Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in New York
How Much Is a Motorcycle Accident Case Worth in New York?
Motorcyclists aren't bound by the No-Fault threshold. That changes your case value.
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New York motorcycle accident cases often carry strong value because riders aren't bound by the No-Fault serious-injury threshold and can sue for pain and suffering directly. Value depends most on injury severity, but serious cases reach six, seven, or eight figures. Sullivan & Brill offers a free review, no fee unless we win.
Motorcycle cases have one big legal advantage over car cases in New York, and most riders don’t know it until they’re hurt. You are not locked behind the No-Fault serious injury threshold. That opens the door to pain-and-suffering damages that a car occupant would have to fight to reach.
It cuts both ways though. Riders often face bias from adjusters and juries who assume the motorcyclist was reckless. Overcoming that assumption is part of the work, and it affects value.
Why the No-Fault rule works differently for riders
New York’s No-Fault system, and the §5102(d) serious injury threshold, generally does not apply to motorcyclists. A motorcycle is not a “covered vehicle” under No-Fault. In plain terms, you don’t have to clear the same legal hurdle a car driver does before you can pursue pain and suffering. The flip side is that No-Fault won’t automatically pay your first medical bills the way it would in a car, so coverage sources matter.
What drives the value of your case
- Severity and permanence of injury. Riders absorb the full force of a crash. Road rash, fractures, and brain and spinal injuries are common and often permanent.
- Medical bills, present and future. Reconstructive surgery and long rehab drive numbers up.
- Lost income and earning capacity. Including work you may never return to.
- Pain and suffering and life impact. Often substantial in motorcycle cases.
- Available insurance coverage. The at-fault driver’s policy plus your own underinsured motorist coverage.
- Comparative fault. Since May 2026, New York’s modified comparative negligence rule for motor vehicle cases reduces your recovery by your share of blame and bars it entirely if you were more at fault than the other side.
How pain and suffering gets calculated
Adjusters use the multiplier method, multiplying economic losses by a factor tied to how severe the injury is, or the per-diem method, assigning a daily value to your suffering. Because riders aren’t stuck behind the threshold, these damages are often front and center in a motorcycle claim.
Fighting the “reckless biker” narrative
Insurers lean hard on the idea that the rider caused it. Helmet-cam video, witness statements, and accident reconstruction can flip that story. Because comparative fault directly reduces your award — and, under the rule adopted in May 2026, can eliminate it if you are found more at fault than the driver — every point of blame we push back on is money in your pocket.
Deadlines
The statute of limitations for a New York motorcycle injury claim is generally three years. A crash involving a government vehicle may trigger a 90-day Notice of Claim. Don’t let the clock run out.
We work on contingency. No fee unless we win. See our case results, read our motorcycle accident page, or contact us for a free review.
Motorcycle accident value questions New Yorkers ask
Do motorcyclists have to meet the No-Fault serious injury threshold?
Generally no. Motorcycles aren’t covered vehicles under New York No-Fault, so riders can pursue pain-and-suffering damages without clearing the §5102(d) threshold that binds car occupants.
Will No-Fault pay my medical bills after a motorcycle crash?
Usually not automatically, since riders fall outside No-Fault. Your health insurance, the at-fault driver’s liability coverage, and your own policies may come into play instead.
What if the insurer says I was speeding or riding recklessly?
That’s a common tactic, and it carries more weight now: under New York’s modified comparative negligence rule for motor vehicle cases, a rider found more at fault than the driver recovers nothing. We use video, witnesses, and reconstruction to challenge it. Reducing your assigned fault directly increases what you recover.
How long do I have to file in New York?
Generally three years from the crash. If a government vehicle is involved, a Notice of Claim may be due within 90 days.
What does it cost to hire you?
Nothing up front. We handle motorcycle cases on contingency, so there’s no fee unless we win.
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