Manhattan Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Manhattan recorded approximately 1,332 bicyclist injuries in 2024. NYC DOT reported approximately 5,000 total bicycle crashes citywide in 2023, with Manhattan representing a significant portion. The grid carries the highest cyclist density in NYC alongside heavy taxi, rideshare, delivery van, and bus traffic. Cyclist fatalities cluster on Broadway, Second Avenue, Third Avenue, and at major crossings like Sixth Avenue and West 23rd Street.

New York County Supreme Court at 60 Centre Street handles civil cases with unlimited jurisdiction, the correct venue for any serious bicycle injury claim. New York County Civil Court handles smaller claims. Appeals go to the Appellate Division, First Department (Manhattan and Bronx). For crashes involving NYC vehicles, MTA buses, NYPD or FDNY vehicles, NYC Sanitation trucks, or other public-authority vehicles, a Notice of Claim must be served on the NYC Comptroller within 90 days under General Municipal Law 50-e.

Yes. New York Insurance Law 5103 covers bicyclists struck by motor vehicles. Personal Injury Protection (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 (or, if the vehicle was uninsured or unidentified, the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation 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).

Broadway through SoHo, the Flatiron, and the Garment District concentrates cyclist crashes from blocked bike lanes and crossing traffic. Second Avenue and Third Avenue carry heavy north-south cycling volume. Sixth Avenue at West 23rd Street is a documented high-injury crossing. The Manhattan Bridge bike path and Brooklyn Bridge bike lane have been the focus of NYC DOT crash analysis. West Side Highway / Hudson River Greenway crashes cluster at intersections with cross streets. Citi Bike crash hotspots track these same corridors.

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 and 1 year and 90 days to commence suit. Hit-and-run claims through MVAIC require notice within 90 days. Minors toll the clock until age 18 under CPLR 208.

Primarily the at-fault driver. Liability often extends. The driver's employer if working (commercial truck, MTA bus, NYC Sanitation, taxi, rideshare, delivery van. Amazon, UPS, FedEx, food delivery). The vehicle owner under VTL 388 if different from the driver. NYC if a defective traffic signal, blocked bike lane, or pothole contributed (subject to prior-written-notice rules under NYC Administrative Code 7-201). The bar or restaurant under Dram Shop Act 11-101 if the driver was visibly intoxicated.

E-bikes (under 25 mph for Class 1 and 2) and Citi Bike rides are covered by the same Vehicle and Traffic Law and no-fault framework as standard bicycles when struck by a motor vehicle. Citi Bike's operator (Lyft) carries product-liability exposure for defective bikes and may have insurance coverage. Class 3 e-bikes (over 25 mph) and certain mopeds may have different requirements. Crashes between cyclists, between e-bikes and pedestrians, or involving delivery e-bikes have their own complications.

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. Manhattan cyclist injuries from collisions with cars, trucks, and buses are routinely catastrophic: traumatic brain injuries, multiple fractures, internal injuries, spinal injuries. Manhattan juries return solid plaintiff verdicts in clear-liability cases.