A motorcycle offers little protection in a collision, and injuries to riders and passengers are often significant. After a crash in New York City, a rider faces medical care, lost work, insurers, and questions about who was at fault. Bisogno & Meyerson, LLP handles motorcycle accident matters for people in Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the other boroughs. The firm’s office is at 7018 Fort Hamilton Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Staten Island and other NYC clients are represented from Brooklyn.
A motorcycle claim is a negligence case. It asks whether another driver, or another responsible party, failed to use reasonable care and whether that failure caused the harm. A careful review of the scene, the vehicles, and the records matters.
This page is a city-focused overview. For the practice-area description, see motorcycle accidents. To think through timing, read when to hire a personal injury lawyer and personal injury deadlines in New York. Related work appears under car accidents and personal injury law.
How Motorcycle Claims Are Evaluated
New York drivers must use reasonable care around every vehicle on the road, including motorcycles. Frequent fact patterns in the city include a driver turning left across a rider’s path, a car changing lanes into a rider, a door opening into a lane, and a rider thrown by a pothole or a poorly maintained roadway. Each raises different questions about speed, visibility, and roadway control.
Under CPLR 1411, New York applies comparative negligence. If a rider is found partly at fault, damages are reduced in proportion to that share rather than barred outright. Helmet use, speed, lane position, and lighting can all come up. How they affect a particular claim depends on the facts and the law, and is something to review with an attorney rather than assume.
Common Motorcycle Accident Situations in NYC
Intersections and turning vehicles
A large share of multi-vehicle crashes happen where paths cross. Whether the driver looked, whether the view was blocked, and how fast each vehicle was moving are the usual questions. Nearby cameras may have recorded the moment, but some systems overwrite footage within days.
Lane changes, traffic, and roadway defects
Dense traffic on the BQE, the Belt Parkway, and city avenues leaves little room for error. Sideswipes and sudden stops are common. Roadway defects such as potholes, metal plates, and debris can also cause a rider to lose control. If a public agency or authority may be responsible for a roadway condition, special notice rules apply and are strict. A notice of claim is generally due within 90 days. A hazard on private property may raise a premises liability question instead.
Trucks, buses, and commercial drivers
When a commercial vehicle is involved, the employer, the vehicle owner, and a maintenance provider may all be part of the review. See the firm’s truck accident page for related background.
Insurance Questions for Riders
Insurance is a point where motorcycle cases differ from car cases. New York’s no-fault system, in Article 51 of the Insurance Law, is built around motor vehicles as defined in Insurance Law § 5102(f), and that definition excludes motorcycles (some limited-use classes can differ). Riders therefore generally cannot count on the same no-fault benefits that people in cars receive; confirm how it applies to you. Other coverage may matter, including health insurance, the rider’s own motorcycle policy, and the at-fault driver’s liability policy, and coverage questions should be checked against the actual policies.
Insurers may ask for a recorded statement soon after a crash. Think carefully before giving one, and avoid guessing about speed, distance, or injuries. Keep every letter and bill.
Evidence and Medical Records
Practical steps help: seek medical care, even if you feel able to walk away, and tell providers about every area of pain. Photograph the scene, the motorcycle, skid marks, and visible injuries when it is safe. Get names and contact information for the other driver and witnesses, note plate numbers, and ask whether police prepared a report. Keep helmets, gear, and clothing as they were, and do not repair or sell the motorcycle before discussing it, since its condition can matter.
Medical records from the first visit forward carry weight. Gaps in treatment are a common point of dispute, so follow your providers’ plan and keep every bill and appointment note.
Deadlines in Motorcycle Cases
Most personal injury lawsuits in New York must be started within three years under CPLR 214. Claims against New York City and many public authorities are different. A written notice of claim is generally due within 90 days, and suit within one year and 90 days, under General Municipal Law §§ 50-e and 50-i or the statute that governs the agency. Missing those dates can end a claim. A death arising from a crash is reviewed under separate wrongful death rules with their own period. Every case differs, so consult an attorney about your dates.
How Bisogno & Meyerson, LLP Reviews These Matters
Bisogno & Meyerson, LLP has concentrated in personal injury and workers’ compensation work since 1994. When the firm reviews a motorcycle matter, the work typically includes collecting medical records, identifying every party who may bear responsibility, requesting available video, and checking insurance and notice deadlines. None of that predicts a result. It is the ordinary work of building a factual record. A short firm overview describes the practice.
Talk With Our Firm About a Motorcycle Accident
If you were hurt in a motorcycle crash in New York City, Bisogno & Meyerson, LLP can review what happened and explain possible next steps. A free consultation is a conversation about facts, deadlines, and options. It is not a prediction of liability or of any recovery.
Call (718) 745-8880 or contact us. Attorneys on the site are Patrick Bisogno, Esq.; Michael C. Meyerson, Esq.; and George A. Silva, Esq. Bring any photographs and medical paperwork.
Attorney Advertising. This page is general information from Bisogno & Meyerson, LLP, not legal advice. Contacting the firm does not, by itself, create an attorney-client relationship.