New York Bicycle Accident Attorneys

Experienced Attorneys for Injured Bicycle Accident Victims

New Yorkers are increasingly utilizing bicycles as a mode of transportation. This has led to a sharp increase in the number of bicycle accidents, especially after the introduction of the Citi Bike Program in New York City. According to the People Powered Movement, “In 2019, the five boroughs saw 18,510 collisions involving cyclists – 18,494 causing injury and 16 [fatal]. Despite the fact that the city was under a lockdown for most of 2020, there were still 12,450 bike crashes in 2020.” The vast majority of these accidents were entirely preventable.

Most bicycle deaths occur in urban areas. Roughly two out of every three fatalities occur at traffic intersections. Victims of bicycle accidents lack the protection of enclosed vehicles and are far more likely to be seriously injured in the event of a crash. These injuries can leave survivors with high medical bills and may necessitate that they take long periods of time away from work. If you or someone that you care about has been injured in a bicycle accident, the New York bicycle accident attorneys at GLK Law are here to help you. Our attorneys have decades of experience and will do everything in their power to help you get the full compensation that you were entitled to. We can investigate the unique facts of your case free of cost and let you know if you have a claim that can be pursued. You can reach out to our office anytime for a risk-free consultation at (800) 529-9997.

Why You Need a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in New York

Bicyclists in New York are exposed to numerous dangers every day. This can include distracted driving and poor infrastructure. Victims of bicycle accidents in New York can greatly benefit from retaining an experienced bicycle accident attorney for many different reasons.

Navigating Laws: There are many laws that govern liability for bicycle accidents. A bicycle accident attorney can navigate all laws that may apply to your case so that you can get the best outcome.

Why You Need a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in New York

• Navigating Laws: There are many laws that govern liability for bicycle accidents. A bicycle accident attorney can navigate all laws that may apply to your case so that you can get the best outcome.
• Meeting Deadlines: There are statutes of limitations associated with pursuing injury claims after a bicycle accident. These can be shorter or longer depending on the unique circumstances of any collision. An attorney can make sure that all paperwork is filed on time so that key deadlines are not missed.
• Handling Serious Injuries: Bicycle accidents tend to result in very severe injuries, such as head trauma and spinal cord damage. An attorney can help ensure that your long-term medical needs are taken into consideration.
• Demonstrating Liability: A bicycle accident attorney can gather all of the evidence necessary to show that the driver that injured you was negligent and therefore responsible for what happened.
• Insurance Providers: Insurance companies do everything in their power to deny liability or minimize payouts in the event of a crash. An attorney can handle all negotiations with these insurance providers so that you can receive fair and just compensation. 

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in New York

Bicycle accidents tend to be very complex events. The factors that contribute to any accident could take place many days or hours before the actual event. What follows are some of the most common reasons that a crash may take place.

• Dooring: In crowded metropolitan areas like New York City, there’s less room for bicycles to maneuver around vehicles. If a driver or passenger suddenly opens their door into the path of a bicyclist, this can cause a “dooring” accident.
• Failure to Yield: Drivers have a legal obligation to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and vehicles lawfully crossing at crosswalks. But far too often, drivers move into the path of vehicles and cause accidents.
• Speeding: Drivers are much more likely to hit pedestrians and cyclists if they are traveling above the speed limit. This is particularly true when drivers are heading through dense urban areas.
• Distracted Driving: Many bicycle collisions are caused by drivers that are distracted by their cell phones or other portable electronic devices. Drivers must always remain vigilant to avoid cyclists, especially as they are making turns in the roadway.
• Poor Road Conditions: Bicyclists are much more vulnerable to the hazards posed by poor road conditions. In particular, potholes can cause a bicycle rider to lose control and be thrown into the roadway.
• MTA Bus Accidents: Buses have large blind spots that can obscure the presence of bicyclists. In order to avoid collisions, bus drivers should always check their blind spots before changing lanes or making turns.
• Truck Accidents: Like other commercial vehicles, trucks have a wide turning radius and present unique hazards to bicyclists. Many bicyclists are killed or seriously injured every year in collisions involving large trucks.

In many cases, there could be multiple factors that contributed to any particular car accident. Regardless of what may have caused a collision, victims will typically have recourse through a personal injury claim. This is why it is so important for victims to seek legal counsel early on if they’ve been injured.

Common Injuries Associated With Bicycle Accidents

Bicycle accidents tend to result in major injuries, particularly upper limb injuries. According to one study in The Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery, “Frequently affected regions were the shoulder (48%), hand (19%), and wrist (19%).” Several other types of injuries are commonly associated with bicycle accidents.

• Broken Bones: Any person injured in a bicycle accident is at risk of sustaining broken bones. Fractures in the arm and wrists were often reported.
• Organ Damage: Getting hit by a motor vehicle can result in blunt force trauma that deals major damage to a person’s internal organs. These injuries are often not apparent until a thorough medical evaluation.
• Head Injuries: The impact from a car collision could throw a bicyclist to the ground. This can result in them sustaining serious head injuries.
• Spinal Cord Trauma: One of the most serious types of injuries that bicyclists can have after a car accident is damage to their spinal cord. Any trauma to the spinal cord can leave victims with long-term disabilities.
• Lacerations: Victims of bicycle accidents are routinely dragged across the ground. This can result in serious lacerations and soft tissue damage.

Even after the physical injuries of a bicyclist have healed, victims often contend with long-term psychological trauma. Psychological injuries can manifest in a variety of different forms, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms of PTSD include recurring nightmares about the accident.

