NYC Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Riding a bike is an increasingly popular way to get around New York City, but it’s also one of the most dangerous. If you or a family member was injured while riding your bicycle in NYC, contact The Platta Law Firm. Our award-winning NYC bicycle accident lawyers can help you seek a substantial monetary award to cover the costs of your medical treatment, loss of income, and pain and suffering.
Since 2007, our law firm helped injured cyclists and their families across NYC fight negligent motorists, insurance companies, and government agencies after devastating accidents. There’s a reason our client satisfaction can’t be matched—we get top results time and time again.
We’ve successfully won over $150 million in benefits, verdicts, and settlements for injury victims like you. You don’t just need to win your case; you must ensure you get every cent you deserve. Make our NYC law office your first call. We offer a free, no-obligation case evaluation, so don’t hesitate to contact us at (212) 514-5100 to arrange a time for you today.
NYC Bicycle Accident Statistics
An estimated 773,000 New Yorkers ride a bike in the city, and city agencies believe that more than 553,000 bicycle trips are made daily. To accommodate riders, New York City has an extensive network of bike lanes—with many more under construction.
NYC was once a leader in bike infrastructure innovation, but that’s no longer true. Many argue that much of NYC’s bike infrastructure is outdated, poorly designed, and located in places where cyclists don’t typically go. Without proper bike lanes to ride in safely, bike crossing signals, and dedicated parking facilities, cyclists are often forced into traffic with larger vehicles. Accidents are bound to happen – and they do.
2023 was the deadliest year for bicycle fatalities in NYC. There were 5,158 crashes in total involving bicyclists, 30 of which resulted in death. For the first time in history, most of the fatalities involved e-bikes. That accounted for 3 percent of all traffic accidents citywide. Where do most bicyclists get into accidents? Out of the 5,000+ crashes, there were:
- 921 Queens bicycle accidents
- 1,976 Brooklyn bicycle accidents
- 1,666 Manhattan bicycle accidents
- 508 Bronx bicycle accidents, and
- 87 Staten Island bicycle accidents
Intersection Crashes
NYC crash data reveals that the vast majority of car and bicycle collisions happen at intersections. Some of the intersections with the highest bicycle crash rates include:
- Jay St and Tillary St in Brooklyn
- E 161st St and Morris St in the Bronx.
- 6th Ave and W 23rd Street in Manhattan
- Atlantic Ave and Bedford Ave in Brooklyn
- 58th St and Roosevelt Ave in Queens
If you ride a bicycle in New York City, it’s important to exercise caution whether or not you’re using a dedicated or protected bike lane. Accidents can, and still do, happen.
Why You’ll Want Our Award-Winning NYC Personal Injury Lawyers Fighting for You After a Bike Accident
As an injured bicyclist, you need an attorney who will fight to ensure you’re fully compensated.
You also deserve to work with a law firm that genuinely cares about you and your case—not a firm that will treat you like a number.
The Platta Law Firm provides the service of a small firm while achieving results that rival bigger legal teams. Call us now at (212) 514-5100. Our clients are like family, and we aim to ensure that each person we represent gets the individualized, detailed representation they deserve. With our law firm in your corner, you’ll have the opportunity you need to heal from your physical and emotional wounds. You’ll also set yourself up for the financial recovery you deserve.
Our team is ready to invest whatever resources and time are necessary as we go against tough insurance companies and defendants on your behalf. We will:
- Investigate your bike crash to determine causation, fault, and liability.
- Prepare your case if you’re not offered a fair settlement deal.
- Negotiate with defense counsel, insurance adjusters, and other parties on your behalf.
- Defend against claims that you share responsibility for your bike crash or resulting injuries.
- Confer with medical professionals, accident reconstructionists, bicycle designers, and other experts.
- We will gather accident reports, photographs, video footage, medical records, witness statements, physical evidence from the scene, and other information to help us build a strong claim.
What Are the Leading Causes of Bicycle Accidents in New York City?
