New York Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Bicycle accidents in New York often result in serious injuries because cyclists have no protective barrier against impact with vehicles, road surfaces, or fixed objects. Drivers frequently claim they "didn't see" the cyclist, that the rider "came out of nowhere," or that the cyclist violated traffic laws. Insurance companies may try to use these narratives to deny claims or minimize payouts, even when evidence proves driver negligence caused the crash.

A New York bicycle accident lawyer investigates your crash, establishes driver negligence or road hazard liability, handles insurance negotiations, and pursues compensation for your injuries, lost wages, damaged property, and pain and suffering after a cyclist collision.

William Mattar, P.C. handles bicycle accident cases throughout New York State, including crashes caused by dooring, right hooks, left crosses, distracted driving, unsafe passing, bike lane violations, and dangerous road conditions. Our attorneys preserve evidence, establish liability, and pursue fair compensation while you focus on recovery.

What You Need to Know	Simple Explanation
Most Common Causes	Dooring, unsafe passing, distracted driving, and drivers turning into cyclists
Who May Be Responsible	Drivers, companies, the city (for bad roads), or even bike manufacturers
Can You Still Recover If You’re Partly at Fault?	Yes. New York allows compensation even if you share some blame
What If You Weren’t Wearing a Helmet?	You can still recover compensation (for adults), though insurers may argue damages
What You Can Get Compensation For	Medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and bike/property damage
Time Limits to File a Claim	Usually 3 years — but only 90 days if a city or municipality is involved
Hit-and-Run Accidents	You may still recover through uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
Why Legal Help Matters	Lawyers gather evidence, deal with insurance, and fight to prove the driver was at fault

FREE CASE EVALUATION

Why Choose William Mattar for Your New York Bicycle Accident Case

Bicycle accident cases differ from typical car crashes because insurance companies and drivers often blame cyclists by default, claiming riders were reckless, invisible, or violated traffic laws. Our attorneys understand the unique challenges cyclists face and the evidence needed to overcome bias against bicycle riders.

We Understand Cyclist Rights and Driver Duties

New York Vehicle and Traffic Law grants cyclists the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle operators. Drivers who fail to yield, pass too closely, open doors into bike lanes, or turn across cyclists' paths violate traffic laws. We establish these violations and prove driver negligence caused your injuries.

We Preserve Evidence Before It Disappears

Bicycle accident evidence vanishes quickly. Traffic camera footage gets overwritten, witnesses forget details, physical evidence at crash scenes gets cleaned up, and injuries may worsen before their full impact becomes clear. We send preservation letters to secure video footage, obtain police reports, photograph accident scenes, and interview witnesses while memories remain fresh.

We Counter Insurance Company Bias

Insurance adjusters frequently argue that cyclists contributed to their injuries by not wearing helmets, riding unpredictably, or failing to obey traffic signals. We build evidence showing drivers violated traffic laws, failed to maintain proper lookout, or created dangerous conditions that caused crashes, proving their liability. 

We Handle Complex Liability Scenarios

Bicycle accidents can involve multiple potentially liable parties: negligent drivers, employers of commercial vehicle operators, municipalities responsible for dangerous road conditions, delivery companies whose drivers caused crashes, and manufacturers of defective bicycle components. We investigate thoroughly to identify all sources of compensation.

We're Available 24/7

Bicycle crashes don't follow business hours. Urban cyclists commute during rush hours, recreational riders travel on weekends, and delivery cyclists work late nights. Phones are answered around the clock because the evidence clock starts immediately, and you deserve answers when you need them.

Statewide Representation, Local Knowledge

With offices in New York State, we handle bicycle accident cases throughout New York State. Our attorneys know local traffic patterns in Upstate New York, dangerous intersections, and municipal claim procedures across the regions we serve.

No Fee Until We Win

Bicycle accident cases may require in-depth investigation, expert testimony, and resources to build strong claims against drivers and insurance companies.

Common Causes of New York Bicycle Accidents

Quite often, bicycle crashes follow predictable patterns. Recognizing these scenarios helps establish driver negligence and identify the evidence needed to build a solid claim. 

