Bicycling and the Bronx go together more than you may think. Riding a bike represents one of the most common and efficient ways to get around the Borough. Deliveries come by bike, workers commute by bike, and kids ride bikes on sidewalks and side streets. With CitiBike, anyone can grab a bike to travel throughout the city. With all the bike riding that happens in the Bronx, accidents inevitably happen. If you are lucky, getting into a bike accident leaves you shaken but not seriously injured.
Many Bronx residents, workers, and visitors are not so lucky, however. Instead, they may get into crashes that leave them badly, or even fatally, injured. Many Bronx bicycle accidents occur because of the dangerous or reckless actions of someone other than the bicyclist. In those cases, injured victims and the families of cyclists tragically killed in a crash have a legal right under New York law to seek compensation from the at-fault party. The skilled, hard-working Bronx bicycle accident lawyers at Dolman Law Group can help them recover that compensation. Contact us today and read on to learn more.
About Our Representation of Bicycle Accident Victims
Dolman Law Group represents people injured in accidents and incidents caused by someone else's careless, reckless, or intentionally harmful actions. Based in Florida and working with clients nationwide, our team fights to hold individuals, corporations, and government entities accountable when their bad decisions and conduct leave our clients in severe physical, emotional, and financial pain.
A significant part of our law practice involves pursuing money damages and other compensation on behalf of victims of preventable bicycle accidents. Our Bronx personal injury lawyers know the kind of devastating injuries a bicycle crash can cause. We also know where to find important evidence and how to use it to prove that someone owes our injured client the maximum compensation allowed under New York law.
Over our years of service to injured clients, we have secured tens of millions of dollars in compensation through settlements and jury verdicts. Of course, our past successes cannot guarantee future results. However, our experience can and does give our Bronx clients peace of mind knowing that they have a legal team that knows how to get results in even the most challenging bicycle accident cases.
Bronx Bicycle Accident Statistics
Understanding how commonly Bronx bicycle accidents occur, when they occur, and who is involved in them may help you reduce your risk or learn more about your own accident. At Dolman Law Group, we use these statistics to support our claims and help clients know they are not alone in suffering injuries in this type of incident.
According to official New York State traffic data:
- In one recent year, the Bronx experienced 470 bicycle accidents, resulting in 273 injuries to accident victims.
- In 98 percent of those accidents, the bicyclist suffered the injury.
- More than half of the victims of these accidents were between the ages of 20 and 39.
- Nearly two-thirds of those injured were not wearing helmets at the time of their accidents.
- In a typical year, between 0 and 10 fatal injuries occur in bicycle accidents in the Bronx.
- Many of the accidents involving bicycles and motor vehicles occur at Bronx intersections.
How Bronx Bicycle Accidents Happen
State data also sheds light on how bicycle accidents happen in the Bronx. Mistakes by motor vehicle drivers play a role in many, though not all, Bronx bike crashes. Here are a few of the most common causes of bicycle accidents in the Bronx:
- Driver distraction/inattention. By far, the most common cause of a bicycle accident in the Bronx involves a driver of a car, truck, bus, or other motor vehicle getting distracted or otherwise failing to pay attention to the presence of a cyclist sharing the road. Driver distraction consists of any action that takes a driver's hands off the wheel, eyes off the road, or mind away from driving safely. These days, texting and driving (which is illegal in New York State), accounts for lots of driver distraction. However, as anyone who has ever driven in New York City knows, plenty of other sights and sounds can distract a driver and lead to a bicycle accident.
- Failure to yield the right-of-way. Drivers also frequently cause bicycle accidents in the Bronx by failing to yield a right of way to a cyclist. Perhaps the most common way this happens is when a car or truck makes a left at an intersection, turning directly into the path of a cyclist. A variety of factors leads to drivers making this potentially deadly error. Sometimes drivers think they, not the bicycle, have the right-of-way, which is wrong; bicycles, like any other vehicle approaching in the opposing direction, have the right of way over left-turning vehicles. Sometimes drivers mistime a turn, mistakenly thinking they can make it through the intersection ahead of an approaching cyclist, and sometimes, drivers simply do not see a bicyclist approaching, either because of an obstructed view of the road ahead, poor lighting or visibility, or even something called inattentional blindness (when drivers simply do not see a cyclist directly in their line-of-sight).