Bicycle accidents are largely a result of human error and negligence. People aren’t as careful as they should be, and bicyclists suffer the consequences. Some common contributing factors include:
- Speeding
- Drug and alcohol use
- Failing to signal properly when turning
- Distracted driving or riding
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Fatigued operation of a car or bicycle
- Failing to leave appropriate space between a car and a bicycle when passing
- Dooring
- Vehicle or bicycle malfunction
- Running red lights and stop signs, road defects, including uneven pavement, obscured signage, unclear road markings, and unsafe design
Product Liability in NYC Bicycle Accident Cases
Sometimes, bicycles, helmets, and other pieces of safety equipment are defective. Every year, bikes are recalled by manufacturers and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for a wide range of issues:
- Faulty chains
- Defective brakes, frames, wheels, tires, tubes
- Faulty seat posts and seat clamp failure
- Defective handlebars
- Improperly attached pedals and fork steerer failure
- Loose handlebar stems
- Failure to meet minimum safety standards
Defects can exist because of a problem inherent to a bicycle’s design (e.g., improper calculation or requiring inadequate materials), because of a problem that occurred during manufacturing (e.g., using the wrong part, applying too much pressure and causing the frame to break), or due to a failure to warn consumers about potential risks. Helmets can also be defective, especially if it’s discovered that the helmet is not strong enough to withstand force and protect a rider’s skull and brain during a crash.
A company responsible for designing, manufacturing, or marketing defective bikes or bike safety equipment can be held legally accountable.
What Kind of Compensation Can I Get if I’m Injured in a Bicycle Accident in NYC?
Your age and the extent of your injuries will affect how much money you might be able to get. The compensation you receive will typically fall into several categories. This can include compensation for:
- Property damage
- Lost wages and income
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Nursing care and assistance
- Present and future medical bills
Other damages might involve the following:
- Pain and suffering, both physical and emotional
- Reduced quality of life
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Our experienced NYC personal injury attorneys will advocate for you and work hard to ensure that you are compensated for the full extent and scope of your bike accident injuries and trauma.
Bicycle Helmets Save Lives, but Riders Are Still Vulnerable to Catastrophic Injuries
It’s been proven time and time again that wearing a helmet reduces the likelihood of sustaining a traumatic brain injury or dying in a traffic accident. However, even when riders wear helmets, their bodies can still suffer significant impact and trauma that can change their lives. At The Platta Law Firm, we’re here to help you seek compensation for all of your bicycle accident injuries, including:
- Eye, face or dental injury
- Lacerations and sprains, strains, bruising, and other soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage and spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Neck injury
- Back injury
- Trauma to the feet and legs
- Partial or complete amputation
Our compassionate team is also here if you’ve recently lost a close family member in a fatal bicycle accident in New York City. While it won’t heal your wounds or bring them back, the damages recovered in a wrongful death lawsuit can help to offset the financial burdens of your devastating loss.
Is There a Time Limit for Filing a Bicycle Accident Lawsuit in New York City?
New York has a three-year statute of limitations that applies to most bicycle accident lawsuits. There are some exceptions, like cases involving:
- Wrongful death: two years from the date of a victim’s death.
- Injured children: the statute of limitations can be tolled until a child injured turns 18.
- Government negligence: 90 days from the date of the accident to file a Notice of Claim with the New York City Office of the Comptroller.
Once the statute of limitations expires, the right to file a claim against a responsible party disappears. In turn, you’ll lose out on valuable compensation.
What if I’m Blamed for My New York
Bicycle Accident?
You can still recover compensation if you’re partly responsible for a bicycle accident.
The state of New York has a pure comparative negligence system, so victims can recover some of their damages if they share responsibility.
Damages are reduced in direct proportion to the degree of fault. Let’s say you’re struck by a car at an intersection. The driver ran a stop sign, but you were texting at the time and not paying attention to your surroundings. If you were more alert, you might have noticed the car heading toward you. Therefore, you’re assigned 20 percent fault for the crash. Your claim is for $100,000, so you may receive $80,000.
Other parties will try to blame you. The more fault that lands on your shoulders, the less money the insurer will pay. Protect yourself against these tactics by enlisting the help of our accomplished NYC bicycle and car accident attorneys. We’ll gather evidence to help disprove negligence claims and work to minimize any responsibility assigned to you.