Dooring Accidents

Drivers or passengers open vehicle doors into bike lanes or cyclists' paths without checking mirrors or looking for approaching riders. These crashes happen frequently in urban areas with street parking adjacent to bike lanes. Cyclists strike open doors at speed, suffering serious injuries from impact and often being thrown into traffic. New York VTL § 1214 requires persons opening vehicle doors to ensure it's safe to do so without interfering with moving traffic.

Right Hook Collisions

Drivers turn right across cyclists' paths at intersections or driveways, either failing to see the cyclist traveling straight or misjudging their speed and distance. These crashes occur when drivers focus on traffic signals or pedestrians while ignoring cyclists traveling in bike lanes or on the right side of the roadway.

Left Cross Crashes

Drivers turning left at intersections fail to yield to oncoming cyclists who have the right of way. Drivers either don't see the cyclist, misjudge closing speed, or assume they have time to complete the turn before the cyclist reaches the intersection.

Unsafe Passing

Drivers pass cyclists without providing adequate clearance, sideswiping riders or forcing them off the roadway. New York VTL § 1122-a requires drivers to pass bicycles at a safe distance, and many localities require at least three feet of clearance. Drivers who pass too closely, particularly at high speeds, create dangerous wind effects and collision risks.

Distracted Driving

Texting, phone calls, adjusting navigation systems, eating, or other distractions prevent drivers from seeing cyclists until it's too late to avoid collisions. Distracted drivers drift into bike lanes, fail to notice cyclists at intersections, or don't react when cyclists signal turns or lane changes.

Bike Lane Violations

Drivers illegally enter bike lanes to park, make turns, or travel in congested traffic, creating obstacles that force cyclists into traffic or cause direct collisions. Commercial vehicles, delivery trucks, and rideshare drivers frequently block bike lanes, creating hazards for cyclists who must suddenly merge into vehicle traffic.

Unsafe Road Conditions

Potholes, uneven pavement, debris in bike lanes, poorly maintained surfaces, and inadequate signage create hazards that cause cyclists to lose control or swerve into traffic. Municipalities responsible for road maintenance may be liable for bicycle accidents caused by dangerous conditions.

Who Is at Fault in a Bicycle Accident in New York?

Liability in bicycle accidents depends on who violated traffic laws, failed to exercise reasonable care, or created dangerous conditions:

• Negligent drivers — Motorists who fail to yield, pass too closely, open doors without checking, drive distracted, speed, or violate other traffic laws causing crashes bear primary liability for resulting injuries.
• Commercial vehicle operators — Delivery drivers, rideshare operators, taxi drivers, and truck drivers whose negligence causes bicycle crashes create liability for both the individual driver and their employers through vicarious liability.
• Municipalities — Government entities responsible for road maintenance face liability when potholes, uneven pavement, debris, inadequate signage, or poorly designed bike infrastructure causes crashes. Claims against municipalities require filing a Notice of Claim within 90 days under General Municipal Law § 50-e.
• Property owners — Owners of properties adjacent to sidewalks or bike paths may be liable when their negligent maintenance creates hazards like overhanging branches, protruding structures, or inadequate snow and ice removal.
• Bicycle or component manufacturers — When defective bicycles, helmets, brakes, or other components fail and cause crashes, manufacturers face product liability claims.

In some situations, multiple parties may be to blame. Determining who was responsible is key to accessing compensation for your injuries. 

How Does New York's Comparative Negligence Rule Affect Cyclists?

New York follows pure comparative negligence under CPLR § 1411, which allows recovery even when cyclists share fault for accidents. Your compensation is reduced proportionally by your percentage of fault, but you can still recover damages.

Insurance companies may aggressively argue comparative fault in bicycle cases, claiming cyclists:

• Failed to obey traffic signals or stop signs
• Rode unpredictably or swerved without warning
• Didn't use lights or reflectors required by law
• Wore dark clothing that made them hard to see
• Rode too fast for conditions

Strong evidence countering these arguments, like traffic camera footage, witness testimony, accident reconstruction, and proof of traffic law violations by drivers, protects your recovery from unfair fault allocation.

Can I Still Recover Compensation If I Wasn't Wearing a Helmet?

Yes. New York doesn't require adult cyclists to wear helmets (though riders under 14 must wear helmets under VTL § 1238), and failure to wear a helmet doesn't bar injury claims or automatically establish comparative fault.

However, insurance companies may argue that head injuries would have been less severe with helmet use, seeking to reduce damages based on comparative negligence. 

