30 days is the deadline that matters first: if a deer bolts out near Inwood Hill Park and your car gets hit on the Henry Hudson Parkway, you usually have only 30 days to file a New York no-fault application for medical bills and lost wages. Basic no-fault coverage is typically $50,000.

To prove fault when several insurers start pointing fingers, lock down evidence that shows who caused the impact after the deer appeared. In New York, hitting a deer is not automatically anyone's fault. The legal fight is usually about the driver reactions that followed: speeding, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, distraction, or a commercial vehicle cutting across traffic.

Key proof includes:

• The NYPD crash report and 911 records
• Photos of vehicle damage, skid marks, debris, and the deer location
• Dashcam, nearby building, parkway, or toll-area video before it disappears
• Names and numbers of all witnesses, especially passengers in other cars
• Your ER records tying your injuries to this crash, not a prior condition
• Repair estimates and, if available, the vehicles' black-box data

If police did not respond and damage appears over $1,000, a driver may need to file a MV-104 crash report with the DMV within 10 days. Missing that creates an easy opening for insurers to argue the crash details are unclear.

When more than one driver may be at fault, New York's rules matter. A defendant can still be on the hook for all economic losses even if another driver also shares blame. For pain and suffering, fault percentages matter more under Article 16.

Watch the reimbursement trap too. If Medicare paid first, it can demand repayment from a settlement. Keep every Medicare Summary Notice, hospital bill, and insurer letter so one company cannot underpay you while another later claims a reimbursement right.