Intersection Accident Attorney in New York City, NY

Intersection Accident Attorney Michael Gunzburg

Who Needs an Intersection Accident Attorney in New York City?

You need an intersection accident attorney if you were injured as a driver, passenger, pedestrian, or cyclist in a collision at any NYC intersection where another party's negligence caused the crash. Common situations include drivers who ran red lights at busy intersections like Northern Boulevard & 48th Street in Queens, motorists who failed to yield while making left turns at locations like Bruckner Boulevard & St. Ann's Avenue in the Bronx, vehicles making illegal turns at congested crossroads such as Flatbush Avenue & Tillary Street in Brooklyn, and distracted drivers texting or using phones who caused crashes at high-traffic areas throughout Manhattan, Long Island City, Fordham, Times Square, the Financial District, and Brooklyn Heights. Intersection accidents often involve disputed liability, with each driver blaming the other, making experienced legal representation necessary to prove fault and recover full compensation.

Common Intersection Accident Situations We Handle

Red Light Violations

Drivers who run red lights at busy intersections like 42nd Street & 8th Avenue in Manhattan or Northern Boulevard & 48th Street in Queens cause devastating T-bone collisions that result in serious injuries and disputed liability claims.

Failure to Yield Right-of-Way

Motorists making left turns without yielding to oncoming traffic or pedestrians in crosswalks, particularly at high-traffic locations like Times Square and Atlantic Avenue & Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn, create dangerous conditions that lead to severe crashes.

Illegal and Unsafe Turns

Vehicles making improper left or right turns at intersections such as Queens Boulevard & Long Island Expressway or Bruckner Boulevard & St. Ann's Avenue in the Bronx strike other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists who have the right of way.

Distracted Driving at Intersections

Drivers texting, using GPS, or talking on phones who fail to notice traffic signals changing at locations like 2nd Avenue & East 59th Street or Flatbush Avenue & Tillary Street cause preventable accidents with catastrophic consequences.

Speeding Through Yellow Lights

Aggressive drivers who accelerate through yellow lights rather than stopping safely cause crashes at intersections throughout all five boroughs, often claiming they had a green light to avoid responsibility.

Obstructed Views and Blind Spots

Poor visibility conditions at congested intersections like Broadway & East 96th Street where large vehicles, parked cars, or infrastructure block sightlines lead to accidents where drivers claim they never saw the other vehicle or pedestrian.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for Intersection Accidents?

Intersection accidents often involve multiple potentially liable parties, and identifying everyone responsible is critical to recovering full compensation for your injuries. At-fault drivers who violated traffic laws by running red lights, failing to yield, or making illegal turns bear primary responsibility for crashes they cause. Vehicle owners can be held liable under New York law even if they weren't driving, particularly when they lent their car to someone they knew was dangerous or unfit to drive.

Employers of commercial drivers face liability when their employees cause accidents while working, whether driving delivery trucks, company vehicles, or making business-related trips. Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft may be responsible when their drivers cause intersection crashes, though they often claim drivers are independent contractors to avoid paying claims. Municipal entities can be liable if malfunctioning traffic signals, obstructed signs, or dangerous intersection design contributed to your accident, though claims against government entities require filing a Notice of Claim within 90 days.

Our job is conducting a thorough investigation to identify every responsible party, from the driver who caused your crash to the companies and entities whose negligence made the accident possible. The more parties we can hold accountable, the more insurance coverage becomes available to compensate you for your injuries.

What You May Be Entitled to Recover After an Intersection Accident

Intersection accidents often cause serious injuries that require immediate emergency care and long-term treatment. You may be entitled to recover compensation for medical expenses, including emergency room visits, surgeries, hospital stays, physical therapy, and future treatment needs your doctors say you'll require for the rest of your life. Lost wages and lost earning capacity become part of your claim if injuries prevent you from returning to work or force you to accept lower-paying positions because you can no longer perform your previous job duties.

Pain and suffering compensation addresses the physical pain, emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, and mental anguish caused by your injuries and the accident itself. Loss of enjoyment of life recognizes that your injuries prevent you from participating in activities, hobbies, and daily tasks you enjoyed before the crash. Permanent disability and disfigurement compensation accounts for lasting impairments, scars, and physical limitations that will affect you for years to come.

