What is a no-fault doctor — and why can’t I just see my regular doctor?

A no-fault doctor is a medical provider who treats injuries from a motor-vehicle accident and
bills the care to your New York No-Fault insurance — the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) portion
of the auto policy — instead of billing you or your health plan. Under New York’s No-Fault law
(Insurance Law Article 51), the auto policy pays for medically necessary accident care no matter
who caused the collision.

Many patients call their primary care physician first and are surprised to be turned away.
That is common, and it usually isn’t personal: most primary care practices do not accept
no-fault cases. No-fault billing runs on its own claim forms (the NF-3 treatment
verification), its own fee schedule, strict verification deadlines, and ongoing correspondence
with the auto carrier — including independent medical examination (IME) notices and requests for
narrative reports that connect each injury to the accident. A general practice isn’t staffed for
that workflow, and a health plan that receives a crash-related bill will often deny it as the
auto carrier’s responsibility. The result is delay at exactly the moment the clock is running on
your claim.

A dedicated no-fault practice is built for this. At Injury Recovery MD, our clinicians examine
and treat accident injuries every day, our front desk opens and manages the no-fault claim, and
the record we create — exam findings, imaging, diagnoses, treatment notes — is the documentation
your insurer requires and your attorney, if you have one, will request.

Who New York No-Fault covers

No-fault protection is broader than most people realize. In New York it generally covers:

That exclusion changes how care gets paid for, not whether you can be treated — our guide to motorcycle accident injuries walks through the coverage routes riders actually end up using.

• Drivers of an insured motor vehicle, regardless of who caused the accident
• Passengers in the insured vehicle, under that vehicle’s policy
• Pedestrians struck by a motor vehicle, under the striking vehicle’s policy
• Cyclists hit by a car, truck, or bus — also under the vehicle’s policy
• Rideshare passengers — if you were injured riding in an Uber or Lyft, the
  vehicle’s coverage applies to you as a passenger

Two factual limits worth knowing. First, New York’s no-fault law does not cover
motorcycle riders or their passengers injured while on the motorcycle — although a
pedestrian struck by a motorcycle is covered. Second, if you were injured by an uninsured or
hit-and-run vehicle and have no policy of your own in the household, a claim may be available
through the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC). If you’re unsure which
policy applies to you, call us — sorting out the correct carrier is part of what our intake staff
does before your first visit.

The 30-day window — why your first visit matters

New York’s no-fault system has a firm deadline at the front door: written notice of
your claim — the no-fault application, Form NF-2 — must reach the insurance carrier within 30
days of the accident. Miss the window and the carrier can deny the claim, which means
the coverage that would have paid for your treatment may never open at all.

The first medical visit matters just as much as the form. The record from that exam is the
baseline that links your injuries to the crash — the starting point every later report,
test, and bill refers back to. And because whiplash and other
soft-tissue injuries — and concussion — often surface hours or days
after the adrenaline fades, an early exam documents symptoms as they emerge rather than weeks
later, when an insurer may question whether they came from the accident. Long unexplained gaps
between the crash and treatment invite exactly that kind of scrutiny.

This is why we hold same-day and next-day slots: getting examined promptly
protects both your health and the paper trail your claim depends on. Our staff completes the
no-fault application with you at that first visit, so the 30-day requirement is handled rather
than hanging over you.

What treatment No-Fault pays for

Basic no-fault coverage in New York provides up to $50,000 per person in
benefits. Within that, it pays for medically necessary treatment of your accident injuries,
including the full range of care we provide:

• Physician evaluation & orthopedic care —
  examination, diagnosis, and management of bone, joint, and musculoskeletal injuries
• Chiropractic care — spine-focused
  treatment for neck and back injuries after a crash
• Physical therapy — guided rehabilitation
  to restore strength, mobility, and function
• Pain management, including injection treatments —
  non-surgical care such as trigger-point and epidural steroid injections when clinically appropriate
• Spinal decompression — non-surgical
  treatment for disc-related back and neck pain
• Diagnostic imaging — on-site digital X-ray, with
  MRI and CT coordinated when your exam calls for them

No-fault benefits reach beyond the treatment room. The same coverage reimburses 80% of
lost earnings, up to $2,000 per month, for up to three years after the accident, plus up
to $25 per day for up to one year from the date of the accident in other
reasonable and necessary expenses — such
as transportation to medical appointments or household help you now have to pay for. Some policies
also carry Optional Basic Economic Loss (OBEL) or additional PIP that raises these limits; we
verify what your policy includes when we open the claim.

Whatever the injury — neck pain, back
injuries, herniated discs, radiating nerve
pain, or joint and soft-tissue damage — the treatment plan is built around your diagnosis, and
covered care is billed to the no-fault carrier, not to you.

