New York’s court names mislead almost every client. Supreme Court is the general trial court. The highest court is the Court of Appeals. Getting the forum wrong can cost a claim outright.
Authority: N.Y. Const. art. VI; N.Y.C. Civil Court Act § 202; Uniform District Court Act § 202; Court of Claims Act §§ 8, 9; CPLR 5501, 5601–5602
Despite the name, this is New York’s general trial court, not its highest court — a point that confuses nearly every client. Almost every serious personal-injury case is filed here, in the county where the accident happened or where a party resides.
Handles smaller-value claims arising in the five boroughs, along with a large volume of no-fault reimbursement disputes between medical providers and insurers.
The Long Island counterpart to the New York City Civil Court. Nassau County has a District Court covering the whole county; in Suffolk it sits in the five western towns.
Primarily a criminal court upstate, but it carries limited civil jurisdiction.
Very small civil claims and local matters.
The only court that can hear a damages claim against the State of New York itself — including the Thruway Authority and State University hospitals. A claim against the State does not belong in Supreme Court, and filing it there loses time that cannot be recovered.
The intermediate appellate court, sitting in four Departments. It reviews both the law and, unusually, the size of a damages award. First Department covers Manhattan and the Bronx; Second covers Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley.
New York’s highest court, sitting in Albany with seven judges. It takes a small number of cases and generally reviews questions of law only, not the amount of a verdict.
In New York, Supreme Court is the general trial court, established by article VI, § 7 of the State Constitution with unlimited original jurisdiction. The highest court in New York is the Court of Appeals. Almost every serious injury case is filed in Supreme Court in the county where the accident happened or where a party lives.
Usually far less than clients fear. Most appearances are conferences attended by the lawyers alone. The proceedings you personally attend are typically your deposition — the EBT — the defence medical examination, any mediation, and trial if the case is tried. Most cases resolve without a trial.
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This page states general principles. Applying them to your facts is what a consultation is for, and it is free.