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BIKES · E-BIKES · CITI BIKE · DELIVERY RIDERS
Brooklyn Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Doored on Bedford Avenue, cut off on Flatbush, hit in the Kent Avenue bike lane or knocked down crossing Ocean Parkway? As a Brooklyn bike accident lawyer, HaddLegal represents cyclists, e-bike riders, Citi Bike users and delivery workers hurt in Brooklyn crashes, and files in Kings County Supreme Court. Free consultation, no fee unless we win.
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Written and reviewed by Randy Haddad, Esq., founder of HaddLegal
Member, Brooklyn Bar Association · Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2026 · Last updated October 2026
Member, Brooklyn Bar Association · Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2026 · Last updated October 2026
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WHAT DECIDES A BROOKLYN BIKE CASE
How a Brooklyn Bicycle Accident Claim Works
Brooklyn has more bike lanes, more Citi Bike docks and more delivery riders than anywhere else in the city outside Manhattan, and the crashes follow the same patterns in nearly every Brooklyn bicycle accident: a car door swung open, a driver turning right across the lane, a truck double-parked in the lane that forces a rider into traffic.
A bike accident claim in New York usually turns on two separate claims. The first is no-fault, which pays medical bills and part of your lost wages no matter who caused the crash. The second is the personal injury claim against the driver for pain and suffering, which is where the real value of a serious case sits. If you were working when it happened, workers’ compensation is a third track that runs alongside both.
This page covers how those claims work in Brooklyn specifically. For the statewide rules on e-bikes, mopeds and delivery workers, see our New York e-bike and bicycle accident lawyer página.
ON THIS PAGE
RECENT RESULT
A Brooklyn Bike-Lane Result
BROOKLYN · BICYCLE VS. CAR
$75,000
Cyclist Struck in a Marked Bike Lane
Our client was riding in a designated Brooklyn bike lane when a driver failed to yield. We documented that he was where the law said he should be, gathered the evidence and resolved the claim without trial.
Read the case result →Bike-lane crashes are often stronger cases than riders expect. A driver who turns, stops or opens a door into a marked lane has a hard time arguing the cyclist should not have been there.
The strength of the case still depends on proof: where the bike was, what the driver did, and what the camera footage, witnesses and police report show. That proof has to be gathered early, because Brooklyn street footage is usually overwritten within days.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The amount shown is a gross recovery before attorney’s fees and case expenses.
THE CRASHES WE SEE
Common Causes of Brooklyn Bicycle Accidents
Dooring
A driver or passenger opens a door into the bike lane. Under VTL § 1214, nobody may open a vehicle door on the traffic side unless it is reasonably safe to do so.
Right Hooks
A driver passes a cyclist and turns right across the lane. Turning conflicts at intersections are among the most common serious bike crashes in the borough.
Left Turns Across the Lane
An oncoming driver turns left into a cyclist’s path. It is the same failure to yield behind most intersection and T-bone crashes.
Blocked Bike Lanes
Double-parked trucks, cars and delivery vans push riders into traffic. The driver who blocked the lane and the driver who hit you can both be responsible.
Trucks and Buses
Commercial vehicles have wide turns and big blind spots. Truck accident cases need driver logs and onboard data preserved early.
Hit-and-Run Crashes
The driver keeps going. You may still recover through your own policy or MVAIC. More on hit-and-run claims.
BIKE LANES · CORRIDORS · BRIDGES
The Streets Behind Brooklyn Bike Crashes
Where the crash happened tells us which cameras may have caught it, who maintains the street, and whether a City agency belongs in the case.
Flatbush Avenue
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN TO MARINE PARK
Heavy buses, double-parking and constant turning traffic from the Manhattan Bridge approach through Flatbush. Riders here are squeezed between moving traffic and parked cars.
Bedford and Kent Avenues
WILLIAMSBURG · GREENPOINT
Some of the busiest bike lanes in the city, lined with parked cars and delivery traffic. Dooring and blocked-lane crashes are the recurring pattern.
Ocean Parkway
PROSPECT PARK TO CONEY ISLAND
A long dedicated bike path with dozens of cross streets and service roads. Most crashes happen where drivers cross the path to turn.
Fourth Avenue
ATLANTIC AVENUE TO BAY RIDGE
A wide commercial corridor with a protected lane through much of Park Slope and Sunset Park. Turning trucks and drivers cutting across the lane at intersections cause serious injuries.
Atlantic Avenue and Eastern Parkway
EAST-WEST CORRIDORS
Fast multi-lane traffic crossing Brooklyn’s north-south bike routes. Speed is what turns these crashes into fractures and head injuries.
The Bridges and Greenways
BROOKLYN, MANHATTAN & WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGES · SHORE PARKWAY
Commuter routes into Manhattan and the waterfront greenways. Crashes at the bridge approaches often involve turning drivers and crowded merges.
We also handle crashes on Prospect Park West, Vanderbilt Avenue, Franklin Avenue, Fulton Street, Myrtle Avenue, Grand Street, McGuinness Boulevard, Coney Island Avenue, Kings Highway, Bay Parkway and 86th Street, and in Citi Bike crashes across the borough.
VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW · NYC ADMIN. CODE
The Law That Protects Cyclists
VTL § 1146
Due Care
Every driver must use due care to avoid colliding with a bicyclist or pedestrian. It is the starting point for almost every bike case.
VTL § 1214
Dooring
Nobody may open a vehicle door on the traffic side unless it can be done safely without interfering with traffic, which includes cyclists in the lane.
VTL § 1231
Cyclists’ Rights
A person riding a bicycle has the same rights on the road as a driver, along with the same duties.
Admin. Code § 19-190
Right of Way Law
In New York City, a driver who fails to yield to a pedestrian or cyclist with the right of way and causes injury can face criminal and civil penalties.
VTL § 102-c
E-Bikes
Defines Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes. Whether you were on a pedal bike, an e-bike or a moped affects which insurance pays.
CPLR § 1411
Shared Fault
If the driver says you were partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share, not eliminated. Adult riders are not required to wear a helmet.
PEDAL BIKES · E-BIKES · MOPEDS
Brooklyn E-Bike Accident Lawyer
Brooklyn’s streets are full of e-bikes, and most of the delivery riders we represent are on one. What you were riding changes which insurance pays first, so an e-bike accident claim starts with the bike itself.
Pedal Bikes and Citi Bike
Classic bikes and Citi Bike pedal and e-assist bikes. If a car hit you, the driver’s no-fault and liability insurance pay just as they would for your own bike. If the bike itself failed, the operator or manufacturer may also be responsible.
Class 1, 2 and 3 E-Bikes
Defined in VTL § 102-c. Pedal-assist and throttle e-bikes up to Class 3 are legal on most New York City streets and are generally treated like bicycles, so a rider hit by a car usually gets no-fault benefits from that car’s policy.
Mopeds and Scooters
Limited-use motorcycles and faster mopeds are treated differently. They may need registration and insurance of their own, and no-fault may not apply, which makes the claim against the driver even more important. A defective battery or frame can add a responsabilidad por productos defectuosos claim.
WHY HADDLEGAL
Why Hire a Brooklyn Bike Accident Attorney
We know the streets
We know Brooklyn’s bike lanes, the precincts that write the reports and the cameras that face the corners where riders get hit.
We move on the evidence first
Preservation letters for video, the driver’s phone and vehicle data go out early, before the footage is overwritten.
We work every insurance track
No-fault, the claim against the driver, workers’ comp and MVAIC are coordinated so nothing is left on the table.
You talk to your lawyer
You deal directly with the bicycle accident attorney handling your case, and pay nothing unless we recover.
FINDING EVERY SOURCE OF RECOVERY
Who Pays After a Brooklyn Bike Crash
Most riders don’t own a car and assume they have no insurance. In New York that is usually not the case.
No-fault from the car that hit you
A cyclist struck by a car is generally covered by that car’s no-fault policy for medical bills and part of lost earnings, up to $50,000 in basic economic loss, regardless of fault. The application is generally due within 30 days.
The injury claim against the driver
No-fault never pays for pain and suffering. That claim runs against the driver and owner once the injury meets the serious injury threshold under Insurance Law § 5102(d). Fractures, the most common serious bike injury, qualify on their own.
Workers’ comp for delivery riders
If you were working, workers’ compensation may pay medical care and part of lost wages, and the claim against the driver can generally proceed alongside it. App classification as an independent contractor does not decide the claim against the driver.
MVAIC and your own policy
If the driver fled or had no insurance, MVAIC or uninsured motorist coverage on a household policy may pay. The crash generally has to be reported to police within 24 hours and the MVAIC notice filed within 90 days.
The City
If a pothole, a broken bike-lane surface or a City vehicle caused the crash, a Aviso de demanda is generally due within 90 days.
For severe head, spine and fracture injuries, see our catastrophic injury lawyer página.
FASTEST CLOCKS FIRST
Deadlines That Can End a Claim
The three-year lawsuit deadline gets the attention. The deadlines that actually sink bike cases run in days.
| CLOCK | WHAT IS DUE | WHEN IT APPLIES |
|---|---|---|
| 24 HRS | Police report | Hit-and-run. MVAIC generally requires a police report within 24 hours. |
| 30 DAYS | No-fault application | To the insurer of the vehicle that hit you. Late filings need a written, reasonable excuse. |
| 30 DAYS | Notice to employer | Delivery and work-related crashes, for workers’ compensation. |
| 90 DAYS | MVAIC notice | Hit-and-run crashes with no identified insurance. |
| 90 DAYS | Aviso de demanda | City vehicles, MTA buses and City road or bike-lane defects, under GML § 50-e. |
| 3 YEARS | Lawsuit | Against a private driver or company, under CPLR § 214(5). |
| 2 YEARS | Muerte injusta | From the date of death, under EPTL § 5-4.1. |
THE FIRST 30 DAYS
What To Do After a Brooklyn Bike Crash
01
Call 911 and get the report number
Ask for the precinct and report number. Hit-and-run claims through MVAIC generally require a police report within 24 hours.
