NYC Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
As a motorcycle crash victim in New York City, you have rights. Many times, these catastrophic accidents happen because other motorists don’t exercise enough care to keep riders safe. You can hold them accountable when their mistakes change the course of your life as you know it. The experienced NYC motorcycle accident lawyers at The Platta Law Firm can help you maximize your financial recovery.
The Platta Law Firm is a powerhouse civil litigation firm fighting for the rights of injury victims and families – never large corporations. Backed by 150+ years of combined legal experience, our top-rated New York trial lawyers have taken on manufacturers, insurance companies, employers, and government agencies and won hundreds of millions of dollars for clients like you.
Don’t underestimate what your motorcycle accident case is worth. Demand the best results by choosing our award-winning personal injury law firm as your advocate. Call our law office in NYC at (212) 514-5100 for a free consultation.
Experience and Results Set The Platta Law Firm Apart in NYC Motorcycle Accident Cases
The Platta Law Firm is the top choice of injured motorcyclists and families in New York City because we offer the best of both worlds: the compassionate representation of a small firm and the proven results of much larger firms. As unwavering advocates for justice, we’ve received some of the most prestigious honors in the legal industry:
- “Best Personal Injury Lawyers in New York City” by Expertise.com
- Super Lawyers
- “Top 10” for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys
- Lawyers of Distinction
- Featured Verdicts
We don’t just win the cases we handle; we set records in the process. When we take a client’s case, we understand that they’re trusting us to help them make the most of their single opportunity to recover compensation. We waste no effort and resources as we strive to win and achieve maximum case results.
Don’t hesitate to call our law office in New York City, NY, if you’ve been hurt in a motorcycle crash. We’re ready to do everything we can to make things right for you.
How Do I Get Compensation After a Motorcycle Accident in New York City?
When you get into a car accident in New York City, you must file a claim to recover benefits from your auto insurance policy, which you’re required by law to purchase. If your injuries are severe, you can potentially seek compensation from a third party.
However, not all of New York’s insurance rules apply to motorcyclists. Riders must carry liability coverage, but don’t have to buy Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits to protect themselves in the event of an accident. Riding a motorcycle is considered to be too dangerous, and insurance carriers don’t want to risk insuring a rider who is susceptible to catastrophic injuries or dying in a crash.
So, as a motorcyclist, different rules apply when you get into a traffic accident in New York. While you’re encouraged to buy insurance coverage as a motorcyclist, you’ll be able to circumvent the state’s no-fault rules and sue an at-fault party (or their insurance company) directly. This is true, even if your injuries don’t satisfy the “severe” threshold that’s required to bring a lawsuit after other types of auto accidents.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents?
It can be difficult to navigate New York City’s busy streets on the back of a motorcycle, especially when other motorists don’t use as much caution as they should when sharing the road. Not surprisingly, some of the most commonly cited causes of New York City motorcycle accidents include:
- Unsafe lane changes
- Blind spot errors
- Following too closely
- Braking errors
- Lane splitting
- Illegal turns
- Merging errors
- Failing to signal before a maneuver
- Speeding
- Distracted driving/riding
- Drunk driving
- Drugged driving
- Dooring
- Poorly handled curves
- Mechanical failures
- Vehicle defects
- Road defects, including potholes and debris on the road
Our New York motorcycle accident attorneys in NYC will carefully investigate your crash, gather evidence, consult experts, and work to understand exactly why and how you got hurt. Once we’ve determined the cause of your motorcycle accident, we can begin to build a legal claim that forces liable parties to take responsibility for your resulting injuries and trauma.
Who’s Liable for My New York Motorcycle Accident Injuries?
Research suggests that drivers of other vehicles tend to be responsible for motorcycle accidents. Since motorcycles are much smaller than other vehicles, it can be difficult to see a motorcyclist on a road – especially on a road with multiple lanes of traffic.
Motorists who are distracted, in a rush, or generally negligent at the wheel might not take necessary precautions to check their blind spots or other lanes of traffic for motorcyclists and, in turn, make decisions that result in catastrophic accidents. Ultimately, anyone who bears some responsibility for a motorcycle crash in New York will be liable for damages. This can include a:
- Car driver
- Bus driver
- Truck driver
- Government agency responsible for providing safe road conditions
- Public or private transportation service
- Bicyclist
- Pedestrian
- Uber or Lyft driver
- Vehicle manufacturer
- Negligent party’s employer
Under New York law, liability is proportionate to fault. The more someone plays a part in causing your motorcycle wreck, the more they’ll be responsible for your resulting damages.
