Since New York raised its minimum auto liability limits in 2023, more people assume insurance got simpler. It did not. Yes - your friend usually has just 30 days from the crash to file a No-Fault application with the car insurer, even if the wreck was on black ice and even if NYPD is still sorting out what happened. In Queens, that means after a crash on the Long Island Expressway (I-495), the practical move is: get the No-Fault Application (NF-2) to the insurer fast, get medical treatment documented fast, and make sure the provider sends bills under No-Fault. If a doctor or hospital wants proof, the crash report is usually the NYPD MV-104AN in the five boroughs. Miss that 30-day notice window and the insurer may deny medical and wage-loss benefits unless there is a solid excuse.

Why this trips up people who moved to New York: in a lot of states, people think fault comes first. Here, No-Fault pays basic medical bills and lost wages through the vehicle coverage first, no matter who caused the crash.

The other deadlines matter too:

• Medical bills usually must be submitted within 45 days of treatment.
• Lost wage claims usually need proof within 90 days.
• If your friend was driving or riding for work, there can be a workers' comp overlap too, but that does not replace the No-Fault notice deadline.

If the injury is serious - for example a skull fracture, surgery, or a major neurological injury after a winter pileup - No-Fault is still the first benefits system, but it does not stop a bodily injury claim against the at-fault driver.

On the LIE, where chain-reaction crashes back up from the Midtown Tunnel east toward Nassau, waiting for the police report or the weather investigation is how people blow this deadline.