Personal Injury Lawyer | Brooklyn, NY | Kings County

Video Transcript

Every person who contacts our office speaks to an attorney directly.

Many firms, when you reach out, you get just a paralegal or just a receptionist, and while they may be very experienced, I think it gives a lot of assurance to the public that they know that when they call us, they will always get the attorney on the phone.

The most important thing I think people should know before they pick up the phone and call the office of Billy Cooper is that we take the time to listen and answer people’s questions.

One of the things that I get told most often, even if it’s a situation where we cannot take your case, is that we explain why.

We don’t just say, “No, you don’t have a case” and hang up.

We always give people an explanation.

We explain what the burden of proof is and the law that applies.

People are always most appreciative that we take the time to explain to them rather than just saying no.

A great outcome beyond the dollar amount is quite significant because after a case resolves, money only means so much.

In fact, I always have conversations with our clients indicating to them that money does a certain thing for you, but it can never make you feel completely whole.

What we try and do is we try and give our people the type of service where they know that even when the case is completed, we are here for them.

What makes our law firm different than other firms in New York is our attention to detail, and that we assist our clients with every aspect of their case.

We make phone calls to make sure that your medical bills are being paid.

We can assist you in finding medical care.

It’s beyond just a legal service. It is an all-around service that we provide.

If you have been injured in an accident or someone you know, whether it’s a family member or a friend, we ask that you reach out to us because we will speak with you and we will assist you.

Brooklyn NY Personal Injury Lawyer

An injury can disrupt your health, your work, and your family life all at once. Then the calls begin. An insurance adjuster wants a statement. Medical bills arrive. Your employer needs to know when you are coming back. You may not even know who was legally responsible.

In Brooklyn, that last question is often more complicated than it appears. A sidewalk may be the responsibility of an adjoining property owner rather than the City. A bus or subway injury may involve the New York City Transit Authority or another MTA entity. A construction accident may create claims against an owner or general contractor in addition to workers’ compensation.

Billy Cooper Law represents injured people throughout New York City, including Kings County. The first priority is understanding what happened, identifying every potentially responsible party, and preserving evidence before it disappears.

Why Brooklyn Clients Turn to Billy Cooper Law

If your injuries are serious, you will probably want a lawyer who has handled cases involving permanent disability, extensive medical treatment, disputed liability, and defendants prepared to fight.

Billy Cooper joined his family’s injury practice in 1991 and has served as its lead trial counsel for more than 25 years. He has been selected to Super Lawyers from 2024 through 2026. The firm reports more than 75 years of combined experience.

That experience has produced results in very different kinds of cases, including a $9 million catastrophic burn settlement, a $2.005 million construction accident settlement, and a $1.6 million pedestrian accident settlement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Communication matters just as much as legal preparation. Anieska Garcia represents clients in English and Spanish, so Spanish-speaking clients can discuss their injuries and concerns directly rather than relying on a relative to interpret.

The firm offers free consultations and handles personal injury cases on a contingency-fee basis. There is no upfront legal fee, and the firm does not collect a legal fee unless it obtains compensation for you.

Why Personal Injury Cases Are Different in Brooklyn

Brooklyn cases often involve several overlapping systems.

A collision near Downtown Brooklyn may involve private cars, delivery vehicles, rideshare drivers, buses, cyclists, and pedestrians. An injury on a subway platform raises different questions from a fall on the sidewalk immediately outside the station. A construction accident may require records from the property owner, contractor, subcontractors, employer, and New York City Department of Buildings.

Sidewalk cases are especially local. Under New York City Administrative Code § 7-210, the owner of property adjoining a sidewalk is generally responsible for keeping it reasonably safe. An important exception applies to certain owner-occupied one-, two-, and three-family residential properties. When the City may be responsible for a street or sidewalk defect, its prior-written-notice rule can become a central issue.

The practical lesson is simple: the place where you were injured does not always tell you who should be held responsible. Ownership, control, maintenance agreements, permits, prior complaints, and government records may decide the case.

A Brooklyn Accident Snapshot

Recent public data shows why early investigation remains important:

  • Brooklyn recorded 63 traffic deaths in 2025, down from 69 in 2024, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.
  • There were 17,675 traffic injuries in Brooklyn in 2024.
  • Brooklyn pedestrians suffered 3,206 injuries and 36 fatalities in 2024.
  • Traditional bicyclists suffered 1,560 injuries and three fatalities in Brooklyn in 2024.
  • Riders of motorized two-wheelers—including e-bikes, mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles—suffered 2,120 injuries and 21 fatalities in Brooklyn in 2024. These traffic figures appear in NYC DOT’s 2024 Bicycle Crash Data Report.
  • The Department of Buildings recorded 232 construction incidents, 155 injuries, and two fatalities in Brooklyn during 2024, according to its 2024 Construction Safety Report.

