# Examples

Each question links to a live evidence packet. All are research questions about the law; none is advice.

## Questions to try

### Sidewalk injuries

| Question | As of | What to look for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Who is liable for a defective sidewalk in NYC?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Who+is+liable+for+a+defective+sidewalk+in+NYC%3F&as_of=2024-06-01) | 2024-06-01 | The abutting owner under § 7-210, and the City's release |
| [Who was liable for a defective sidewalk in NYC?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Who+was+liable+for+a+defective+sidewalk+in+NYC%3F&as_of=2002-06-01) | 2002-06-01 | The same question before § 7-210: the City, subject to prior written notice |
| [Is the owner liable for a tree well?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Is+the+abutting+owner+liable+for+a+defect+in+a+tree+well%3F&as_of=2024-06-01) | 2024-06-01 | *Vucetovic*: tree wells are not "sidewalk" under § 7-210 |
| [Does the owner-occupied exemption apply?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Does+the+owner-occupied+exemption+apply+to+a+two-family+house%3F&as_of=2024-06-01) | 2024-06-01 | The exemption, and an unverified 2026 case on what "owner-occupied" means |
| [Is the City liable if it created the defect?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Is+the+City+liable+for+a+sidewalk+defect+it+created%3F&as_of=2024-06-01) | 2024-06-01 | The affirmative-negligence exception to prior written notice |
| [What is a Big Apple map?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Does+a+Big+Apple+map+give+the+City+prior+written+notice%3F&as_of=2024-06-01) | 2024-06-01 | *Katz* on maps as prior written notice |
| [How long to file a notice of claim against the City?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=What+is+the+deadline+for+a+notice+of+claim+against+the+City+for+a+sidewalk+injury%3F&as_of=2024-06-01) | 2024-06-01 | GML § 50-e (90 days) and § 50-i (one year and 90 days) |
| [Is a small sidewalk defect trivial as a matter of law?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Is+a+small+sidewalk+defect+trivial+and+not+actionable%3F&as_of=2024-06-01) | 2024-06-01 | *Trincere* and *Hutchinson*: no minimum-height rule |

### Traffic accidents

The 2026 amendments apply to lawsuits commenced on or after May 26, 2026, so for those rules the date to ask as of is the date the lawsuit was (or would be) commenced.

| Question | As of | What to look for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Who is liable for a car accident?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Who+is+liable+for+a+car+accident+on+a+NYC+street%3F&as_of=2026-07-01) | 2026-07-01 | Owner liability for permissive drivers (VTL § 388), the rear-end rule, and due care toward pedestrians; only traffic rules, no sidewalk rules |
| [Who is at fault in a rear-end collision?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Who+is+at+fault+in+a+rear-end+collision%3F&as_of=2026-07-01) | 2026-07-01 | VTL § 1129 and *Tutrani*: a prima facie case against the rear driver |
| [What counts as a serious injury?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=What+counts+as+a+serious+injury+under+the+no-fault+law%3F&as_of=2026-07-01) | 2026-07-01 | The 2026 definition, without the 90/180-day category |
| [What counted as a serious injury before 2026?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=What+counts+as+a+serious+injury+under+the+no-fault+law%3F&as_of=2025-06-01) | 2025-06-01 | The same question for a lawsuit commenced in 2025: the older definition, with *Toure* |
| [Does comparative fault bar recovery?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Does+comparative+fault+bar+recovery+after+a+car+accident%3F&as_of=2026-07-01) | 2026-07-01 | Pure comparative fault (CPLR 1411(a)), limited by the 2026 rule for no-fault cases (1411(b)), with a `LIMITED_RULE` limitation |
| [Is a rental car company liable?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Is+a+rental+car+company+liable+when+its+customer+causes+a+crash%3F&as_of=2026-07-01) | 2026-07-01 | The Graves Amendment (49 USC § 30106) limiting VTL § 388 |
| [Must drivers yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Does+a+driver+have+to+yield+to+a+pedestrian+in+a+crosswalk%3F&as_of=2026-07-01) | 2026-07-01 | VTL §§ 1146, 1151, and 1152 |
| [What if a City vehicle was involved?](https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/ask?question=Is+a+notice+of+claim+required+after+a+crash+with+a+City+sanitation+truck%3F&as_of=2026-07-01) | 2026-07-01 | GML §§ 50-e and 50-i, but none of the sidewalk notice rules |

## curl

```bash
# Build a packet
curl -s -X POST https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/evidence-packets -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"question": "Is the owner liable for a tree well?", "as_of": "2024-06-01"}' | jq '{status, flags, propositions: [.propositions[].id]}'

# Search
curl -s 'https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/search?q=prior+written+notice&as_of=2024-06-01' | jq '.results[] | {id, status}'

# One object, pinned to a version, as Markdown
curl -s https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/case/case_nyc_vucetovic_v_epsom_downs/v/1.md

# Everything that limits the owner-liability rule
curl -s 'https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/relationships?to=prop_nyc_sidewalk_abutting_owner_liability&relation=limits' | jq '.items[] | {from, note}'

# Check a citation that doesn't exist
curl -s -X POST https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/resolve -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"citation": "13 NY3d 791"}' | jq '{status, message}'
```

## Two agents hand off evidence

`npm run demo` runs `examples/agent-handoff/` from the repository:

1. **Agent A** reads `/llms.txt`, finds the MCP endpoint, connects with the official MCP client, and calls `build_evidence_packet`.
2. It hands only the `cite_as` blocks to **Agent B**.
3. Agent B knows nothing about the service and imports none of its code. For each block it fetches `{url}.json`, removes the derived keys, recomputes the SHA-256 of the canonical JSON, and compares it with `content_hash`. Then it calls `POST /resolve` to confirm each citation is current, accepting `superseded` only when the replacement took effect after the handoff's `as_of`. It also recomputes the packet hash, and notes any record whose own status is not `VERIFIED`, because a matching hash proves integrity, not accuracy.
4. It then alters one statement, recomputes a hash over the altered copy, and shows that `resolve` reports `hash_mismatch`.

Try `npm run demo -- --question "Who was liable for a defective sidewalk in NYC?" --as-of 2002-06-01` to see the pre-2003 rule pass as `superseded` after 2002. Source: [`examples/agent-handoff/`](https://github.com/bobby58/nyc-evidence/tree/main/examples/agent-handoff).

## JavaScript

```js
const res = await fetch("https://agents.newyorkeverydaylawreference.com/evidence-packets", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({ question: "Who is liable for a defective sidewalk in NYC?", as_of: "2024-06-01" }),
});
const packet = await res.json();
if (packet.status === "INSUFFICIENT_EVIDENCE") console.log("Not covered:", packet.limitations);
for (const p of packet.propositions) console.log(p.status, p.statement, p.cite_as.url);
```