Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in New York City

When you've been injured in a motorcycle crash in New York City, the aftermath can feel overwhelming. Medical bills accumulate, your bike may be totaled, and you're facing time away from work while recovering from your injuries. At Kelner & Kelner, our motorcycle accident lawyer team understands the unique challenges riders face after a collision. We've represented countless motorcyclists throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, helping them secure the compensation they deserve.

Can I Sue If I Was Injured in a NYC Motorcycle Accident?

Yes, you can sue if you were injured in a NYC motorcycle accident, and in many cases, filing a lawsuit may be necessary to recover full compensation for your injuries. Unlike car accidents covered by New York's no-fault insurance system, motorcycles are excluded from no-fault benefits, which means you must pursue compensation directly from the at-fault driver's insurance company or through a personal injury lawsuit. You can file a claim for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage, and other losses caused by the accident. However, you must prove that another party's negligence caused the crash—such as a driver who failed to yield, changed lanes unsafely, or violated traffic laws.

New York law gives you three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit, though it's important to act quickly to preserve evidence and protect your rights. If a government entity is involved—such as a crash caused by dangerous road conditions or a city vehicle—you may have as little as 90 days to file a notice of claim. At Kelner & Kelner, our motorcycle accident lawyer team can evaluate your case, determine liability, and pursue the compensation you deserve. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your legal options and understand the best path forward for your specific situation.

How Much is My Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?

The value of your case depends on numerous factors, including the severity of your injuries, the extent of your medical treatment, your lost income, your pain and suffering, whether you have permanent disabilities, and the available insurance coverage. At Kelner & Kelner, we thoroughly evaluate all your economic and non-economic losses to pursue maximum compensation tailored to your specific circumstances.

How Long Do I Have to File a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit in New York?

New York's statute of limitations gives you three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, if a government entity is involved—such as a city vehicle or poorly maintained road—you may have as little as 90 days to file a notice of claim. It's critical to contact a motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible to ensure all deadlines are met and evidence is preserved.

What if I Were Partially at Fault for the Motorcycle Accident?

New York follows a pure comparative negligence rule, which means you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for the accident. However, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you're found 20% responsible and your damages total $100,000, you would receive $80,000. Our motorcycle accident lawyers work to minimize any fault attributed to you.

Do I Need To Wear a Helmet in New York, and Will it Affect My Claim if I Wasn't Wearing One?

New York law requires all motorcyclists to wear helmets that meet federal safety standards. If you weren't wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, it could affect your claim, particularly regarding head and brain injuries. Insurance companies may argue that your injuries would have been less severe with a helmet, potentially reducing your compensation for those specific injuries.

What If the At-Fault Driver Doesn't Have Insurance or Fled The Scene?

If the at-fault driver is uninsured or cannot be identified after a hit-and-run, you may still have options for recovery. If you have uninsured motorist coverage or underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy, you can file a claim against your own insurance. Our motorcycle accident lawyer team can help you navigate these claims and explore all available sources of compensation.

Will My Case Go To Trial?

Most motorcycle accident cases settle out of court through negotiations with insurance companies. However, if the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation, we are fully prepared to take your case to trial. Our motorcycle accident lawyers team's willingness to litigate often motivates insurance companies to make better settlement offers.

How Long Will it Take to Resolve My Motorcycle Accident laim?

The timeline varies depending on the complexity of your case, the severity of your injuries, and whether settlement negotiations are successful. Simple cases with clear liability and minor injuries might resolve in several months, while complex cases involving catastrophic injuries or disputed fault may take a year or longer. Our motorcycle accident lawyers work efficiently while ensuring we don't settle your case before you've reached maximum medical improvement.

What If My Injuries Don't Appear Until Days After The Accident?Retry

Some injuries, particularly soft tissue damage, whiplash, internal injuries, and concussions, may not manifest symptoms immediately after a crash. This is why seeking prompt medical evaluation is critical even if you feel fine initially. Delayed injuries are still compensable as long as medical documentation links them to the accident, which is why early medical attention creates an important record.

Can I Handle My Motorcycle Accident Claim Without A Lawyer?

