Editorial independence. Firms cannot pay to appear in or influence this ranking. Our methodology is public, and we disclose sponsored placements wherever they appear on the site. Sample data shown for design review.
How we ranked these firms
Personal injury is the most heavily advertised area of law in New York. Subway cars, taxi tops and daytime television are full of firms promising maximum compensation. That noise makes it hard to tell a genuine trial firm from a high-volume settlement mill. So we ignored advertising entirely and scored each of the 84 firms we reviewed on four weighted factors.
- Trial record (35%). Jury verdicts in New York state and federal courts over the past five years, confirmed against court records — not self-reported "recovered" totals.
- Verified results (25%). Settlements and verdicts we could substantiate through public filings, published decisions or documentation provided under our verification protocol.
- Client experience (25%). Independent reviews weighted for recency, specificity and verified engagement, plus our own mystery-shopper intake calls.
- Peer recognition (15%). Confidential evaluations from New York plaintiff and defense attorneys, and appellate work that shaped New York injury law.
Every firm below has active licensure for all named attorneys and no public discipline in the past decade. Read the full methodology.
The 8 best personal injury law firms in New York City
1Harlan & Mercer LLP
★★★★★4.9312 verified reviewsFinancial District · Brooklyn · Bronx
Best overall. Harlan & Mercer is the firm defense lawyers name most often when asked who they least want to face at trial. Founded in 1981 as a two-partner Labor Law §240 shop, it has grown into a 42-attorney practice that still tries more cases to verdict each year than any other plaintiffs' firm in the city. Its 2024 $110 million verdict for a Bronx ironworker paralyzed in a scaffold collapse is the largest construction-accident award in Kings County history.
What impressed us in intake calls was the opposite of a mill: a partner returned our call within two hours, explained comparative negligence in plain terms, and declined a case they thought another firm would handle better. Clients consistently describe the same experience.
FocusConstruction, medical malpractice, wrongful death
Notable result$110M verdict · scaffold collapse (2024)
FeeContingency · 33⅓% pre-suit
2Feldman Osei Trial Attorneys
★★★★★4.9276 verified reviewsMidtown · Queens
Best for medical malpractice. With two physicians and a nurse-attorney on staff, Feldman Osei is the firm New York's hospitals fear most in birth-injury and delayed-diagnosis cases. The firm's $67 million 2023 verdict for a child with cerebral palsy against a Queens hospital system reset settlement expectations across the city.
FocusMedical malpractice, birth injury, nursing home negligence
Notable result$67M verdict · birth injury (2023)
FeeContingency · NY sliding scale (Judiciary Law §474-a)
3Castellanos & Whitmore
★★★★★4.8391 verified reviewsDowntown Brooklyn · Bay Ridge
Best for car and rideshare accidents. Brooklyn's busiest motor-vehicle firm handles the full range of Uber, Lyft, taxi and MTA bus collisions, and knows the no-fault and Serious Injury Threshold rules that trip up generalists. It also runs one of the few Spanish-first intake teams in the borough. Clients praise fast disbursements and weekly case updates.
FocusCar, rideshare and bus accidents, pedestrian injuries
Notable result$14.2M settlement · MTA bus pedestrian strike (2025)
FeeContingency · 33⅓%
4Brennan Adisa LLP
★★★★★4.8158 verified reviewsTribeca
Best for catastrophic and wrongful death cases. A deliberately small firm — nine attorneys, roughly forty active cases at a time — that takes only life-altering injury and death cases and staffs each with two partners. Peer reviewers cited its appellate work, including a 2024 Appellate Division decision expanding liability for out-of-possession landlords.
FocusTraumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, wrongful death
Notable result$38M settlement · TBI, elevator malfunction (2024)
FeeContingency · 33⅓% pre-suit, 40% at trial
5Rosenthal Nguyen Injury Law
★★★★★4.8224 verified reviewsLong Island City · Flushing
Best in Queens. Premises liability specialists who have built a practice around slip-and-fall, elevator and building-code cases in Queens co-ops and commercial properties. Multilingual staff (Mandarin, Korean, Spanish, Bengali) and evening consultations make it the most accessible firm on this list.
FocusSlip & fall, premises liability, building code violations
Notable result$9.6M verdict · stairwell collapse (2025)
FeeContingency · 33⅓%
6Marchetti Duval P.C.
★★★★★4.7203 verified reviewsMidtown West
Best for construction workers. A union-side firm that has represented Local 79, Local 46 and Local 3 members for three decades and knows New York's Scaffold Law better than almost anyone. Handles the workers' compensation claim and the third-party lawsuit under one roof.
FocusLabor Law §240/241, workers' compensation, crane accidents
Notable result$22M settlement · crane counterweight fall (2024)
FeeContingency · 33⅓%
7Ibarra & Klein
★★★★★4.7167 verified reviewsFordham, The Bronx
Best in the Bronx. The Bronx has the highest plaintiff verdict rates in the state, and Ibarra & Klein tries more cases there than any firm we reviewed. Strong on NYCHA and City of New York claims, where the 90-day Notice of Claim deadline eliminates many otherwise valid cases.
