NYC Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Backed by over 150 years of combined legal experience, our award-winning trial attorneys take on powerful corporations, insurance companies, government agencies, and other tough adversaries and win millions of dollars for accident victims and families across New York City every year. We’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars through private settlement agreements and jury verdicts at trial. Now, we’re ready to use our winning legal strategies to help you maximize your compensation after a motorcycle crash, too.

Our New York City law office serves clients in the greater metropolitan area, including Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County. Contact us today at (212) 514-5100 to discuss your motorcycle accident case today for free.

Why Injured Motorcyclists in New York City Trust The Platta Law Firm

You need a dedicated and trustworthy legal advocate in your corner if you’ve been hurt in a motorcycle crash. Unlike car accident victims who can file for no-fault insurance benefits after a wreck, motorcyclists have to seek damages directly from at-fault parties. This means there’s no guarantee that you’ll be compensated for your medical expenses, loss of income, disfigurement, and emotional trauma.

For years, injured motorcycle riders in New York have turned to The Platta Law Firm for help in the wake of devastating accidents. Our New York personal injury lawyers:

• Are well-versed in New York motorcycle law and insurance policies
• Have 150+ years of combined hands-on experience litigating high-stakes and high-value motorcycle injury cases, and
• A demonstrated ability to win millions for injured riders across the city.

We appreciate that you have a single opportunity to recover compensation for your losses. We provide the hard-hitting, resource-driven legal representation you’ll need to win your motorcycle accident case and maximize your recovery. It’s why we’re five-star rated on Google and consistently recognized for excellence in personal injury litigation by Lawyers of Distinction, Just Great Lawyers, Expertise.com, the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, and Power Lawyers.

There’s no cost to hire our motorcycle accident law firm in NYC until we recover compensation on your behalf. Call our Manhattan law office at (212) 514-5100 or reach out to us online to learn more about how we can help you navigate this difficult time in your life. Your first consultation is always free.

How Do Motorcycle Crash Cases Work in NYC?

Unlike car accident claims, motorcycle accident cases in New York fall outside the no-fault insurance system. This means motorcyclists aren’t required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. While this may seem like a disadvantage, it actually gives injured riders more legal freedom. You don’t have to prove that your injuries meet a “serious injury” threshold like drivers do in no-fault car accidents.

Instead, you can file a direct claim against the at-fault driver or another responsible party. This allows you to seek broader compensation, including for pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and long-term disability—even in cases where the physical damage may appear less severe.

Because these claims involve multiple steps—investigations, negotiations, medical documentation, and possibly a trial—it’s essential to work with a legal team experienced in handling motorcycle crash litigation in New York.

What Causes Most Motorcycle Accidents in NYC?

More than 1,000 motorcyclists are involved in traffic accidents throughout New York City every year. Most of these motorcycle accidents happen because someone – often another motorist on the road – is negligent.

In a densely packed city like New York, the risk increases due to traffic congestion, aggressive drivers, and constant road activity. Many motorists fail to check their blind spots when changing lanes, especially for motorcycles, which are harder to see. Others make unsafe left turns or merge without signaling. In many cases, a driver will open a car door into a motorcyclist’s path—often referred to as “dooring.” Other common causes include:

• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Running red lights or stop signs
• Road hazards like potholes, uneven pavement, or construction debris
• Poor weather and low visibility conditions
• Lane splitting
• Drug and alcohol use
• Drowsy driving
• Vehicle defects
• Road rage
• Aggressive driving
• Tailgating

Even minor errors can have catastrophic consequences for motorcyclists. Riders don’t have the same physical protections as drivers in enclosed vehicles, which makes every impact more dangerous. At The Platta Law Firm, we conduct thorough investigations to uncover what really happened. We analyze police reports, speak with witnesses, gather video footage, and consult with accident reconstruction experts when needed. Our goal is to build the strongest case possible on your behalf.

Who Could Be Held Liable for My New York Motorcycle Accident Injuries?

Multiple parties may be responsible for a motorcycle accident. Our job is to identify everyone who played a role and hold them legally and financially accountable. Depending on the circumstances of your crash, you may have a claim against a driver of a car, truck, or bus who acted negligently. Rideshare drivers—such as those working for Uber or Lyft—can also be held liable if they caused the accident while transporting passengers or driving between fares.

In some cases, a bicyclist or pedestrian may have acted carelessly and contributed to the crash. If a commercial vehicle was involved, the company that employed the driver may share responsibility as well. Manufacturers of defective motorcycles or faulty parts may also face liability if a product failure played a role in the crash. Lastly, government agencies responsible for maintaining roads can be held accountable when poor road conditions, like potholes or missing signage, lead to serious accidents.

