Bicycle Accidents in New York City

A bike and helmet in the street after an accident

Cycling in New York City offers an incredible way to experience the city, from riding past iconic landmarks like Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Times Square to navigating daily commutes through bustling intersections in Midtown, Lower Manhattan, and beyond. Locals know the city’s unique cycling perks, as the New York City Department of Transportation estimates that more than 760,000 New Yorkers regularly ride bicycles.

But the same streets that make cycling in NYC unique also make it dangerous. Heavy traffic, aggressive drivers, and distracted pedestrians can turn a routine ride into a life-altering accident in an instant. Whether you’re pedaling along a designated bike lane or crossing a busy avenue, one careless moment by another road user can leave cyclists facing serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and an uncertain future.

While the overall risk of suffering a serious injury while cycling has decreased in recent years, primarily due to the widespread use of helmets and designated biking lanes, accidents still happen. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, the NYC bicycle accident attorneys at Douglas & London can help you recover financial compensation. Our dedicated team of personal injury attorneys has recovered more than $18 billion in verdicts and settlements over the past few decades.

Contact us at any time to schedule a free consultation. Our clients never pay a legal fee until the matter has been resolved in their favor.

How Do Bicycle Accidents Occur in NYC?

Common types of bicycle accidents include:

Intersection Accidents

Drivers fail to yield the right-of-way when they’re turning, and an approaching cyclist is going straight. They are also frequently distracted when merging with traffic, and as a result, they negligently collide with a bicyclist.

Some of the most dangerous intersections for cyclists in New York City include Tillary Street and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, which sees a particularly high number of crashes each year.

In Manhattan, 2nd Avenue and East 59th Street as well as 42nd Street and 8th Avenue are notorious for collisions involving cyclists. Other hazardous spots include Bowery and West Houston Street and Broadway and Union Square West.

Parked Car Dooring

Riding down a line of parked cars can be dangerous for bicyclists. Motorists sometimes fling their doors open without looking or thinking, causing a cyclist to fall head-first onto the ground or slide sideways, sometimes into traffic.

Bike Lane Accidents

Drivers may attempt to drive around other vehicles or bicyclists, rather than waiting for the flow of traffic to resume. They may also illegally park in a bike lane, obstructing the path of people who are lawfully using the lane and forcing cyclists into the main road.

Lot/Driveway Accidents

Motorists pulling in and out of spaces may not be aware of a cyclist riding by. The same is true of cars speeding out of private driveways without pausing and looking both ways.

Often, motorists commit a ticketable offense at the time of the accident, such as speeding, tailgating, failing to yield the right-of-way, using a phone while operating the vehicle, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or making an unsafe turn.

Common Bicycle Accident Injuries

A bicyclist hit by a car will most commonly exhibit:

  • Fractured bones, particularly arms, legs, and pelvises
  • Internal bleeding and organ damage
  • Eye injuries
  • Soft tissue injuries
  • Head, brain, and facial trauma
  • Back and neck injuries
  • Spinal cord damage, including paraplegia and quadriplegia

How Are Bicycle Injury Claims Different from Car Accident Claims?

Bicycle accidents pose unique legal considerations compared to car-on-car accident claims, such as:

Injury Severity

Debilitating injuries often occur when a lightweight bicycle comes into contact with a motor vehicle weighing well over 2,000 pounds. Damages often include future medical expenses and loss of income, which must be factored into the overall settlement. A knowledgeable injury attorney can help you determine which local specialists to see for your injuries. At Douglas & London, we have access to a network of medical experts who may be willing to testify on the nature of your injuries and your prognosis for recovery.

Expanded Scope of Liability

Several parties can be held liable for contributing to your injuries: a motorist, pedestrian, another cyclist, a negligent party’s employer, a transit company, a government agency responsible for road upkeep, and companies that manufactured a defective vehicle, bike, or safety equipment. Multiple parties can be held liable in a lawsuit, so it’s essential to conduct a thorough investigation before filing.

New York City Bike Laws

NYC has its own ordinances and laws regulating cyclist behavior, rights, and responsibilities. Bike riders must ride with traffic, not against it, in the street and designated bike lanes rather than on the sidewalk. They must stop at all lights and stop signs, go with walk signals, and yield right-of-way just as a motorist should. To be visible at night, all riders should have a white headlight in the front and a red reflector at the back.

New York State allows injured parties to sue even if they were partially liable for causing the accident under a theory known as “comparative negligence.” Working with a lawyer can help you counter claims made by the defendant and exonerate yourself from liability as much as possible to receive maximum compensation.

What Damages Can I Claim in a Bicycle Accident Lawsuit?

Potential damages include:

  • The cost of hospitalization, doctor’s visits, surgery, treatments, medication, therapy, and more
  • Potential treatments, expenses, and medical bills likely to arise in the future as a result of your injuries
  • Lost wages and income due to time off work for recovery and future diminished earning capacity
  • An estimated amount of “pain and suffering,” including both physical and mental aspects
  • Costs associated with emotional distress, anxiety, PTSD, depression, and loss of enjoyment in life
  • Costs associated with a temporary or permanent disability, scarring, and permanent disfigurement

Working with a bike accident lawyer will help you know whether the settlement offered is fair. It’s essential to consider all potential future damages, as well as the expenses incurred to date. Douglas & London works with forensic economists, vocational specialists, and medical experts to determine how your future may be impacted by a past bicycle accident.

