When a motorcycle accident turns your life upside down, you need more than just a lawyer; you need a fighter. At Jacoby & Meyers, our Queens motorcycle accident attorneys have been standing up for injured riders and their families for decades, taking on negligent drivers and the insurance companies that protect them. We know the roads of Queens, we know New York motorcycle law, and we know how to win.
If you or someone you love has been seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash in Queens, time is not on your side. Evidence fades, witnesses move on, and insurance adjusters are already working to minimize what they owe you. The sooner you have an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in your corner, the better your chances of recovering the full compensation you deserve.
Call Jacoby & Meyers today for a free consultation with a Queens motorcycle accident attorney. We work on a contingency fee basis, with no upfront costs, and no fees unless we win your case.
The Real Dangers of Riding a Motorcycle in Queens
Queens is one of the most complex and congested boroughs in New York City. From the BQE and the Van Wyck Expressway to Jamaica Avenue, Northern Boulevard, and the streets surrounding JFK Airport, motorcyclists navigate a daily obstacle course of aggressive drivers, heavy commercial traffic, unpredictable pedestrians, and deteriorating road conditions. The margin for error is thin, and the consequences of someone else’s negligence are often catastrophic.
Motorcyclists are uniquely vulnerable on the road. There are no seatbelts, no airbags, no protective steel frame. When a car, truck, or SUV hits a motorcycle, the rider absorbs the full force of the impact. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are approximately 24 times more likely to die in a crash per mile traveled than occupants of passenger vehicles. In a borough as dense and traffic-heavy as Queens, that risk is compounded every time you ride.
The most common causes of motorcycle accidents in Queens include:
- Left-turn collisions – a turning driver fails to yield to an oncoming motorcycle, the single most common type of fatal motorcycle crash
- Distracted driving – texting, phone use, and inattention behind the wheel
- Lane-change and merging accidents – drivers failing to check mirrors and blind spots
- Rear-end collisions – tailgating drivers who cannot stop in time
- Dooring – a parked vehicle’s occupant swings a door open into a passing rider
- Drunk and impaired driving – a leading cause of serious and fatal crashes
- Speeding – particularly on expressways and wide arterial roads
- Road defects – potholes, crumbling pavement, missing signage, and debris that are manageable for cars but deadly for motorcycles
No matter how your accident happened, our motorcycle injury attorneys will dig into every detail to identify who was at fault and hold them fully accountable.
Injuries We Handle at Our Motorcycle Accident Law Firm
The injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents are frequently severe, life-altering, and permanent. Our Queens motorcycle accident lawyers work with leading medical experts, rehabilitation specialists, and economic analysts to ensure the true cost of your injuries is never understated.
Lesiones cerebrales traumáticas
A motorcycle crash can cause traumatic brain injury even when a helmet is worn. The forces involved, sudden deceleration, impact, and rotation, can damage brain tissue in ways that alter personality, cognition, memory, and the ability to work and live independently. TBI cases require complex, long-term damage analysis, and our attorneys have extensive experience building and presenting these claims.
Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
Damage to the spinal cord can result in partial or complete paralysis, stripping a rider of mobility, career, and independence in an instant. Lifetime care costs for spinal cord injury victims can easily exceed several million dollars. Jacoby & Meyers has the resources to pursue the full value of these catastrophic injury claims, including long-term care, adaptive equipment, home modification, and lost lifetime earnings.
Broken Bones and Orthopedic Injuries
Fractured limbs, pelvis, wrists, and ribs are among the most common motorcycle accident injuries. These often require surgery, hardware implantation, and extended physical therapy. Many victims are left with chronic pain, limited range of motion, and a permanent reduction in their physical capabilities.
Road Rash and Disfigurement
Severe road rash penetrates deep into the skin and underlying tissue, requiring skin grafts, multiple surgeries, and leaving lasting scars. Beyond the physical pain, disfigurement can cause significant psychological harm, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Internal Organ Damage
Blunt force trauma in a motorcycle crash can cause internal bleeding and damage to organs, including the liver, spleen, and kidneys. These injuries are life-threatening and not always immediately apparent, making prompt medical evaluation after any crash absolutely critical.
Muerte por negligencia
When a motorcycle accident claims a life, the victim’s family may be entitled to pursue a wrongful death claim. Jacoby & Meyers handles these deeply serious cases with the care, respect, and tenacity the family deserves, seeking compensation for funeral expenses, lost financial support, and the profound loss of companionship and guidance.
