Bicycle Accident Lawyer NYC

If a motor vehicle was involved, that vehicle's no-fault coverage pays your medical bills and lost earnings — up to $50,000 — regardless of fault, provided the application is filed within 30 days. Most injured cyclists never learn this and pay out of pocket. Unlike motorcyclists, cyclists are covered; unlike car occupants, they are also not restricted by the serious injury threshold in the same way when suing a driver.

• Dooring: a driver or passenger opening a door into the bike lane. Under New York law the person opening the door is responsible.
• Right hook: a vehicle turning right across a bike lane without yielding.
• Bike lane obstruction: double-parked cars, delivery trucks and idling vehicles forcing riders into traffic.
• Left cross: oncoming vehicles turning left across a rider's path.
• Road defects: potholes, sunken plates and grating — 90-day notice of claim against the City.
• Delivery riders: e-bike and app-based couriers, who may also have workers' compensation or platform coverage questions.

Citi Bike trip data, Strava and GPS traces, helmet-cam and dashcam footage, bike lane camera and building footage, the damaged bicycle itself, and photographs of the vehicle's position. Lawyers typically preserve the bike and the footage before either disappears — repair shops and DVR systems both erase evidence quickly.

Uninsured motorist coverage from a household policy, or MVAIC if you have none, applies. The MVAIC notice deadline is 90 days — see the Hit and run page.

Clavicle and wrist fractures, facial injuries, concussion and traumatic brain injury, and disc injuries from impact with the roadway. Document a head injury even if you felt fine at the scene; delayed symptoms are common and gaps in the record are used against you.

To ask about your situation, use the free enquiry form on this page or book a call. Personal Injury NYC is not a law firm, and an enquiry does not create an attorney-client relationship. Many New York injury attorneys work on a contingency fee, but the percentage and case costs vary, so ask for the terms in writing before you sign.

A car doored me in a bike lane.

Opening a door into traffic violates NY traffic rules and is strong liability evidence. Bike lane geometry and the door's position matter, so photograph the scene.

I hit a pothole and was thrown.

Claims against the City require prior written notice of the defect (Big Apple map or DOT records) and a Notice of Claim within 90 days.

I was not wearing a helmet.

For adults, no helmet is not a defense to liability in New York, though insurers argue it for head-injury damages. Lawyers typically meet that argument with medical causation proof.

These are general explanations of how New York rules usually apply, not advice about your claim. The outcome of any real case depends on its facts and evidence; a New York-licensed attorney can advise on your situation.