When you ride your motorcycle in New York State, you choose your own adventure. You may decide to navigate mountain highways, lakeside roadways, exciting New York City streets, or all three.
Unfortunately, everywhere you go, you share the road with bad drivers who don't always consider your safety. They may drive drunk, distracted, or too fast for conditions. Bad drivers may cut you off, pull into your lane, and crash into your bike because they don't even notice you.
If this has happened to you, you need the New York motorcycle accident lawyers at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA to fight for your legal rights.
We understand motorcycles are exciting and fun to ride, but bikers are some of the most vulnerable riders on the road. Even a minor crash usually sends a biker to the emergency room. When a vehicle strikes you, even at low speeds, it will likely force your bike to the ground. If a truck crashes into you, serious or catastrophic injuries are often inevitable. The tragedy is that, in most cases, these crashes are avoidable.
When someone else's negligence harms you, trust the compassionate and skilled motorcycle injury lawyers at Dolman Law Group to help you recover the compensation you deserve from those responsible for your crash.
Why You Should Choose Dolman Law Group as Your New York Motorcycle Accident Law Firm
We Work Hard for Motorcycle Accident Victims
At Dolman Law Group, we've dedicated our legal practice to recovering the maximum amount of damages for our injured clients. We have fought aggressively for injured motorcycle riders in the past, and we offer compassion, understanding, and legal knowledge when our clients need our help the most.
Our New York personal injury attorneys use all of our skills and resources to make responsible parties pay. When we represent an injured rider, we work aggressively to build a winning case from day one. We investigate each accident and examine all available evidence. We assess the legal issues, determine the negligent parties, and place each one on notice.
Our attorneys have seen first-hand how a motorcycle crash can devastate someone's life. The injuries are usually serious, often resulting in disabilities that change their lives forever. We review all medical records and evaluate the injuries. We do all we can to recover compensation to help our clients live better lives following an accident.
Our Firm's Results Speak For Themselves
At Dolman Law Group, we have recovered more than $400 million for our injured clients. When negligent people and their representatives have cooperated, we've had no problem working out a settlement. We'll negotiate aggressively with insurance companies, self-insured entities, and their defense attorneys.
Our firm represents clients during informal negotiations as well as at trial. We have worked with neutral mediators and discussed the evidence at court-ordered settlement conferences. We understand that informal settlement strategies don't always work. That's why we always prepare our clients' claims for an eventual courtroom presentation.
We have successfully argued past cases before judges and juries. We've produced results that our clients need to meet the future challenges presented by their injuries. As each case is different, we can't promise a specific outcome in any case, but we're proud of the results we've achieved for our clients.
Our track record of success shows our dedication to getting the job done. Some of our recent successes include:
- Motorcycle accident resulting in multiple serious injuries - $1.4 million recovered
- Motorcycle accident resulting in a Traumatic Brain Injury - $1 million recovered
- An accident created a subdural hematoma along with a rotator cuff shoulder injury - $750,000 recovered
- Motorcycle collision requiring a cervical fusion - $450,000 recovered
We invite you to view our results page for more insight into our accomplishments.
Motorcycle Accident Statistics in New York
Motorcycle enthusiasts live in every one of New York State's 62 counties. A significant number of those bike owners live in the Greater New York City area. Recent registration data shows that of the 344,688 motorcycles registered in the state, 298,912 of the owners live in New York County and its four adjacent counties. Motorcycle casualty statistics reflect this concentration of owners near NYC.
- Motorcycle accidents: 4,855 motorcycle crashes occurred in the state in one recent year. Of those crashes, 1,682 (34 percent) occurred in New York, Bronx, Kings, Richmond, and Queens Counties.
- Motorcycle accident fatalities: 132 motorcycle accident-related fatalities occurred in New York during that same year. Of those, 23 (17 percent) occurred in the Greater New York area.
- Motorcycle accident personal injuries: Of the 3,608 motorcycle accident-related personal injuries that occurred, 1,222 (34 percent) occurred in the Greater New York area.