These numbers do not predict the outcome of any individual claim. They do show the scale and variety of injuries occurring across Kings County.

Where Serious Injuries Happen in Brooklyn

Busy streets and mixed traffic

Flatbush Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, Fourth Avenue, Eastern Parkway, and other major corridors bring cars, trucks, buses, bicycles, e-bikes, and pedestrians into close contact. When a collision occurs, the investigation may require traffic-camera records, nearby business video, vehicle data, delivery logs, rideshare records, and witness interviews.

Crashes on or near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Gowanus Expressway can involve higher speeds, multiple vehicles, and commercial carriers. Truck cases may require driver logs, onboard data, maintenance records, and company dispatch information that an ordinary police report will not contain.

Sidewalks and residential buildings

A trip-and-fall outside a store, apartment building, or brownstone may require proof of who owned the adjoining property, who maintained the sidewalk, how long the defect existed, and whether repair or construction work created it.

Inside apartment buildings, injuries may result from broken stairs, loose handrails, inadequate lighting, defective elevators, leaking pipes, or neglected snow and ice. Responsibility may be divided among an owner, managing agent, commercial tenant, maintenance contractor, or other party.

Construction and renovation sites

Brooklyn’s mix of major development and smaller residential renovation creates very different kinds of worksite hazards. Falls from scaffolds and roofs, collapsing materials, unsecured openings, defective ladders, excavation failures, and heavy-equipment accidents require prompt investigation.

The Department of Buildings’ public systems may contain permits, complaints, violations, inspections, stop-work orders, and information about the contractors connected to a site.

Buses, subways, and transit property

Injuries can occur aboard buses, on subway stairs and platforms, at station entrances, or when entering and leaving transit property. Cases around Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center, Broadway Junction, Downtown Brooklyn, and other major hubs can involve questions about which agency controlled the vehicle, station component, stairway, sidewalk, or construction project.

That distinction matters because claims against the New York City Transit Authority or another public authority may carry notice requirements and shorter filing periods.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle

Billy Cooper Law represents clients in matters involving:

The legal strategy depends on how the injury occurred. A vehicle claim may turn on insurance coverage and medical proof. A sidewalk case may depend on property records and prior notice. A construction case may require an immediate inspection and evidence from several contractors.

What to Do After an Accident

Start with your health. If you need emergency care, call 911 or go to the nearest appropriate hospital. Tell your medical providers exactly how the injury occurred and describe every area that hurts. Some symptoms, particularly those involving the brain, spine, or soft tissue, may not become obvious immediately.

When you are able:

  1. Report the accident. Call the police after a traffic collision. Report a fall to the property owner, store manager, contractor, transit employee, or other responsible party.
  2. Photograph the scene. Include the hazard, surrounding area, vehicles, debris, signs, lighting, weather conditions, and visible injuries.
  3. Get witness information. A witness who leaves without providing a name or number can be difficult to find later.
  4. Preserve physical items. Keep damaged clothing, footwear, helmets, child restraints, bicycles, tools, or defective products.
  5. Avoid guessing about fault. Give accurate facts, but do not feel pressured to explain why the accident happened before the evidence has been reviewed.
  6. Be careful with insurance calls. You may need to notify your own insurer, but you are not required to help another party’s insurer build a defense against you.
  7. Speak with a lawyer promptly. This is particularly important if a government agency, transit authority, construction site, or commercial vehicle may be involved.

Evidence That Can Disappear Quickly

The strongest evidence is often available only for a short time.

Storefront and residential surveillance systems may overwrite video within days. Vehicles may be repaired or destroyed. A sidewalk defect can be patched. Construction equipment may be moved. An unsafe stairway may be fixed immediately after someone falls.

Depending on the case, important evidence may include:

  • Police, ambulance, and incident reports
  • Traffic, building, bus, subway, and storefront video
  • Vehicle event data and dashcam footage
  • Delivery, rideshare, dispatch, and electronic driver records
  • Photographs and measurements of a sidewalk or building defect
  • Leases, maintenance agreements, and snow-removal contracts
  • DOB permits, complaints, violations, and inspection records
  • MTA or Transit Authority incident and maintenance records
  • Prior 311 complaints or written notices concerning a dangerous condition
  • Medical imaging, treatment records, and physician opinions
  • Wage records and proof of missed work
  • Witness statements

When appropriate, a lawyer can send preservation notices instructing potential defendants to retain video, electronic data, reports, and physical evidence.

