Bicycle Accident Lawyers in New York

New York streets put cyclists inches from moving traffic, parked cars, and turning trucks. When a driver opens a door without looking or cuts across a bike lane, the rider has almost no protection. The injuries can be severe even at low speeds.

If a driver’s carelessness put you on the pavement, you have real rights, and you don’t have to negotiate with their insurer alone.

How New York No-Fault covers cyclists

Many riders assume that because they weren’t in a car, No-Fault doesn’t help them. It often does. When a cyclist is struck by a motor vehicle, New York No-Fault (Insurance Law Article 51) generally covers initial medical bills and lost wages, typically through the insurer of the vehicle that hit you. There are filing deadlines, usually within 30 days, so it matters that you act quickly.

To sue the driver for pain and suffering, your injury generally must meet the serious-injury threshold under Insurance Law §5102(d), such as a fracture, significant disfigurement, or a permanent limitation. Many bicycle injuries clear that bar.

Common causes of NYC bike crashes

• Dooring — a driver or passenger flings a door open into the bike lane. New York law requires people to check before opening a door into traffic.
• Right and left hooks — a vehicle turns across a cyclist’s path.
• Drivers and delivery trucks parked or stopped in the bike lane, forcing riders into traffic.
• Failure to yield at intersections.
• Distracted driving.

Citi Bike and delivery riders

Two groups fill New York’s bike lanes and both raise particular issues. Citi Bike and other share-bike riders are covered by the same rules of the road and the same No-Fault protection when a car hits them. Delivery cyclists, including e-bike riders working for apps and restaurants, are frequently injured on the job — those cases can involve both a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver and a workers’ compensation question. We help sort out which paths apply.

A real result

Our firm secured a $425,000 verdict in a Westchester bicycle accident. Every case is different and turns on its own facts. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. What that case shows is our willingness to take a bicycle case to a jury rather than accept a discount because the injured person was on two wheels.

What to do after a bike crash

1. Get medical care, even if you feel you can walk it off — adrenaline hides injuries.
2. Get the driver’s license, plate, and insurance information.
3. Photograph your bike, the vehicle, the door or lane, and your injuries.
4. Get names and numbers of any witnesses.
5. Report it and get a police report.
6. Preserve your damaged bike and helmet; don’t repair or toss them yet.

Comparative fault won’t shut you out unless most of it is yours

Drivers often claim the cyclist “came out of nowhere” or ran a light. Since May 26, 2026, New York has applied modified comparative negligence to motor vehicle claims: if a jury finds you partly responsible, your recovery is reduced by your percentage, but if your share is greater than the driver’s, you recover nothing. That makes the blame-shifting fight more important than ever. Don’t let an insurer talk you out of a valid claim — or talk you into accepting more fault than the evidence supports.

We handle the full range of roadway cases, including pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, and car accidents. See more outcomes on our case results page, or contact us for a free review at any of our New York offices.