percentage of your financial recovery if we win. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing.

Can a Criminal Hit-and-Run Conviction Help My Personal Injury Claim?

Yes. A conviction or guilty plea is direct evidence of the driver’s negligence in your civil case and gives us significant leverage to push for a higher settlement. We coordinate both claims from the start so nothing falls through the cracks.