Motorcycle Accident Lawyer NYC
Riding a motorcycle is an increasingly popular way to get around New York. There are over 750,000 licensed motorcyclists throughout the state, a number that continues to grow each year, as more and more New Yorkers discover this enjoyable, cost-effective mode of transportation.
But while motorcycling can be fun, it can also be dangerous. The injuries suffered in motorcycle accidents are very often life-changing, leaving victims with scarring or some form of temporary or permanent disability. These conditions can result in staggering medical bills and an extended period of lost wages, all of which can put cyclists and their families in deep financial jeopardy.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a motorcycle crash, schedule a free consultation at The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny, where our knowledgeable motorcycle accident lawyers have been helping injured victims for more than three decades.
We can determine whether you have grounds for a personal injury or wrongful death claim and discuss all of the legal options available to you after a motorcycle accident. Call (212) 421-0300 or fill out a contact form for a no-cost case evaluation with a New York City motorcycle injury lawyer.
NEW YORK MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INJURY STATISTICS
Motorcycles provide significantly less protection than cars and trucks, leaving a motorcyclist directly exposed to the impact of metal and asphalt in the event of a high-speed accident. Statistically, a motorcycle rider is four times more likely to be injured in a crash than a passenger vehicle occupant and about 24 times more likely to be killed.
Given the unique vulnerabilities that motorcyclists face, it is unsurprising that motorcycle crashes are among the deadliest types of collisions in New York. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles reports that 204 people were killed in motorcycle accidents across the state in 2021 alone, and the situation is even worse in New York City. Though motorcycles make up only 2 percent of all registered vehicles in the city, the NYC Department of Transportation finds that they account for 14 percent of all deadly motor vehicle accidents. Moreover, New York City’s fatal crash rate for motorcyclists is nearly twice the rate for New York State motorcyclists.
While motorcycle accidents often end in death, even those that do not can still inflict punishing injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the injuries most often sustained in serious motorcycle accidents include:
- Leg and foot injuries: 30 percent
- Head and neck injuries: 22 percent
- Torso injuries: 20 percent
- Arm and hand injuries: 18 percent
- Shoulder injuries: 8 percent
Additionally, motorcyclists may suffer broken or crushed limbs, skin abrasions (road rash), traumatic brain injury, and paralyzing spinal cord injuries such as paraplegia and quadriplegia, which can require a lifetime of costly medical care while also hindering a victim’s ability to work. Our New York motorcycle accident attorneys can advise you of the best course of action to mitigate your economic damages if someone else is at fault for your collision.
How Do Motorcycle Accidents Occur?
Motorcycle accidents may occur for many reasons, but incidents in which a victim can receive compensation typically involve another driver’s negligence. Negligent behaviors that could lead to a motorcycle accident may include:
- Exceeding the posted speed limit
- Driving too fast for road or weather conditions
- Following too closely
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Making improper left-hand turns
- Cutting a motorcycle off at an intersection
- Swerving in front of a motorcycle
- Disregarding a motorcycle entering or changing lanes
- Opening a door in front of a passing motorcycle (dooring)
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Failing to see a motorcycle
Larger vehicles ignoring or disregarding riders are at the heart of most serious motorcycle accidents. Because motorcycles are smaller, have shorter stopping times, and offer limited physical shielding, other motorists have a duty to display greater care for motorcyclists by giving them extra room, reducing their speed more gradually, and paying more attention in traffic. Nevertheless, car and truck drivers neglect this duty far too often, and motorcyclists are likely to pay the price.
How Can You Prevent a Motorcycle Accident?
As you can see, motorcycle accidents can have devastating consequences. Fortunately, there are a number of steps that motorcyclists can take either to prevent crashes from happening or to limit the severity of any injuries when they do happen. To keep yourself safe while riding a motorcycle, you should:
- Be as visible as possible on the road. Motorcycles are much smaller than cars and trucks, so wear brightly colored clothing and flash your lights when approaching other vehicles, particularly at night or in conditions of reduced visibility.
- Change lanes slowly, and assume that you may be in another driver’s blind spot when you switch lanes. It may also help to use hand signals to alert others of your intentions and reduce the possibility of a sideswipe collision.
- Take precautions when traveling through intersections, where more than a third of motorcycle accidents take place. Always move slowly, watch out for approaching vehicles, and leave extra room in case of unforeseen hazards ahead.
