New York Bicycle Accident Attorneys

Common Causes of Bike Accidents

Many bike accidents are caused by inattentive drivers of cars, trucks, and other vehicles who fail to notice cyclists. This is often due to a lack of vigilance by the motorist, which makes them at least partially responsible for any resulting injuries.

Frequent causes of cycling accidents may also include:

• Cellphone use
• Inattention and loss of focus from other drivers
• Inclement weather
• Blind spots
• Dangerous roadways
• Defective cycle/bicycle parts
• Lane splitting
• Traffic law violations
• Failure to yield the right-of-way
• Speeding
• Driving in a cycling lane
• Parking in a cycling lane

If you believe that any of these factors contributed to your cycling accident injury, our legal team is ready to speak with you. We are well-versed in the investigations and diligence needed to win these claims and have time and time again secured results for our clients.

Injuries Suffered in Cycling Accidents

Setting aside fatal cycling accidents, there is still the real concern of nonfatal accidents that leave thousands of cyclists catastrophically injured each year. Bike riders have little protection from injury in a crash due to the design and nature of their vehicles of choice. It is not uncommon for what seems like a minor crash to result in severe injuries.

To name only a few life-changing injuries that are often reported in bicycle crash reports:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Paralysis
• Road rash and scarring
• Broken bones

Treatment, Recovery & Cost

The road to recovery for an injured cyclist can often be extensive and painful. Initial treatments will usually include emergency medical care followed by surgeries, which leave the survivor in the hospital for weeks or longer. When hospitalization is no longer necessary, physical therapy and other rehabilitative treatments will remain a part of their treatment regimen.

All of the intense treatments will add up to medical costs that can easily range into the tens of thousands of dollars. It is not uncommon for total medical costs to go even further, exceeding six or seven figures. On top of these financial hardships, cycling accident survivors will also need to deal with the impact of missing work due as they try to recuperate from their injuries. Ultimately, the economic damages experienced by an injured cyclist can be financially crippling.

We have not even mentioned the noneconomic damages, though. The pain, suffering, and hardship suffered from a cycling accident survivors can be intense, too. When we are your chosen New York motorcycle accident lawyers, we will work diligently to calculate all of your damages to the fullest, including future noneconomic damages.

Cycling Laws in New York

There are a few New York State cycling laws that will be relevant to your cycling accident claim.

• RCNY § 4-08 (e)(9) It is against the law to park, stand or stop within, or otherwise obstruct bike lanes.
• RCNY § 4-12(p) Other vehicles shall not drive on or across bike lanes.
• RCNY § 4-12(c) It is illegal to get out of a vehicle in a manner which endangers cyclists (often referred to as “dooring”).
• VTL § 1146 Drivers to exercise due care to avoid colliding with any bicyclist, upon any roadway and shall give warning by sounding the horn when necessary
• RCNY § 4-12 (p) Bicyclists may ride on either side of one-way roadways that are at least 40 feet wide.
• RCNY § 4-12 (p) Bicyclists should ride in usable bike lanes, unless they are blocked or unsafe for any reason.
• VTL § 1234 Cyclists must ride by the right-hand curb and no more than two abreast. This law does not apply in New York City. It is specifically superseded by 34 RCNY 4-02 (e).
• AC § 19-176 Bicycles ridden on sidewalks may be confiscated and riders may be subject to legal sanctions (see also: RCNY § 4-07(c)(3)).
• RCNY § 4-07 (c)(3) No driving bikes on sidewalks, unless sign allows or wheels are less than 26 inches in diameter and rider is twelve years or younger (see also: AC § 19-176).
• RCNY § 4-14 (c) No person shall ride a bicycle in any park, except in places designated for bike riding; but persons may push bikes in single file to and from such places, except on beaches and boardwalks.
• RCNY § 4-12 (o) Bicycles are prohibited on expressways, drives, highways, interstate routes, bridges, and thruways unless authorized by signs.
• VTL § 1237 When turn signals are required, left turns shall be signaled with the left hand, and right turns may be signaled with either hand.
• VTL § 1233 Clinging to vehicles, or attaching bike to another vehicle being operated on a roadway is prohibited.
• RCNY § 4-12 (e) Cyclists must have at least one hand on handlebars at all times.
• VTL § 1232 Cyclists must ride on a permanent seat, feet must be on pedals, and bike must carry only the number of persons for which it is designed and equipped.
• VTL § 1238 (a) Children under 14 but older than 5 must wear an approved helmet.
• VTL § 1238 (b) A child under one is not permitted to ride on a bicycle.
• VTL § 1238 (c) A child one or more years of age, but less than 5, must wear an approved helmet and be carried in a properly affixed child carrier.
• VTL § 1236 (a) and (e) Bicycles must have a white headlight, a red taillight and reflectors between dusk and dawn.
• VTL § 1236 (b) Bicycles must have a bell or other audible signal
• VTL § 1236 (c) Bicycles must have working brakes.
• VTL § 1236 (d) Bicycles must have reflectors, reflective tires and/or other reflective devices.
• VTL § 375 (24)(a) Cyclists may not wear more than one earphone attached to a radio, tape player or other audio device while riding

How Likely is It to Get in a Cycling Accident?

Everyone who is on a public road is at risk of getting into an accident caused by another motorist. Yet numerous safety reports from groups like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) consistently collect data that proves cyclists have a high chance of getting into a crash. Based on recent NHTSA reports, 966 Cyclist were killed in Traffic Crashes in 2021. What’s more alarming is the year 2023 is on track to be the deadliest for cyclist in recent memory, so far 11 cyclists have been killed in New York City this year based on a comparison of prior year’s deaths found in the data provided by the Department of Transportation. The statistics a serve as a clear example that the average motorist does not carefully pay mind to a cyclist. With an investigation into a cycling accident, fatal or nonfatal, it is statistically likely that the liability can be placed on a source other than the rider.

Call Us to Make Sense of Your Claim

There are many details that will go into your cycling accident claim that can change its outcome and its overall value. Allow our New York cycling accident attorneys to manage your claim and sort through the fine points on your behalf. We will fight for your right to fair compensation as if we were fighting for ourselves!