While you have the right to represent yourself, insurance companies often take advantage of unrepresented claimants by offering low settlements or using tactics to deny claims. A motorcycle accident lawyer understands the true value of your case, knows how to counter insurance company strategies, and can typically recover significantly more compensation than injury victims receive on their own—even after attorney fees are deducted.

What Should I Do If The Insurance Company Offers Me A Settlement?

Do not accept any settlement offer without first consulting with our motorcycle accident lawyers. Insurance companies often make quick, lowball offers before you fully understand the extent of your injuries and future medical needs. Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, you typically cannot pursue additional compensation even if your injuries turn out to be more severe than initially thought.

Financial Compensation You Can Pursue in a NYC Motorcycle Accident Claim

After a motorcycle accident in New York City, understanding what compensation you can recover is essential for protecting your financial future. At Kelner & Kelner, our motorcycle accident lawyer team fights to secure maximum compensation for all damages caused by your crash.

• Medical Expenses: Compensation covers all accident-related medical costs including emergency room treatment, hospitalization, surgery, diagnostic tests, prescription medications, physical therapy, rehabilitation, medical equipment, and future medical care you'll need for ongoing injuries.
• Lost Wages: You can recover income lost while unable to work during your recovery, including salary, hourly wages, bonuses, commissions, and other employment benefits you missed due to your injuries.
• Lost Earning Capacity: If your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous job or reduce your ability to earn income in the future, you can pursue compensation for this diminished earning potential over your remaining work life.
• Property Damage: This includes the cost to repair or replace your motorcycle, helmet, riding gear, protective equipment, and any personal belongings damaged or destroyed in the crash.
• Pain and Suffering: You can seek compensation for the physical pain, discomfort, and emotional distress you've endured as a result of your injuries, which recognizes the non-economic impact on your quality of life.
• Emotional Distress: Separate from physical pain, this covers psychological trauma, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and mental anguish caused by the accident and your injuries.
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life: If your injuries prevent you from participating in activities, hobbies, sports, or daily pleasures you enjoyed before the accident, you deserve compensation for these losses.
• Permanent Disability or Disfigurement: When injuries result in lasting physical limitations, scarring, or changes to your appearance, you can pursue additional compensation for these permanent effects on your life.
• Loss of Consortium: Your spouse may be able to recover damages for the loss of companionship, affection, intimacy, and support resulting from your injuries.

Every motorcycle accident case is unique, and the compensation you're entitled to depends on the specific circumstances of your crash and the severity of your injuries. As your motorcycle accident lawyers, Kelner & Kelner will thoroughly evaluate all your losses—both economic and non-economic—to pursue the full compensation you deserve. Contact our motorcycle accident lawyers team today for a free consultation to discuss your case and learn how much your claim may be worth.

How a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Maximize Your Compensation

Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts to motorcycle accident victims by exploiting biases and undervaluing claims. At Kelner & Kelner, our motorcycle accident lawyer team employs proven strategies to counter these tactics and secure the maximum compensation you deserve.

• Thorough Investigation: Our motorcycle accident lawyers immediately gather critical evidence including police reports, witness statements, surveillance footage, accident scene photographs, and medical records to build a compelling case that proves liability and the full extent of your damages.
• Accurate Damage Calculation: Our personal injury lawyer team works with medical professionals, economists, and vocational analysts to calculate not just your current losses but also future medical expenses, ongoing care needs, and long-term earning capacity reductions.
• Countering Bias Against Motorcyclists: Our motorcycle accident lawyers present evidence that dismantles stereotypes about reckless riders and clearly demonstrates how the other party's negligence caused your crash, shifting focus away from unfair assumptions about motorcyclists.
• Negotiating with Insurance Companies: Our motorcycle accident lawyers handle all communications with insurance adjusters who use tactics to devalue claims, ensuring you don't make statements or accept settlements that undercompensate you for your injuries and losses.
• Documenting Pain and Suffering: Beyond medical bills and lost wages, our motorcycle accident lawyers gather testimony, journals, photographs, and statements that illustrate how your injuries have affected your daily life, relationships, and ability to enjoy activities you once loved.
• Identifying All Liable Parties: Our motorcycle accident lawyers investigate whether multiple parties share responsibility for your accident, such as negligent drivers, vehicle manufacturers, government entities responsible for road maintenance, or employers of commercial drivers.
• Securing Necessary Medical Treatment: When clients lack insurance or funds for treatment, our motorcycle accident lawyers connect them with medical providers willing to work on a lien basis, ensuring you receive proper care while protecting the value of your claim.
• Meeting Critical Deadlines: Our NYC car accident lawyer team ensures all legal deadlines are met, including filing lawsuits within the statute of limitations and submitting notices of claim when government entities are involved.
• Trial Preparation and Litigation: While many cases settle, insurance companies offer better settlements when they know we're fully prepared to take your case to trial, giving us leverage during negotiations.
• Maximizing Policy Limits: Our motorcycle accident lawyers identify all available insurance coverage, including the at-fault party's liability policy, umbrella policies, and your own underinsured motorist coverage to access every dollar available for your compensation.

