In New York, how long do I have to sue the other driver for damage to my car or for my injury?

Car insuranceDeadlinesNew YorkChecked Nov 6, 2026

From K.Actuary, founded by Sangmin Kwon, ASA · sources checked 2026-11-06 · Source: New York State Senate · Civil Practice Law and Rules (Actions to be commenced within three years) · CPLR § 214 View original ↗

In short

New York gives three years to sue over some harms.
Check which kind of harm your case is.
That includes injury to property and personal injury.

What this means

New York law says some lawsuits must start within three years [1]. One kind is a suit for injury to property [1]. Another kind is a suit for personal injury [1].

There are exceptions. The property rule has one for section 214-c [1]. The personal injury rule has them for sections 214-b, 214-c, 214-i and 215 [1].

The section does not name car crashes. It does not say when the three years start. It does not cover other time limits. These sources don't say whether your own insurance policy sets a different limit.

Your next step

Confirm the start date of the three years with a source before you count. The sources give no deadline for your own insurer's claim.

Check it yourself

Open the NY Senate page for CPLR section 214 and read items 4 and 5.

Where this comes from (1)

[1] New York State Senate · Civil Practice Law and Rules (Actions to be commenced within three years) · CPLR § 214 · checked 2026-11-06
The following actions must be commenced within three years: … 4. an action to recover damages for an injury to property except as provided in section 214-c; 5. an action to recover damages for a personal injury except as provided in sections 214-b, 214-c, 214-i and 215;

How we found this

We matched your question to 1 official source, quoted the exact lines, and re-checked each quote against its source on 2026-11-06.

What we don’t know yet

Your own plan or notice may say something different. If your letter cites another rule, send it and we will look again.

Every answer is checked against the official rule it quotes.

Information only — not legal advice. Your plan, insurer or agency decides.

This answer quotes the official sources listed above, with the date we checked them. Your own policy, notice and state rules control. We are not your lawyer or your insurer. We don’t file, argue or negotiate claims for you — you send any letter or form yourself.

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