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BIKE LANES · DELIVERY ROUTES · OPEN DOORS
NYC Bike & E-Bike Accident Lawyer
You were not in a car, so you assume car insurance has nothing to do with you. In New York that assumption is usually wrong, and it is the single most expensive mistake an injured rider makes. HaddLegal is a New York bicycle accident lawyer for cyclists, e-bike riders and delivery workers across the five boroughs and Long Island. Free consultation, no fee unless we win.
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Written and reviewed by Randy Haddad, Esq., founder of HaddLegal
Member, Brooklyn, Queens County and New York City Bar Associations and NYSTLA · Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2026 · Last updated October 2026
Member, Brooklyn, Queens County and New York City Bar Associations and NYSTLA · Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2026 · Last updated October 2026
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THE MISTAKE THAT COSTS RIDERS THE MOST
A Cyclist Struck by a Car Is Covered by That Car’s No-Fault
After a bike accident in NYC, the car that hit you generally carries no-fault coverage for your medical treatment and a portion of your lost earnings, regardless of who was at fault. It does not matter that you were on two wheels. It does not matter that you do not own a car or carry any insurance of your own.
The application is generally due within 30 days of the crash. Riders who wait, because nobody told them no-fault applied to them, give up coverage they were entitled to from day one and then pay out of pocket for treatment that should have been covered.
Medical bills run their own clock: generally 45 days from each date of treatment, not from the accident. Every visit starts a separate deadline.
No-fault never pays for pain and suffering. That is the second claim, against the driver, and it is where most of the value of a serious bicycle accident claim sits.
WHO PAYS · HOW LONG YOU HAVE
It Depends on What You Were Riding
A pedal bike, a Class 2 e-bike and a moped are three different things under New York law, and they produce three different insurance answers. That is why every e-bike accident case starts with the bike itself.
| WHAT YOU WERE RIDING | DETAIL | NO-FAULT / ROUTE | DEADLINE TO SUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard bicycle | Struck by a car, truck or bus | Generally yes, from the striking vehicle’s policy | 3 years |
| E-bike, Class 1, 2 or 3 | Pedal-assist or throttle, under VTL § 102-c | Generally yes. E-bikes are not motor vehicles under the VTL | 3 years |
| Moped or limited-use motorcycle | Class A, B or C | Often no. Operators are generally excluded | 3 years |
| Hit-and-run driver | Vehicle fled or cannot be identified | MVAIC: police within 24 hours, notice within 90 days. See hit-and-run claims | 3 years |
| Uninsured driver, identified | Driver known but carrying no coverage | MVAIC: notice within 180 days | 3 years |
| City vehicle or City defect | Sanitation truck, bus, roadway or bike-lane condition | Notice of Claim within 90 days | 1 year and 90 days |
| You were working | Delivery, courier or messenger | Workers’ comp may run alongside a third-party suit | 3 years; comp claim generally 2 years |
Coverage and deadlines turn on the specific facts, the equipment involved and who the defendant is. This is general information, not legal advice about your case.
THE CRASHES WE SEE
How NYC Bike Accidents Actually Happen
01
Dooring
Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1214 prohibits opening a door on the traffic side unless it is reasonably safe. The duty sits with the person opening the door, not with the rider who had no way to see it coming.
02
The Right Hook
A driver passes you, then turns right across the bike lane. Under VTL § 1146 drivers owe due care to cyclists, and turning across a marked lane without yielding is exactly the failure that statute contemplates. Left turns across a rider’s path follow the same rule as other intersection crashes.
03
The Blocked Lane
A truck, a placard car or a construction zone forces you out of the lane into moving traffic. The party that blocked the lane can share liability, and 311 histories for that location often show the obstruction was routine.
04
Trucks and Buses
Wide turns and blind spots make commercial vehicles the deadliest threat to cyclists. Truck accident cases need driver logs and onboard data preserved early.
05
Rideshare and Taxis
Sudden stops and passenger doors in bike lanes are constant. TLC-licensed vehicles carry their own coverage. See our Uber and Lyft accident page.
06
Defective Bikes and Batteries
Brake failures, frame failures and lithium-battery fires can add a products liability claim against the manufacturer or seller.
IF YOU WERE WORKING WHEN IT HAPPENED
Two Claims, Not One
Comp pays nothing for pain and suffering
Delivery and courier riders are routinely told they have workers’ compensation and nothing else. Comp covers treatment and a portion of lost wages. It does not compensate you for the injury itself. A separate third-party claim against the driver who hit you can, and the two generally proceed alongside each other.
“Independent contractor” is a label, not a ruling
App platforms classify riders as contractors. That is a position, not a final legal determination, and it does not decide your claim against the driver who hit you. Your immigration status does not bar a personal injury claim in New York either. Neither assumption should stop you from calling.
MVAIC · THE DRIVER WHO LEFT
When Nobody Stopped
A large share of cyclist knockdowns in New York City are hit-and-runs. When the driver cannot be identified, the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation stands in their place, but only if the procedural steps were taken, and those steps run while you are still in treatment. More on hit-and-run accident claims.
STEP ONE
24 hours
Report the crash to police. Miss this and the MVAIC door generally closes on a hit-and-run claim.
STEP TWO
90 days
Notice of Intention to Make Claim, where the vehicle fled or cannot be identified.
OR
180 days
Where the driver is identified but uninsured. A different window from the one above.
FOOTAGE IS THE WHOLE CASE
Identifying a fleeing driver almost always comes down to video, and video does not wait. We send preservation letters to every camera on the block in the first 72 hours, because a plate number recovered in week one is a defendant and the same footage in week four is gone.
