Bicycling is not just a great way to get around the Big Apple; it’s also a tried-and-true way to exercise while doing your part for the environment. However, you have to be careful when bicycling throughout New York City, as hazards such as negligent and/or inattentive drivers can be expected on most roads.
If you or a loved one are ever injured in a New York City bicycle accident, you need to know who to call, what to do, and how to recover damages for any medical bills that may result. Schwartzapfel Lawyers is here for you and can assist with any bicycle accident lawsuit, so, please, put your future first and contact us today at (516) 342-2200 for a free consultation.
Bike Accidents in New York City
According to official city statistics, bike accidents are incredibly common in New York City. For example, 2018 saw nearly 19,000 bike accidents occur across all five New York City boroughs. Among these, 18,500 caused injuries and 16 proved fatal.
Sadly, these statistics did not improve despite COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. During this year, there were still over 12,000 bike crashes, most of which resulted in serious injuries. Other statistics indicate that there were approximately 320 bicycle and pedestrian accidents in 2020 that did not involve a motor vehicle.
As you can see, bicycle accidents can happen to anyone. Even if you wear a helmet and proper safety gear to practice bicycle safety, you can still be injured if you’re involved in an accident with a moving motor vehicle. Cars are much heavier than bikes, and while everyone should be able to safely share the road, even a minor accident can send a bicyclist or pedestrian to the emergency room.
Causes of Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle accidents may occur for a variety of reasons, including truly accidental circumstances like bad weather. However, some bicycle accidents are caused because of the negligence of another party. These causes include:
- Driving while drinking or under the influence of drugs
- Driving while texting or otherwise distracted
- Driving with a car that needs maintenance
- Driving too close to bike lanes
- Speeding and/or driving through a red light
Motorists are responsible for most car accidents involving bicycles. Injured cyclists should contact law offices soon after to recover damages for their bicycle accident injuries and pay for medical bills. Knowledgeable legal professionals can help you prove negligence and secure compensation through a bike accident lawsuit.
To learn more about how you can better protect yourself and your loved ones, speak with one of our bicycle accident legal specialists by calling (516) 342-2200. Your consultation will be free and the advice offered to you invaluable in protecting your health and financial future.
Negligence in Bike Accidents
For any bicycle accident lawsuit to be successful, your attorney will need to prove negligence on behalf of the at-fault party. Negligence simply means that a defendant:
- Has or had a responsibility for your safety. For example, all legal New York City drivers have a responsibility to drive while not intoxicated. This is meant to curb avoidable accidents and ensure that drivers make reasonable decisions when behind the wheel.
- Breached that responsibility either knowingly or ignorantly. For instance, if a driver has an opened alcoholic beverage in their vehicle when they get behind the wheel, they have breached their duty to others, including bicycle riders.
Proving negligence can often be done through gathering important evidence at the scene of an accident, speaking to eyewitnesses, and more. Personal injury attorneys can help prove negligence by:
- Examining the right of way at the scene of the incident
- Showing through traffic laws that bicycle accident victims did nothing wrong or that a driver caused a bicycle crash
- Indicating that bike riders followed all necessary bicycle laws
- And more
Bike Accident Injuries
Bicyclists are at a much greater risk of sustaining severe injuries compared to drivers. Pedestrians, as well, are at a higher-than-average risk of serious injury if they are hit or run over by a bicyclist. Bike accident injuries frequently include:
- Deep cuts or lacerations
- Road rash
- Serious bruises
- Broken bones
- Strains, sprains, and ligament tears
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) such as concussions
- Spinal injuries, which can lead to paralysis or long-term disabilities
Because many bike accident injuries are so damaging and dangerous, they frequently require surgeries, physical therapy after initial recovery, and other expensive procedures. Bike accident victims may not be able to pay for these medical expenses out of pocket. In such circumstances, a lawsuit could be their only means toward financial stability.
Can You Sue At-Fault Parties?