Bicycle Accident FAQ
Should I Report a Bicycle Accident to the Police?
It’s always best to do so; if you have to make an insurance claim the police report contains a lot of documentation that will be helpful for an insurance claim.
Can I Sue the Vehicle that Struck Me on My Bicycle for Pain and Suffering?
Yes – but only if you have sustained a “Serious Injury” pursuant to the New York No Fault Law. A fracture of any bone is a “Serious Injury”. Most of the other definitions are more subtle.
If I Recover Damages from a Bicycle Accident Lawsuit, Will I Have to Pay Anything Back for My Medical Bills?
No; you do not have to pay back the No Fault carrier for basic No Fault bills. You may have to pay back a portion if your bills exceed $50,000, and the vehicle maintained Additional No Fault (also known as Additional Personal Injury Protection, or APIP).
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit Against a Vehicle that Was at Fault in My Bicycle Accident?
You have three years to file a lawsuit against a private individual. However, if your accident was caused by a municipally owned vehicle, for example, by a negligently operated bus, you have only ninety days to file a claim (not a lawsuit, a claim) against the entity that operates that bus in New York City that could be the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA); the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Operating Authority (MABSTOA), or the MTA Bus Company. You then have one year and ninety days from the date of accident to file a lawsuit against the proper municipal entity.
If the Vehicle that Hit Me Has Limited Insurance Coverage, Can I Recover Additional Compensation for the Bicycle Accident?
Maybe. If you or a relative with whom you reside owned a vehicle, and that vehicle maintained liability coverage in excess of $25,000, there might be Supplementary Underinsured Motorist coverage, often abbreviated as “SUM” coverage. In that case, you can claim SUM coverage from the company that insured your vehicle or your relative’s vehicle.
I Was Struck by a Hit-and-Run Vehicle While Riding My Bicycle. What Do I Do?
If you or a relative with whom you reside own a vehicle, the insurance carrier for that vehicle would pay your No Fault benefits. If not, you can file a claim with the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC). The answer to this question is the same if the offending vehicle was uninsured. MVAIC has strict filing requirements, which can be found at www.mvaic.com.
I Hit a Pothole and Fell Off My Bicycle. Who Is Responsible for the Accident?
The municipality is not responsible to pay No Fault benefits for your medical bills, because the accident did not involve another vehicle. Whether you would have a successful lawsuit against the municipality depends upon whether that municipality had “Prior Written Notice” of the pothole.
Are Bicycles Required to Comply with the Rules of the Road?
Generally yes. A bicyclist is granted all of the rights, and is subject to all of the duties applicable to any other driver.
I Was Hit by a Car at an Intersection While Riding My Bicycle and Don’t Know Who’s Fault It Is. What Can I Do?
This is a two-part answer. Any bicyclist struck by a motor vehicle is covered by that vehicle’s No Fault for his or her medical bills regardless of fault (that’s why it’s called “No Fault” – your fault or my fault, it all goes through No Fault).
The other part of the question is whether you can still sue for pain and suffering under these circumstances, and the answer is “Yes”. New York is a comparative negligence state, so that even if you are partially at fault for the accident, you can still collect damages on a proportionate basis.
I Was Struck by a Vehicle While Riding My Bicycle. Who Pays for My Medical Bills?
Your medical bills will be paid by the vehicle’s automobile insurance company pursuant to the New York No Fault law, regardless of fault.
A Trusted NYC Bicycle Accident Lawyer Ready
to Fight for You
You don’t have to try to recover from your severe injuries and fight for compensation in an insurance claim or lawsuit by yourself. The Platta Law Firm is here to offer the support, guidance, and resources you need to get better and achieve the results you deserve. Call our NYC Bicycle Accident Lawyers and benefit from 150+ years of combined experience and a team that has won hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation.
We offer a free consultation and work on contingency. You risk nothing and pay nothing unless we win your case. Get in touch with us today by calling (212) 514-5100.
