There are many attorneys in New York, and it’s important for you to find one you have confidence in and who has the experience necessary to deal with the complications that arise in Citi bike cases. Here are some reasons why we think our accomplished legal team at Tucker Lawyers PC firm is your best choice:
When you hire us to represent you after a slip and fall injury, we start working immediately to pursue justice for you. We will:
Our lawyers have the experience necessary to identify all potentially liable parties and to hold them accountable.
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To win your case, our Citi bike share accident attorneys must prove that another party, the defendant in the case, was negligent and at fault for causing the accident that injured you. This means showing the existence of the following four elements:
Determining liability for a bike share accident can be complicated by the fact that there may be multiple parties responsible for the accident and multiple New York laws involved.
New York law requires bicyclists and motorists to use the same degree of care that a reasonably prudent person would have used under the same circumstances. Under Section 1146 of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any bicyclist, pedestrian or domestic animal upon any roadway and shall give warning by sounding the horn when necessary. Motorists who fail to use reasonable care may be held liable for accidents due to their negligence.
In addition to motorist negligence, bike accidents caused by inadequate maintenance are common on rental bikes. New York City bike rental companies are required to make sure that their bikes are in good condition and safe to use. When a poorly maintained bike or a defective part causes an accident, the rental company could be liable for your injuries, as could a bike or part manufacturer if the bike or its parts were defectively manufactured or designed. In some cases, you may also have a claim against a city government if any defects in the road or other hazards contributed to your accident. In this case, a Notice of Claim must be filed with the City of New York within 90 days of the accident.
Both motorists and bicyclists have an obligation to try to avoid accidents. Those operating motor vehicles should remain vigilant and adhere to all rules of the road. Cyclists should be thorough in their use of hand signals, and try their best to avoid undue contact with all vehicles. Weaving in and out through traffic is a dangerous and reckless practice.
Our Tucker Citi Bike accident lawyer is thoroughly familiar with all bicycle laws and the circumstances where certain parties can be held responsible. We would look to name all negligent parties as defendants since they all may have assets and insurance that can go toward a settlement in a bicycle accident lawsuit.
In a successful Citi bike accident case, our Tucker attorneys may win a monetary award called damages, which should cover both your economic and noneconomic losses and expenses.
Economic damages – are for the financial costs and losses you have incurred that can be quantified monetarily, such as:
Noneconomic damages – are for damages that do not have a specific dollar value but negatively impact your life, such as:
Punitive damages – In some rare cases, where a defendant acted extremely egregiously and recklessly, you may also be awarded punitive damages. These are intended to punish the defendant and to deter such actions in the future.
Damage award amounts can vary widely in a bike accident personal injury case, from the thousands to the millions, depending on the factors involved in your individual situation. Factors taken into consideration may include:
New York does not have a damage cap for personal injury cases, and the more permanent and severe the injury and the greater the impact on your life, the higher the recovery may be. The skill of your attorneys also plays a major role. Our Citi bike accident attorneys will consider all factors to evaluate what your case may be worth and fight for maximum compensation.
When you’re hurt in a bike sharing accident, you probably have many questions and concerns. Our Tucker Citi bike accident lawyers can best answer all questions at your free consultation, but to get you started, here are a few we regularly hear from our clients:
Should I speak to an insurance adjuster?
No, the less you say to an insurance adjuster, the better. Insurance adjusters are concerned with their bottom line, so will always try to get you to accept the lowest amount possible. Insurance companies may use tactics such as offering you a quick settlement in return for signing a release. Be aware that once you accept their offer, you will not be able to make additional claims in the future, even if your injuries get worse. They may also attempt to trick you into saying something that can be used against you, such as admitting that you were partially at fault for the accident.
Tell the insurance adjuster to speak to your attorney, and let Tucker Lawyers PC handle all dealings and negotiations to fight for the full compensation you deserve.
How does NY no-fault insurance law work with bicycle accidents?
The state of New York is a no-fault insurance state, meaning that compensation should be recovered regardless of fault. This No-Fault coverage is separate and apart from any lawsuit. According to NY law, (ISC section 5102) you may go beyond no-fault and sue for personal injury losses if you have sustained a serious injury. This means an injury which results in death, significant disfigurement, a fracture, loss of a fetus, permanent loss or limitation of use of a body organ, member, function or system, or a medically determined injury or impairment that prevents performing customary daily activities for not less than ninety days during the one hundred eighty days immediately following the injury or impairment.
What if I did something to contribute to the accident?
You may still collect compensation if you did something to contribute to the accident, but under NY law (CVP section 1411), your settlement amount will be reduced by the proportion of fault you are found to have. For example, if the settlement was for $100,000 and you are 20 percent at fault, you would still be able to collect $80,000.
How much does a Citi bike accident attorney in New York City cost?
The good news is that there are no upfront costs at all at Tucker Lawyers PC. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means that you pay us only if we win your case, and the fees come out of the settlement award.
Rest assured that Tucker Lawyers PC will be there for you throughout the entire legal process, answering all questions as they arise.
If you’ve been injured on either end of an accident involving a Citi Bike and a motor vehicle, you may be eligible to sue for compensation. The New York Citi bike accident lawyers at Tucker Lawyers PC have decades of experience and a proven track record of helping people who have been hurt in accidents to receive the money that they are entitled to. We know how anxious and fearful people are after a serious accident and will do everything possible to take the burden off you and do the work necessary to get you a settlement. We take a client-first approach, so our priority is getting you the help you need.
Call us for a free, no-obligation consultation. If you can’t come to us, we will come to you. We charge no fee unless we recover compensation, so call us today while evidence is fresh and witnesses can be found.
John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ATTORNEY BIO]