Glen Oaks Bicycle Accident Lawyer
New York City has many passionate cyclists who ride for recreation and for transportation. Bicycle routes extend through all five boroughs of New York including Queens. Unfortunately, New York drivers who aren’t always paying attention for bicycles. Inattentive drivers may cause serious bicycle accidents involving injuries and fatalities to riders.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a bicycle accident in Queens or elsewhere in NYC, contact a Glen Oaks bicycle accident lawyer at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP. Our attorneys are committed to helping cyclists who have been injured by the negligence of careless or inattentive drivers. We can negotiate with the insurance company and seek the full compensation you’ll need to recover from serious injuries.
A bicycle crash with a car can cause a cyclist to sustain a traumatic brain injury or other serious injuries and be life-changing. As an injured cyclist, you may have a right to seek compensation for your medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering and other losses. Our Glen Oaks cycling accident attorneys know New York injury law and are committed to helping bicyclists and their families seek full compensation after a serious accident.
What to Do If You Are Hit by a Car While Cycling in Glen Oaks
Cyclists in Queens and elsewhere in New York City have the same rights to use New York streets as other motorists except where expressly prohibited. Bicycles are permitted on local streets throughout the City and are prohibited on certain expressways, highways and bridges.
Unfortunately, many motorists do not look out for bicycles on the road and may violate a cyclist’s right of way as a result, leading to a collision and an injured rider.
If you are riding a bicycle and you are struck by a moving vehicle in Glen Oaks or elsewhere in Queens, there are certain steps to take to protect your legal rights.
- You should contact the New York Police and report the accident promptly. Having a police report provides documentation that the bicycle accident occurred and who was involved.
- Request an ambulance if needed. If the emergency medical technicians respond to the scene and advise you to have emergency treatment, you should allow the EMTs to transport you to the hospital. Your health comes first.
- Ask the driver who hit you for his or her vehicle registration and auto liability insurance information.
- Don’t get drawn into an argument with the driver who caused your bicycle crash.
- It’s best not to discuss the details of the accident with the other driver or make any statement. Don’t apologize or try to minimize your injuries. These kinds of comments may be used against you by an insurer to deny a claim. Write down any statements that the other driver makes at the scene such as, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” These kinds of comments may be helpful if you pursue a bicycle injury claim.
- Remain calm and professional and avoid a confrontation.
- Get the license plate numbers of the vehicles involved in the accident, if possible. Unfortunately, many bicycle accidents involve hit-and-run drivers who flee the scene.
- While waiting for the police to arrive, gather evidence if you capable of doing so. Take photos of the accident scene including your own injuries and the position of your bicycle and vehicle.
- Locate any witnesses to the bicycle accident and get their names and contact information. Record brief videos of the witnesses describing what they saw.
- The investigating officer will talk to those involved and write an accident report. Ask the officer how to get a copy of the accident report.
- If you do not need emergency medical care, you should have a medical evaluation within 24 hours. After receiving medical care, you should contact a bicycle accident lawyer to review the details of the accident and discuss your legal options.
- Motorists in New York are required to carry no-fault insurance, also known as personal injury protection. As an injured bicyclist, you may submit a no-fault claim within 30 days of the bicycle collision to the insurance company of the driver who hit you. The insurance company may try to deny your claim if you do not submit written notice of the accident in a timely manner.
- If your injuries are extensive, you may also have a right to file a lawsuit against the motorist who hit you and the driver’s insurance company. Do not sign anything presented by the insurance company or accept any settlement offers without having a knowledgeable attorney review the offer and discuss whether it is reasonable in light of your injuries.
An attorney at Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP can help you file a no-fault claim and handle all the paperwork after a Glen Oaks bicycle accident. We can evaluate whether a personal injury lawsuit is appropriate based on the extent of your injuries. We are familiar with the tactics that insurance companies use to try to dismiss or minimize cyclist’s no-fault claims.
Dangerous Areas for Cyclists in Glen Oaks
Glen Oaks has quiet streets and busy avenues and roads. While bicycle accidents are more common on some streets, a serious accident can occur on any street where bicycles and cars are sharing the road. Serious injuries can occur even when a motorist opens the door of a parked car without looking first and strikes a passing cyclist.
Some of the locations in Glen Oaks and elsewhere in Queens that have had been shown to be dangerous for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists include:
- 263rd Street/73rd Avenue
- 82nd Avenue
- Lakeville Road
- New Hyde Park Road
- 50-block length of 21st to Long Island City
- 37th Avenue
- Rockaway Boulevard
New York City has proposed to add bicycle lanes to some of the streets to make them more bike-friendly. But the fact is that bicycle riders are vulnerable to serious injuries anytime they are sharing the roads of Queens, Nassau or Suffolk counties with motorists.
How Our Personal Injury Law Firm Can Help
As an injured cyclist, the burden is on you to prove the automobile driver who hit you was at fault. An experienced Glen Oaks bike accident attorney can investigate your bike accident, talk to witnesses and gather evidence showing that the motorist who hit you was at fault and is liable for your injuries. As a trained EMT, attorney Richard Jaffe has a detailed understanding of the kinds of traumatic injuries that a cyclist hit by a car in Glen Oaks can suffer.
After we gather evidence to support your case, we will contact the appropriate insurance company and provide notice of your claim. Our attorneys will handle all the insurance paperwork and negotiations with the insurance company and deal with any persistent insurance adjusters.
How Quickly Will You Settle My Glen Oaks Bike Accident Claim?
Securing compensation from someone else’s insurance company can be challenging. Insurance companies often try to claim that a traffic accident was caused by a bicyclist’s own actions to limit the insurer’s liability. At the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP our attorneys will stand up for your rights as an injured cyclist and prevent the insurer from taking advantage of the situation.
A Glen Oaks bike accident lawyer can review your medical bills and injuries and determine whether you are entitled under New York law to file a personal injury lawsuit.
The insurance company would like to settle quickly for a fraction of the fair value of the case to limit the company’s liability. Our attorneys understand the importance of waiting until your doctor says that you have reached maximum recovery after a serious injury. Only then can we get an accurate assessment of the impact of the bike crash injury on your life and the anticipated costs of future medical care. Moving to settle too quickly can shortchange you of important compensation.
Our attorneys at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP concentrate our practice on helping personal injury victims in Queens and on Long Island, including those injured in bike accidents. Our legal team has more than 100 years of combined experience. We have secured millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements, and that experience allows us to have a good sense of the fair value of your claim. We will pursue a proper settlement that covers your present and future losses and be prepared to go to trial if the insurance company refuses to do what is fair.
Call a Glen Oaks Bike Accident Lawyer
We can assist with every aspect of your claim. When you are represented by Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP you will deal directly with Richard Jaffe and Stephen Cohen, not a paralegal or legal secretary. We handle cases on a contingency basis, so there is no charge for our legal service unless we obtain compensation for you.
Contact us online or by phone at (516) 358-6900 to speak to an experienced Glen Oaks bicycle accident attorney today. We provide free consultations, including appointments in the evening or on weekends. We handle injury claims related to bicycle accidents in Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens and throughout New York City.