New York uses a comparative fault system. This means that liability can be shared among multiple parties—including you. If you’re found partially at fault, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of blame. For example, if you’re 20% at fault, your award would be reduced by 20%. Our lawyers know how to fight back when insurance companies try to shift blame unfairly. We focus on protecting your rights and maximizing the compensation you deserve.

How Much Money Can I Get After a Motorcycle Crash in New York City?

There’s no standard settlement for motorcycle accident claims in New York City. Instead, each rider’s claim has a unique value that’s based on the facts, evidence, and circumstances that make their situations unique. When calculating what your motorcycle accident case could be worth, it’s important to recognize that you can recover two types of compensatory damages – economic and non-economic.

Economic damages are paid to help you deal with the objective financial consequences of your motorcycle crash, which could include:

• Emergency room care, diagnostic tests, surgery, hospitalization, medical equipment, medication, prosthetics, and other medical expenses
• Lost wages, income, and job benefits
• Short-term and/or long-term disability
• Reduction in earning capacity
• Property damage
• Costs paid out of pocket (e.g., a rental car while your motorcycle is being repaired)
• Rehabilitation and therapy

You can recover economic awards for your current bills and reasonably projected future losses as long as they’re supported by evidence. The more of a financial impact the motorcycle crash has on your life, the more you can potentially recover in economic awards to make you whole. Economic damages are awarded to acknowledge the harder to value pain and suffering you experience because you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident. This tends to include money for:

• Emotional distress
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of limbs
• Chronic physical pain
• Reduced quality of life
• Physical disfigurement
• Inconvenience

Pain and suffering damages are hard to value because they’re subjective. Every rider who gets hurt in a motorcycle crash will have a unique experience. There are two primary ways of calculating non-economic damages in motorcycle accident cases – the multiplier method and the per diem method. The multiplier method is most common. This involves taking the economic damages you’re awarded and applying a value between 1 and 5.

The more severely you’re injured and the more your life changes, the higher the multiplier, and, in turn, the higher your potential financial recovery when you settle or win your motorcycle accident case at trial. At the end of the day, more serious injuries tend to warrant higher financial payouts for motorcycle accident victims in New York City. However, many factors have to be taken into consideration – including your age, life expectancy, steps taken to mitigate your damages, and contributory negligence. Never underestimate what your motorcycle injury case might be worth.

It’s important to consult our experienced motorcycle accident attorneys in NYC who can investigate your case, gather valuable evidence, and bring in experts to make sure you know how much money you should be able to recover. We work with economists, medical professionals, and vocational experts to properly value your case. This ensures that your compensation reflects not only current losses but also your long-term needs. Insurance companies are known for offering lowball settlements—especially to motorcyclists.

We don’t let them get away with it. Our personal injury law firm builds strong, evidence-backed claims that demand every dollar you deserve. Call our New York City law office at (212) 514-5100 to discuss your motorcycle accident case today.

Motorcyclists Involved in NYC Traffic Accidents Can Suffer Devastating Injuries

Since motorcyclists are not protected by a large steel frame, airbags, seatbelts, or other safety equipment that comes standard in most passenger vehicles, they’re susceptible to severe physical injuries and a greater risk of death in New York City auto accidents. Some of these serious motorcycle accident injuries include:

• Broken bones and fractures
• Burn injuries
• Amputation injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Paralysis injuries
• Nerve damage
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Leg injuries
• Catastrophic injuries
• Wrongful death of a loved one

At The Platta Law Firm, we recognize the potential long-term consequences of motorcycle accident injuries can be devastating, and are committed to helping injured riders seek maximum damages from those at fault.

NYC Motorcycle Accident FAQ

It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the wake of a serious motorcycle accident, especially when your injuries are severe. At the same time, knowledge is power when you’re fighting for compensation. The more you know about your rights, your claim, and the legal process in front of you, the more likely it is that you’ll win your personal injury case and maximize your damages.

Here, our New York motorcycle accident attorneys have answered some of the questions we get from clients most often. If you have any additional questions or want to discuss how specific laws might affect your motorcycle accident case, call our legal team to schedule a free case review now.

Schedule a Free Consultation With a Top New York City Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today

If someone else’s negligence caused your motorcycle accident in New York City, New York, you have every right to seek justice and financial recovery. The Platta Law Firm is here to fight for you. We’ve helped injury victims and families in New York win hundreds of millions of dollars in monetary awards after life-changing accidents. Now, we’re ready to invest our 150+ years of combined experience to help you leverage a meaningful settlement or jury award in your motorcycle accident case, too.

Our motorcycle accident attorneys represent injured riders throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and nearby areas. Call (212) 514-5100 or contact us online today to schedule your free consultation. We’re ready to help you move forward with confidence.