The difference between handling a claim yourself and working with a motorcycle accident lawyer at Kelner & Kelner can be thousands or even millions of dollars in additional compensation. Our motorcycle accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how we can maximize the value of your motorcycle accident claim.

Injuries Associated with Motorcycle Accidents in NYC

Motorcycle accidents often result in catastrophic injuries due to the lack of protection riders have compared to occupants of passenger vehicles. At Kelner & Kelner, our motorcycle accident lawyer team has represented clients suffering from a wide range of serious injuries caused by NYC crashes.

• Traumatic Brain Injuries: Even with a helmet, the force of impact can cause concussions, skull fractures, brain bleeding, and permanent cognitive impairment that affects memory, concentration, and personality.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Damage to the spine can result in partial or complete paralysis, loss of sensation, chronic pain, and the need for lifelong medical care and assistive devices.
• Broken Bones and Fractures: Motorcyclists commonly suffer broken arms, legs, wrists, ankles, ribs, collarbones, and pelvic fractures that require surgery, pins, plates, and extended rehabilitation.
• Road Rash: When riders are thrown from their motorcycles and slide across pavement, severe skin abrasions can damage multiple layers of skin, muscle, and tissue, leading to infection, scarring, and disfigurement.
• Internal Injuries: Blunt force trauma can cause internal bleeding, organ damage, ruptured spleens, liver lacerations, and other life-threatening injuries that may not be immediately apparent after the crash.
• Amputations: Severe crush injuries or limb entrapment can result in the loss of fingers, hands, arms, feet, or legs, either at the scene or through surgical amputation.
• Facial Injuries: Impact with vehicles, road surfaces, or objects can cause broken jaws, shattered teeth, eye injuries, facial fractures, and permanent scarring or disfigurement.
• Soft Tissue Injuries: Torn ligaments, muscle damage, tendon injuries, and severe sprains can cause chronic pain and limit mobility even after the visible wounds have healed.
• Shoulder and Collarbone Injuries: The impact of a motorcycle crash often results in dislocated shoulders, separated shoulders, and broken collarbones that require surgery and lengthy recovery periods.
• Knee and Leg Injuries: Impacts with vehicles or the ground frequently cause torn ACLs, MCLs, meniscus damage, kneecap fractures, and severe leg injuries that may require multiple surgeries.
• Psychological Trauma: Many motorcycle accident victims experience post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and fear of riding or driving that requires professional mental health treatment.
• Burns: Contact with hot engine parts, fuel ignition, or friction with the road surface can cause first-, second-, or third-degree burns requiring skin grafts and reconstructive surgery.

The severity of these injuries often requires extensive medical treatment, multiple surgeries, lengthy hospital stays, and ongoing rehabilitation. As your motorcycle accident lawyers, Kelner & Kelner understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll these injuries take on victims and their families. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will fight to secure compensation that covers all your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and future care needs. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your motorcycle accident injuries and legal options.

What To Do If Injured in a NYC Motorcycle Accident

The actions you take immediately after a motorcycle accident can significantly impact your health, safety, and ability to recover compensation. At Kelner & Kelner, our motorcycle accident lawyer team recommends following these critical steps to protect both your well-being and your legal rights.