Resources in NYC for Bicycle Accident Victims

When bike accidents occur in NYC, we are incredibly fortunate to have some of the top medical facilities in the country to help treat victims. A few of our more prestigious trauma hospitals include:

In addition, injured cyclists have options in the city for support groups to help them move forward after their accidents, including:

  • NYU Langone: Young Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion Survivor Support Group

How Are Citi Bike Crashes Different from Personal Cycling Accidents?

Fortunately, the Mineta Transportation Institute’s study of major cities, including Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., found that bike-sharing programs operated at significantly reduced injury and fatality rates compared to personal cycling. The same holds in New York City, where serious bike crashes remained flat, despite widespread adoption of Citi Bikes. 

However, another recent study reports that in NYC, there were 30 bike deaths in 2023, with 23 of those involving people riding e-bikes. This is about a 23-year high.

Details around these accidents suggest that there’s an increased need for protected bike lanes (NYC has added about 30 recently). Again, it’s important to note that the majority of the deaths involved e-bikes, not classic bikes.

Still, bike share programs have a very high safety record compared to personal bicycles. Why?

  • The design is slower, heavier, and more stable than most street or racing bikes.
  • The bright blue color and onboard lights make them highly visible.
  • People may drive the bikes more cautiously after using a credit card to reserve them.
  • People using Citi Bikes to get to work also drive more judiciously than a leisure rider.
  • Cities that adopt ride-sharing programs also tend to make infrastructure changes to accommodate them.

Who Is at Fault for a Citi Bike Crash?

Although bike share programs provide safer cycling around NYC, biking still exposes cyclists to serious injury when drivers of motor vehicles are negligent. When this happens, a bicycle accident case will be handled similarly to a personal bike crash—but with a few different considerations.

Responsibility for a Citi Bike accident will depend upon specific circumstances, but may include:

  • A Motorist: Failure to recognize a bicyclist’s right-of-way and yield accordingly is one of the top reasons Citi Bike riders get hurt. “Dooring” accidents, where a driver or passenger opens a parked car door without first looking, are another common cause of injuries to cyclists. Drivers are required to carry auto insurance to pay for any harm they may cause.
  • A Motorist’s Employer: Employers are vicariously liable for their “on-duty” employees. They are specifically responsible for hiring, training, and supervising their workers. 
  • New York City Government: The city is rarely held liable for a bicycle accident, with dangerous construction projects or unfixed, longstanding potholes being the primary exceptions. The local government owes a duty to maintain the roads in a safe condition. Their role as the party that granted Citi Bike a contract to own and operate the bike-sharing program does not increase their liability.
  • Citi Bike: Although Citibank is the sponsoring company, it bears no responsibility for the bike program. The Citi Bike company is responsible for maintaining the bikes in a usable working condition. They may be sued for negligence if the tires become too worn or flat, the chains rust, or the brakes deteriorate, causing the bike to malfunction and leading to a crash.  
  • The Cyclist: Sometimes, an inexperienced cyclist carries some of the blame. Riding against traffic, running red lights, wearing headphones, or failing to use available bike lanes can lead to an accident. New York State allows the right-to-sue even if the plaintiff was partially to blame. However, the total compensation will be reduced based on the degree of ascribed fault.

What to Do After a Bike Accident in NYC

When injured or affected by a Citi Bike accident or harmed on your personal bicycle, NYC residents should follow these steps:

  • Call 911 to report the crash and seek immediate medical attention.
  • If injured while riding a Citi Bike, contact them within 24 hours of the incident by calling 1-855-BIKE311.
  • If able, write down the vehicle color/make/model/plate and the vehicle owner’s name.
  • Ask the driver for their insurance information.
  • Ask any eyewitnesses for their contact information.
  • Take photos of the crash scene, cars, bike, and road conditions.
  • Preserve evidence like the helmet and clothes worn at the time.
  • If your accident happens on a Citi Bike, have someone return it if the rental is due to avoid fees.
  • Request a copy of the accident report from the NYPD.

New York State provides up to $50,000 in medical benefits under the no-fault insurance law, so accident victims should not hesitate to seek emergency medical care. If the other vehicle was an MTA bus, taxi, or privately insured car, one should ideally give notice of the claim within 30 days.

Further, an individual must be careful about what they say to the other party. Insurers may seem friendly on the phone, but they want to pay as little as possible to preserve their bottom line. Saying “I’m fine” when asked how one is doing can be used to minimize the severity of injuries before a judge and jury. Ideally, a bike accident lawyer will act as a liaison to avoid unnecessary liability.

Get a Free Consultation with a New York Bicycle Accident Attorney

Whether you were injured in an accident while riding your own personal bike or while riding a Citi Bike, you only have a limited amount of time to pursue a legal claim after an NYC bicycle accident. Do not hesitate to explore your options with an attorney at Douglas & London. Our team of personal injury lawyers will investigate your claim, examine your medical records, tabulate your losses, file your court paperwork, and handle up-front costs.

Given the cost of treating bicycle accident injuries, it’s imperative that you know your legal rights, what constitutes a fair settlement offer, and pursue justice for yourself and other bicyclists sharing the road.