Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
Bikes are a healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around New York City. However, given the Big Apple’s traffic, cycling can also be dangerous. Due to their lack of protection, those involved in bicycle accidents often face severe injuries from vehicle impacts, landing on the road, or being thrown into other objects.
At Shulman & Hill, we understand the devastating impact of bicycle accidents. We recently secured a $250,000 settlement for a client in Westchester County who suffered severe injuries after being struck by a vehicle while cycling to the gym. We fought relentlessly to obtain the full policy limit, providing him with the financial support needed for his recovery.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bike accident, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our award-winning New York City bicycle accident lawyers are dedicated to providing personalized service and fighting for maximum compensation. We offer open communication, meticulous attention to detail, and vigorous representation at every stage of your claim.
Why Choose Shulman & Hill For Your Bicycle Accident Case
We pride ourselves on being a client-focused firm with exceptional communication skills. Our clients must have easy access to us, so we have offices throughout New York City and offer video calls. In addition, our multilingual staff can assist those who are more comfortable speaking other languages, such as Spanish and Russian.
Our attorneys have won national recognition from respected organizations and publications, such as the following:
- Attorney and Practice Magazine
- American Institute of Legal Counsel
- American Academy of Attorneys
- National Trial Lawyers Association
- Super Lawyers
We are New Yorkers representing New Yorkers. We provide high-quality legal representation and take the most powerful insurance companies to fight for compensation for accident victims.
Our experienced and passionate personal injury attorneys have a proven record of successful case results, with over $700 million recovered for our deserving clients. No case is too challenging for our experienced NYC bicycle accident attorneys.
How a New York City Bicycle Accident Attorney Can Help
Our primary focus is helping our clients heal from their injuries and return to their lives. Our comprehensive service includes helping clients schedule doctor’s appointments, finding transportation, and handling all the paperwork. We want you to focus on your health and your family. Leave the fight for compensation to us.
We’ll do the following and more:
- Investigate your accident and collect evidence.
- Interview witnesses.
- Consult expert witnesses.
- Calculate your current damages and the future losses expected to result from your injuries.
- Determine what happened and who’s liable.
- Negotiate with insurance companies.
- Fight for you in court when necessary.
It’s so important to contact someone immediately for advice if you’re not a lawyer or involved in this business. You really need to sit down with someone, talk through the process, and understand how this is going to affect your life and finances.
We’re not just attorneys, but counselors at law. It’s crucial to meet with the client so they know all the benefits they’re entitled to, everything that will affect them throughout these lengthy cases. By having that initial consultation, they gain clarity on how to navigate the road ahead properly.
Seth MacArthur
Managing Partner, Personal Injury
Getting Fair Compensation for Your Bicycle Accident Injuries
People on bicycles have little to protect them in accidents. Even those who wear safety equipment may suffer brain injuries, broken bones, severe cuts, lacerations, and road rash. If someone else was negligent, you can receive economic and non-economic damages such as:
- Medical bills and rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages and future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Psychological damage and emotional trauma
- Property damage
- Funeral and burial costs in wrongful death cases
New York is a no-fault insurance state, so you must first turn to your personal injury protection coverage. However, if you don’t have vehicle insurance or aren’t covered by another household member’s policy, you can file a claim under a negligent party’s policy. If your damages exceed $50,000 or you suffer a serious injury, you can also file a personal injury claim against a negative party.
Your share of the fault for your accident may impact your compensation. New York law provides a pure comparative negligence standard for personal injury cases. You can collect even if you were 99 percent responsible for your accident. However, the compensation you can recover is reduced in proportion to your share of the blame. Insurance companies use comparative negligence to try to minimize payouts by placing blame on accident victims.
We are proud New Yorkers with in-depth knowledge of city and state laws. We know the tactics insurance companies use to reduce payouts or deny claims. No case is too complex, and our car accident lawyers will not back down from any insurance company.
How Long Do I Have To File a Claim?
In most cases, the statute of limitations for New York City bike accidents is three years from the crash date. The state does make exceptions, for example, for minors or incapacitated people. If you don’t file your case on time, a judge will likely dismiss it.
If your claim is against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority or a government entity, you only have 90 days to file a notice of claim. Your attorney must act quickly if poorly maintained streets or a collision with a city bus caused your damages.
The city is always hectic, and valuable evidence and information at the scene of your crash can be rapidly lost. Witness memories also fade as time goes on. Involve our experienced attorneys immediately following your accident so we can start building the foundation of your case and file all the necessary paperwork on time.
Meet Our Manhattan Personal Injury Attorneys
Common Types of Bicycle Accidents in New York City
About 30 percent of adult New Yorkers ride bikes, with just over 900,000 using them regularly. Unfortunately, others on the road often don’t take proper care around those on bikes. Our Manhattan bicycle accident lawyers handle all types of accidents and victims, including the following:
- Bike Messengers: If you were injured while working as a bike messenger, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation and damages through a personal injury claim. Our experienced NYC personal injury lawyers can handle all claims for you.
- Dooring: Bicyclists get hurt on New York City streets when drivers or passengers open their doors without looking for bikes. Cyclists have little time to react and avoid impact with suddenly opened doors.
- Right-turn accidents: People often don’t properly look for bikes before turning, particularly when turning right.
- Truck accidents: Truck accidents with bikes are especially hazardous and frequently occur because drivers sitting high up in their seats have substantial blind spots.
- New York Citi Bike crashes: Citi Bike may be liable if a defective rental bike contributed to your crash. Its insurance company may claim that Section 6 of its user agreement means you were responsible for checking the bike’s safety before riding and don’t deserve compensation. However, not every defect is readily apparent, and an experienced lawyer can tell you the effect of that agreement on a potential claim.
- Road hazard crashes: Poorly maintained roads with potholes or other hazards can lead to bicycle accident claims against the city. If a construction company created the hazard, you may have a case against it.
- Crashes with rideshare vehicles: If an Uber or Lyft driver was picking up or carrying passengers when they caused your accident, we can pursue damages not covered by your policy through the rideshare company’s insurance and, if necessary, a personal injury lawsuit. We also represent clients injured in accidents with one of the over 130.000 taxis, for-hire vehicles, and commuter vans licensed in New York City.
- Driving in or blocking bike lanes: New York City’s bike lanes reduce accidents, but negligent drivers sometimes ignore them or are too distracted to notice cyclists. If possible, take pictures or videos of these lanes immediately after your accident.
- Pedestrian collisions: You must ride responsibly around the numerous people walking around New York City, but they sometimes have liability in pedestrian accidents. For example, a drunk pedestrian who stepped in front of you may be responsible in whole or part for your damages.