Common Accidents Our New York Motorcycle Crash Attorneys Handle
When you ride a motorcycle, you must weigh your desire for adventure against your need to stay safe. As a motorcyclist, you depend on your riding skills and on vehicle drivers staying alert to avoid crashes. Vehicle operators often present unreasonable dangers, so a motorcyclist can't always avoid a crash.
Car and truck drivers often have difficulty judging a biker's speed. They sometimes infringe on a biker's right of way and cut the biker off while turning. They don't always recognize that bikers have the same rights as other vehicles. Sometimes, car and truck drivers simply don't notice that a motorcycle is riding near them.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports common themes when discussing motorcycle casualty statistics:
- Motorcyclists are “overrepresented in traffic fatalities.”
- Based on miles traveled, a biker is 27 times more likely to die in a crash than vehicle occupants.
- Motorcycles represent only 3 percent of all registered vehicles nationwide, yet they are 14 percent of all traffic fatalities.
- Vehicle drivers have problems sharing the road with motorcyclists.
Motorcycle accidents don't always involve another vehicle, but the most serious crashes do. Based on NHTSA data, motorcycle crashes involving a car or truck cause half of the documented motorcyclist fatalities in a given year.
How Do New York Motorcycle Accidents Occur?
Motorcycle accidents and injuries happen for many of the same reasons as car or truck accidents, however, motorcycles present some additional dangers as well. Auto drivers may collide with a biker when they drink and drive or drive too fast for conditions. Some motorists drive while distracted by phones, conversations, and other non-driving activities. Motorcycle accidents can also involve factors unique to motorcycles, including:
- Weight differences: Even the most compact vehicle is likely much larger and heavier than a motorcycle. The lighter weight and mass make it easy for a car to knock over a motorcycle and eject the rider.
- Balance: Vehicles have a balance advantage as well. Given their two-wheeled construction, motorcycles can topple with just the slightest vehicle force. When a cycle overturns, it often pins the driver and causes injuries.
- Protection: A motorcycle's open-air construction provides only minimal protection from injuries. Drivers of cars and trucks ride in steel-reinforced metal compartments. Those drivers have seatbelts, airbags, airbag side curtains, and other safety equipment not offered by a motorcycle.
- Visibility: Vehicle drivers don't always notice when a motorcycle is in traffic among them. This may occur because they are driving drunk, distracted, speeding, or simply not paying attention, and it also occurs because drivers don't always see motorcycles.
- Vehicle driver disrespect: Motorcycles are technically vehicles, just like cars and trucks. Drivers of all vehicles have the same rights and responsibilities when on the road. Unfortunately, some vehicle drivers don't recognize these rights. Each year, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) does a marketing campaign to remind vehicles to share the road.
- Failure to judge motorcycle speed: Vehicle drivers can't always judge a motorcycle's speed. When they act on their misperceptions instead of being cautious, they turn into a cyclist's path, cut into their lane, and commit other negligent acts.
Why New York Motorists Often Don't Notice Motorcycles
NHTSA statistics show that 41 percent of vehicle motorcycle crashes occur because drivers literally don't see motorcycles in traffic. The agency addresses this phenomenon in its safety resource: “Get Up to Speed on Motorcycles.” The section “Hard to See“ discusses several reasons, including:
- Motorcycles have a narrow profile that makes them harder to see.
- Motorcycles are easily hidden in a vehicle's blind spot.
- Motorcycles are difficult to see in changing light and weather conditions, such as fog, rain, and bright sunshine.
- Objects outside a car, such as construction equipment or trees, may hide motorcycles.
- Motorcycles are difficult to see in heavy traffic.
An article by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society labels this motorcycle visibility problem as inattentional blindness. The research determined that drivers have LBFTS (looked but failed to see) accidents because drivers' brains have a limited capacity to perceive surrounding objects.
Common Injuries Our New York Motorcycle Collision Lawyers Can Help Resolve
When the NHTSA conducted a study on motorcycle accidents and injuries, the researchers revealed several common factors. In 67 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes that involved a vehicle, the vehicle struck the front end of the motorcycle. Front-end collisions were also involved in 42 percent of the accidents where the biker sustained disabling injuries.
