Hit and Run Accident Lawyer NYC

A hit and run in New York City feels hopeless in the first hour — no plate, no name, no insurance card. It is not hopeless. New York gives you two separate routes to compensation even when the driver is never identified: your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, and the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC), the state fund created for exactly this situation. Both routes have short notice deadlines, which is why the first week matters more than any other.

• Pull nearby private security, doorman, bodega and building camera footage before it is overwritten (most systems loop in 3 to 14 days).
• Request DOT and NYPD Argus camera preservation and the police accident report (MV-104AN).
• Canvass for witnesses, dashcams and delivery-rider footage at the intersection.
• File your no-fault (PIP) application within 30 days so your medical bills get paid immediately.
• File MVAIC notice of intention within 90 days of the crash — miss it and that route closes.

A driver clipped me and drove off, and I only have a partial plate

A partial plate plus vehicle make, colour and direction of travel is often enough. We combine it with camera footage and DMV records to identify the registrant, then pursue their liability carrier rather than MVAIC.

I was a pedestrian and the car never stopped

Pedestrians and cyclists with no auto policy of their own are the core group MVAIC was built for. If you live in a household with any insured vehicle, that policy's UM coverage usually applies instead — often with higher limits.

The police report says "unknown vehicle" and my insurer is stalling

Insurers routinely question whether physical contact occurred, because contact is a legal requirement for a UM hit and run claim in New York. We document contact through medical findings, vehicle damage and scene evidence before that argument gets traction.

• 24 hours: report the crash to police — required for both UM and MVAIC.
• 30 days: no-fault application to the insurer.
• 90 days: MVAIC notice of intention.
• 3 years: personal injury lawsuit (2 years for wrongful death).
• 90 days: notice of claim if a city vehicle or bus was involved.

The car drove off and I did not get a plate.

You can still recover. Your own SUM/uninsured motorist coverage or MVAIC applies. MVAIC requires notice within 90 days and a police report within 24 hours in most cases.

I reported it a few days late.

Late reporting is a hurdle, not always fatal — good-faith explanations, medical timing, and follow-up police reports matter. Speak to us before assuming the claim is gone.

Police later identified the driver.

The claim converts to a normal liability case against that driver's policy, often with punitive-flavored aggravating facts for leaving the scene.