I was in a car accident involving a sheriff vehicle and another car in which I sustained back injuries and I have had trouble with no-fault insurance from the start. The insurance company of the other car was hardly in contact with me and sent back my paperwork dozens of times every time I filled it out. They also offered a pay out of the other two passengers in the car of $300 each in which they accepted, however I was the only one injured and was not offered any such thing. Now they have denied my claims and my no-fault insurance. I've tried speaking to lawyers but no one will take my case because I was apparently supposed to fill out a form that involves an accident with an emergency vehicle up to 90 days after the accident. I don't know what the form is called, and I don't know why no one gave me this form to fill out and frankly, I am frustrated.
You should have gotten no-fault from your insurance company. If you did not fill out a Notice of Claim you will have a hard time finding a lawyer to take your case because it is a pre-requisite to suing. You can file a motion within 1 year and 90 days of the accident to seek permission to file a late Notice of Claim. The fact that no lawyer wants to do that for you is a signal that they do not think you make the "serious injury" threshold required to sue for pain and suffering.
Lars A. LundeenPersonal Injury LawyerRutland, VT ·
You should obtain needed medical care and treatment immediately and follow the doctor's advice. Do not give any statements to the adverse party or insurance company nor grant them access to any medical records. Photograph the injuries and the damage done to any property. Contact a personal injury attorney in your area as soon as possible so that you can protect your rights. You may also find it helpful to review the Legal Guides I have published on .com dealing with many of the issues you are now facing. You can access my Legal Guides through my profile page on .
The form you're referring to is likely a Notice a Claim. It's required by law to preserve any claim against a municipality in NY. Since your claim is against a Sherrif, that's why it applies. No one will tell you to file this or give you a form who isn't your own lawyer. This situation underscores why its important in all injury cases to retain a lawyer to protect your rights as soon as possible after an incident.
You have to submit a Notice of claim to the municipality and you have to file no-fault application with your own insurance carrier. I suggest you retain counsel to help you with it. Good luck.