When a severe crash occurs, riders sustain these injuries most frequently:
- Lower extremity fractures/crush injuries
- Upper extremity injuries
- Head injuries/TBIs
- Chest injuries
- Spine injuries
- Abdominal injuries
- Fatal injuries
Lower-Extremity Injuries
When the NHTSA evaluated 47,000 motorcycle accidents, it uncovered common injury patterns. In cyclists who sustain crash-related injuries, fractures occur more frequently than soft tissue injuries. Eight-seven percent of those in cycle crashes sustained two or more lower-extremity injuries. These sometimes include:
- Crush injuries
- Partial or complete traumatic limb or digit amputations
- Multiple and/or combinations of severe injuries
- Degloving injuries (trauma pulls the skin from underlying tissues)
Upper-Extremity and Head Injuries
When motorcyclists sustain upper-body and head injuries, they often deal with difficult recoveries and complex disabilities. When an accident damages a biker's head, face, chest, or spine, it sometimes causes traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord damage.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Statistics documented by the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems show that vehicle accidents cause 50 percent of traumatic brain injuries. Bikers sometimes sustain a TBI when a crash tosses them to the pavement. TBIs also occur when an impact severely jolts bikers' bodies. During a severe body trauma, the brain sometimes sustains damage when it moves around inside the skull. Whether a biker sustains a mild, moderate, or severe TBI, the outcome is rarely predictable. Even a “mild” TBI can result in lifelong disabilities like
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Vision problems
- Cognitive, emotional, and physical symptoms
- Post-concussion syndrome
- Second impact syndrome,
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
- Extended unconsciousness
- Seizures
- Convulsions
- Numbness
- Slurred speech
- Comatose or vegetative states
Spinal Cord Injuries
NHTSA's motorcycle accident injury research determined that 20 percent of all motorcycle accident patients sustained spinal cord injuries. A patient's SCI-related disabilities will depend on the damage extent and the location of the spinal cord damage.
- SCI damage extent: An incomplete spinal trauma occurs when the injury damages the spine but doesn't sever it. A complete trauma severs the spine and nerve bundles completely, causing more profound damage.
- SCI damage location: A biker with an SCI loses function at and below the damage location on the spine.
- Tetraplegia: An upper spine injury that causes paralysis and affects bodily functions below the damaged area. Incomplete tetraplegia is the most common spinal cord injury.
- Paraplegia: Damage occurs on the lower spine. It sometimes causes paralysis and loss of function in the legs and lower body.
Recovering From New York Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Many motorcyclists recover from their injuries. Those who sustain SCIs and moderate to severe TBIs often live with profound disabilities. After these severe injuries, patients often require costly rehabilitation or continuing care to maintain an acceptable lifestyle.
Motorcycle crash victims often endure a lifetime of complications due to pain, depression, PTSD, and increased susceptibility to premature degenerative conditions. Injured individuals also deal with shifting career possibilities, shortened life expectancies, and quality of life issues. All of these situations create financial burdens you shouldn't have to bear on your own.
Trust Dolman Law Group to be Your New York Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
If you sustained injuries in a motorcycle accident, you should seek immediate legal assistance. Contact Dolman Law Group for a free consultation with one of our New York attorneys. You can reach us by phone at 833-552-7274 (833-55-CRASH), or connect with us via live chat or leave a message on our contact page.
New York Motorcycle Accident FAQs
A motorcycle is so much more than transportation. You have an adventure each time you ride. Sadly, when you're out there on the road, bad drivers add an element of danger to every trip. They may drive distracted, drink, and speed, and they may cut you off when you turn and crash into you as you cross an intersection.
When a negligent driver seriously or catastrophically injures you, the consequences can change your life. At Dolman Law Group we've seen what happens when a negligent driver injures a biker. We've created these motorcycle accident FAQs to help you understand some basic information following a motorcycle crash. For specific answers to your unique questions, reach out to our team today.
What is the most common type of motorcycle accident?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined that motorcycle front-end crashes occur more frequently than other types of motorcycle accidents. Front-end crashes also cause more fatal motorcycle accident injuries.