What Compensation Are You Entitled To?
One of the most important facts Queens motorcycle accident victims need to know: motorcycles are excluded from New York’s no-fault insurance system. This means you are not limited by the serious injury threshold that restricts car accident victims. You can pursue a full tort claim against the at-fault party from the outset, opening the door to broader and more substantial compensation.
Economic Damages:
- All past and future medical expenses, emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy, medications, and assistive devices
- Lost wages during your recovery
- Loss of future earning capacity if your injuries affect your ability to work long-term
- In-home nursing care and assistance with daily activities
- Motorcycle and gear replacement or repair
- All other out-of-pocket costs arising from the accident
Non-Economic Damages:
- Dolor y sufrimiento
- Emotional distress and psychological trauma
- Pérdida del disfrute de la vida
- Permanent disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium, the impact of your injuries on your relationship with your spouse or partner
Where the at-fault driver’s conduct was especially reckless, driving drunk, street racing, or deliberately aggressive behavior, punitive damages may also be pursued. Our Queens motorcycle accident attorneys will identify and pursue every category of compensation the law makes available to you.
How Insurance Companies Handle Motorcycle Claims, and Why You Need a Lawyer
Insurance companies are businesses, and their business model depends on paying out as little as possible on claims. After a motorcycle accident, the at-fault driver’s insurer will assign an adjuster whose job is to protect the company’s bottom line, not to make sure you are fairly compensated.
Tactics commonly used against motorcycle accident victims include:
- Invoking anti-motorcycle stereotypes to assign you blame, arguing that you were riding recklessly or at excessive speed
- Disputing the severity of your injuries or claiming they are pre-existing
- Making an early, lowball settlement offer before you know the full extent of your damages
- Asking for a recorded statement and using your words against you later
- Dragging out the process to create financial pressure that forces a cheap settlement
This anti-motorcycle bias is pervasive throughout the insurance industry and can even influence jurors. At Jacoby & Meyers, our attorneys anticipate and proactively dismantle these tactics. We build cases with evidence, accident reconstruction, medical expert testimony, and eyewitness accounts that leave no room for the insurance company to minimize what happened to you.
Once you retain us, all communication with insurers goes through our office. You focus on healing. We handle everything else.
New York Laws that Apply to Your Motorcycle Accident Claim
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, if a government entity is involved, for instance, if a poorly maintained city road or a defective traffic signal contributed to your accident, you may have as little as 90 days to file a notice of claim against the City of New York. Failing to meet this deadline forfeits your right to sue. Do not assume you have time to wait; contact a Queens motorcycle accident attorney immediately.
Pure Comparative Negligence
New York is a pure comparative negligence state. Even if you bear some responsibility for the accident, you can still recover compensation. Your damages will be reduced in proportion to your share of fault. If you are found 25% at fault and your damages total $600,000, you recover $450,000. Insurance companies routinely try to inflate your percentage of fault to reduce what they owe. Our attorneys fight aggressively to keep that number as low as possible.
Helmet Requirements
New York law requires all motorcycle riders and passengers to wear a helmet. If you were riding without one, the defense will argue that your head injuries are at least partially your own fault. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling these arguments and ensuring they do not unjustly reduce the compensation you are entitled to for injuries caused by another party’s negligence.
Lane Splitting
Unlike some states, New York does not permit lane splitting, riding between lanes of slow-moving or stopped traffic. If you were lane splitting at the time of your accident, the defense will use it. Our attorneys know how to contextualize this within the broader facts of your case to protect your recovery.
Why Queens Motorcycle Accident Victims Choose Jacoby & Meyers
Jacoby & Meyers has been fighting for injured New Yorkers for more than 50 years. Our motorcycle accident law firm has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of clients throughout Queens and all five boroughs. We bring that depth of experience to every case we take.
No Fee Unless We Win
You are already dealing with medical bills, lost income, and physical pain. The last thing you need is legal fees piling on. We handle every motorcycle accident case on a contingency basis, no retainer, no hourly charges, no out-of-pocket litigation costs. If we do not recover for you, you owe us nothing.
Trial-Ready Advocacy
Many personal injury firms settle quickly because they lack the resources or the will to go to trial. Insurance companies know who will fight and who will fold. Our reputation as aggressive, prepared trial attorneys means insurers treat our demands seriously, often leading to better settlements. And when a fair offer is not on the table, we take the case to court.