New York Laws and Deadlines

Deadlines depend on the defendant and the type of case. Do not assume that you have three years simply because that is the general rule.

General personal injury claims

Many negligence claims must be filed within three years under CPLR § 214.

Medical malpractice

Most medical, dental, and podiatric malpractice actions must be commenced within two years and six months, subject to important exceptions and rules concerning continuous treatment, foreign objects, and certain cancer misdiagnosis claims. See CPLR § 214-a.

Wrongful death

A wrongful death action generally must be commenced by the estate’s personal representative within two years after death under EPTL § 5-4.1.

No-fault insurance deadlines

After a New York motor vehicle accident, written notice of a no-fault claim generally must be submitted within 30 days. Medical bills are generally due within 45 days after services are provided, and lost-earnings proof is generally due within 90 days after the loss is incurred. Limited exceptions may apply when there is a clear and reasonable justification for delay. The New York Department of Financial Services explains these requirements.

Claims against government entities

A claim against New York City or another public corporation may require a formal Notice of Claim within 90 days under General Municipal Law § 50-e. An action against the City generally must be started within one year and 90 days under General Municipal Law § 50-i.

These rules are procedural traps for people who wait to determine who controlled the accident location.

What If You Were Partly at Fault?

New York’s answer now depends partly on the kind of accident.

For most personal injury and wrongful death cases, CPLR § 1411(a) reduces compensation according to the injured person’s percentage of responsibility. Partial fault does not automatically end the case.

New York changed the rule for motor vehicle personal injury cases subject to Article 51 of the Insurance Law. For actions commenced on or after May 29, 2026, recovery is barred when the injured person’s fault is greater than the fault of the defendant or the combined fault of the defendants. At 50% fault or less, compensation may still be available but is reduced proportionately. The effective-date language appears in the 2026 legislation amending CPLR § 1411 and Insurance Law § 5104.

This distinction makes a careful reconstruction of the collision more important than ever. Statements, video, witness accounts, vehicle damage, signal timing, and road design can all affect how fault is allocated.

How Insurance Works After a Brooklyn Car Accident

New York no-fault insurance generally provides the first layer of coverage for medical expenses and certain lost earnings, without waiting for a decision about who caused the collision. The statutory definition of basic economic loss provides up to $50,000 per person under Insurance Law § 5102.

No-fault benefits do not necessarily compensate you for pain, suffering, or the full financial effect of a serious injury. In many motor vehicle cases, a person seeking non-economic damages must establish a “serious injury” under Insurance Law §§ 5102 and 5104.

The 2026 amendments removed the former 90/180-day serious-injury category. Current categories include fractures, significant disfigurement, permanent loss of use, permanent consequential limitation, and significant limitation of a body function or system. Objective medical documentation is therefore especially important.

Who May Be Responsible?

Depending on what happened, responsible parties may include:

  • A careless driver, cyclist, or motorized two-wheeler operator
  • A vehicle owner or employer
  • A trucking, delivery, or rideshare company
  • A property owner, landlord, managing agent, or commercial tenant
  • A contractor, subcontractor, construction manager, or project owner
  • A maintenance, security, or snow-removal company
  • A manufacturer or distributor of a defective product
  • A hospital or medical provider
  • New York City, the New York City Transit Authority, the MTA, NYCHA, or another public entity

More than one party may share responsibility. Identifying all of them can affect both the evidence available and the amount of insurance coverage that may apply.

Compensation After a Serious Injury

Compensation is meant to address what the injury has taken from you—not simply the diagnosis written in your chart.

A claim may include:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Reduced future earning capacity
  • Rehabilitation and therapy
  • Home health care or assistance
  • Transportation and other injury-related expenses
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of mobility or independence
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • The cost of future accommodations or medical equipment

Wrongful death claims may include funeral expenses and qualifying economic losses suffered by surviving family members. Every case is different, and the available compensation depends on liability, medical proof, insurance coverage, and the long-term effect of the injury.

Special Issues in Claims Against the City, MTA, or Transit Authority

Public-entity cases require early attention because the correct defendant is not always obvious.

A person injured on subway property may have a claim involving the New York City Transit Authority, the City, a private contractor, or more than one entity. A bus may be operated by NYCTA, MTA Bus Company, or another carrier. A sidewalk near a station may be controlled by an adjoining owner rather than the transit agency.

Claims against the New York City Transit Authority are governed in part by Public Authorities Law § 1212. Claims against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority may be subject to Public Authorities Law § 1276. Both statutes can require a timely Notice of Claim and impose a one-year-and-90-day filing period for many tort actions.