- Improper passing/lane changing. Motor vehicle drivers also sometimes cause accidents with cyclists in the Bronx by driving too aggressively around or near the cyclists. Drivers may clip a bicycle while trying to pass it on a narrow street, or they may throw a cyclist off-balance by passing too close or too quickly. Drivers also cause bicycle crashes in the Bronx by changing lanes or turning without looking out for cyclists in their blind spots.
- Opening vehicle doors. The danger of “dooring” can also cause a serious accident involving a bicyclist in the Bronx. In these crashes, a vehicle driver or passenger—usually someone getting out of a vehicle that has parallel parked—opens a door directly into the path of a cyclist approaching from the rear. The cyclist does not have time to stop and collides with the open door. Door-related accidents can cause serious injuries because they virtually always send the cyclist flying over the handlebars and onto the street beyond.
- Poor road conditions. Another situation that causes accidents for bicyclists in the Bronx has nothing to do with drivers, but instead results from unreasonably dangerous, preventable road conditions that someone should have fixed, blocked off, or at least warned cyclists about. A common scenario involves a city, utility, or construction worker failing to block cyclists from riding over an open manhole or area of broken pavement, resulting in a dangerous wreck.
No matter how a bicycle accident in the Bronx happens, however, the skilled attorneys at Dolman Law Group have the experience and know-how to determine the at-fault parties and to hold them accountable. We know how to build a strong claim and support it with evidence that shows the victim's damages and the value of their losses. We seek to recover money damages for our clients through an out-of-court settlement with the insurance company or a personal injury lawsuit.
Bronx Bicycle Accident Injuries
Bicyclists in the Bronx who get into accidents, particularly collisions with motor vehicles, risk suffering serious, even fatal, injuries. In any bicycle accident, the rider's body has virtually no protection from the impact with another vehicle or the hard surface of the road or sidewalk. Many riders wear helmets, which can protect them against some serious injuries. However, helmet use only goes so far in preventing harm. Common severe bicycle accident injuries in the Bronx include:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can occur even if the cyclist is wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. To be sure, a helmet can reduce the severity of a TBI, but it cannot eliminate the risk of one. A severe brain injury may put a cyclist in a coma or lead to permanent motor, cognitive, and emotional impairments. Even a mild traumatic brain injury, however, can leave an injured cyclist struggling with severe, persistent symptoms, like chronic headaches, brain fog, insomnia, and mood disorders.
- Spinal cord injury. This is a common result of a cyclist landing hard on the ground or slamming against another vehicle or object in a collision. Spinal cord injuries interrupt the flow of messages from the brain to the body and frequently result in paralysis and loss of function in parts of the body below the site of the injury. Victims of spinal cord injuries in the Bronx may face a lifetime confined to a wheelchair, beset with health complications and high costs of care.
- Severe lacerations and abrasions (a.k.a. road rash), which occur when a cyclist's body slides along a rough road or sidewalk surface. The friction burns, tears, and scrapes away layers of skin, exposing delicate tissue beneath and embedding the wound with dirt and debris. Like a severe burn, road rash can cause dangerous infection, take months to heal, and leave a victim with disfiguring, debilitating scars.
- Broken bones and orthopedic injuries, which, although they may heal, can leave Bronx bicycle accident victims struggling with chronic pain and limited range of motion, affecting their ability to work, attend school, and enjoy life.
- Internal injuries, such as damage to vital organs, can cause life-long health complications for injured Bronx bicyclists. These injuries can also put a cyclist's life at risk if a doctor does not spot and begin treating them as soon as possible after the bicycle accident.
Dolman Law Group lawyers routinely represent clients afflicted with a wide range of serious, life-altering injuries. Our depth of medical and practical knowledge about severe bicycle accident injuries helps us assess our clients' legal and financial needs, and to explain our clients' injuries to insurance adjusters and juries.
Seeking Compensation for Injuries Sustained in a Bronx Bicycle Accident
Victims of bicycle accidents in the Bronx have legal rights, including the right to seek compensation from anyone whose unreasonably dangerous decisions or actions contributed to the cause of a crash. At Dolman Law Group, we represent injured cyclists and the families of bicycle riders who have been tragically killed in accidents.