What Compensation Can I Get After a New York City Motorcycle Crash?
The costs and consequences of a motorcycle crash in New York City can be overwhelming. Fortunately, state law gives you the right to pursue compensation to make your road to recovery easier. Compensation can include economic damages to offset the financial costs of your accident and non-economic damages to acknowledge the trauma you’ve experienced as a victim. Commonly awarded damages in motorcycle accident cases include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Rehabilitation
- Personal care assistance
- Property damage
- Burial, cremation, and/or funeral expenses if a motorcycle accident is fatal
- Chronic physical pain
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Inconvenience
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement and physical scarring
Expect a fight when you file a claim for damages. The driver who caused your accident and their insurance company will use whatever tactics they can to limit your financial recovery. They’ll downplay your injuries and argue you’ve exaggerated the impact the motorcycle accident has had on your life.
Count on our award-winning New York trial attorneys to anticipate these efforts and set the stage for victory. We’ll work hand-in-hand with independent experts as we review the facts of your case, evaluate key pieces of evidence, and work to understand exactly how the motorcycle accident has affected your life – physically, financially, and psychologically. We’ll build a claim that forces the defense to acknowledge your losses and take the necessary steps to make things right.
Motorcycle Accident FAQ
You have questions after a motorcycle accident in New York City. The Platta Law Firm has the answers you need.
Can I Recover Compensation if I Share Blame for a Motorcycle Accident?
Yes, but only if you’re not primarily at fault. Under New York’s modified comparative negligence statute, damages are reduced proportionately to fault up to 50 percent. So, you could expect to receive 70 percent of the value of your motorcycle accident case if you were 30 percent to blame for a recent motorcycle crash in NYC.
Once you’re mostly to blame for a motorcycle crash, the right to recover compensation from a third party is lost.
How Much Will It Cost to Hire a Motorcycle Accident Attorney in NYC?
Our motorcycle accident lawyers in NYC, NY work on a contingency fee basis. We’re so confident in our ability to win that we stake our fees on the case results we achieve. Pay nothing until we’ve won your motorcycle accident lawsuit. Even then, nothing comes out of your own pocket. Our fees, along with other case-related expenses, are deducted from your financial award. This arrangement helps you get the top-tier legal representation you deserve without having to stress about added costs.
What Evidence Can Help me Win my Motorcycle Accident Claim?
Most often, you’ll need evidence to prove that someone else’s negligence caused your motorcycle accident lawsuit. Helpful evidence in motorcycle accident cases often includes:
- Cell phone records
- Accident reports
- Medical records
- Vehicle maintenance and inspection records
- Eyewitness accounts
- Expert witness testimony
- Property damage
- Forensics reports
- Dash cam or helmet cam footage
- Photographs of damaged property and the scene of the collision
- Blood test and breathalyzer results
Don’t stress about what evidence you’ll need or how to get it. Call The Platta Law Firm after your motorcycle accident and rely on our New York City personal injury attorneys to invest the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to make your case a success.
How Long Do I Have to Seek Compensation After a Motorcycle Crash?
New York applies a three-year statute of limitations to most motorcycle accident cases. This gives you two years from the date of your motorcycle accident to file a claim for insurance or seek damages in a civil lawsuit. If you’ve suffered the wrongful death of someone you care about in a fatal NYC motorcycle accident, you’ll have two years to bring a claim for damages.
Contact The Platta Law Firm for a Free Motorcycle Accident Case Evaluation Today
As a motorcyclist in New York City, you’re susceptible to serious, potentially life-changing physical injuries, not limited to spinal cord injuries, severe burns, amputated limbs, nerve damage, and traumatic brain injuries. Wearing a helmet and keeping up-to-date on changes in New York motorcycle laws can help mitigate the impact of an accident, but won’t necessarily keep you entirely safe.
As a motorcycle accident victim in NYC, you can take steps to recover compensation for your losses and trauma. Working with an experienced NYC motorcycle accident attorney at The Platta Law Firm can help you achieve the best case results.
Choosing our personal injury law firm puts a team with over 150 years of combined experience and a proven ability to win high-stakes cases in your corner. No matter where in New York City you get into a motorcycle accident, The Platta Law Firm will be there to help. We represent clients in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and throughout the greater NYC metropolitan area. Contact us at (212) 514-5100 for a free consultation today.
