Questions about New York State No-Fault Insurance?

No-Fault Insurance Can be confusing…

  • What does no-fault insurance mean in New York?
  • Is no-fault insurance mandatory in NY?
  • How does no-fault insurance work?
  • How much does a no-fault claim affect my insurance?

We’ve got answers to these New York State no-fault insurance questions and more!

We’ll Teach You Everything You Need to Know About No-Fault Insurance Coverage and Benefits

It’s important to know that if you have been hurt in an automobile accident, NYS No-Fault insurance benefits can help with many of your costs. Harding Mazzotti, LLP has launched No-Fault University to help educate the public on everything they need to know about No-Fault benefits in New York State, including:

  • What you have to do to collect No-Fault benefits
  • When and how No-Fault pays
  • What expenses are coveredno-fault attorney contact
  • Tips and resources on filing deadlines
  • Fillable and printable forms

Let Harding Mazzotti, LLP, help with your claim and ensure that you receive all of the benefits that you are entitled to from NYS No-Fault. Don’t wait you must apply within 30 days! You or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, please contact us today for a free consultation!

Jump right into the learning with video FAQS, forms, and infographics to help you understand all aspects related to NYS No-Fault insurance.

No-Fault Frequently Asked Questions

6 Things The Insurance Companies Might Not Want You To Know About No-Fault Insurance…

No-Fault Time Limit

  1. You are entitled to mileage to & from your medical appointments
  2. You are entitled to wage reimbursement if you are unable to work
  3. You do not need a referral to get medical treatment
  4. You are entitled to get reimbursement if you need household help
  5. You must file certain documents within the statutory time frames or you will not receive any no fault benefits
  6. Your no-fault insurance coverage for medical expenses will be available until it exhausts

No-Fault FAQs

No-Fault FAQ – What Are New York State No-Fault Benefits?

What Are New York State No-Fault Benefits?

Hi, I’m Dan Dagostino, supervising attorney for Martin, Harding & Mazzotti. What are New York State no-fault benefits? We get calls every day from people that don’t understand what New York State no-fault benefits are, and that’s okay. There’s a lot of attorneys in the state, in the country that don’t understand what no-fault benefits are either.

What New York State is established is when you’re involved in an automobile accident, if you’re a pedestrian in an automobile accident, if you’re on a bicycle in an automobile accident, New York State has set up a way in which you can get your medical expenses, as well as your wages paid for. Also, out-of-pocket expenses, mileage expenses. However, you’re going to get a lot of forms in the mail. And when these forms get to you, they can be confusing. And our team at MHM, we have a dedicated staff to each department that can help you fill out these forms so that you can ensure that your benefits are protected. And you don’t have to worry about your medical expenses or wages when you’re involved in an accident.

What do You Have to do to Get No-Fault Benefits?

What Do You Have To Do To Get No-Fault Benefits?

What would someone have to do to get their no-fault benefits? I’m Dan Dagostino, Supervising Attorney from Martin, Harding and Mazzotti. You are gonna receive a no-fault application in the mail. It’s gonna be several pages ,have probably 15-20 questions on the form. And what you need to do is, is that form needs to be filled out. It’s important that it’s filled out correctly. Our staff at MHM who’ve been doing this for many, many decades, we fill out the forms in a certain way so we can ensure that your medical expenses are paid for, your wages, if you have mileage going to and from the doctor’s appointments, as well as out-of-pocket expenses. We wanna make sure that you get everything you are entitled to get.

No-Fault FAQ – Who is eligible for No-Fault benefits in New York?

Who’s eligible for New York State No-fault benefits?

When we have someone call our office, asking this question, we have to look into, you know, what happened first. You know, so we have our staff that will ask them, “How did the accident happen?” Once we determine how the accident happened, we can determine who’s eligible. For instance, if you’re driving in an automobile. If you’re a passenger in an automobile. If you’re, you know, on a bicycle. If you’re a pedestrian. You are entitled to these no-fault benefits. We have to convey that information over to the insurance carrier so that they know that you qualify, you get the benefits you deserve.

No-Fault FAQ – If I exhaust My No-Fault Benefits is There Additional Coverage Available?

If I exhaust my no-fault benefits, is there additional coverage available?

If you exhaust your no-fault benefits. The basic no-fault coverage in New York State’s $50,000. So often, we have people that contact our office. They’re involved in incredibly serious injuries where medical treatment goes well above the $50,000. They spend time in the hospital. They’ve surgeries. And what we tell them is, we say, “One, let’s sit. Let’s talk. See what other insurances you have, or the person potentially responsible for the accident.” There are coverages called additional personal injury protection benefits. Also, optional basic economic loss. These will help you obtain additional medical coverage as well as wages and potentially other out-of-pocket expenses. In the worst-case scenario, obviously, if there is no insurance available we look to private health insurance and also, obviously, the responsible party’s insurance coverages to cover all the losses you’ve sustained.

No-Fault FAQ – Am I Entitled to No-Fault Benefits if I Was on a Motorcycle?