To secure compensation for an injured Bronx bicyclist, we typically need to know two key pieces of information: (1) who owes our client legal liability and (2) the value of our client's claim. Only once we know this information can we begin to develop a case and a plan to recover compensation. Learning this information generally requires an investigation into what happened, the roles each party played, and the results of the crash.
Establishing Legal Negligence for Bronx Bicycle Crashes
Our clients often express surprise at learning about the range of parties who may owe them compensation for their bicycle crash-related injuries and losses. Every case is different, of course, but those parties often include:
- The driver of the vehicle that collided with our cyclist client
- That driver's employer, if the driver was on-the-job at the time of the accident
- A manufacturer of defective car or bike parts, if those parts caused a mechanical failure that led to the crash
- City government and contractors, if their actions made the streets of the Bronx unreasonably dangerous
Our team knows the importance of scouring the facts of a Bronx bicycle accident to identify every party who may owe money to our clients, so that our clients have the best possible opportunity to maximize their compensation. The more parties who owe our clients money, after all, the higher the chances of our client recovering maximum compensation through legal action.
Calculating Compensation for Bronx Bicycle Crashes
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA lawyers also work closely with our clients to evaluate the full scope of their injuries and losses from their bicycle accidents. Again, every case has unique features; however, broadly speaking, a legal action seeking damages on our clients' behalf can often obtain compensation to pay for:
- Past and future medical expenses related to the crash-related injuries
- Other expenses our client has and will have because of the accident and the injuries it caused
- Past and future lost income our client did not or will not earn because of the injuries and any resulting disabilities
- Our client's physical pain and emotional suffering, as well as the harm to our client's personal relationships and quality of life
- In some cases, punitive damages aimed at punishing and deterring the conduct that caused the crash
While our team cannot guarantee that a client will recover damages in any of the above categories, we can, however, commit our firms' considerable talents and resources to uncovering every possible type of damage that our client has suffered and to developing legal strategies tailored to maximizing our client's ultimate compensation.
We know how to estimate a range of values for these cases, determining where we believe the financial recovery should fall. Once we understand how much our client should be able to recover and the value of the documented damages, we can begin pursuing compensation in earnest. We demand just compensation from the insurers and negotiate with them to reach an agreement that satisfies both parties.
Bronx Bicycle Accident FAQs
Bicycle accident victims, and the families of cyclists tragically killed in bike accidents, often come to us at Dolman Law Group with long lists of pressing questions about their legal and financial rights. We will always take the time to answer questions from our clients and potential clients. However, some questions are so common that we can also provide general answers to those questions in this guide.
Below, we respond to some of the most frequently asked questions we hear from bicycle accident victims and their loved ones. For answers to specific questions about your rights and options after a Bronx bicycle crash, reach out to us directly.
How do I Know If I Qualify to Pursue Compensation Following a Bronx Bike Aaccident?
This is a broad question, but we hear it a lot. The short answer to it is that every Bronx bicycle accident is unique, and to determine for sure whether you qualify to pursue compensation, you should sit down for a longer conversation with a member of our team.
We can assess what happened, who may be responsible, and what types of damages you may be able to recover. We explain the options you have for pursuing damages and how we can help. We answer all your questions and even discuss how we charge for our services and how you will not be asked to pay anything upfront.
As a general rule, however, bicyclists in the Bronx have the right to expect safe passage, which doesn't involve getting hit by a car. If that happened to you, then there is a good chance that someone owes you compensation for your injuries and losses. Maybe that's the driver; maybe it's the driver's employer; maybe it's someone else entirely. No matter who it is, however, the most reliable way to get that compensation is to seek the help of an experienced Bronx bicycle accident lawyer right away.
How Much Money Should I Seek for My Bronx Bike Accident Injuries?
The answer to this question depends on the particular facts of your case. First, keep in mind that there are no guarantees in legal actions, which is why you should always aim to retain a law firm, like Dolman Law Group, to represent you that has years of experience and a track record of success representing injured cyclists.
As for the amount of money you can hope to recover for your injuries and losses, it helps to break the issue down into two parts. First, determine the amount that you have a legal right to recover, and second, determine the amount that you have a realistic chance of actually receiving. The dollar value you have a right to recover largely depends on the severity of your injuries and their impact on your life.
