Staten Island Personal Injury Lawyer
A serious injury in Staten Island, NY, starts a clock you may not know is running. Insurance adjusters move fast. Evidence disappears. Deadlines cut off claims permanently. Frekhtman & Associates responds immediately, with a trial record that includes a landmark $69.25 million verdict.
A serious injury on Staten Island changes your life in seconds. When a crash happens on the Staten Island Expressway, a fall occurs on a neglected job site in Stapleton, or a pedestrian is struck on Hylan Boulevard, insurance companies start building their case against you immediately. You need trial-ready Staten Island personal injury lawyers who know how to stop them.
Frekhtman & Associates has spent nearly 3 decades holding negligent drivers, property owners, and insurance companies accountable. We have recovered millions for injured clients across Staten Island and Richmond County, including a $69.25 million verdict in a single accident injury case.
When adjusters try to minimize your claim, our NYC personal injury attorneys fight back with evidence, experience, and a proven record.
$900M+ recovered for injured clients across documented cases
$69.25M largest single recovery in a motor vehicle accident case
25+ years fighting for New York injury victims in state and federal court
9.9 Avvo rating, National Top 100 Trial Lawyers, AIPIA Ten Best Attorneys
Fluent in English and Russian
No fee unless we win
Do You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer in Staten Island?
The short answer is yes, and the reason is straightforward: the insurance company is already employing insurance defense tactics against you from the day your injury is reported. Adjusters are trained to lock in low offers before victims understand what their case is actually worth.
Here is what our injury lawyers at Frekhtman & Associates bring to your side of the table.
- We Defeat Threshold Motions: The serious injury threshold is the most litigated issue in Richmond County personal injury cases. Carriers file motions to dismiss on soft tissue and herniated disc cases as standard practice. We have beaten those motions for clients with limited treatment windows and bulging cervical discs by building the medical record from day one to satisfy the threshold categories.
- We Preserve Evidence Fast: Hylan Boulevard intersections have cameras. Every modern vehicle on the Staten Island Expressway has an event data recorder. We pull surveillance footage before it is overwritten, subpoena cell phone records, secure black box downloads, and retain accident reconstruction experts. We move within hours, not days.
- We Try Cases: Arkady Frekhtman has resolved personal injury cases across New York Supreme Court calendars, including the $69.25 million motor vehicle verdict. Senior attorney Richard Mogg settled a Staten Island pedestrian knockdown case at $500,000 weeks before the scheduled trial date. Carriers know our record before they open your file.
- We Know Richmond County: Richmond County recorded approximately 3,800 crashes in 2024, with roughly 1,600 resulting in injuries, per NYC DOT. Personal injury trials arising from those crashes are heard at Richmond County Supreme Court, 18 Richmond Terrace, St. George. We know the judges, the jury pool, and how verdicts come down in that building.
What to Do After an Accident in Staten Island
The steps you take in the first few hours after an injury shape whether your case holds together. Insurance carriers begin their defense immediately. Do not give them a head start.
If your accident occurred outside Staten Island or involves complex NYC roadways, see our full guide on what to do after a car accident in New York.
Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Staten Island
Personal injury law lets people injured by someone else’s negligence recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses. In Staten Island, that includes everything from a rear-end crash on the Staten Island Expressway to a fall on a construction site in Stapleton. Frekhtman & Associates handles the full range of personal injury cases with proven local experience.
Car Accidents
Staten Island has more registered vehicles per capita than any other New York City borough, and more crashes. Rear-end collisions on the West Shore Expressway and intersection accidents on Hylan Boulevard leave victims with serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and lost income. New York’s no-fault law requires your insurer to cover up to $50,000 in basic PIP (Personal Injury Protection) benefits and 80% of lost wages through PIP, but that often isn’t enough. Our Staten Island car accident lawyers fight to recover the full compensation you deserve.
Truck Accidents
The West Shore Expressway, Outerbridge Crossing, and industrial zones in Travis, Bloomfield, and Port Richmond see heavy commercial truck traffic daily. When a serious crash involves an 18-wheeler, liability can extend beyond the driver to the carrier, owner, and maintenance contractor under federal trucking regulations. Carriers are only required to retain electronic logging device data for six months. Our Staten Island truck accident lawyers subpoena it immediately.
Motorcycle Accidents
Staten Island’s expressways, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and the Outerbridge Crossing carry motorcycle riders into dense traffic and high-speed merges daily. When a driver fails to see a motorcyclist or merges into a lane without checking, the injuries are typically severe: TBI, road rash, fractures, and amputations. New York law does not require motorcycle riders to carry no-fault coverage, which means PIP benefits often do not apply, and the path to compensation runs through the at-fault driver’s bodily injury liability policy or your own SUM coverage. Our NYC motorcycle accident lawyers build those cases from the policy stack up.