The MTA also maintains a centralized process for requesting agency records under the Freedom of Information Law. A FOIL request, however, is not a substitute for a preservation notice or a properly served Notice of Claim.

Local Courts, Hospitals, and Agencies

A Brooklyn personal injury lawsuit may be filed in the Kings County Supreme Court, Civil Term, located at 360 Adams Street, when venue and jurisdiction are proper.

Medical records may come from emergency departments and treating providers across the borough, including NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. Consistent medical treatment and accurate documentation help show how an injury developed and affected your daily life.

Other important sources of local evidence include:

  • The New York City Police Department for collision and incident records
  • The New York City Department of Transportation for roadway and traffic-control records
  • The New York City Department of Buildings for permits, violations, complaints, and inspections
  • The MTA and New York City Transit Authority for bus, subway, and station records
  • The New York City Comptroller for claims involving the City
  • Property owners, managing agents, contractors, and nearby businesses for video and maintenance records

How Billy Cooper Law Investigates Brooklyn Injury Cases

A meaningful investigation goes beyond ordering a police report and sending a letter to an insurance company.

Depending on the facts, Billy Cooper Law may:

  • Inspect and photograph the accident location
  • Determine who owned, controlled, or maintained the property
  • Identify every company and government agency involved
  • Send notices demanding preservation of video and electronic data
  • Obtain permits, complaints, violations, and maintenance records
  • Interview witnesses
  • Review vehicle, delivery, rideshare, or commercial-driver records
  • Work with medical, engineering, vocational, or financial experts
  • Document lost income and future care needs
  • Handle communications with insurers
  • File the required claims and lawsuits
  • Prepare the case for trial when a fair resolution is not available

The purpose is not to make your case more complicated. It is to make sure the important facts are found before a defendant or insurance company defines the story for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have a personal injury case?

You may have a claim if another person, business, property owner, contractor, medical provider, or government entity failed to act reasonably and caused your injuries. A lawyer will also consider available evidence, deadlines, damages, and insurance coverage.

How much does it cost to speak with Billy Cooper Law?

The consultation is free. Personal injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis, so there is no upfront legal fee and no legal fee unless the firm recovers compensation for you.

Can I recover if I was partly responsible?

Possibly. In most non-vehicle injury cases, your share of fault reduces compensation. In motor vehicle cases subject to New York’s no-fault law, actions commenced on or after May 29, 2026 may be barred if your fault is greater than the fault attributed to the defendant or defendants.

Should I give the insurance company a recorded statement?

You should report an accident to your own insurer as required, but use caution before giving a recorded statement to another party’s insurance company. The adjuster may use your words to dispute fault, the seriousness of your injuries, or whether the accident caused them.

What if I fell on a Brooklyn sidewalk?

The responsible party may be the adjoining property owner, the City, a tenant, a contractor, or another party. The answer depends on the type of property, the precise location of the defect, who created or repaired it, and whether the owner-occupied residential exception applies.

What if I was injured on a bus or subway?

Report the incident immediately and keep any incident number, fare information, photographs, and witness details. Because public-authority deadlines may apply, speak with a lawyer promptly.

How long will my case take?

Some claims resolve in months. Others take longer because the injuries are still developing, liability is disputed, multiple defendants are involved, or a lawsuit and trial are necessary. The goal should be a result that reflects the full injury—not simply the fastest settlement available.

What should I bring to a consultation?

Bring any photographs, reports, insurance letters, medical paperwork, witness information, pay records, and notes about what happened. If you do not have everything yet, that should not stop you from calling.

Can I discuss my case in Spanish?

Yes. Attorney Anieska Garcia is fluent in English and Spanish.

Does Billy Cooper Law have a Brooklyn office?

The firm serves clients throughout Brooklyn and New York City. Its listed offices are at 245 Main Street in White Plains and 4746 Broadway in New York City, with the Broadway location available by appointment only.

Related Resources

Tell Us What Happened

You do not need to know which law applies or who controlled the accident location before you call. That is part of the investigation.

Tell Billy Cooper Law what happened, where it happened, and how the injury is affecting you. The firm will listen, explain your options, and help you understand what should happen next.

Call (718) 866-3311 or contact Billy Cooper Law for a free consultation.

Sources

Billy Cooper Law

Brooklyn and New York City Data

New York Laws and Insurance Rules

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Personal Injury Lawyer | Brooklyn, NY | Kings County
Get advice from an award winning lawyer.

Helping each and every one 
of our clients with tenacious representation when they need a strong and passionate advocate.

Free Consultation (914) 730-5789