The NYC Taxi Insurance-You have been hurt in an NYC taxi accident. You are focused on recovery. But the clock is ticking on a legally binding deadline. This limit is called the Statute of Limitations. It places a time limit on how long you have to file a lawsuit.

For the most part, personal injury claims in New York must be filed within three years.

The Three-Year Rule Explained: Taxi Insurance

This is dictated by the state statute of limitation (CPLR § 214(5)). It applies to negligence cases. That even covers car and taxi crashes. The clock counts from the day of the accident. You will need to bring your civil suit before the statute of limitations has run.

• The Consequence: File your case one day late and you lose. The court will bring an end to your case. Your system doesn’t have a way to get reimbursed. This involves all the medical bills yet to come. This is inclusive of any compensatory damages for pain and suffering.
• The Point: The law is asking for haste. Evidence fades over time. Witnesses move or forget details. Filing promptly keeps evidence fresh. It’s evidence that the claim is a serious one.

Critical Deadlines You Cannot Ignore: Taxi Insurance

The big deadline is the three year Statute of Limitations. But two other deadlines are just as important. They are much shorter.

• 30-Day No-Fault Deadline: This one is the most pressing. You have 30 days after the accident to apply for No-Fault benefits. This is to protect your right to medical treatment at once! If you miss this, payments to your doctors and hospitals stop.
• 90-Day Municipal Deadline (If Applicable): One big trap. If the accident was with a city-owned vehicle — for example, an MTA bus or because the streets were not maintained properly, Hebshie says the deadline is different. You have only 90 days to submit a formal Notice of Claim against the city or state. Miss this and you are now legally barred from bringing ANY case in federal court against the government entity, regardless of the three-year rule.

When the Clock Strikes: Exceptions to the Rule

There are some exceptions to the three year rule. Some factors might be able to “toll” or stop the clock:

• Minors: If the injured person is a child — under 18 years old — the statute is subject to suspension. In many instances the clock does not start ticking until a minor reaches 18. This essentially provides them until their 21st birthday to file.
• Discovery Rule: Latent injuries (those which are not obvious) may result in a delay of the start of the limitations period. “That doesn’t usually happen in taxi accidents, though. Immediate medical attention is always required.

If someone dies from the accident, then you have a wrongful death case. The statute of limitations for this is two years from the date of the person’s death, not the date of killing. Even if you have three years, waiting is a huge error. Your lawyer needs time to examine the commercial insurance policy. They need time to round up evidence — dashcam footage, witness accounts. They need time to build your case to prove their (and your) injuries meets “Serious Injury Threshold.”

Get your legal consultation at no charge today. Preserving your deadline is the first step to getting the compensation you deserve.

Are you trying to figure out whether your injury would fall under the three-year statute or a shorter one? Do you want me to locate a site with free consultation NY injury lawyer?