NYC Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcyclists are the most vulnerable drivers on the road when it comes to serious accidents. Without the protection of the steel cage, bikers can suffer catastrophic injuries both upon initial impact with another vehicle and on secondary impact with the surface of the road. To make matters worse, drivers and insurance companies will often try to unfairly pin the blame on motorcyclists after a crash.

At Belluck & Fox, our New York City motorcycle accident lawyers have more than two decades of experience successfully fighting for the rights of riders.

We also ride motorcycles and understand the needs of motorcycle riders. We hold negligent and careless drivers, truck drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists accountable for failing to watch for motorcycles, and our firm has recovered more than $1 billion for personal injury victims and their families.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation on your motorcycle accident injury claim. From our law office in Midtown, our attorneys are available to travel to meet with you in your home or in the hospital anywhere in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens or Staten Island.

Get Help After a NYC Motorcycle Accident

After a serious motorcycle crash, you and your family don’t need the added pressure of arguing with insurance companies and their aggressive attorneys. Instead, you need to focus on your recovery.

Let our award-winning legal team take the burden off you. You can trust our respected trial lawyers to:

Take over all communication related to your case. No insurance adjusters should be hounding you while you’re trying to heal. We make sure of that.

Identify and pursue every potential source of compensation. In some cases, there may be multiple parties responsible for compensating you after a crash. Our team will explore all the legal options.

Thoroughly assess what full and fair compensation should be in your claim. We will account for your current medical bills as well as future expenses you may face for ongoing treatment. We will also account for all the other losses, both economic and non-economic, you have suffered as a result of the crash.

Fight aggressively both in settlement negotiations and at trial, if necessary. In many cases, our skilled lawyers are able to negotiate maximum settlements for motorcycle accident victims. However, our respected litigation team will be ready for trial if the at-fault party refuses to make a fair offer.

Schedule a free case consultation now to learn how a knowledgeable New York City personal injury lawyer can help you fight for the justice you deserve. Our firm does not charge any fees upfront to start work on your case, and you don’t pay us a cent unless and until we recover money for you.

Fighting for Maximum Compensation After a Motorcycle Accident

During your free case review with Belluck & Fox, our attorneys will explain the types of compensation you may be entitled to receive. Depending on the circumstances of your case, we might demand payment for:

• All past and future medical expenses related to your injury, including the costs of surgeries, rehabilitative treatment, medications, ongoing care, assistive medical devices such as wheelchairs, etc.
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity if you are unable to return to work or must take a lesser paying job due to your injuries
• Damage to your motorcycle
• Physical, emotional and psychological pain and suffering
• Punitive damages, which can be awarded in extreme cases as a means to punish the at-fault party

If you have lost a loved one in a tragic motorcycle accident in NYC, our lawyers can also explain your right to compensation through a wrongful death claim. Call or fill out our online form to set up a time to talk to a knowledgeable NYC trial attorney about your case.

Statute of Limitations on Motorcycle Accident Claims in New York

As soon as an accident happens, the clock begins ticking on how long you have to file a personal injury claim. In general, motorcyclists in New York have three years to file an injury claim. However, depending on certain circumstances, the time limit may be as short as 90 days. In cases involving a fatality, plaintiffs have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit in New York.

It takes time and resources to build a strong claim for compensation after a motorcycle accident, and evidence can quickly disappear as time goes on. The sooner you talk to an experienced New York City personal injury attorney at Belluck & Fox, the better.

What to Do If You Are in a Motorcycle Accident in NYC

After a serious crash, there are so many worries clouding your mind as you try to deal with your injuries and think about what to do next. However, there are some clear steps you should take to protect yourself and your legal right to compensation:

• Call 911. Law enforcement officers will arrive at the scene and fill out an accident report, which can later be used as evidence in your claim.
• Seek immediate medical attention. Do not put off going to the doctor. You need to get treated for obvious injuries and fully examined for internal injuries that may not be immediately apparent. Seeing a doctor right away will also begin the documentation process for showing the extent of your injuries.
• Get information about the other driver. Try to get the driver’s name, license number, address and insurance policy number. Your lawyer can follow up from there.
• Write down contact information for witnesses. Anyone who witnesses the crash may be able to give statements to help support your claim for compensation.
• Take photos and notes. If you can, take pictures of the vehicles involved and any relevant evidence such as skid marks, street signs, etc. You should also write down details of the accident while they are fresh in your mind. Include the date, time and location, as well as road and weather conditions.
• Contact an experienced NYC motorcycle accident attorney. Your lawyer will want to begin collecting medical records, talking to witnesses, obtaining police reports and working with accident reconstruction experts. Your attorney can also manage all negotiations with the insurance company.