Property damage to your vehicle can be recovered, along with out-of-pocket expenses related to your recovery, including transportation to medical appointments, prescription medications, medical equipment, and home modifications if your injuries require accessibility changes. We fight to recover every category of damages you're legally entitled to, ensuring settlements cover not just your current expenses but your future needs as well.

Important Deadlines and Legal Rules for Intersection Accidents

You have three years from the date of your intersection accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in New York, but waiting this long puts your case at serious risk. Traffic camera footage gets erased after 30 days in many cases, witnesses forget details or become impossible to locate, and physical evidence at the intersection disappears. You must file a Motor Vehicle Accident Report (Form MV-104) with the DMV within 10 days if there's injury or more than $1,000 in property damage, or your license can be suspended.

New York's no-fault insurance system requires you to file your no-fault application within 30 days of the crash or benefits can be denied, covering up to $50,000 in medical expenses and lost wages regardless of who caused the accident. To sue for pain and suffering beyond no-fault benefits, you must meet New York's "serious injury" threshold, which includes death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, fractures, permanent limitation of use of a body organ or member, significant limitation of use of a body function or system, or a medically determined injury that prevents you from performing substantially all of your usual daily activities for at least 90 days during the 180 days immediately following the accident.

If your accident involved a municipal vehicle, city bus, or occurred on city-owned property, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days and bring your lawsuit within one year and 90 days. These shortened deadlines mean any delay in contacting an attorney can destroy your right to compensation. Call us immediately after your intersection accident so we can protect your rights and preserve the evidence needed to win your case.

What to Expect When You Work With Us

Free Consultation and Case Review

Call us at 212-725-8500 or fill out our online form to schedule your free consultation. We'll listen to what happened, review the facts of your intersection accident, ask about your injuries, and give you an honest assessment of your case at no cost and with no obligation.

Immediate Accident Investigation

We begin investigating your intersection accident immediately, visiting the crash scene to document conditions, obtaining police reports and traffic camera footage, interviewing witnesses before memories fade, and consulting with accident reconstruction experts who can prove how the crash happened and who was at fault.

Medical Documentation and Treatment

We work with your doctors to document every injury and connect you with specialists if you need additional care. We review medical records, imaging studies, and treatment plans to build a complete picture of how the accident has affected your health and what future care you'll require.

Aggressive Insurance Negotiation

Insurance companies try to minimize payouts by questioning liability, disputing the severity of your injuries, and pressuring you to accept lowball settlements. We handle all communication with insurers, protecting you from recorded statements and tactics designed to reduce your compensation, using our 39+ years of experience to counter their strategies.

Trial Preparation and Litigation

While many intersection accident cases settle, we prepare every case as if it's going to trial. This approach strengthens our negotiating position and shows insurance companies we're ready to present your case to a jury if they won't offer fair compensation, which is why they often settle rather than face us in court.

Maximum Compensation Recovery

We fight to recover every dollar you deserve, calculating the full cost of your medical expenses including future treatment, lost wages and reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disability compensation that accounts for how your injuries will affect you for years to come.

Benefits of Hiring Michael Gunzburg, P.C. for Your Intersection Accident Case

Proven Success with Intersection Accident Cases

We've recovered multimillion-dollar settlements for intersection accident victims throughout NYC, including $2.85 million for a pedestrian struck in a crosswalk when a driver failed to yield right-of-way, $2.5 million for a woman hit at a Manhattan intersection, and $250,000 for a passenger injured in a left-turn collision, proving our ability to win even the most disputed liability cases.

Immediate Scene Investigation

We visit accident scenes the next day when possible, documenting intersection conditions, traffic patterns, visibility issues, and physical evidence before it disappears. This immediate response has helped us prove fault in cases where insurance companies initially denied liability, securing compensation our clients deserved.

Expert Witness Network

We retain top accident reconstruction experts, traffic engineers, medical specialists, and economic analysts who provide testimony proving how your accident happened, why the other driver was at fault, the full extent of your injuries, and the lifetime costs of your medical care and lost earning capacity.