• Seek Immediate Medical Attention: Call 911 or have someone call for you, even if you don't think you're seriously injured, as some life-threatening conditions like internal bleeding or brain injuries may not show immediate symptoms.
• Move to Safety If Possible: If you're able to move and it's safe to do so, get yourself and your motorcycle out of traffic to prevent further collisions or injuries.
• Call the Police: Always report the accident to law enforcement and ensure an official police report is filed, as this document becomes crucial evidence when pursuing your claim.
• Document the Scene: Take photographs or videos of vehicle damage, road conditions, traffic signals, skid marks, debris, your injuries, and the overall accident scene from multiple angles.
• Gather Information: Collect names, phone numbers, addresses, insurance information, and license plate numbers from all drivers involved, as well as contact information from any witnesses who saw the crash.
• Do Not Admit Fault: Avoid making statements about who caused the accident or apologizing, as these comments can be used against you by insurance companies even if you were not responsible.
• Notify Your Insurance Company: Report the accident to your insurance carrier promptly, but provide only basic facts without giving detailed statements or signing releases before consulting with a motorcycle accident lawyer.
• Preserve Evidence: Keep your damaged helmet, riding gear, and clothing as evidence, and avoid repairing or disposing of your motorcycle until it has been documented and photographed.
• Follow Medical Treatment Plans: Attend all doctor appointments, complete prescribed therapy, take medications as directed, and keep records of all medical visits, treatments, and expenses related to your injuries.
• Keep Detailed Records: Maintain a file with medical bills, pay stubs showing lost wages, receipts for accident-related expenses, and a journal documenting your pain levels, limitations, and how injuries affect your daily life.
• Avoid Social Media: Do not post about the accident, your injuries, or your activities on Facebook, Instagram, or other platforms, as insurance companies monitor social media to find evidence to devalue your claim.
• Do Not Speak to Other Insurance Companies: Politely decline to give statements or sign documents for the at-fault driver's insurance company without first consulting with a motorcycle accident lawyer.
• Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer: Reach out to Kelner & Kelner as soon as possible after your crash so we can begin investigating, preserving evidence, and protecting your right to fair compensation.

Taking these steps after a motorcycle accident helps ensure you receive proper medical care while protecting your ability to recover full compensation for your injuries and losses. The sooner you contact our motorcycle accident lawyer team, the sooner we can take over communications with insurance companies and begin building a strong case on your behalf. Call Kelner & Kelner today for a free consultation—we're here to guide you through every step of the legal process while you focus on healing.

Why Choose Kelner & Kelner?

When you've been injured in a motorcycle accident, choosing the right legal representation can make the difference between a minimal settlement and full compensation for your losses. Kelner & Kelner brings decades of commitment to injured New Yorkers and a proven track record of results in motorcycle accident cases.

• Decades of Experience: Our motorcycle accident lawyer team has represented countless injured riders throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, giving us deep knowledge of NYC traffic laws, insurance practices, and court procedures.
• Personalized Attention: Our motorcycle accident lawyers treat every client as an individual, not a case number, taking time to understand how your injuries have affected your life, family, and future so we can present your story compellingly and pursue maximum compensation.
• No Upfront Costs: Our motorcycle accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you, allowing injury victims to access quality legal representation regardless of their financial situation.
• Thorough Case Preparation: Whether negotiating a settlement or taking your case to trial, our motorcycle accident lawyers approaches every claim with dedication and comprehensive preparation, gathering evidence, consulting professionals, and building the strongest possible case.

When you choose Kelner & Kelner as your motorcycle accident lawyers, you gain a committed advocate who will fight tirelessly for your rights while you focus on recovery. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your motorcycle accident case and learn how we can help you pursue the compensation you deserve.

Get the Compensation You Deserve—Contact Kelner & Kelner Today

Don't face the insurance companies alone after your motorcycle accident. The team at Kelner & Kelner is ready to fight for your rights and pursue the full compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your case with no obligation. Let our experienced motorcycle accident lawyer team handle the legal complexities while you focus on healing and rebuilding your life.