New York Personal Injury Lawyers / Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Brooklyn’s streets demand everything from a motorcyclist. From the congested corridors of Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush to the elevated stretches of the BQE and the industrial blocks of Sunset Park, riders face a relentless mix of aggressive drivers, unpredictable pedestrians, heavy commercial traffic, and roads that have seen better days. When another driver’s negligence turns a routine ride into a life-altering crash, you need a law firm with the experience and the will to fight for everything you are owed.

At Jacoby & Meyers, our Brooklyn motorcycle accident attorneys have been representing injured riders and their families for decades. We know how insurance companies approach these cases, we know the tactics they use to minimize payouts, and we know how to beat them. If you or someone you love has been seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash in Brooklyn, we are ready to go to work for you.

Contact Jacoby & Meyers today for a free consultation with a Brooklyn motorcycle accident lawyer. We take all motorcycle injury cases on a contingency fee basis, no upfront costs, no fees of any kind unless we win.

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The Unique Dangers Motorcyclists Face in Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous borough in New York City, and its roads reflect that density. Millions of vehicles, cars, trucks, buses, delivery vans, and rideshares compete for space on a street grid that was not designed for modern traffic volumes. For motorcyclists, who lack the physical protections that surround occupants of enclosed vehicles, that environment creates real and constant danger.

There are no airbags, no crumple zones, no steel frame between a rider and the road. When a car or truck strikes a motorcycle, the forces involved are rarely absorbed by the bike; they are absorbed by the rider. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that motorcyclists are approximately 24 times more likely to die in a traffic crash per mile traveled than passenger vehicle occupants. In Brooklyn’s dense, stop-and-go traffic environment, that danger is a daily reality.

The most common causes of motorcycle accidents in Brooklyn include:

• Left-turn collisions – a driver fails to yield to an oncoming motorcycle while turning, the leading cause of fatal motorcycle crashes nationwide
• Distracted driving – texting, phone use, and screen-distracted drivers whose attention is anywhere but the road
• Dooring – a driver or passenger opens a car door into the path of a passing rider
• Rear-end collisions – inattentive drivers following too closely in stop-and-go traffic
• Unsafe lane changes – drivers merging without checking mirrors or blind spots
• Commercial and delivery vehicle accidents – box trucks, 18-wheelers, and delivery vans with large blind spots operating on narrow Brooklyn streets
• Road defects, potholes, broken pavement – uneven surfaces, missing or faded lane markings, and construction hazards that barely register for cars but can instantly destabilize a motorcycle
• Drunk and impaired driving, particularly on weekends and nights near entertainment areas in Williamsburg, Park Slope, and Downtown Brooklyn
• Rideshare hazards – Ubers and Lyfts stopping abruptly in traffic or bike lanes without warning

No matter how your accident happened, our motorcycle accident lawyers will investigate every detail, identify every responsible party, and build the strongest possible case on your behalf.

Injuries Our Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Law Firm Handles

Motorcycle accidents produce some of the most catastrophic injuries in all of personal injury law. At Jacoby & Meyers, we work with leading medical experts, rehabilitation specialists, and forensic economists to ensure the true and complete cost of your injuries, present and future, is never minimized in your claim.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Even with a helmet, the violent forces of a motorcycle crash can cause traumatic brain injury. TBI ranges from concussion to severe, permanent brain damage affecting cognition, memory, speech, emotional regulation, and the capacity to work and live independently. These injuries require complex long-term damage analysis, and our motorcycle accident attorneys have the experience and the expert network to present the full scope of TBI consequences in negotiations and at trial.

Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis

Few injuries are more devastating than damage to the spinal cord. Partial or complete paralysis can eliminate mobility, independence, and career, requiring lifetime medical management, adaptive equipment, home modifications, and, in many cases, continuous personal care. The financial impact easily reaches into the millions of dollars over a victim’s lifetime. 

Jacoby & Meyers has the resources to take on these high-value, high-complexity cases and pursue every dollar of compensation our clients need.

Broken Bones and Orthopedic Injuries

Fractured legs, arms, hips, wrists, and ribs are common in motorcycle crashes and are frequently more serious than they initially appear. Many require surgery with implanted hardware, followed by extended physical therapy. Incomplete healing, chronic pain, reduced range of motion, and permanent functional limitations are frequent outcomes that affect victims’ ability to work and live fully for years after the crash.

Road Rash and Permanent Scarring

Severe road rash is not a minor injury. Deep abrasion through layers of skin and tissue can require skin grafts, multiple surgeries, and result in permanent scarring and disfigurement. Visible scarring, particularly on the face, neck, and hands, carries significant psychological consequences, including depression, anxiety, social isolation, and post-traumatic stress, all of which deserve full recognition in a claim.

Internal Injuries

Blunt force trauma from a motorcycle crash can cause internal bleeding and damage to organs, such as the liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs, that may not be immediately apparent at the scene. These are life-threatening injuries that require emergency surgical intervention and intensive care. Our motorcycle accident attorneys ensure all related costs and future medical needs are fully accounted for.