Full-Service Investigation
From the moment you hire us, we move fast. Our team secures surveillance and traffic camera footage, retains accident reconstruction specialists, preserves physical evidence, and identifies and interviews witnesses before memories fade and evidence disappears. We build your case from the ground up so nothing is left to chance.
Direct Attorney Access and Honest Communication
You will always know where your case stands. At Jacoby & Meyers, your case is handled by experienced attorneys, not passed off to paralegals or case managers. You will have direct access to the lawyer working your case and receive clear, honest updates every step of the way.
Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Accident in Queens
What you do, and what you avoid doing, in the immediate aftermath of a crash can have a direct impact on your case. Follow these steps whenever possible:
- Call 911. Report the accident and request medical assistance. A police report creates an official record of the crash and is one of the first things insurance companies and courts look at.
- Get medical attention immediately. Adrenaline can mask serious injuries in the moments after a crash. Spinal injuries, internal bleeding, and brain trauma may not be obvious right away. A prompt medical evaluation both protects your health and creates a documented link between the accident and your injuries.
- Gather evidence at the scene. Photograph your injuries, your motorcycle, the other vehicle(s), the road, any skid marks, traffic signals, and the surrounding environment. Get the other driver’s name, license, insurance, and contact information. Collect names and phone numbers from any witnesses.
- Say nothing to the insurance company. Do not give a recorded statement, not to the other driver’s insurer and not even to your own, until you have spoken with an attorney. Anything you say can and will be used to minimize your claim.
- Stay off social media. Even an innocuous post or photo can be taken out of context and used against you by the defense. Go dark until your case is resolved.
- Call Jacoby & Meyers. The earlier we get involved, the more effectively we can protect your rights and build your case. Call us as soon as possible after your accident.
Queens Motorcycle Accident FAQ
What if the Driver Who Hit Me Doesn’t Have Insurance?
New York requires motorcycle policies to include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, so your own policy may provide compensation when the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured. We will also investigate whether any other parties, such as a vehicle manufacturer, a road maintenance authority, or a bar that over-served an intoxicated driver, share liability.
How Long Will My Case Take?
It depends on the complexity of the case and whether it settles or goes to trial. Cases with clear liability and documented injuries may resolve in months. Complex cases with disputed fault or catastrophic injuries can take a year or longer. We always prioritize maximizing your recovery over rushing to a settlement.
What if I Was Partially at Fault for the Accident?
You can still recover under New York’s pure comparative negligence rule. Your compensation will be reduced by your share of fault, but you are not barred from recovery. Our job is to make sure your percentage of fault is kept as low as the evidence supports.
¿Cuánto vale mi caso?
Every case is different. The value of your claim depends on the nature and severity of your injuries, your medical costs, your lost income, the long-term impact on your life, and the strength of the evidence against the at-fault party. We will give you an honest, thorough assessment during your free consultation, no inflated promises, just a clear-eyed evaluation.
Is There Any Cost to Consult with a Queens Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
None. Your initial consultation is completely free. And because we work on contingency, there are no costs to you at any stage unless and until we recover money on your behalf.
Representing Motorcycle Accident Victims Across Queens
Our motorcycle accident law firm represents injured riders throughout Queens, from Astoria, Long Island City, and Jackson Heights to Flushing, Jamaica, Bayside, Forest Hills, Howard Beach, and Rockaway. Whether your crash happened on the Van Wyck, the Grand Central Parkway, the BQE, Northern Boulevard, Hillside Avenue, or a neighborhood side street, we are here to help.
We also handle cases involving accidents on the bridges and crossings that connect Queens to Manhattan, Brooklyn, Nassau County, and beyond, including the Queensboro Bridge, the Triborough/RFK Bridge, the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and the Belt Parkway approaches.
Talk to a Queens Motorcycle Accident Attorney at Jacoby & Meyers in a Free Consultation
You have been through enough. Let our team take the legal fight off your plate so you can focus on recovering. Our Queens motorcycle accident lawyers are ready to listen to what happened, explain your options, and go to work building the strongest possible case on your behalf.
Call us now or submit our online contact form to schedule your free, confidential consultation. There is no cost to speak with us, no obligation to hire us, and no fee of any kind unless we win your case.
Testimonios de clientes
«Si no fuera por el equipo legal integral de expertos de Jacoby & Meyers, no estaría donde estoy hoy con mi recuperación. Recomiendo encarecidamente contratar a Jacoby & Meyers si alguna vez te ves involucrado en un accidente y necesitas que una persona o empresa se haga responsable de su negligencia». -C.J.
★★★★★
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