In many cases, yes. Although New York is a no-fault state, these rules typically only apply to auto accidents that involve two different drivers. Even in these bicycle accident cases, no-fault laws are relaxed if a victim’s injuries are particularly severe or debilitating, or if damages are excessively high.
That said, it’s always wise to contact knowledgeable bike accident attorneys to determine whether you can sue the at-fault party for your injuries. Bicycle accident lawyers can break down:
- Who is most likely at fault for the accident
- Whether pure comparative negligence may apply – in this model, you could be held partially or even mostly at fault for your injuries, which may prevent you from recovering damages
- How soon you need to file a lawsuit, if applicable
All of this valuable information can be tough to determine or discover alone. Therefore, contacting personal injury lawyers like Schwartzapfel Lawyers should be your first step after getting yourself to safety and/or being examined by medical professionals. Call us today at (516) 342-2200 for your free consultation!
How Bicycle Accident Attorneys Can Help
No matter the specifics of your case, bicycle accident attorneys can assist with your New York City lawsuit in a variety of ways. This is especially true if you hire experienced attorneys like Schwartzapfel Lawyers, where we will offer you a free case review or case evaluation when you speak to us. You can also view our testimonials page to get a picture of our past verdicts and settlements.
Negotiate With Insurance Companies
First off, we can negotiate with your insurance company and ensure that you get paid what you deserve. Many insurance companies try to avoid paying victims of bike accidents, either by pinning the blame on them or through other means. You don’t need to let this affect your case.
When you hire Schwartzapfel Lawyers, we’ll negotiate with your insurance company and make sure that your insurance payout is what you deserve and that your premium does not spike unnecessarily. We can perform the same negotiation tactics with the defendant’s law firm if needed. Call us now at (516) 342-2200 to learn how we can fight – and win – for you!
Collect Evidence
Additionally, Schwartzapfel Lawyers can collect important evidence for your bike accident lawsuit. The right evidence can maximize your damages and the chances of your lawsuit succeeding. We will collect evidence, including but not limited to:
- Eyewitness accounts, including your own account of the events
- Traffic camera footage, which may capture negligent behavior on video for everyone to see
- Police reports, which record important details that can be vital for the success of your personal injury case
This evidence collection can be time-consuming and tiring. But experienced bike accident lawyers can take care of it for you while you rest, recover, and are simultaneously kept informed through the attorney-client relationship.
Present a Successful Case
Schwartzapfel Lawyers fights for each of our clients. When you hire us, you become like family and your case immediately takes priority. A big part of that is the trial or arbitration process.
If the lawsuit goes to trial, we know exactly what to do and how to present the gathered evidence in the most successful way possible. Presenting evidence efficiently and compellingly is key to securing great outcomes for our clients, which is why we’ve spent decades perfecting our strategies.
Maximize Damages
Perhaps most importantly, Schwartzapfel Lawyers will fight for you to maximize the damages you receive from your lawsuit. We know medical bills can be expensive, which is why we won’t rest until we secure you enough damages to pay for all of them and then some.
In the past, we’ve managed to secure millions of dollars in settlements for New York City cyclists just like you. We also work to prevent pure comparative negligence from lowering your total compensation. Note: The pure comparative negligence rule may cause courts to assign some or most of the blame for your injuries to you.
With our assistance, however, this won’t affect your case or the total damages you receive from your personal injury lawsuit.
Contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers Today
Bicycle accidents are tough to recover from, physically and financially. We can help with the second part, which, in turn, will enable you to receive proper medical care. By serving as your lawyers, we will ensure that you recover damages to pay not only for medical bills but also other damages you may have experienced.
In addition, we can protect you from being sued by the at-fault party or any pedestrian(s) involved in the accident. So, please, don’t take on the burden of a lawsuit alone; contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers today at (516) 342-2200 or online, and allow us the honor and privilege of giving you a free case evaluation to get started.
Sources:
Schwartzapfel Lawyers, P.C. | Fighting For You™™
2020 Bicycle Crash Data Report | NYC DOT
Bicycle Accident Injuries in New York City Update 2021 | Globenewswire
