The law that applies to your claim
One county, forty-five municipalities
Westchester is a patchwork of cities, towns and villages, each with its own police, roads, sidewalks and rules. That matters because the identity of the responsible entity — and therefore the deadline — changes street by street. A road may be state, county, city or private within a single mile.
Westchester County Supreme Court
Civil injury claims for the whole county are heard at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in White Plains. Surrogate’s Court, where an estate representative must be appointed before a wrongful death claim can be brought, is in the same building.
🔴 The 90-day trap is worse in a county like this
County-operated Bee-Line buses, county parks and county roads, plus 45 sets of municipal vehicles, school districts and sidewalks. Where a public entity is involved a notice of claim within 90 days is generally required — a fraction of the ordinary three years.
The roads that generate the claims
The parkway system — Bronx River, Hutchinson River, Saw Mill River, Sprain Brook and the Taconic — carries commuter traffic on alignments designed a century ago. The expressways, I-287 across the county and I-684 north, carry the freight. I-95 and the Thruway carry everything else.
Each produces a different pattern: parkway collisions at speed with no run-off, expressway merge and truck incidents, and local-road pedestrian and turning collisions in the village centers.
Where serious injuries are treated
Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla is the regional trauma center, supported by White Plains Hospital, Phelps in Sleepy Hollow, Northern Westchester in Mount Kisco and the Yonkers hospitals. Rehabilitation frequently runs through Burke in White Plains.
Serious cases often move between facilities, and assembling a complete record across each separate custodian is a substantial part of the early work.
Where we work
Our office is in White Plains, with two more in Rockland at Nyack and Nanuet and a fourth in Brooklyn. We handle claims across the county — Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Scarsdale, Tarrytown, Greenburgh and the northern towns. For city-specific pages see White Plains and Yonkers.
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
Does it matter which town my accident happened in?
It can decide the deadline. A county road, a village sidewalk and a state parkway involve different entities, and public entities carry the 90-day notice requirement.
Will my case be heard where I live?
Westchester civil claims are generally heard in White Plains regardless of which municipality the accident occurred in.
Do you handle cases in northern Westchester?
Yes. The courthouse is the same one, and we travel to clients who cannot travel to us.
