More people are riding in the Bronx than ever: on the Grand Concourse, along Pelham Parkway, on the Bronx River Greenway and as delivery workers on e-bikes. But drivers still turn across bike lanes, open doors without looking and pass too close. If you were hurt, a Bronx bicycle accident lawyer can help you get your medical bills paid and hold the driver accountable. Here’s what you need to know.
Cyclists are covered by no-fault
Many riders don’t realize this: if a car or truck hits you while you’re on a bicycle, you’re generally treated like a pedestrian under New York’s no-fault system. The vehicle’s no-fault insurance pays your medical bills and part of your lost wages, up to at least $50,000, no matter who caused the crash. You typically need to file the no-fault application within 30 days. Our no-fault claims guide explains the process.
Common Bronx bike crashes
- Dooring. Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1214 bars opening a car door into traffic unless it’s reasonably safe. A driver or passenger who doors a cyclist is usually at fault.
- Right hooks and left crosses. Drivers turning across a bike lane or through an intersection without yielding.
- Unsafe passing on narrow streets and multi-lane roads like Fordham Road and Webster Avenue.
- Commercial vehicles, such as delivery trucks and box trucks with large blind spots.
- Road defects, including potholes, sunken grates and broken pavement. These claims often involve the City and a 90-day notice deadline.
Suing the driver: the serious injury threshold
To recover for pain and suffering beyond no-fault, you generally need a “serious injury” under Insurance Law § 5102(d). Examples include a fracture, significant disfigurement, a significant limitation of a body function, or an injury that kept you from your normal activities for 90 of the first 180 days. Bike crashes often cause exactly these injuries: broken wrists and collarbones, knee and shoulder tears, and head injuries.
What if the driver says it was my fault?
New York follows pure comparative negligence (CPLR § 1411). Even if you were partly at fault, say for riding outside a lane or without a light, you can still recover; your award is reduced by your share of fault. Not wearing a helmet usually doesn’t bar an adult’s claim, though insurers may try to argue it made a head injury worse.
What to do after a bike crash in the Bronx
- Call 911 and get a police report. Don’t let a driver talk you out of it.
- Photograph the vehicle, its plate, your bike, the scene and your injuries.
- Get names and numbers of witnesses.
- Keep your damaged bike, helmet and clothing. Don’t repair or throw them away.
- Get medical care the same day, even if you feel “okay.”
- Don’t give a recorded statement to the driver’s insurer.
How a Bronx bicycle accident lawyer helps
We file your no-fault claim, get camera footage from nearby businesses and city cameras before it’s erased, identify every policy that may pay (including your own household auto policy in hit-and-run cases), and build the medical proof needed for a serious injury claim. For more background, read our NYC bicycle accident claims guide and our bicycle accident practice page. We represent riders throughout the Bronx.
For safety resources, see the NHTSA bicycle safety guide.
Visit Yakov Mushiyev & Associates
Our office is at 1 Cross Island Plaza, Suite 325, Rosedale, NY 11422, just off the Cross Island Parkway on the Queens–Nassau border. If you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you: at home, in the hospital or by video.
Talk to a Bronx bicycle accident lawyer today
Yakov Mushiyev & Associates has recovered over $80 million for injured New Yorkers across the five boroughs and Nassau County. Consultations are free, available in English, Russian and Spanish, and there is no fee unless we win.
Call 718.775.3110 or contact us online for a free case review.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different. Attorney Advertising.