Medical evidence and expert testimony become critical to establishing what injuries the helmet would or wouldn't have prevented and whether helmet use would have changed the outcome.

FREE CASE EVALUATION

What Should You Do If It Was a Hit-and-Run Bike Accident?

Hit-and-run bicycle accidents where drivers flee the scene create challenges, but don't eliminate recovery options.

Report to the Police Immediately

Call 911 and file a police report as soon as possible. Provide vehicle descriptions, license plate information if visible, witness contact information, and details about the crash location and direction the driver fled. Police investigations sometimes identify fleeing drivers through traffic camera analysis, witness follow-up, or matching vehicle damage descriptions to repair shop reports.

Preserve Surveillance Footage

Traffic cameras, business security systems, and residential doorbell cameras near the accident scene may have captured the crash or the fleeing vehicle's license plate. We send preservation letters immediately to secure this footage before systems overwrite recordings.

Use Uninsured Motorist Coverage

If you have auto insurance (even if you weren't driving at the time), your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage may apply to a hit-and-run bicycle accident, but only if there was physical contact with the unidentified vehicle and you meet the policy’s reporting requirements. UM coverage pays for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering when the at-fault driver cannot be identified or doesn't have insurance. 

Some homeowners' or renters' insurance policies also provide limited coverage for bicycle accidents.

What Damages Can I Recover After a Bicycle Accident in New York?

Bicycle accident injury claims can include both economic and non-economic damages:

• Medical expenses — Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy, prescriptions, medical equipment, and future treatment costs
• Lost wages — Income lost during recovery and reduced earning capacity if injuries cause permanent limitations preventing you from returning to previous work
• Pain and suffering — Physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent scarring or disfigurement
• Property damage — Bicycle repair or replacement costs, damaged clothing, helmets, and other personal property
• Permanent disability — Compensation for lasting impairments affecting your ability to work, perform daily activities, or participate in activities you previously enjoyed

In fatal bicycle accidents, surviving family members can pursue wrongful death claims for funeral expenses, loss of financial support, loss of parental guidance, and loss of companionship

What to Expect After Hiring William Mattar for Your Bicycle Accident Case

Bicycle accident cases require immediate action and thorough investigation. Here's what happens after you contact us:

Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation

We review your crash details, medical treatment, insurance coverage, and potential sources of compensation. A bike crash lawyer can explain your legal options, answer your questions, and outline the process ahead.

Evidence Preservation and Investigation

We send preservation letters to secure traffic camera footage, business surveillance videos, and other evidence before it's overwritten. We obtain police reports, interview witnesses, photograph accident scenes, and document road conditions that contributed to the crash.

Medical Documentation and Damage Calculation

We work with your medical providers to obtain comprehensive treatment records, document current injuries, and project future treatment needs. We calculate lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and the full scope of economic and non-economic damages.

Insurance Negotiations

We handle communications with insurance companies, protecting you from recorded statements that adjusters use to minimize claims. We also negotiate for fair settlements that reflect the actual value of your injuries and losses.

Litigation When Necessary

When insurance companies refuse reasonable settlements, our experienced litigators prepare cases for trial. This includes retaining expert witnesses, conducting depositions, filing motions, and presenting your case to a jury when settlement negotiations fail.

FAQ for New York Bicycle Accident Claims

Don't Let Insurance Companies Blame You for Being on a Bike

You were following traffic laws, riding predictably, and doing everything right, but the driver's story suddenly makes you the problem. Because of rider bias, insurance companies may also assume cyclists are at fault, and without legal representation, that narrative could stick.

Our bicycle accident attorneys know New York traffic laws that protect cyclists, understand the crash dynamics that prove driver negligence, and build cases that prove when the driver is to blame. We handle insurance negotiations so adjusters can't pressure you into accepting inadequate settlements, and we pursue fair compensation for injuries that may affect you long after the initial pain subsides.

Drivers have insurance companies and lawyers protecting their interests immediately. You deserve the same level of representation. One call levels the playing field and starts the process of holding negligent drivers accountable, so you can focus on recovery.

Injured in a bicycle accident? Call William Mattar, P.C. at (844) 444-4444. Phones are answered 24/7. No Fee Until We Win.

Past performance does not guarantee future results, including financial results or client satisfaction.

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