The law that applies to your claim
The roads that produce these crashes
The Saw Mill River Parkway and Cross County Parkway interchange, where short merges and heavy weaving traffic meet. The New York State Thruway and its Yonkers exits. Central Park Avenue, carrying retail traffic the length of the city with continuous curb cuts. And the steep grades running down toward the Hudson, where sight lines break at crests and stopping distances lengthen on descents.
Where the case is heard
Westchester County Supreme Court in White Plains — not in Yonkers. Our office is a few minutes from that courthouse.
Parkway crashes are different from street crashes
Westchester’s parkways were laid out in the 1920s and 30s for far lower speeds and far fewer cars. They have short acceleration lanes, tight curve radii, low stone parapets and, in places, left-hand exits.
That produces a specific collision pattern here: merge impacts at speed, single-vehicle strikes on fixed objects with no run-off, and chain collisions where a queue forms just beyond a blind crest. It also means the roadway itself may be part of the claim, which brings a public entity and a 90-day notice requirement into it.
Bee-Line and municipal vehicles
Yonkers is served by county Bee-Line buses and runs its own municipal and school fleets. If one was involved, a notice of claim is generally required within 90 days rather than three years. It is the most common way a Yonkers claim is lost.
Treatment and the record
Most people are taken to Saint Joseph’s Medical Center or St. John’s Riverside, with major trauma going to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. The law governing what no-fault covers and what the serious injury threshold requires is on our New York car accident page.
How long you have to act
- Three years from the date of the accident for most negligence claims (CPLR §214).
- Two years for wrongful death (EPTL §5-4.1).
- 90 days to serve a notice of claim where a city, county, school district, transit authority or other public body is involved (General Municipal Law §50-e), with suit generally within one year and 90 days.
The 90-day rule is the one that quietly ends otherwise strong cases. If a public entity may be involved, that is the first thing to check — not the last.
What it costs
Nothing up front. These cases are handled on contingency: there is no fee unless we win, and the consultation is free. You will be told the percentage and how expenses are handled, in writing, before you sign anything.
Common questions
Do you have an office in Yonkers?
No. Our offices are in White Plains, Nyack, Nanuet and Brooklyn. White Plains is minutes away, and we can meet you at home or in hospital.
My crash was on the Saw Mill.
Parkway collisions often involve roadway design or maintenance as well as another driver. If a public authority is implicated, a 90-day notice may apply.
A city vehicle hit me.
Then the 90-day notice of claim almost certainly applies. That should be dealt with immediately.
