Long Island Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Long Island recorded substantial cyclist fatalities and serious injuries on its high-speed surface corridors. Jericho Turnpike alone accounted for 4 cyclist deaths between 2016-2020 (out of 62 total fatalities including 18 pedestrians). Sunrise Highway, Hempstead Turnpike, Route 110, Merrick Road, and the LIRR-adjacent corridors concentrate cyclist crashes. Suburban sprawl means high-speed cars share roads with bike commuters and recreational cyclists with limited shoulder protection.

Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola handles Nassau cases. Suffolk County Supreme Court at 400 Carleton Avenue in Central Islip and 210 Center Drive in Riverhead handles Suffolk cases. Both have unlimited civil jurisdiction. Appeals go to the Appellate Division, Second Department. For crashes involving Nassau or Suffolk County vehicles, town vehicles, school buses, or NICE / Suffolk Transit buses, a 90-day Notice of Claim under GML 50-e is required.

Yes. New York Insurance Law 5103 covers cyclists struck by motor vehicles. PIP benefits up to $50,000 cover medical expenses and lost wages regardless of fault. PIP comes from the policy of the vehicle that struck the cyclist. If the vehicle was uninsured or unidentified (hit-and-run), the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC) provides coverage with a 90-day notice requirement. To sue the driver for pain and suffering, the cyclist must clear the 'serious injury' threshold under Insurance Law 5102(d).

Jericho Turnpike (Route 25) tops cyclist fatality lists with 4 deaths between 2016-2020. Sunrise Highway concentrates exit-area pedestrian and cyclist crashes. Hempstead Turnpike, Route 110, and Merrick Road carry heavy commercial volume past surface bike infrastructure. Northern State Parkway prohibits cycling but service roads and parallel surface streets see crashes. The Bethpage Bikeway and Massapequa Preserve trails are protected, but cyclists riding to/from these trails on adjacent roads face risk.

Three years from the accident date for personal injury under CPLR 214(5). Two years from date of death for wrongful death under EPTL 5-4.1. PIP application within 30 days. For government-vehicle cases, 90-day Notice of Claim under GML 50-e. Hit-and-run claims through MVAIC require notice within 90 days. Minors toll the clock until age 18.

Primarily the at-fault driver. Liability often extends to the driver's employer if commercial (truck, NICE bus, Suffolk Transit, school district, delivery van. Amazon, UPS, FedEx). Vehicle owner under VTL 388. Nassau or Suffolk County, or the relevant town/village, if a defective traffic signal, missing signage, or roadway defect contributed (subject to prior-written-notice statutes). The bar or restaurant under Dram Shop Act 11-101 if the driver was visibly intoxicated.

Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes (under 25 mph) are covered by the same Vehicle and Traffic Law and no-fault framework as standard bicycles when struck by a motor vehicle. Class 3 e-bikes (over 25 mph) and certain mopeds may have different requirements. Citi Bike does not operate on Long Island, but other bike-share services may. Long Island has substantial delivery e-bike volume in Hempstead, Hicksville, Levittown, and Patchogue.

Past and future medical expenses, lost wages and loss of future earning capacity, pain and suffering, permanent impairment, loss of consortium, and in fatal cases pecuniary loss to the statutory distributees under EPTL 5-4.3. Long Island cyclist injuries from collisions with cars and trucks at suburban speeds are routinely catastrophic. Nassau and Suffolk juries return solid plaintiff verdicts in clear-liability cases.