Requirement to obtain No-fault Benefits

If you were injured in a car accident in New York, or were a pedestrian that was struck by a car you must file a No-Fault application within the appropriate time in order to receive benefits.

Insurance Regulation 68 requires that “in the event of an accident, written notice setting forth details sufficient to identify the eligible injured person, along with reasonably obtainable information regarding the time, place and circumstances of the accident, shall be given by, or on behalf of, each eligible injured person, to the applicable No-Fault insurer, or any of their authorized agents, as soon as reasonably practicable, but in no event more than 30 days after the date of the accident, unless the eligible injured person submits written proof providing clear and reasonable justification for the failure to comply with such time limitation.”

You should file your claim with the insurance company which covers the car in which you were an occupant (either as passenger or driver) or, if you were a pedestrian, with the car that struck you. If you do not know the vehicle that struck you or if the vehicle was uninsured, you may file a claim with the insurer of a household family relative who had an auto policy at the time of the accident. If there was no auto policy in the household, you should file a claim with the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC). Additional information on MVAIC can be obtained on their web site.

If you are in a motor vehicle accident or are a pedestrian that was hit by a car, it is, therefore, important that you contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident to protect your rights.