What are the most common motorcycle accident injuries?
NHTSA studies show that both motorcycle riders and their passengers sustain lower-extremity injuries most often in a crash. More specifically:
- Fractures occur frequently.
- Legs, feet, pelvis, ankles, and toes are the most injured body parts.
- Injured bikers often sustain multiple fractures in an accident.
- When chest, abdomen, and head injuries occur, these injuries are usually more serious than lower-extremity injuries.
Do motorcycle helmets reduce the chance of head injuries?
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) motorcycle injury prevention page explains, helmet use reduces motorcycle deaths by 37 percent and head injuries by 69 percent.
Does New York require motorcycle riders to wear safety gear?
New York law does mandate certain motorcycle safety equipment. New York has what's known as a universal helmet law. All motorcyclists and their passengers must wear goggles and helmets that meet federal helmet standards. State law also sets legal standards for front and rear lights, handlebars, reflectors, brakes, footrests, windscreens, mufflers, and other safety equipment. Police officers sometimes set up motorcycle safety checks to ensure compliance with these laws.
Who decides if the other driver is responsible for my New York motorcycle accident injuries?
When another vehicle strikes your motorcycle, that driver's insurance company will investigate the claim and decide if you qualify to receive compensation. The company will make its decision based on whether it believes its insured party was negligent in causing your injuries. If the other vehicle's insurer denies your claim, you may still file a lawsuit against that party and try to recover your damages. In civil court, a judge or jury will decide who is responsible.
How much time do I have to file a New York motorcycle injury claim?
Under New York law, injured individuals have three years to file a claim for personal injuries or property damage. If you don't file a lawsuit within three years of the accident date, you may lose all rights to recover damages.
Do I have to file a lawsuit to get a settlement for my New York motorcycle accident injuries?
There's always a possibility that you'll resolve your claim directly with an insurer. When an insured motorist reports a claim, their insurance company investigates the accident. The company makes its own independent decision about liability, fault, and whether you are owed damages. Insurers set up a claim reserve, and they may eventually make an offer. They may settle your claim even if you don't file a lawsuit, but you should consult with an attorney before accepting any settlement offer.
How can a New York motorcycle accident lawyer help?
Motorcycle accident lawyers become your personal advocate the moment you retain them to handle your case. A lawyer will protect your legal interests and represent you on all issues related to your accident.
Motorcycle accident attorneys can handle all legal aspects of your claim while you take time to heal. At Dolman Law Group we offer a free initial consultation so you can learn about your options without any commitment or cost.
During the free consultation, you can explain the events leading up to your accident to help your attorney establish a game plan for how to proceed. When you tell your story, a seasoned attorney will ask questions about liability, damages, vehicle ownership, accident scene anomalies, and other significant evidence. Your lawyer will address general questions about investigation strategy, damage evaluation, negotiation, and litigation.
We Deal With Insurance Adjusters
Attorneys field inquiries from liability claim investigators and determine when and if to share your injury information or settle your claim. Your attorney will keep you apprised of negotiations and determine the appropriate timing for filing a lawsuit on your behalf.
We will thoroughly investigate your accident.
An attorney should investigate your case as though they will eventually present the evidence in court. Attorneys often work with trusted independent or in-house investigators who work based on the attorney's detailed instructions and your version of the accident. During our investigation, we will:
- Look for physical and geographical evidence at an accident location
- Photograph relevant areas
- Examine vehicles to confirm points of contact
- Document the other driver's version
- Locate and talk to witnesses
- Review police reports and any photos
- Determine all the potentially negligent parties
We'll determine who is liable for your losses
Attorneys use your version of the accident and their investigative evidence to reveal all potentially responsible parties. This is often a key issue when a commercial vehicle strikes your motorcycle. Once your lawyer has all available evidence, they will assess liability and develop a legally viable theory. This theory and evidence must hold up in court if litigation becomes your only option. The evidence and legal theory must also be sound enough to overcome the liability insurance company's and defense attorney's strategies.
We can evaluate your injury.