Consider the categories of damages that we listed above. The amount of money that falls into each of those categories tends to get larger the worse your injuries are and the greater disruption they cause in your life. The amount you can realistically hope to recover, however, can differ from that number. Why? Because some practical considerations also come into play in putting a value on your claim, namely:
- The strength of your case. To obtain compensation for your Bronx bicycle accident injuries, your lawyer will need to build a case to prove that someone owes you legal liability and that you deserve to receive the amount of money you seek in your lawsuit. Lawyers build cases on two pillars: (1) evidence and (2) legal arguments. The better your evidence, and the better the facts fit together with the relevant laws and rules that determine liability, the stronger your case and the higher the probability of receiving the full value of your claim.
- The money available to compensate you. The other factor affecting the amount you can realistically hope to recover has to do with how much money the party who owes you compensation has available to pay as money damages. In a practical sense, a case is truly only worth what the party with liability can afford to pay. In most Bronx bicycle accident injury cases, the at-fault party's liability insurance pays a significant portion of any damage award. The larger the insurance policy, in other words, the more money available. Sometimes, the at-fault party also has assets—whether it's money in a bank account, stocks and bonds, or other valuable property—that a lawyer can try to seize to pay your damages, too.
By retaining a skilled, experienced bicycle accident injury law firm, like Dolman Law Group, you can give yourself the best chance of building the strongest possible case against as many parties as possible, to maximize your odds of receiving the full value of your claim.
How Long does a Bronx Bicycle Accident Injury Claim Take?
The length of each claim varies. Some may settle out of court fairly quickly, while others could take months. In general, it takes longer to sue and go to trial, but sometimes this may be necessary. Remember, there are no guarantees, these factors may affect how long your case will last:
- The number of parties involved. The more chefs there are in the kitchen, so to speak, the longer it takes to make the meal. A claim involving just one injured person (you) and one at-fault party (like a driver, for example), will tend to move faster than a case with multiple parties on either side.
- The strength of the case. Just as the strength of your case can affect the amount you can realistically hope to secure as compensation, it also often affects the speed with which a lawyer can achieve a favorable outcome on your behalf. A strong case can often (though not always) move quicker than a case in which the parties disagree with each other about liability or the amount of damages.
- Your diagnosis and prognosis. The severity of your injuries and their future impact on your life plays a large role in determining how much money you will ultimately receive. Cases involving Bronx cyclists who have an obvious injury with a clear, predictable timeline for recovery will commonly move faster than cases with complicated injuries that involve unknown recovery times, because doctors, lawyers, and insurance companies may need to wait until your condition is more certain to know how much money you deserve.
- Personalities and working styles. Bronx bicycle accident claims depend on lawyers, insurance adjusters, judges, and others coordinating their efforts. Sometimes, we get cases in which everyone on both sides is motivated to get to a resolution quickly, but sometimes, the other side may try to slow things down.
As you can tell, most of the factors affecting how long your claim might take are out of your control. You do, however, control one critical piece of your Bronx bicycle accident injury claim: when you speak with a lawyer for the first time. The sooner you take that all-important step, the sooner the rest of the process can get started and (hopefully) wrap up successfully.
In some cases, getting started earlier can affect the rest of these factors. For example, we may be able to build a stronger case for compensation if we get started quickly after your accident. Some evidence disappears quickly.
For example, a bodega near your accident site may record over their security video every seven days. We will only have access to the video of your crash if we talk with them and preserve it before they erase the videos from the accident date.
The Insurance Company for the Driver Who Hit Me Offered Me a Cash Settlement. Should I Accept It?
Don't accept the settlement, and don't sign anything. First, consult with an experienced Bronx bicycle accident injury attorney, like the team at Dolman Law Group. You have rights after a Bronx bicycle accident, and you need to protect them. That starts by making good decisions about protecting your legal and financial rights and seeking the advice of a skilled lawyer who represents your interests.
If an insurance company for the driver who hit you offers you money, that means one thing for certain: the insurance company knows its customer (the driver) is legally liable to you for damages, and it wants to get out from under that liability as cheaply as possible. How does it do that? Often, by making you a quick, lowball settlement offer and sending you some papers to sign, hoping you will jump at what seems like easy money.