No Upfront Costs

You pay nothing unless we win your case. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means we advance all costs of investigation, expert witnesses, and litigation, only recovering our fees from your settlement or verdict, never from your pocket if we don't succeed.

Personal Attention Throughout Your Case

You're not just another file number. We treat every client like family, understanding the physical pain, emotional stress, and financial pressure you're facing. We return calls within 24 hours, send regular email updates, and include you in every decision about your case.

Proven Results & Client Experience

Michael Gunzburg, P.C. has spent 39+ years representing intersection accident victims throughout New York City, building a record of multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements that speaks to our trial experience and commitment to client results. We secured a $2.85 million settlement for a 55-year-old woman struck by a vehicle making a left turn at Gerard Avenue and 153rd Street in the Bronx, where the driver failed to yield right-of-way causing serious permanent injuries requiring multiple surgeries. Our $2.5 million settlement for a woman struck at the intersection of 7th Avenue and West 13th Street in Manhattan came after the court granted our motion for summary judgment on liability, proving the driver was at fault.

We recovered $250,000 for a passenger injured when another driver illegally passed through an intersection and struck their vehicle, and we've represented countless other clients injured at dangerous NYC intersections throughout all five boroughs. Attorney Michael Gunzburg is licensed to practice in New York State and the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, holds a Certified Public Accountant license, and maintains active membership in the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and American Association of Justice. Our clients consistently praise our communication, dedication, and results, with many saying they felt supported throughout the legal process and thrilled with their settlements.

Common Questions About Intersection Accidents in New York City

What should I do immediately after an intersection accident in NYC?

Move your vehicle to safety if possible and check for injuries, then call 911 so police and EMS can respond and document the scene. Exchange names, addresses, phone numbers, driver's license information, and insurance details with all drivers involved, photograph the intersection including traffic signals, street signs, vehicle damage, and visible injuries, and get contact information from witnesses who saw what happened. Don't admit fault or apologize, even if you think you might have contributed to the accident, because insurance companies will use any statement against you. Get medical attention even if you feel fine, as many serious injuries don't show symptoms until hours or days later. Call 212-725-8500 as soon as possible so we can begin investigating while evidence is still available.

Who is at fault in a left-turn intersection accident?

The driver making the left turn is usually at fault because New York law requires them to yield right-of-way to oncoming traffic. However, fault can shift if the oncoming driver ran a red light, was speeding excessively, or violated other traffic laws. We investigate left-turn accidents by obtaining traffic camera footage, interviewing witnesses who saw which driver had the green light, and consulting with accident reconstruction experts who analyze vehicle damage, skid marks, and final resting positions to prove what happened. Insurance companies often claim shared fault in left-turn accidents to reduce their payouts, which is why having an experienced attorney makes such a difference in these cases.

How do I prove the other driver ran a red light?

Proving a red light violation requires gathering evidence before it disappears. Traffic camera footage from city cameras or nearby businesses can show the signal when the crash occurred, but this footage often gets erased after 30 days, which is why we begin investigating immediately. Witness statements from pedestrians, other drivers, or people working near the intersection provide needed evidence about who had the green light. Police reports often include the officer's determination of fault based on their investigation and interviews at the scene. Accident reconstruction experts can analyze vehicle damage patterns, skid marks, debris fields, and final resting positions to determine vehicle speeds and positions when the crash occurred, which can prove one driver must have run the red light. Some intersections have red light cameras that automatically photograph violations, and we subpoena these records when available.

What if the other driver claims I caused the intersection accident?

Insurance companies frequently claim shared fault to reduce their payouts, even when their insured clearly violated traffic laws. New York follows pure comparative negligence, meaning you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault, though your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. We fight disputed liability cases by gathering evidence that proves the other driver's negligence, including traffic camera footage, witness statements, accident reconstruction analysis, and the other driver's own statements about what happened. In many cases, insurance companies back down from fault claims when faced with strong evidence, particularly when they know we're prepared to take the case to trial. We've won cases where insurance companies initially claimed our clients were 100% at fault, only to settle for full value once we presented the evidence.

Can I sue if I was a passenger in one of the vehicles?

Yes, passengers can sue the at-fault driver regardless of which vehicle they were riding in. As a passenger, you weren't responsible for operating either vehicle, so you don't face comparative fault defenses that drivers face. You can file claims against the driver of the vehicle you were in, the other driver, or both if their combined negligence caused the accident. New York's no-fault insurance covers your medical bills and lost wages up to $50,000 through the insurance of the vehicle you were in, and you can sue for pain and suffering if your injuries meet the serious injury threshold. Passenger cases often involve complex insurance issues when multiple policies are in play, but our experience handling these claims means we know how to get the most recovery from all available sources.

What if I was hit by a taxi, Uber, or Lyft at an intersection?

Commercial vehicles and rideshare drivers must follow the same traffic laws as other drivers, and their companies carry higher insurance limits than private vehicles. Taxi and Uber/Lyft companies often try to deny responsibility by claiming drivers are independent contractors or that the driver was off-duty when the accident occurred. We've handled numerous rideshare intersection accident cases and know how to prove these companies' liability, obtain their insurance information, and hold them accountable. These cases require quick action because companies often have internal rules requiring immediate notification of accidents, and failure to preserve evidence can weaken your case.

How long do I have to file a lawsuit for an intersection accident?

New York gives you three years from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit, but waiting puts your case at risk. Traffic camera footage gets erased, witnesses become impossible to locate, and physical evidence at the intersection disappears. You also have shorter deadlines for other requirements: 10 days to file a Motor Vehicle Accident Report with the DMV, 30 days to file your no-fault insurance application, and 90 days to file a Notice of Claim if a municipal vehicle or city property was involved. The sooner you call us, the better we can investigate your case and protect your rights.

What if the intersection had a malfunctioning traffic signal?

Malfunctioning traffic signals, broken street lights, obstructed traffic signs, or dangerous intersection design can make the city or municipality partially liable for your accident. These cases require filing a Notice of Claim against the government entity within 90 days and bringing your lawsuit within one year and 90 days. We investigate whether the city had prior notice of the defect through complaints or maintenance records, whether the signal timing creates dangerous conditions, and whether intersection design violates safety standards. Government liability cases are complex, but we've successfully sued municipal entities and recovered compensation for clients when government negligence contributed to their injuries.

Will my case go to trial?

Most intersection accident cases settle before trial, often after we've gathered strong evidence proving the other driver's fault and completed your medical treatment so we know the full extent of your damages. However, we prepare every case as if it's going to trial, which strengthens our negotiating position and shows insurance companies we're ready to present your case to a jury. Some cases do go to trial when insurance companies refuse to offer fair compensation, and our 39+ years of courtroom experience means we're not afraid to take your case before a jury when necessary.

How much is my intersection accident case worth?

Case value depends on the severity of your injuries, amount of medical treatment required, whether you have permanent disabilities, how much work you've missed, your future medical needs, and the strength of evidence proving the other driver's fault. We've recovered multimillion-dollar settlements for clients with serious injuries and hundreds of thousands for clients with less severe injuries, but every case is different. During your free consultation, we'll review your specific situation and give you an honest assessment of what your case might be worth. Remember that insurance companies' first offers are almost always far below fair value, which is why having an experienced attorney negotiate on your behalf makes such a difference.

Areas We Serve

Michael Gunzburg, P.C. represents intersection accident victims throughout all five boroughs of New York City, including Manhattan neighborhoods like Times Square, the Financial District, and Midtown, Brooklyn areas such as Brooklyn Heights and Williamsburg, Queens locations including Long Island City and Flushing, the Bronx including Fordham and Riverdale, and Staten Island communities throughout the borough. We also serve clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and across the New York City metropolitan area. Whether your accident happened at one of NYC's most dangerous intersections or a quiet residential crossroad, we're ready to fight for the compensation you deserve. Our Manhattan office is conveniently located to serve clients across all boroughs.

Other Pesonal Injury Services We Offer

• Car Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Rear-end Collisions
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Truck Accidents
• Hit-and-Run Accidents