Wrongful Death

When a motorcycle accident in Brooklyn claims a life, the victim’s surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim. Jacoby & Meyers handles these profoundly difficult cases with the care, respect, and absolute determination they deserve, fighting for compensation covering funeral expenses, lost financial support, and the devastating personal loss of a spouse, parent, or child.

What Compensation Can Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Victims Recover?

A critical legal advantage for New York motorcycle accident victims: motorcycles are excluded from the state’s no-fault insurance system. Unlike car accident claimants, injured motorcyclists do not need to clear the serious injury threshold before pursuing a full tort claim against the at-fault driver. You can go directly after the negligent party for the full range of damages available under New York law.

Economic Damages:

• All past and future medical expenses, emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, specialist visits, rehabilitation, physical therapy, medications, and medical equipment
• Lost wages and income during your recovery period
• Loss of future earning capacity if your injuries affect your ability to work long-term
• In-home care, nursing assistance, and daily living support
• Motorcycle repair or replacement and riding gear
• All other out-of-pocket expenses arising from the accident and your recovery

Non-Economic Damages:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and psychological trauma
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Permanent disfigurement and scarring
• Loss of consortium, the impact of your injuries on your relationship with your spouse or partner

In cases involving particularly reckless or intentional conduct, a drunk driver, a street racer, or an aggressively negligent commercial operator, punitive damages may be available as well. Our Brooklyn motorcycle accident attorneys will identify and pursue every category of compensation the law provides.

How Insurance Companies Handle Motorcycle Accident Claims in Brooklyn

After a motorcycle crash, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will assign an adjuster whose job is to protect the company, not to compensate you fairly. Anti-motorcycle bias is well-documented in the insurance industry, and it directly influences how these claims are handled from the first contact.

Common tactics used against Brooklyn motorcycle accident victims:

• Stereotyping riders as reckless or aggressive to inflate your share of fault and reduce or eliminate the payout
• Disputing the severity of your injuries or claiming they are pre-existing conditions
• Making an early, undervalued settlement offer before you know the full extent of your long-term damages
• Requesting a recorded statement and using your own words against you
• Delaying the process to create financial pressure and push you toward accepting less than you deserve

Brooklyn’s complex traffic environment gives insurers additional angles of attack. They will examine how you were positioned in your lane, how fast you were riding, how you reacted, and any factor they can use to shift blame onto you.

At Jacoby & Meyers, we anticipate every one of these strategies and counter them with evidence. We build cases using accident reconstruction experts, medical professionals, traffic engineers, and witness testimony that leave the insurance company no credible basis to diminish your claim. Once you hire us, all insurer communication goes through our office. You will not receive another call from an adjuster.

New York Laws that Apply to Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Claims

In most motorcycle accident cases in New York, you have three years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, exceptions are critical. If a government entity played a role in your accident, a poorly maintained city road, a defective traffic signal, or an MTA bus driver, you may have as few as 90 days to file a notice of claim. Missing that deadline means losing your right to sue entirely. 

Do not assume you have time. Contact a Brooklyn motorcycle accident attorney immediately after your crash.

Pure Comparative Negligence

New York follows a pure comparative negligence rule. Even if you were partially responsible for the accident, you can still recover compensation; your damages are simply reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 20% at fault and your total damages are $700,000, you recover $560,000. 

Insurance companies routinely try to exaggerate your share of fault to pay less. Our motorcycle accident attorneys fight to keep that number as low as the evidence supports.

Helmet Requirements

New York law requires all motorcycle operators and passengers to wear helmets. If you were not wearing one, the defense will argue your head injuries are at least partly your own fault. Our motorcycle accident lawyers are experienced in handling these arguments and ensuring they do not unjustly reduce the compensation owed to you for injuries caused by another party’s negligence.

Government Entity and MTA Claims

Brooklyn has significant MTA infrastructure, subway stations, bus routes, and associated street and signal work, as well as city-maintained roads and vehicles. If any of these contributed to your crash, special procedural rules apply, including a 90-day notice-of-claim requirement and specific filing procedures. Our motorcycle accident attorneys know these requirements and handle them correctly so your claim is not lost on a technicality.

Why Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Victims Choose Jacoby & Meyers for Their Legal Representation

Jacoby & Meyers has been fighting for injured clients throughout New York City for over five decades. Our motorcycle accident law firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients in Brooklyn and across all five boroughs. That depth of experience means we have faced virtually every defense argument and insurance strategy, and we know how to overcome them.

Contingency Fee, No Cost Unless We Win

There are no upfront legal fees at Jacoby & Meyers. We advance all costs of investigation and litigation, and our fee is a percentage of the recovery we obtain. 

If we do not win your case, you owe us absolutely nothing. Our financial interests are directly aligned with yours from day one.

Trial-Ready from the Start

Law firms that rarely go to trial get less from insurance companies; insurers know the difference between a firm that settles cheap and one that fights in court. Our reputation as experienced, aggressive trial attorneys means our demands are taken seriously at the negotiating table. When a fair offer is not extended, we take the case to a Brooklyn jury and let them decide.