The problem is, however, that the offer will almost always fall short of the amount of money you have a legal right to receive. Signing that paperwork will likely mean giving up your right to sue the driver in the future. Do not make the mistake of signing away your valuable legal rights for pennies-on-the-dollar. Instead, say “no, thanks” to any settlement offer from the driver's insurance company, and leave it to a skilled, experienced lawyer to negotiate a settlement on your behalf.
You will not know the value of your case until your injuries reach maximum medical recovery or you are aware of your prognosis and future care needs. You will not be fully aware of the potential settlement range until you know how much your medical bills will be, including future care costs. You should never settle without knowing this information.
How Much does Retaining a Lawyer for My Bronx Bike Accident Injury Claim Cost?
Retaining a lawyer to handle your claim will cost nothing upfront, and nothing once your case concludes unless the lawyer successfully recovers compensation on your behalf. Lawyers for injured Bronx bicyclists like you, including Dolman Law Group, offer free consultations to potential clients. You can talk to them about your claim and get their initial read on whether you have a case without spending a dime.
Virtually all reputable Bronx bicycle accident lawyers, Dolman Law Group included, also represent their clients on contingency. That's when lawyers do legal work in exchange for a percentage of any money that they secure on their clients' behalf. You, the client, will pay nothing to the lawyer upfront, and the lawyer won't charge you for legal work as your case goes along. Instead, the lawyer only gets paid if you get paid.
By offering free consultations and doing work on contingency, lawyers like those at Dolman Law Group make top-notch legal services available to anyone who has suffered a serious injury in a Bronx bicycle accident, and that's how it should be. No one should go without legal representation in a New York bicycle accident case just because they think that they cannot afford a lawyer.
What Can I Do to Help My Bronx Bicycle Accident Injury Case?
First, and most importantly, make sure to seek medical care right away, even if you think you only suffered minor injuries. Some life-threatening conditions—like brain injuries or internal bleeding—do not necessarily show symptoms immediately after a bicycle accident. By going to the emergency room or consulting your regular doctor right away, you avoid having those kinds of injuries worsen. In the process, you also create medical records that may prove critical to making your case for compensation.
Second, and just as importantly, follow your doctor's advice. Keep follow-up appointments. Show up to physical therapy. Take your medicine. All of this protects your health and also continues to build the important paper trail your lawyer can use to prove the nature and impact of your injuries. Taking these steps will also prevent insurance companies and defense lawyers from trying to undermine your claim by arguing that you make your own injuries worse by not tending to them.
Third, if possible, collect and preserve evidence of what happened. It's never too early to follow this tip. If possible (and it may not be), take photos at the accident scene of your bike, the car that hit you, any dangerous road conditions, and any other feature of the accident scene that might help a lawyer figure out and explain to others what happened. Get the names and contact information of anyone else involved in the accident, and any eyewitnesses.
Then, afterward, keep everything related to the accident and your injuries, and we do mean everything. Keep medical records, insurance statements, receipts for medication, pill bottles, the clothes and helmet you were wearing when you crashed, your wrecked bicycle (DON'T get it fixed!), and anything else connected in any way to your Bronx bicycle accident and the harm you suffered. You never know what tiny piece of evidence might turn your case from a strong one into an unbeatable one.
Dolman Law Group: Your Bronx Bicycle Accident Injury Attorneys
Finally, do not wait to protect your legal and financial rights. Taking legal action could secure you significant payments to help you manage your expenses, replace your lost income, and rebuild your life. However, those rights have an expiration date, and if you wait too long to act, you could lose them. Our attorneys offer free consultations for bicycle accident victims in the Bronx.
So, as soon as possible after suffering any injury or loss in a Bronx bicycle accident, contact the skilled, caring, experienced lawyers at Dolman Law Group for a free case consultation to learn about your legal rights and options. You can reach us online or by phone anytime, day or night.
Bronx Office Location
3250 Westchester Ave, suite 200A/B
Bronx, NY 10461
(718) 550-3471
Client Testimonial
“AMAZING and understanding attorneys! Did great on my case and I highly recommend Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA for anyone that has been injured in an accident!" Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Koralis R. Jan 2020 Read more reviews on Google!