Your first visit — what to bring, and same-day scheduling

Call (631) 560-8357 and we will schedule you at the office
nearest you — same-day or next-day whenever possible. To make the visit count, bring:

• A photo ID
• The auto-insurance information for the vehicle involved (yours, or the vehicle you were in
  or struck by)
• The police or accident report — or just the report number if that’s what you have
• Your claim number, if a claim has already been opened
• A list of your symptoms, current medications, and any prior injuries to the same areas

Don’t have all of it? Come in anyway. Missing paperwork can be tracked down afterward; a
delayed examination cannot be backdated. Your first visit includes a clinician evaluation, imaging
if indicated, and a treatment plan — and our staff completes the no-fault application with you
before you leave.

Hurt on the job? Workers’ comp is a separate system

If your crash happened while you were working — driving between job sites, making deliveries,
running a work errand — New York workers’ compensation, not no-fault, is generally the
primary payer for your medical care and lost wages. Workers’ comp is an entirely separate
system with its own forms, deadlines, and fee schedule, and it applies to on-the-job injuries
whether or not a vehicle was involved. We treat patients under both systems and can help identify
which one your situation falls under. Learn more about
workers’ comp injury care.

A no-fault doctor near you — 7 offices across Long Island

Searching for a “no fault doctor near me” after a crash usually means you need someone close,
soon. Injury Recovery MD treats accident patients from seven offices spanning Suffolk County,
Nassau County, and Queens:

• Medford — 3243 NY-112, Bldg 1, Ste 4
• Islandia — 1717 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Ste 100
• Bohemia — 1690 Washington Ave
• East Islip — 11 Carleton Ave
• St. James — 245 Lake Ave
• West Babylon — 173 Great East Neck Rd (opening soon)
• Mineola — 300 Old Country Rd, #321
• Flushing, Queens — 192-12 Northern Blvd (opening soon)

See all locations and directions →

Not near one of our offices, or unable to drive after the accident? We can help arrange
transportation to your appointment, or coordinate your care with providers in our network —
call (631) 560-8357 to ask.

No-fault doctor FAQ

What is a no-fault doctor?

A no-fault doctor is a medical provider who treats car-accident injuries and bills the care
directly to New York No-Fault (PIP) insurance rather than to the patient or a health plan. The
practice handles the no-fault claim forms, fee schedule, and insurer correspondence that
accident cases require.

Can I just see my regular doctor after a car accident?

You can ask, but many primary care practices decline no-fault cases because they aren’t set up
for no-fault claim forms, verification deadlines, and carrier correspondence. A health plan that
receives a crash-related bill will often deny it as the auto insurer’s responsibility. A no-fault
practice bills the auto carrier directly and manages that paperwork for you.

How long do I have to file a no-fault claim in New York?

Written notice of the claim — the no-fault application, Form NF-2 — must reach the insurance
carrier within 30 days of the accident. Our staff completes the application with you at your
first visit.

Who is covered by New York No-Fault?

Drivers and passengers of an insured vehicle, plus pedestrians and cyclists struck by a motor
vehicle, and rideshare passengers — all regardless of who caused the accident. Motorcycle riders
and their passengers are not covered by no-fault while on the motorcycle.

What does No-Fault actually pay for?

Basic no-fault provides up to $50,000 per person for medically necessary accident care —
including chiropractic, physical therapy, pain management, imaging, and injections — plus 80% of
lost earnings up to $2,000 per month for up to three years, and up to $25 per day for up to one
year from the date of the accident in other reasonable and necessary expenses.

What should I bring to my first visit?

A photo ID, the auto-insurance information for the vehicle involved, the police or accident
report (or its number), your claim number if one exists, and a list of your symptoms and current
medications. If you’re missing something, come in anyway — the examination is the time-sensitive
part.

What if my accident happened while I was working?

Work-related crashes generally fall under New York workers’ compensation, a separate system
from no-fault with its own forms and deadlines. Workers’ comp is typically the primary payer for
on-the-job injuries. We treat patients under both systems and can help identify which applies.

Do I need a lawyer or a referral to see a no-fault doctor?

No. You don’t need a referral to be evaluated, and you don’t need an attorney to receive
no-fault medical care. If you are working with an attorney, we coordinate the records and
documentation their office requests.

Common crash injuries we treat

Beyond whiplash and soft-tissue injuries, collisions break bones in predictable places. The seatbelt that saves you can leave broken ribs or a fractured collarbone; bracing against the wheel breaks wrists; a dashboard impact can cause a tibial plateau fracture; and the lap-belt fold can compress a vertebra into a spinal compression fracture. An airbag alone can break the nose — see facial and nasal fractures. Every one of these is evaluated, imaged, and treated under No-Fault — start with our fracture care overview.

Belt-pattern injuries under No-Fault

Chest and shoulder injuries from the seat belt are among the most common findings after a New York crash: see seat belt injuries after a car accident.