Bodega cameras: daysBus footage: days to weeksWitnesses: immediateThe damaged bike: keep it
INJURIES · CASE VALUE
Bike Accident Injuries and What a Case Is Worth
Nobody can honestly value a bike case over the phone. Value comes down to liability, the coverage available, the medical proof and how the injury has changed your life. These are the injuries that drive it.
Fractures
Wrist, collarbone, hip and leg fractures are the most common serious bike injuries, and a fracture meets New York’s serious injury threshold on its own.
Head and Brain Injuries
Concussions and traumatic brain injuries, with or without a helmet. Severe cases are covered on our catastrophic injury lawyer page.
Spine and Disc Injuries
Neck and back injuries from being thrown from the bike. See our herniated disc injury page for how insurers fight these.
Road Rash and Scarring
Deep abrasions and scarring can qualify as significant disfigurement under Insurance Law § 5102(d).
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.
AVOID THESE
Why Cyclist Cases Fail
✕The rider assumed no-fault did not apply and never filed the 30-day application
✕A hit-and-run was never reported to police within 24 hours, closing the MVAIC door
✕Nobody pulled the bodega, building or bus camera footage before it overwrote
✕The bike was thrown away, destroying the best physical evidence of impact force
✕A delivery rider filed workers’ comp and never pursued the driver who hit them
✕A City-maintained bike lane defect was involved and the 90-day Notice of Claim was missed
✕The rider gave a recorded statement and was talked into saying they “came out of nowhere”
FIVE BOROUGHS + LONG ISLAND
Bike Accident Lawyers by Borough
Brooklyn
Brooklyn bicycle accident lawyer: Bedford and Kent Avenues, Flatbush, Ocean Parkway and Fourth Avenue. Also see our Brooklyn car accident page.
Manhattan
Avenue bike lanes, the Hudson River Greenway and the bridge approaches. See our Manhattan car accident lawyer and Manhattan personal injury pages.
Queens
Queens Boulevard, Northern Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue. See our Queens car accident and Queens personal injury pages.
The Bronx
The Grand Concourse, Fordham Road and Southern Boulevard. See our Bronx car accident and Bronx personal injury pages.
Staten Island
Hylan Boulevard, Richmond Avenue and the waterfront. See our Staten Island personal injury page.
Long Island
Nassau and Suffolk, where e-bike and moped rules differ by town. See our Long Island personal injury page.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
Does no-fault insurance cover me if I was hit while riding a bicycle?
Generally yes. A cyclist struck by a motor vehicle in New York is typically covered by that vehicle’s no-fault policy for medical treatment and a portion of lost earnings, regardless of fault. The application is generally due within 30 days of the crash.
Are e-bikes legal in New York, and does it matter for my case?
New York recognizes three classes of electric-assist bicycle under Vehicle and Traffic Law § 102-c, and they are generally not treated as motor vehicles, so a rider hit by a car usually has no-fault coverage from that car. Even if there is a question about your equipment or how you were riding, that does not by itself end your claim. New York follows comparative fault, so partial responsibility reduces a recovery rather than barring it.
I was hit while making a delivery. Can I file workers’ comp and a lawsuit?
Often yes. Workers’ compensation covers treatment and a portion of lost wages but pays nothing for pain and suffering. A separate third-party claim against the driver who hit you can, and the two generally proceed alongside each other. Being classified as an independent contractor does not decide your claim against that driver.
The driver drove off. Do I still have a case?
Possibly, through MVAIC. The crash generally must be reported to police within 24 hours and a Notice of Intention to Make Claim filed within 90 days. Recovering video from nearby cameras in the first days is often what turns an unidentified driver into a named defendant.
I was not wearing a helmet. Does that ruin my claim?
New York does not require adults to wear bicycle helmets, and not wearing one does not bar your claim. Insurers raise it anyway. It is an argument to be answered, not a reason to avoid calling a lawyer.
Who is at fault if I was doored?
Usually the person who opened the door. VTL § 1214 prohibits opening a vehicle door on the traffic side unless it is reasonably safe to do so. The driver, the passenger and the vehicle owner may all be responsible.
Do I need a bicycle accident attorney?
You can file the no-fault application yourself, but the claim against the driver is where most of a serious case’s value sits, and insurers defend it hard. A bicycle accident attorney preserves the evidence, proves the serious injury threshold and coordinates no-fault, workers’ comp and MVAIC so no deadline is missed.
How long do I have to file a bicycle accident claim in New York?
Generally three years against a private driver. But if a City vehicle, a City-maintained roadway, or a bike lane condition the City is responsible for was involved, a Notice of Claim is generally required within 90 days and suit within one year and 90 days. Separate no-fault and MVAIC clocks run in days, not years.
What does it cost to hire HaddLegal for a bike accident?
Nothing up front. We handle bicycle and e-bike accident cases on a contingency fee basis, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.
REVIEWED BY
Randy Haddad, Esq. — Founder, HaddLegal
Randy Haddad is a New York personal injury attorney representing injured clients across all five boroughs and Long Island. He is a member of the Brooklyn Bar Association, the Queens County Bar Association, the New York City Bar Association and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, and was selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars in 2026. More about Randy →
This page is general legal information about New York law and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Coverage questions and deadlines are fact-specific. Consult an attorney about your own claim.
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Hit on Your Bike or E-Bike?
The 30-day no-fault clock started the day of the crash. Call now. Free consultation, and no fee unless we win.
CALL (347) 320-2534HADDLEGAL · Haddad Law Firm, P.C.
305 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10007
Text or call: (347) 320-2534 · Office: (347) 888-9446 · randy@haddlegal.com
305 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10007
Text or call: (347) 320-2534 · Office: (347) 888-9446 · randy@haddlegal.com
Attorney Advertising. This page is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.