Construction Accidents
Active development along the Bay Street corridor, Stapleton waterfront, and island-wide residential projects creates daily risk for workers. New York’s Labor Law imposes strict liability on owners and general contractors for gravity-related injuries; no proof of negligence is required. Even if you are receiving workers’ compensation, you may still have the right to file a separate third-party lawsuit to recover pain and suffering, full lost wages, and future losses that workers’ comp does not cover. Our construction accident lawyers handle that third-party claim.
Slip and Fall and Premises Liability
Property owners owe a duty to maintain safe conditions. In New York, sidewalk liability falls on the abutting owner, not the City, in most cases. Icy walkways, wet commercial floors, broken pavement, and defective building stairs are the most common claims we see. Visitor status (invitee, licensee, or trespasser) determines the exact duty owed under New York premises liability law. Our premises liability lawyers establish that framework in every case.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents
Staten Island’s wide arterials – Hylan Boulevard, Victory Boulevard, Arthur Kill Road – are among New York City’s most dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, with almost no protected infrastructure. When a driver strikes someone outside a vehicle, the at-fault driver is typically fully liable, and our pedestrian accident lawyers move immediately to preserve evidence before it disappears.
MTA and Bus Accidents
Crashes involving MTA buses, the Staten Island Railway, NYC Transit, or the Staten Island Ferry trigger different rules than a standard car accident case. You must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days under General Municipal Law § 50-e, and the lawsuit itself must be filed within 1 year and 90 days. Miss either deadline and the case is over. Our MTA and bus accident lawyers file the notice immediately and preserve onboard video, driver records, and dispatch logs before they are destroyed under standard retention schedules.
Wrongful Death
When negligence takes a life, surviving family members may file a wrongful death action under New York law. The statute of limitations is two years, but government defendants trigger a 90-day notice deadline that cuts off the case entirely if missed. Wrongful death lawyers at Frekhtman & Associates act immediately.
We also handle dog bites, medical malpractice, and nursing home abuse throughout Richmond County.
Injuries We Commonly See in Staten Island Personal Injury Cases
The severity and permanence of your injuries determine the value of your claim. Do not settle before you understand what recovery will actually require.
TBI frequently does not show on standard CT or MRI. Insurers use clean imaging to deny claims. Our Staten Island brain injury attorneys retain neurologists and neuropsychological experts to document what standard scans miss.
Herniated discs and fractured vertebrae rank among the highest-value cases. Carriers argue pre-existing conditions. Our Staten Island spinal injury lawyers build the medical timeline from the accident date forward to cut off that argument.
Broken Bones
A fracture automatically satisfies the § 5102(d) threshold, eliminating the dismissal motion entirely.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Whiplash and torn ligaments are the most aggressively minimized injuries in New York. We document ongoing functional impairment to hold the case value where it belongs.
Catastrophic Injuries
Burns, amputations, and permanent disability require life care planning experts to calculate accurate lifetime costs. We retain life-care planners and forensic economists from intake, not after demand, which is why our catastrophic injury settlements consistently exceed initial carrier valuations.
New York Personal Injury Laws That Affect Your Staten Island Case
Staten Island accident victims must meet strict New York legal deadlines or lose compensation rights permanently.
Statute of Limitations
New York sets different deadlines depending on how you were injured and who caused it.
- Personal injury lawsuits generally must be filed within 3 years of the accident.
- Wrongful death claims must be filed within 2 years of the date of death.
- Medical malpractice claims carry a shorter 30-month window.
- No-fault insurance applications must be submitted within 30 days of the accident.
Claims against government entities: If your injury involved an MTA bus, the Staten Island Railway, a City vehicle, or a defect on an NYC DOT road, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the accident. Then file suit within 1 year and 90 days. The standard three-year rule does not apply. Missing the 90-day notice deadline permanently ends your right to sue, regardless of how strong your case is.
New York's No-Fault Law and the Serious Injury Threshold
New York’s no-fault system requires your own insurer to pay up to $50,000 in medical costs and lost wages through PIP under Insurance Law § 5103, regardless of who caused the crash.
That coverage has a ceiling. To sue for pain and suffering, your injuries must meet the serious injury threshold under § 5102(d).
Insurance companies routinely file motions to dismiss cases on threshold grounds. We counter them with objective medical documentation built from your first treatment visit. See how no-fault insurance works in New York.
Pure Comparative Negligence
New York follows pure comparative negligence, meaning partial fault does not bar recovery. Your damages are reduced proportionally by your share of fault. At 90% fault, you may still recover 10%.
Insurance companies routinely inflate a plaintiff’s fault percentage to reduce their payout. We counter that with independent evidence, including accident reconstruction, cell phone records, and surveillance footage.
Compensation You Can Recover After a Staten Island Personal Injury
Early settlement offers close your case before you know what your injuries will actually cost. A signed release is permanent. We calculate the full lifetime value of your claim before advising you to accept anything.
Economic Damages
Past and future medical costs, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, rehabilitation, home modifications, and out-of-pocket expenses.
Non-Economic Damages
Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium. New York does not cap these damages in most personal injury cases.