Frequently Asked Questions About Motorcycle Accidents in NYC

It’s common to have questions after a motorcycle accident, especially when you’re trying to figure out how to deal with the insurance companies. Our NYC motorcycle accident attorneys are here to discuss your case in a free initial consultation. We empower our clients with the knowledge they need to make smart decisions about their personal injury claims.

Some of the questions our motorcycle accident lawyers in NYC frequently answer include:

Should I talk to the insurance adjuster or give the insurance company a statement?

You may need to notify your own insurance company and speak with law enforcement officers, but you do not need to report anything beyond the basic facts. You should never give a recorded statement, and do not apologize for anything.

Insurance adjusters are trained to get crash victims to make statements that could hurt their case. The best thing to do is have your attorney manage all communication with the insurance companies.

I took photos and got contact information from witnesses. What should I do with them?

Please send our lawyers all the photos and any other information you have gathered. All of this will likely be helpful in proving your case.

In addition, keep any paperwork related to the accident, such as doctor bills and motorcycle repair bills. And be sure to note all the time you have missed from work. It will also help to start a journal to track how your life has changed on a daily basis since the accident.

The driver’s insurance company has made me a settlement offer. What should I do?

The insurance company’s goal is to pay you as little as possible. Adjusters base their initial offers on what statistics show them other victims like you have accepted in the past. They do not take into consideration the true costs you are facing as a result of your accident.

You should definitely have a skilled NYC motorcycle accident attorney review the settlement offer and explain what full compensation should include. Our law firm does not charge anything for this initial consultation to review a settlement offer. Contact us today.

What if I am partly to blame for my motorcycle accident injuries? Do I still have a case?

Yes. New York is what is referred to as a “pure comparative fault” state. This means that the courts will determine each party’s fault in percentages and apportion blame accordingly.

That’s why it is crucial to have a knowledgeable New York City motorcycle accident lawyer who understands how to prevent the other party from pushing an unfair portion of the blame onto you, thus reducing the amount of compensation you are entitled to receive.

Can I still pursue compensation after a crash even if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?

Yes, although the at-fault driver’s attorneys may try to show that your injuries are more severe because you weren’t wearing a helmet, thus reducing the amount of compensation you may be able to recover.

If you were seriously harmed in a motorcycle wreck and were not wearing a helmet, you need to talk to a knowledgeable personal injury attorney as soon as possible to learn about your legal rights.

What if the other driver didn’t have insurance? Will my insurance company cover medical expenses and lost wages?

Although motorcycles are not considered motor vehicles under New York State’s “no-fault” law, bikers can elect to carry uninsured, underinsured or supplemental underinsurance motorist coverage (UM, UIM, SUM coverage).

Our lawyers can review your insurance policy and discuss the details of your case to identify all your options for pursuing compensation after a crash.

How much is my case worth?

The amount of compensation you are owed will depend on the severity of your injuries, the circumstances surrounding your accident and the property damage involved. Our attorneys will thoroughly document both economic (related bills and monetary losses) and non-economic (intangible losses such as pain and suffering, etc.) damages.

You should know that it will take time to gain a full understanding of how your injuries will affect you into the future, so an immediate estimate of what your case is worth would not be accurate.

How much does it cost to hire a motorcycle accident lawyer in NYC?

Our NYC law firm does not charge any fees upfront to start work on personal injury or wrongful death claims. Instead, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means our legal fees are contingent upon whether we secure money for you. You don’t pay us unless we win your case. Our legal fee will then be a percentage of your compensation, usually one-third.

Contact Our Trusted NYC Motorcycle Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

If you or a family member has been seriously hurt in a wreck due to another driver’s negligence, contact our experienced personal injury attorneys in NYC now. Call or fill out our online form to set up a free consultation. The dedicated legal team at Belluck & Fox stands ready to fight for justice for you.