New York Car Accident Laws: Your Legal Duty After an Accident

If you’re in a car crash in New York, you have certain legal obligations. Learn about your duty to render aid, report the accident, and more.

New York’s traffic laws include specific legal obligations for drivers involved in car accidents. Since failing to comply with these duties can result in serious consequences, it’s important for all drivers to know what to do after a collision.

Keep reading to learn all about your legal duties after a New York car accident. You can also check out Title 6 of the New York Motor Vehicle Code for more details.

1. New York Driver Exchange of Information Law

Under New York law, if you are involved in an accident where someone is injured, you’re required to stop at the scene. You must give your name, address, license number, and insurance information to the injured person and show your driver’s license and insurance card.

Likewise, you must give your information, license, and insurance card to the police officer investigating the accident. If there are no police officers nearby, you must report the accident to the closest police station.

[A driver who is involved in an accident causing injury] shall stop, exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card, and give his or her name, residence, insurance information and license number, to the injured party, and also to a police officer, or in the event that no police officer is in the vicinity, then, report to the nearest police station.

N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 600

2. New York Car Accident Injury Law: Duty to Render Aid

New York accident law does not create a legal obligation to render aid to people who are injured in accidents. However, if you get into a car crash that hurts someone, you must provide your information to the injured person.

[A driver who is involved in an accident causing injury] shall stop, exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card, and give his or her name, residence, insurance information and license number, to the injured party, and also to a police officer, or in the event that no police officer is in the vicinity, then, report to the nearest police station.

N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 600

3. New York Law on Reporting a Car Accident to Police

In New York, you must report car accidents that injure or kill someone to the Department of Motor Vehicles. You must also report accidents that cause more than $1,000 in damage to a single person’s property. The law requires you to file this report within 10 days of the accident.

Every person operating a motor vehicle which is involved in an accident in which any person is killed or injured, or in which damage to the property of any one person in excess of one thousand dollars is sustained, shall within ten days after such accident, report the matter in writing to the commissioner.

N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 605

What if I Fail to Report an Accident in New York?

Failing to report an accident you are legally obligated to report to the DMV is a misdemeanor offense in New York. The DMV can suspend or revoke your license and registration if you fail to submit a report.

Failure to report an accident shall be a misdemeanor and shall constitute a ground for suspension or revocation of the operator’s license or all certificates of registration for any motor vehicle, or of both, of the person failing to make such report as herein required.

N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 605

4. New York Car Accidents With No Injuries: Your Legal Duty

According to New York law, you must immediately stop at the scene of an accident that causes damage to someone else’s property, even if the crash didn’t cause any injuries. You then must exchange information with the other driver.

[A driver who is involved in an accident causing property damage] shall stop, exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card, and give his or her name, residence, insurance information, and license number to the party sustaining the damage, or in case the person is not present then he or she shall report the same to the nearest police station.

N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 600

5. What if I Hit a Parked Car in New York?

If you hit and damage a parked car in New York, the law requires you to immediately stop and exchange information with the owner of the parked vehicle. If you cannot find the owner, you must report the required details to the nearest police station.

[A driver who is involved in an accident causing property damage] shall stop, exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card, and give his or her name, residence, insurance information, and license number to the party sustaining the damage, or in case the person is not present then he or she shall report the same to the nearest police station.

N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 600

Nobody gets behind the wheel expecting to get into a car crash. But the truth is, accidents can happen at any time, so it’s important to be prepared. Knowing and applying these New York car accident laws can help you avoid significant penalties if you are unfortunate enough to get into a crash.