What to Do After a Bicycle Accident in New York

Being injured in a bicycle accident can be one of the most traumatic and stressful events of a person’s life. Accident victims should take several measures in order to preserve their physical and financial well-being after a collision.

• Call 911: Contacting emergency services after a bicycle accident is a critical part of preserving your rights and documenting what happened. The police will conduct a preliminary investigation into the collision that can be enormously useful later on.
• Document the Scene: It is always a good idea for accident victims to document the scene of an injury collision. This will include taking photographs of the vehicle involved and traffic conditions.
• Seek Medical Attention: Even if you feel alright after a bicycle accident, it is still best to get a thorough medical evaluation. Doctors can help reveal internal injuries that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
• Contact an Attorney: If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident, speak with an experienced New York City bicycle accident lawyer. An attorney can begin the process of pursuing a claim on your behalf.

In the aftermath of a bicycle accident, you may be contacted by insurance providers. It is best to avoid speaking with them altogether. These companies routinely try to coerce accident victims to give damaging statements or to sign unfavorable settlement offers.

How Our New York City Bicycle Accident Attorneys Can Help

Hiring an experienced New York City bicycle accident attorney can make all the difference when it comes to pursuing an injury claim. No matter where you’re at in the aftermath of a bicycle accident, our skilled legal team can help in a variety of different ways.

• Case Evaluation: We can evaluate all of the unique aspects of your case free of cost and let you know if you have a claim that can be pursued. In many cases, there could be several liable parties for a bicycle accident.
• Gathering Evidence: We can gather all of the evidence and witness statements that will be necessary to pursue a claim on your behalf. It is common for defendants and businesses to not hand over certain pieces of evidence freely. If this occurs, we can get a hold of the evidence through subpoenas.
• Negotiations: We can handle all aspects of negotiating with insurance providers. Our legal team is well aware of all of the tactics and tricks that insurance providers use in order to avoid paying fair settlements.
• Calculating Damages: We can help calculate all the damages that you were entitled to if you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident. This will typically include compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

When you hire GLK Law, you can rest assured that we will do everything in our power to help you get the very best outcome for your case. We refuse to allow insurance providers to bully our clients with low-value offers. Our lawyers prepare every case to potentially go to trial if this is needed.

Compensation Available for Victims of NYC Bicycle Accidents

Any person injured in a New York bicycle accident may be entitled to compensation for numerous damages. What follows below are just some of the damages available to victims.
Medical Expenses: Victims of bicycle accidents may be able to recover damages for all of their medical expenses. This includes expenses necessary for current injuries. Courts will also take into consideration the cost for all of the future care necessary to treat an injury.

• Lost Income: Victims of bicycle accidents are also entitled to damages to help cover all of the lost income that they sustained as a result of their injuries. A serious injury may necessitate that a person take weeks or even months away from their professional responsibilities.
• Diminished Earning Capacity: Victims of bicycle accidents can be compensated for their diminished earning capacity when an accident impairs their ability to earn the same amount of money. For example, someone who previously worked in construction may need to switch to a profession that pays less due to an injury.
• Pain and Suffering: Victims of bicycle accidents can typically be compensated for the non-economic damages that they suffer. This will include compensation for pain and suffering and emotional distress.
• Punitive Damages: In rare cases, victims of bicycle accidents may receive punitive damages. These are damages designed to punish a defendant when their conduct was particularly reckless or irresponsible.

Being fairly compensated for a bicycle accident can be extremely difficult in most circumstances. Insurance companies will utilize numerous tactics to avoid paying fair settlements. This includes utilizing stall tactics and lowball offers to wear plaintiffs out so that they will settle early. This is why it is so important for victims of bicycle accidents to seek the guidance of an experienced New York City bicycle accident attorney.

Why Choose Our NYC Law Firm?

GLK Law is one of the oldest and most respected personal injury firms in New York City. Our attorneys have decades of experience and have recovered over $1 billion for our deserving clients. This includes numerous seven-figure verdicts and settlements for victims of pedestrian and bicycle accidents.

• Our law firm secured a $12.5 million settlement for a working mother who was hit by a New York City Department of Transportation pickup truck and left seriously injured.
• Our law firm secured a $7 million settlement for a bicyclist who was seriously injured after being struck by a delivery truck.
• Our law firm secured a $5 million settlement for a bicyclist who had her foot amputated after being hit by a truck in New York City.

We are dedicated to representing accident victims with a personalized approach that emphasizes compassion. We have a deep knowledge of all of the state and municipal laws that could potentially impact your bicycle accident claim. You can rest assured that we will fight to the very end to get you the outcome that you deserve.

Getting Legal Help After a New York Bicycle Accident

If you’ve been injured in a New York bicycle accident, you do not have to go through this ordeal on your own. The New York City bicycle accident attorneys at GLK Law are here for you. There is no case too large or too complex for us to handle. There are absolutely no upfront costs to hire us. Our attorneys operate entirely off of a contingency fee basis. We only get paid from the opposing party if we are able to successfully resolve your claim.

Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a New York bicycle accident? You may be entitled to numerous damages. It is best for accident victims to act with a sense of urgency. Failing to take action within the statute of limitations can result in a permanent forfeiture of your ability to pursue damages through a civil claim down the road. Whether you just have legal questions about your particular case or are wondering how an attorney might be able to help, we are here to serve your needs. You can contact our office anytime at (800) 529-9997.

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