02
Don’t fix or throw out the bike
The frame, the wheel and your helmet are evidence of how hard you were hit. Photograph them and keep them.
03
Look for cameras
Storefronts, bodegas, doorbells, buses and Citi Bike docks all face the street. Write down where they are.
04
Get treated and say how it happened
Tell the ER you were hit while riding. Wrist, collarbone and head injuries often get worse over the first few days.
05
File for no-fault within 30 days
The application goes to the insurer of the vehicle that hit you, even if you don’t own a car.
06
Don’t give a recorded statement
You don’t owe the driver’s insurer a statement, and don’t sign anything before a lawyer reads it.
EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD
We Ride for Brooklyn
WILLIAMSBURG & GREENPOINT
Bedford and Kent Avenues, McGuinness Boulevard, Grand Street and the Williamsburg Bridge.
DOWNTOWN & DUMBO
Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene and Boerum Hill. Jay Street, Flatbush Avenue Extension and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge approaches.
PARK SLOPE & PROSPECT HEIGHTS
Prospect Park West, Vanderbilt Avenue, Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue.
BED-STUY, BUSHWICK & CROWN HEIGHTS
Fulton Street, Myrtle Avenue, Franklin Avenue and Eastern Parkway.
BAY RIDGE, SUNSET PARK & BENSONHURST
Fourth Avenue, 86th Street, Bay Parkway and the Shore Parkway Greenway.
FLATBUSH, KENSINGTON & CONEY ISLAND
Ocean Parkway, Flatbush Avenue, Coney Island Avenue and Kings Highway.
Brooklyn bike cases are generally filed in Kings County Supreme Court at 360 Adams Street. Hurt in a car rather than on a bike? See our Abogado de accidentes de coche en Brooklyn page, or our Brooklyn personal injury attorney page for every other kind of injury.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Preguntas Frecuentes
Does no-fault cover me if I was hit while riding a bike in Brooklyn?
Generally, yes. A cyclist struck by a motor vehicle is usually covered by that vehicle’s no-fault policy for medical bills and part of lost earnings, up to $50,000 in basic economic loss, regardless of fault. You don’t need to own a car. The application is generally due within 30 days.
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 who opened the door and the vehicle owner may all be responsible.
I was riding an e-bike. Does that change my case?
It can. Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes are defined under VTL § 102-c and are generally treated like bicycles for no-fault purposes. Mopeds and other motorized vehicles are treated differently and may not qualify for no-fault, so the type of bike matters.
I was hit while making a delivery. Can I file workers’ comp and sue the driver?
Often, yes. Workers’ compensation may cover medical care and part of lost wages if you qualify, and a separate claim against the driver for pain and suffering can generally proceed alongside it. Being classified as an independent contractor by an app does not decide the claim against the driver.
The driver drove off. Do I still have a case?
Possibly. Uninsured motorist coverage on your own or a household member’s auto policy, or MVAIC if there is none, may pay. The crash generally must be reported to police within 24 hours and the MVAIC notice filed within 90 days.
I wasn’t wearing a helmet. Does that hurt my claim?
New York does not require adult cyclists to wear a helmet, and not wearing one does not bar a claim. The defense may argue it affected a head injury, which is one more reason to build the medical proof carefully.
How long do I have to file a bicycle accident claim in Brooklyn?
A lawsuit against a private driver generally must be filed within three years under CPLR § 214(5). If a City vehicle or City-maintained street or bike lane is involved, a Notice of Claim is generally due within 90 days. The no-fault application is due within 30 days.
Do I need a bicycle accident attorney, or can I handle the claim myself?
You can file the no-fault application yourself, but the injury 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 deadlines are not missed.
I crashed on a Citi Bike. Who pays?
If a vehicle hit you, the driver’s no-fault and liability coverage generally apply the same way they would to any cyclist. If the bike itself malfunctioned, the bike’s operator or manufacturer may also be responsible. Keep your ride receipt and photograph the bike and its number.
What does it cost to hire HaddLegal for a Brooklyn bike accident?
Nothing up front. We handle bicycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.
Related Practice Areas
Brooklyn and Beyond
- Abogado de Lesiones Personales en Brooklyn
- Abogado de accidentes automovilísticos en Brooklyn
- Abogado de colisiones por alcance en Brooklyn
- Abogado de accidentes de coche en Manhattan
- Abogado de accidentes automovilísticos en Queens
- Abogado de Lesiones Personales de Staten Island
- Abogado de Lesiones Personales de Long Island
Hit on Your Bike in Brooklyn?
The driver’s insurer opened a file the day of the crash. Open yours. Free consultation, and no fee unless we win.
CALL (347) 320-2534HADDLEGAL · Haddad Law Firm, P.C.
Broadway 305, 7º Piso, Nueva York, NY 10007
Text or call: (347) 320-2534 · Office: (347) 888-9446 · randy@haddlegal.com
Broadway 305, 7º Piso, Nueva 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.