- Maintain a safe speed. This does not only mean that you should follow the posted speed limit, which you are already required to do by law. You should also travel more slowly under weather conditions that limit your traction and your ability to see, such as rain, sleet, snow, ice, and fog.
- Do not tailgate. Following other vehicles too closely is the leading cause of rear-end collisions, which can be fatal when you are on a motorcycle at high speed.
- Pay attention. Distraction is a contributing factor in more than half of all traffic accidents, with cellphone use being the worst drain on a driver’s concentration.
- Do not ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which is both illegal and incredibly dangerous. Alcohol is involved in over a quarter of fatal motorcycle accidents.
- Do not cycle when you are tired, which can sometimes be as risky as intoxication when operating a vehicle. One study found that a driver who has gone more than twenty hours without sleep may experience the same level of impairment as a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent.
- Always wear a motorcycle helmet, which may reduce the likelihood of serious injury in the event of a collision. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found that helmets are approximately 37 percent effective in preventing death and 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries during a motorcycle accident.
What Our New York Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Can Do
But regardless of the precautions you take, motorcycle accidents can still happen, and injuries are likely to occur when they do, even with a helmet. If you have been hurt while riding a motorcycle, it can be difficult to know what to do next, especially if you are not the one who is at fault.
While you are certainly entitled to represent yourself, you may soon encounter many obstacles in trying to deal with the at-fault parties and their insurance companies, especially if this is your first motorcycle accident. Experienced insurance adjusters may count on your relative inexperience to settle your case for far less than it may be worth, or simply deny your claim altogether.
This is where the The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny can make all the difference. It may be your first motorcycle accident, but it is certainly not the first for our accomplished New York motorcycle injury attorneys. We know what a case like yours is worth and will do everything necessary to obtain it.
Once you retain our firm, we will immediately launch an investigation to identify and pursue everyone who may be responsible for your motorcycle accident within the time permitted by law. We will secure the evidence required to support your claim, including police reports, witness statements, video footage, relevant driving records, any available vehicular black box data, the disposition of all traffic citations, and even testimony from medical, technological, and accident reconstruction experts if necessary.
Once we have put together the strongest case possible, we will work to negotiate a fair settlement with the defendants and their insurance carriers. And unlike many of our competitors, who rarely, if ever, step foot inside a courtroom, we have fought for clients in hundreds of trials throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, so we are more than willing to take your case before a judge or jury if we do not get an offer that reflects the true value of your claim. Our New York motorcycle accident lawyers will always strive to get your compensated for all of your damages, including:
- Medical Bills – The costs associated with hospitalization, surgery, prescription drugs, therapy, assistive devices, and past, present, and future medical treatment should be taken into account.
- Lost Wages – You may be reimbursed for the wages you lost if your injuries prevented you from working. You might also seek remuneration if permanent impairment hinders your long-term earning capacity.
- Pain and Suffering – Non-monetary diminishments to your quality of life, such as physical discomfort and emotional and psychological trauma, may influence how much you receive.
- Loss of Consortium – Your spouse may be eligible to make a claim for any deprivation of the benefits of an intimate marital relationship because of your injuries.
- Punitive Damages – New York courts sometimes permit additional penalties against defendants whose conduct displayed “willful or wanton negligence” or a “high degree of moral turpitude” in order to discourage similar misconduct from others.
If you are concerned about spending additional money at a time when you may least be able to afford it, you should know that it will cost you nothing up front to hire us because our firm works on a contingency fee basis. Only when we bring your motorcycle accident case to a favorable resolution will we seek a fee for our services and reimbursement for our expenses, typically as a percentage of your verdict or settlement.
You have enough to worry about right now simply trying to recover from your injuries. Let us worry about recovering the compensation you need to do so.
New York Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Who Have What It Takes
If you or someone you know was injured in a motorcycle accident caused by the negligence or wrongdoing of another driver, you may have grounds to file a legal claim for damages. And with more than $350 million recovered for our injured clients and more than a century of combined experience, the New York motorcycle accident attorneys at The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny have what it takes to make sure that your claim is successful.
Please call us at (212) 421-0300 or fill out the case evaluation form below to speak with a New York motorcycle injury lawyer at our firm today.