FocusMunicipal liability, NYCHA injuries, motor vehicle
Notable result$7.8M verdict · NYCHA elevator injury (2025)
FeeContingency · 33⅓%
8Sato Lindgren Injury Group
★★★★★4.7142 verified reviewsUnion Square
Best for cyclists and pedestrians. A younger firm (founded 2014) built around New York's explosion in bike, e-bike and scooter injuries. Co-founder Mia Sato helped draft the city's 2023 e-bike liability guidance and the firm's data-driven demand packages routinely produce pre-suit settlements that older firms only reach in litigation.
FocusBicycle, e-bike and pedestrian accidents, dooring cases
Notable result$5.4M settlement · delivery truck cyclist strike (2025)
FeeContingency · 33⅓%
Side-by-side comparison
| # | Firm | Best for | Rating | Largest verified result | Free consult |
|---|
| 1 | Harlan & Mercer LLP | Overall / construction | 4.9 | $110M | Yes |
| 2 | Feldman Osei | Medical malpractice | 4.9 | $67M | Yes |
| 3 | Castellanos & Whitmore | Car & rideshare | 4.8 | $14.2M | Yes |
| 4 | Brennan Adisa LLP | Catastrophic / wrongful death | 4.8 | $38M | Yes |
| 5 | Rosenthal Nguyen | Queens / premises | 4.8 | $9.6M | Yes |
| 6 | Marchetti Duval P.C. | Construction workers | 4.7 | $22M | Yes |
| 7 | Ibarra & Klein | Bronx / municipal | 4.7 | $7.8M | Yes |
| 8 | Sato Lindgren | Cyclists & pedestrians | 4.7 | $5.4M | Yes |
What to look for in a New York personal injury firm
Rankings are a starting point. The right firm for a trucking case on the Cross Bronx Expressway is not the right firm for a misdiagnosis at a Manhattan hospital. As you narrow the list, weigh five things.
A trial record, not just a settlement history
Insurance carriers keep lists of which firms actually pick juries. They pay more, sooner, to the ones that do. Ask any firm for its verdicts in the past three years — in your county.
Independent recognition
Peer-reviewed recognition from other attorneys is far harder to buy than a billboard. Certification here requires it, but also ask about appellate decisions the firm has won; they shape the law for every case that follows.
Direct access to a senior attorney
In high-volume firms, your "lawyer" may be a case manager you never meet. Ask, before signing, who will handle your file, who will return your calls and how quickly.
A fee agreement you understand
New York caps most PI fees at one-third, and medical malpractice fees follow a statutory sliding scale. The variable is expenses: whether experts, depositions and filing fees are deducted before or after the fee is calculated can change your net recovery by tens of thousands of dollars.
Focus that matches your injury
A birth-injury case needs obstetric experts and a seven-figure case budget. A rideshare collision needs someone fluent in New York's no-fault and Serious Injury Threshold rules. Match the firm's verified focus to your facts.
"The best firms turn down more cases than they take. If a firm says yes before asking about your medical records, be cautious."
— A New York plaintiff's attorney interviewed for this ranking
New York personal injury law: the basics
Statute of limitations. Three years from the date of injury for most negligence claims (CPLR §214), two years and six months for medical malpractice (CPLR §214-a), and two years for wrongful death, measured from the date of death.
Claims against the government. Injured by a city bus, in a NYCHA building or on a city sidewalk? You must serve a Notice of Claim within 90 days and file suit within one year and 90 days. This is the single most common reason valid New York cases are lost.
Comparative negligence. New York follows pure comparative negligence: you can recover even if you were mostly at fault, with your award reduced by your percentage of responsibility.
No-fault and the Serious Injury Threshold. Motor vehicle injuries are first paid through no-fault insurance (up to $50,000 in basic economic loss). To sue for pain and suffering, you must show a "serious injury" as defined by Insurance Law §5102(d) — one reason experienced counsel matters in car cases.
The Scaffold Law. Labor Law §240(1) imposes absolute liability on owners and contractors for gravity-related construction injuries — a uniquely powerful tool for New York construction workers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a personal injury lawyer cost in New York?
Almost all New York PI firms work on contingency, typically 33⅓% of the recovery. Medical malpractice fees follow a statutory sliding scale (30% of the first $250,000 down to 10% above $1.25 million). You pay nothing up front and nothing if you don't recover.
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in New York?
Generally three years from the injury, but only 2½ years for medical malpractice and just 90 days to serve a Notice of Claim against New York City, the MTA or NYCHA. Contact a firm as early as possible.
What is the average personal injury settlement in NYC?
There is no meaningful "average" — outcomes range from a few thousand dollars for soft-tissue car injuries to eight-figure verdicts for catastrophic cases. Every firm on this list offers a free evaluation that will give you a realistic range for your facts.
Can I switch personal injury lawyers mid-case?
Yes. In New York, your new firm and old firm split the single contingency fee based on work performed; it costs you nothing extra. Several firms on this list regularly take over cases from other attorneys.
Do I need a lawyer for a minor car accident?
If your injuries resolved within a few weeks and no-fault covered your bills, possibly not. If you have ongoing treatment, missed work or a possible "serious injury," a free consultation is worth 30 minutes of your time.
How were these firms selected?
Our editorial team reviewed 84 New York City personal injury firms against our published methodology: trial record (35%), verified results (25%), client experience (25%) and peer recognition (15%). Firms cannot pay for placement.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Case results described are specific to their facts and do not guarantee similar outcomes. Firm information verified as of September 2026; please confirm details directly with each firm.