Bike Accident Personal Injury Lawyer New York: The Bronx

Serving New York: The Bronx | Grand Concourse | Riverdale | Pelham | Fordham | Co-op City

It’s a bold new world for cycling in the city. You don’t need a Bike Accident Lawyer in Bronx NY to tell you that the landscape has changed. The addition of bike lanes to city streets, Citi Bike stands, and powered E-Bikes have made cycling in the city more accessible than ever. Unfortunately, as you and any Bronx Personal Injury Lawyer are aware, drivers in New York City can be aggressive…very aggressive.

These are the ingredients in a cocktail that can result in accidents and, sadly, the cyclist ends up on the worst end of that equation. And it’s not just people operating personal cars: hustling taxi and ride-share drivers (Uber, Lyft), pressured operators of delivery vehicles (UPS, USPS, Amazon), jitneys driving picking up passengers heading from the Bronx to Midtown, and city buses create many hazards for cyclists.

Moving vehicles are not the only hazard. Parked vehicles with passengers exiting without looking can lead to a severe accident, as can distract pedestrians roaming into a street because they don’t hear a car. Biking past a construction site or on a poorly maintained city road in the spring can expose someone to severe potholes or other road hazards that lead to an injury. Taking a ride on a bicycle can seem like a healthy and ecological activity or mode of transportation, but it can be the first step on a path to the emergency room.

At the Feiner & Lavy Law Firm, we have heard of people biking from the Bronx to work in Manhattan. It’s actually quite doable. From a Citi Bike station outside Yankee Stadium to Times Square is a six-mile ride that someone should be able to accomplish in under an hour – possibly without incurring additional charges or needing to swap bikes. During the ride across the Macombs Dam Bridge, down Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, through Central Park, and down Seventh Avenue, a rider could be passed by hundreds of cars. To a Bike Accident Lawyer Bronx NY, this looks like the potential for an injury.

What are some of the most common causes of bike accidents?

There can be many different causes of accidents, but these are some of the more common types:

• Turning accident: Cyclists are often victims of drivers failing to see or exercise care when making a turn and smashing into a cyclist. This can happen at lights, stop signs or when making turns onto side streets.
• Being side-swiped: Although motorists are instructed to “exercise ‘due care’ to avoid colliding with any bicyclist” under New York State law, a driver failing to leave enough space can hit a cyclist from the side.
• Dooring: This is when a car or truck door suddenly opens in the path of a cyclist, there isn’t adequate time to stop, and the cyclist collides with a vehicle door.
• Being rear-ended: Aggressive drivers can follow a bicyclist too closely, and if the cyclist needs to stop, the driver can ram into a cyclist.
• Road hazards: Poorly maintained roads with terrible potholes, crumbling pavement or even unsafe conditions like litter that hasn’t been cleaned in a reasonable time can pose hazards that lead to injury.

How common are injuries to cyclists?

A Bike Accident Lawyer in Bronx NY can cite a statistic that is very telling: nationally, according to CDC statistics published in 2015, there were more than 450-thousand bicycle-accident-related injuries and more than 1,000 deaths in the United States. Those accidents will result in lifetime medical costs and productivity losses estimated at $10 billion. That to us is very illustrative. It speaks of cyclists killed and injured, the pain and suffering they go through, lengthy time to convalesce, lost opportunity, and family anguish.

What are some of the most common injuries bike riders suffer?

The most common physical damage suffered by cyclists includes head and face injuries, bone breaks, dental damage, rib fractures, a variety of injuries to internal organs, cuts and bruises. Some of these can be very severe. Traumatic brain injury, eye damage, or internal organ damaged like a ruptured spleen or renal contusions can result in lengthy hospital stays and, potentially, a permanent state of disability.

I used Citi Bike and believe the bicycle was defective. Won’t they pay?

A Bike Accident Lawyer Bronx NY who has read the liability waiver Citi Bike users agree to and will know this: Citi Bike puts all the responsibility on the rider. Despite this, if you’ve suffered an accident, it is worthwhile to have an attorney explore if a hazard was created by Citi Bike. Although the liability for accidents, according to Citi Bike’s liability waiver, is solely with the rider, if the company has created a great enough hazard, a judge could look past a waiver that states bikes are “as-is” with no promise they are defect-free and that if you use an E-Bike, “you assume those risks.”

What is an E-Bike?

An E-Bike is an electric-powered bike that doesn’t require a rider to peddle, and they travel up to 18 miles per hour. These are regulated differently than gas-powered scooters and mopeds because you don’t need to be licensed or to carry insurance to operate them. These are currently rented by Citi Bike for an additional fee or can be privately owned.

What should I do if I’m injured or a loved one is injured in a bike accident in the Bronx?

• It’s important to get medical attention immediately, even if you don’t feel hurt. Injuries sometimes take time to present and it is important to get checked out.
• Get the names of witnesses and people involved in the accident.
• Take pictures of the scene with your cellphone camera as soon as possible.
• Obtain a copy of any police report.
• And most importantly, speak with a Bike Accident Lawyer in Bronx NY at Feiner & Lavy at 212-393-9130 for a free evaluation to see if you have a case that can help you to recover from your injuries. We are a respected personal injury law firm that has fought for and earned millions of dollars in settlements for our clients.