Motorcycle accident attorneys have experience evaluating all sorts of client injuries. They spend a lot of time reviewing medical records, physician reports, previously handled motorcycle injury claims, and recent court judgments. All of this research gives your attorney a perspective on your case and its settlement value.
Injury evaluation is a tedious process. It's also one of the reasons why you should not negotiate your case without legal assistance. Without knowledge-backed research, you'll never know if an insurance company is offering you a fair settlement.
We will negotiate your settlement.
If possible, your attorney will negotiate a settlement to resolve your case. This is often difficult when you have serious injuries or complicated liability scenarios. The settlement process usually involves the responsible driver's insurer, any co-defendants' insurers, and their defense attorneys. When a negligent driver works for a self-insured corporation, he or she will likely have independent negotiators involved.
Settlement negotiations sometimes resemble a game of strategy. While your attorney tries to resolve your claim for optimum value, insureds, insurers, and their legal representatives often play negotiation games. They may offer low-ball settlements or no settlements at all, and they may deny liability to push plaintiffs into costly litigation. That's where you need a law firm like ours that can afford to stand up to deep-pocketed insurance companies and get you the compensation you deserve.
If needed, we are prepared to file a lawsuit on your behalf.
If negotiations aren't productive or the statute of limitations is close, we may recommend filing a lawsuit. To initiate the litigation process, your lawyer will file a complaint that explains your legal theories and why you are suing. We will arrange to serve the summons and complaint on the defendant. The defendant or their legal representative must file a written answer with the court within a certain number of days of receiving a summons.
Next, we'll engage in discovery.
Attorneys on both sides move the case forward through discovery. This involves formal requests for evidence through interrogatories, depositions, and requests for documents. Attorneys usually continue the negotiation process through court-mandated settlement conferences, hearings, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes.
We may try to resolve your case through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process.
Most civil cases never go to trial. Even after filing a lawsuit, parties continue their negotiation efforts. New York recently established a presumptive ADR program that refers most civil cases to mediation and other ADR processes. Plaintiffs, defendants, their insurers, and all of the legal representatives present their evidence and discuss their positions with a trained mediator in a neutral location. The mediator acts as a facilitator among the parties, encouraging communication and productive negotiation.
We will take your case to trial, if necessary.
Each side presents evidence in a bench trial or jury trial. In a bench trial, only the judge hears the evidence. In a jury trial, defense attorneys and plaintiff's attorneys select jury members to hear the case while a judge oversees the procedure and provides instructions. During a trial, liability and medical specialists, doctors, and other professionals testify in person or via video. Often attorneys settle a case as the trial progresses. If the parties don't settle before the trial ends, the judge decides the verdict at a bench trial. A jury issues the verdict in a jury trial.
Finally, we help execute the settlement documents.
When your case is settled or you receive a verdict, it's not over until your lawyer:
- Prepares a release and obtains your signature.
- Forwards the executed release to the defendants.
- Receives the settlement funds on your behalf.
- Drafts and files a dismissal order (if you have a pending lawsuit).
- Deducts legal fees from the settlement or judgment.
- Forwards your settlement or judgment to you.
How Much Does an Experienced New York Motorcycle Injury Lawyer Cost?
At Dolman Law Group, we charge nothing upfront. When you go to a doctor or accountant for professional services, you usually receive a bill before you walk out the door. Our motorcycle accident attorneys don't work that way.
We only handle cases on a contingency basis, which means you won't see a bill each month. Our motorcycle accident lawyers receive payment only after we successfully resolve your case. When we settle your case or receive a court judgment, we charge a percentage of the settlement amount for our fees.
Why You Need Our New York Motorcycle Accident Lawyers if You're Injured in an Accident
If you try to resolve your case without legal representation, you'll never know if the insurance carriers and their attorneys treated you fairly—and they probably won't. Our motorcycle accident attorneys understand the complex issues inherent in every injury claim, and they work to protect your legal interests and recover the best settlement or judgment possible for you.
Contact Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA for a free consultation with our New York motorcycle accident attorneys. You can reach us by phone at 833-552-7274 (833-55-CRASH). You may also connect with us via live chat or leave a message on our contact page. Don't wait any longer to protect your future.
New York 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!