Am I entitled to No-fault benefits if I was on a motorcycle?

We get people often that call our office that’ll say, “You know, I was on a motorcycle. Am I entitled to no-fault benefits?” If you are an operator of a motorcycle and you’re involved in an automobile accident, unfortunately, there are no no-fault benefits. However, there are additional insurance coverages that we look at. You know, our staff is well trained. They know to look for medical payment coverage. There could be additional coverage on the responsible party’s insurance policy. Also, we want to put your private health insurance, if you have it, on notice so that we can make sure you get the medical treatment that you need. And at the end of the case, we can look at everything that’s been paid and determine what the responsible party has to pay.

No-Fault FAQ – Am I Entitled to No-Fault Benefits if I Was on a Bus?

Am I entitled to No-Fault benefits if I was on a bus?

If you’re on a bus and you’re involved in an accident, whether it’s the responsibility of the bus or whether it’s the responsibility of another driver, what do you do? The bus has unique rules with respect to no-fault. With no-fault, you first have to look, do you have an auto insurance policy in your household? If you don’t have an auto insurance policy, do you live with a relative that does? And you would look, contact those insurance companies, fill out the no-fault application, the no-fault forms. If, for some reason, there are no relatives, or you don’t have an automobile insurance policy in your house then you can make arrangements with the bus company, or if it’s owned by a school district, to contact them for your no-fault benefits. This information can get overwhelming, especially when you’re involved in a bus. When we handle bus crashes in our office we have dedicated staff that deals with just these issues.

No-Fault FAQ – How Do I Know Which Insurance Policy Provides My No-Fault Benefits?

How do I know which insurance policy provides my No-fault benefits?

We get calls everyday where people say, “I was involved in a catastrophic accident. How do I know which insurance policy covers my no-fault benefits?” We have staff that gets into in-depth conversation. Often I’ll get on the phone and we get to know them. We have to find out, were you in the car with somebody else? Do you have your own automobile insurance policy? Were you walking? Were you a pedestrian? Who is the other party’s insurance? We do an in-depth investigation to determine who’s gonna be responsible to pay your medical bills, who’s gonna be responsible to pay your wages, your out-of-pocket expenses, mileage, things that you should not have to pay for.

No-Fault FAQ – Do New York State No-Fault Benefits Ever Expire?

Do No-fault benefits ever expire?

This question comes up every day. We have people that are involved in serious, catastrophic car accidents. And they ask us, “Do they expire? Do I have these benefits for life?” And at Martin, Harding & Mazzotti, we have in-depth conversations with people. We have to determine, you know, how much no-fault coverage is available. Do you have any additional coverage may be in your household? Did the responsible party? Did they have additional coverage available to pay for your medical expenses? Pay for your wages? Pay for household help that you can no longer do because of your catastrophic injuries? We determine that through an in-depth analysis so that if you do have benefits available, all of them are being used. And if we do resolve your case, if there’s a jury verdict in your case, that these benefits will continue as long as there are benefits available.

ny no fault insurance knowledge

No-Fault Tips

Filing No-Fault Insurance

  • Contact the Correct Insurance Provider
    This is either your own insurance provider, or the insurance provider of the other party. Harding & Mazzotti, LLP can help you determine this.
  • Download Your Forms
    Download your complete set of no-fault insurance claim forms or have the insurance provider mail it to you. You have 30 days to file your claim. Have questions about filling out the form? Contact the team at Harding Mazzotti.
  • Proofread and Mail Your Application
    Read over your application to make sure that all the information is correct. Then, make a copy of the application for your records and mail the original to your insurance company or the insurance company of the vehicle that hit you.

Paying Your Medical Bills

  • Be Sure to Inform Your Medical Provider About Your No-Fault Insurance
    Give your medical provider your claim number along with the name, address, and phone number of your insurance company. If you are unsure, you should still tell your medical provider if it’s a motor vehicle accident and that your No-Fault insurance may apply.
  • Do Not Pay Any Medical Bills Sent To You
    Sometimes the hospital or medical provider sends a medical bill to you rather than to your insurance company. If this happens, do not pay it. Instead, mail or fax it to your insurance provider with a cover letter indicating your name, date of accident, and claim number. Download Cover Letter Samples

How to Get Lost Wages from No-Fault

  • Send insurance company proof of employment:
  • Send proof from doctor that you are unable to work due to the injury resulting from the accident:
    • Verification of treatment by attending physician or other provider of health services form, Download Form
    • Verification of Hospital Treatment form, Download Form
    • Hospital Facility Form, Download Form

What’s Covered Under Out of Pocket Expenses

no-fault attorney contact

  • Medical expenses caused by an accident, also known as PIP (Personal Injury Protection)
  • A portion of wages lost while the victim was too sick or injured to go to work, up to a certain amount.
  • Medical transportation costs to and from medical appointments, Download Mileage Sheet
  • Medically-necessary expenses, such as medical equipment.
  • In-home help if you can prove that your doctor has concluded you are unable to perform those tasks.