Punitive Damages
Available when defendant’s conduct constitutes gross negligence or wanton disregard for safety. Drunk driving, hit-and-run, and deliberate Labor Law violations are examples.
If you would like a clearer picture of what your specific case may be worth, a free consultation with our team carries no obligation. Call (866) 288-9529 or start your case review online.
Why Choose Frekhtman & Associates for Your Staten Island Personal Injury Case?
When an insurance company receives a retainer letter from our firm, they already know we try cases. That knowledge alone changes how they evaluate what to offer. It is not a claim we make about ourselves. It is a consequence of our documented trial record.
- There are no upfront costs. We work on a contingency fee, meaning our payment is a percentage of what we recover and only if we recover.
- We advance all expert fees and litigation costs throughout your case. If we do not recover, you owe us nothing. For clients who need ongoing medical treatment while their case is pending, we arrange Letters of Protection with treating physicians so you can access care now, with repayment deferred until your case resolves.
- We offer free case evaluations with no obligation, are available 24/7, and come to you, whether at home, in the hospital, or by video call.
- Our team includes English and Russian-speaking attorneys.
If the insurance company’s offer is not right, we take the case to a Richmond County jury.
Our Results for Staten Island Personal Injury Victims
| Settlement/Verdict | Case Type | What It Took |
|---|---|---|
| $69.25M | Motor Vehicle Accident | Among the largest motor vehicle verdicts in New York State history |
| $4M | Construction Accident | Multi-party liability under Labor Law §§ 240 and 241 |
| $2M | Wrongful Death | Disputed liability across multiple defendants |
| $2M | Car Accident | Insurance denial reversed through litigation |
| $500K | Pedestrian Knockdown | Pre-trial settlement | Supreme Court, Richmond County |
Results vary. Past outcomes do not guarantee future recovery. Case value depends entirely on specific facts, injuries, and liability.
Speak With a Staten Island Personal Injury Lawyer Today
The 30-day no-fault filing deadline does not wait. Surveillance footage gets overwritten. Witnesses move on. Insurance adjusters are already at work. The earlier we are involved, the more we can preserve, and the stronger your case becomes.
We represent clients throughout Staten Island: St. George, New Dorp, Tottenville, Great Kills, Stapleton, Port Richmond, Rosebank, Eltingville, and every Richmond County neighborhood. We serve all five New York City boroughs.
Our team also handles personal injury cases across the rest of New York City, including the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Claims in Staten Island
How Much Is a Staten Island Personal Injury Settlement Worth?
Settlement value depends entirely on your injuries and their documented permanency. Insurance companies consistently open below what cases are worth, counting on victims to settle before the full picture emerges. Soft tissue cases without documented permanency settle lower. Fracture, surgical, and permanent limitation cases regularly reach six figures. Catastrophic injuries, TBI, and wrongful death cases frequently exceed seven figures.
Can I Recover Compensation If I Was Partly at Fault?
Yes. New York’s pure comparative negligence rule means partial fault never bars recovery. For example, at 30% fault on a $100,000 verdict, you receive $70,000. At 90% fault, you still receive $10,000. The police report is not the final word on fault. We have reversed initial fault determinations through independent accident reconstruction and digital evidence.
Do I Have to Pay Anything to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Nothing upfront, ever. We work on contingency; our payment is a percentage of what we recover, and only if we recover. All investigation costs, expert fees, and litigation expenses are advanced by our firm. If we do not recover, you owe nothing. Learn about how personal injury fees work.
How Long Does a Staten Island Personal Injury Case Take?
Most Staten Island personal injury cases settle within 12 to 24 months, though timelines vary with injury severity and litigation complexity. Cases that settle pre-suit can be resolved in 6 to 12 months. Cases that go to trial in Richmond County Supreme Court typically take 24 to 36 months from filing. Catastrophic injury and disputed-liability cases generally take longer because the medical record must fully develop before settlement value can be calculated accurately.
What Happens During the Free Consultation?
The first conversation is private and free, in person, by phone, or by video. We listen to what happened, ask focused questions about the injury and treatment so far, identify deadlines that already apply to your case (like the 30-day no-fault filing window), and tell you honestly whether we believe there is a case worth pursuing. If we take the case, we start that day with evidence preservation. If we do not, you walk away with clear answers and no bill.
What If an Undocumented or Immigrant Person Is Injured in Staten Island?
Immigration status does not affect your right to file a personal injury claim in New York. Being undocumented does not limit or disqualify your recovery. These are civil cases governed by tort law, and immigration status is not a factor that courts consider. Every consultation with our firm is confidential. We serve clients in English and Russian.
Have a question we did not cover here? Call (866) 288-9529 24/7 or start a free consultation.
While it’s possible to handle a personal injury case on your own, having an experienced attorney by your side significantly increases the likelihood of a favorable outcome. According to studies, victims represented by a personal injury lawyer receive higher settlement amounts compared to those who handle their cases independently. For a free case evaluation: