Municipal Liability Attorney NYC

Yes, you can sue the City of New York, New York State and public agencies when their negligence causes your injury. These claims follow special rules, starting with a notice, such as a Notice of Claim, that is generally due within 90 days.

We've won hundreds of cases against the City of New York and municipal entities across New York State for clients hurt by city vehicles, unsafe public property and police misconduct. We know each agency's notice rules, so we move quickly to protect your claim.

Our attorneys have the legal knowledge and trial experience to bring municipal liability lawsuits for serious personal injuries.

Our verdicts and settlements include settlements against the City of New York and NYC Transit, from NYPD and Department of Sanitation crashes to unsafe public property.

Do you have grounds to sue the City? We represent the injured in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island. Contact us for a free case evaluation.

Quick Answers About Claims Against the City of New York

People who call our New York municipal liability lawyers usually need four answers first: whether they have a case, how long they have, who pays and what their claim is worth.

We Investigate All Types of Injuries Caused by NYC Agencies

Negligence is negligence. Our New York municipal liability lawyers investigate claims against the City and the agencies New Yorkers deal with every day: the NYPD, the Department of Sanitation, the Department of Transportation, NYC Transit, NYCHA, NYC Parks, the Department of Education and the Port Authority. Any of them can be held accountable when carelessness, safety violations or other actions or inaction cause serious injury.

In fiscal year 2023, 18,895 personal injury claims were filed against the City, according to the NYC Comptroller's Annual Claims Report. Sidewalk claims (2,350) and motor vehicle claims (1,693) were among the most common.

Crashes With NYPD, Sanitation and Other City Vehicles

We've recovered compensation for people hit by NYPD tow trucks and vans and by Department of Sanitation trucks. When a police car, fire truck or ambulance on an emergency call was speeding, running a red light or using another emergency privilege the law allows, New York law generally requires proof that the driver acted with reckless disregard for others' safety under Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1104, and we build that proof from day one. Sanitation and other city trucks working on the road can get similar protection (§ 1103).

Other city vehicle crashes are generally judged by ordinary negligence rules, the same as the cases our NYC car accident lawyers handle. Either way, we move fast to request NYPD body-worn camera video, 911 and dispatch records, vehicle maintenance logs and traffic camera footage.

Sidewalk, Street and Pothole Injuries

Sidewalk accidents follow special rules. In New York City, the owner of the property next to a sidewalk is generally responsible for keeping it in repair under NYC Administrative Code § 7-210, except at many owner-occupied one- to three-family homes, so your claim may be against that owner instead of the City. For many street and sidewalk defects, the City is generally liable only if it had prior written notice of the problem.

That notice generally must reach the Department of Transportation at least 15 days before your accident, under NYC Administrative Code § 7-201. We search DOT records, repair permits, earlier complaints and the defect maps filed with the City, and we photograph and measure the defect before it's fixed. Even without written notice, you may still recover if the City's own work directly created the hazard.

Bus, Subway and Train Injuries

Our MTA accident lawyers handle injuries on the subway, city buses and the LIRR, from platform falls to sudden stops and bus crashes. Transit operators owe riders reasonable care. If a sudden stop threw you, New York courts generally require proof that the jolt was unusual and violent, more than the ordinary jerks of travel.

That's why we request station and onboard video, operator and maintenance records and witness accounts early, before they're lost.

Injuries to Students at Public Schools

Public schools must adequately supervise the students in their care. A school can be held liable when it knew or should have known about a danger, such as earlier threats or fights, and better supervision would likely have prevented the injury. Unsafe stairs, gym equipment and playgrounds can also support a claim.

Our NYC school injury lawyers act quickly, because a Notice of Claim against the Department of Education is generally due within 90 days, even when the injured student is a child.

Police Misconduct and False Arrest

False arrest, excessive force and malicious prosecution can support claims under New York law and federal civil rights law, 42 U.S.C. § 1983. State-law claims generally need a Notice of Claim within 90 days. Federal civil rights claims don't, and they generally must be filed within three years.

We're ready to take these cases to trial. Our $500,000 false arrest settlement for a school custodian came on the third day of trial.

We also handle slip and fall accidents on public property, elevator accidents, escalator injuries, assaults or accidental injuries by City personnel and burn injuries from fires.

Our Results Against the City and Public Agencies

• $3.85 million bicycle accident settlement for a delivery cyclist rear-ended by an NYPD tow truck
• $1.5 million for the family of a teacher struck and killed in a crosswalk by an NYPD van
• $1.5 million sanitation truck settlement for a driver rear-ended by a Department of Sanitation truck
• $750,000 trip and fall settlement for a woman who tripped on raised playground concrete, a defect the City knew about and failed to repair
• $500,000 false arrest settlement for a school custodian falsely arrested by police, reached on the third day of trial

Prior results don't guarantee a similar outcome.

How to Sue the City of New York or a Public Agency

Public bodies have certain legal protections, including immunity for some government decisions. You can often still recover by proving that the public body was negligent and that its negligence caused your injuries.

The first deadline comes long before the lawsuit. The general deadlines depend on who is responsible:

• New York City, a county, town or village: a sworn Notice of Claim within 90 days of the accident (General Municipal Law § 50-e), and a lawsuit within 1 year and 90 days (§ 50-i).
• NYC Transit buses and subways: a Notice of Claim within 90 days and a lawsuit within 1 year and 90 days.
• MTA subsidiaries, such as MTA Bus and the LIRR: a written demand at least 30 days before you sue, and a lawsuit within 1 year and 90 days. No Notice of Claim is needed.
• New York State or a state agency: within 90 days, file and serve a claim in the Court of Claims or serve a notice of intention to file one. The notice of intention extends the filing deadline to two years (Court of Claims Act § 10).

The notice must go to the right agency, on time, with the required details. A late or defective notice can end your case, and courts have limited power to excuse it. Before you can sue, the City or another public body may also question you under oath at a hearing under General Municipal Law § 50-h.

Our attorneys know each agency's rules and how to prepare a Notice of Claim. Our municipal liability lawyers will confirm which deadlines apply to your case and serve the right notice on time. Call us as soon as a public vehicle, road or employee may be involved.

Get Answers and Protect Your Right to Sue the City

When a city bus, a police car or a broken sidewalk changes your life, the questions come fast: who pays your medical bills, who's responsible and whether you've already missed a deadline.

You'll get straight answers with no pressure and no obligation, and you won't have to take on the City alone. Our New York municipal liability lawyers will find out which agency is responsible, prepare and serve your Notice of Claim, explain your legal options and assess what your case may be worth. Behind them are 34 years of experience and over $1 billion recovered for clients.

You deserve answers, and the clock is already running. Call 212-268-3222 or contact us online for your free consultation today.

No Fee Unless We Win.