Insurance
New York No-Fault Insurance Explained: What It Covers After a Car Accident
Jonathan Fuzailov, Esq.
February 11, 2026 · 5 min read
No-fault covers medical bills and lost wages after a crash, but it has limits. Learn when you can step outside the no-fault system.
What no-fault actually pays
Basic no-fault (personal injury protection) provides up to $50,000 for reasonable medical expenses, 80% of lost earnings up to $2,000 per month for three years, and $25 per day in other necessary expenses — regardless of who caused the crash.
What it does not pay
No-fault does not compensate you for pain and suffering, permanent impairment, or loss of enjoyment of life. Those damages come only from a liability claim against the at-fault driver.
The serious injury threshold
Insurance Law 5102(d) lets you step outside no-fault and sue when you have a 'serious injury' — including fracture, significant disfigurement, permanent consequential limitation, or a medically determined injury preventing your usual activities for 90 of the first 180 days.
Protect your benefits
File the NF-2 within 30 days, attend every independent medical exam the insurer schedules, and avoid treatment gaps. Most no-fault denials come from paperwork and scheduling issues, not from the merits of the injury.
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