Rapid, Comprehensive Investigation

Speed matters in motorcycle accident cases. Surveillance footage gets overwritten. Witnesses become harder to locate. Physical evidence has been cleared from the scene. 

The moment you retain us, our team moves to secure traffic and security camera footage, retain accident reconstruction specialists, identify witnesses, and lock in the evidence before it is gone.

Direct Attorney Access throughout Your Case

Your case will be handled by experienced motorcycle accident lawyers, not handed off to paralegals. You will have direct access to the Brooklyn motorcycle accident lawyer working your claim and receive honest, clear updates throughout the process, no delays, no runaround.

Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Accident in Brooklyn

The actions you take after a crash directly affect the strength of your claim. Follow these steps whenever you are physically able to do so:

• Call 911. Report the accident and request medical help. A police report is one of the most important pieces of evidence in any motorcycle accident case and must be created at the scene.
• Get medical attention immediately, even if you feel relatively okay. Adrenaline suppresses pain after trauma. Spinal injuries, internal bleeding, and traumatic brain injury can present with minimal symptoms in the first hours. A prompt evaluation protects your health and creates a direct medical record linking your injuries to the accident.
• Document everything at the scene. Photograph your injuries, your motorcycle, the other vehicle or vehicles, the road surface, skid marks, traffic controls, and the broader environment. The more visual documentation you have, the better.
• Collect information. Get the other driver’s full name, license plate, license number, insurance company, and policy number. If there are witnesses, get their names and contact details. Note nearby businesses, traffic cameras, and any other potential sources of footage.
• Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company. Not the other party’s insurer, and not your own until you have legal representation. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions that elicit answers they can use to minimize your claim. Politely decline and direct them to contact your Brooklyn motorcycle accident lawyer.
• Stay off social media. Insurance investigators and defense attorneys monitor victims’ accounts. A photo, a comment, or a check-in, even something entirely innocent, can be mischaracterized and used against you. Go dark until your case is concluded.
• Call Jacoby & Meyers as soon as possible. The sooner we get involved, the more evidence we can secure and the stronger your case will be from the ground up.

Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Claim FAQ

What if the Driver Who Hit Me Was Uninsured or Fled the Scene?

New York requires motorcycle insurance policies to include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, which can compensate you when the at-fault driver is uninsured or unidentified. Our attorneys will also investigate all other potentially liable parties, vehicle manufacturers, road maintenance contractors, the MTA, the City of New York, to ensure every available source of compensation is pursued.

Can I Still Recover Compensation if I Was Partially at Fault?

Yes. New York’s pure comparative negligence rule allows recovery regardless of your share of fault, your damages are simply reduced in proportion. If you bear some responsibility, our job is to make sure that responsibility is accurately and fairly assessed, not inflated by an insurer looking to reduce its exposure.

How Long Does a Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Case Typically Take?

It depends on the complexity of the case, the severity of injuries, and whether it resolves through settlement or proceeds to trial. Cases with clear liability and well-documented injuries may settle in several months. Complex cases involving catastrophic injuries, disputed fault, or government entities can take a year or more. We always prioritize getting you the maximum recovery, not the fastest one.

What Is My Case Worth?

Every case is different, and any attorney who gives you a number before reviewing the facts is not being straight with you. The value of your claim depends on your injuries, your medical costs, your lost income, the long-term impact on your life, and the strength of the evidence. We will give you an honest, detailed assessment during your free consultation.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Attorney?

Nothing upfront. Jacoby & Meyers works on a pure contingency basis; we advance all costs, and our fee is a percentage of what we recover for you. If we do not win, you owe us nothing at all.

Representing Injured Riders Across All of Brooklyn

Our motorcycle accident law firm represents clients throughout every neighborhood in Brooklyn, from Williamsburg, DUMBO, and Downtown Brooklyn to Flatbush, Crown Heights, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Canarsie, East New York, Sheepshead Bay, and everywhere in between. Whether your accident happened on the BQE, the Belt Parkway, Atlantic Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Ocean Parkway, Fourth Avenue, or a side street in any Brooklyn neighborhood, our attorneys are ready to help.

We also handle cases involving accidents on the bridges connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan and Queens, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge, and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge approach, as well as crashes involving MTA buses, city vehicles, and defective city-maintained infrastructure.

Speak with a Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Lawyer at Jacoby & Meyers in a Free Consultation

You should not have to fight the insurance industry alone while you are trying to recover from serious injuries. Jacoby & Meyers has the experience, the resources, and the determination to take your case all the way, and to win.

Call us now or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free, confidential consultation. There are no costs, no obligations, and no attorney fees of any kind unless we recover compensation for you.

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Client Testimonials

Review: 5/5
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“The team and Jocoby & Meyers are excellent. They make sure the client is well taken care of. They are great with communication and they take their time to make sure the client is satisfied. Will definitely recommend.”
Review by: Danielle H.

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