Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Are you looking for a motorcycle accident lawyer in Brooklyn, NY?

At The Edelsteins, Faegenburg, & Blyakher LLP, we are trusted motorcycle accident lawyers serving clients across Brooklyn and the surrounding area.

If you’ve been hurt riding a motorcycle in Brooklyn, we are here to help you. Our Brooklyn, NY motorcycle accident lawyer has recovered more than $137 million in settlements and verdicts for injured New Yorkers, including a $287 million jury verdict in a fatal motorcycle case. Paul J. Edelstein and Glenn K. Faegenburg both graduated from Brooklyn Law School and have spent their careers trying injury cases in this borough. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Brooklyn, NY

A Brooklyn motorcycle accident lawyer represents riders and passengers injured by someone else’s negligence, and the families of riders who didn’t survive. The work is different from a car accident case. Riders have no steel frame around them, so a low-speed collision that dents a sedan can fracture a pelvis. And no-fault coverage, which pays medical bills for car occupants regardless of fault, does not extend to motorcyclists in New York. Your medical bills sit with you until liability is resolved.

New York City recorded 55 motorcyclist deaths in 2023, an all-time high, and rider injuries citywide rose 33 percent through early 2024, according to NYC DOT data. Our motorcycle accident attorneys in Brooklyn build the liability case the police report usually skips: who turned, who signaled, who was looking at a phone.

Types of Motorcycle Accident Cases We Handle in Brooklyn

Nearly every crash we see starts with a driver who failed to look. The details determine who pays, and how much. These are the cases our Brooklyn, NY motorcycle accident lawyers handle most often, and in each one we start with the same question: what does the physical evidence say before anyone’s memory gets involved.

• Left-turn collisions. A driver turns left across your lane at Flatbush and Atlantic and insists you came out of nowhere. We pull intersection camera footage and reconstruct sight lines before the insurer’s story hardens.
• Lane-change and blind-spot crashes. Drivers merge on the Belt Parkway and the BQE without checking mirrors. We use vehicle damage patterns and witness accounts to show the driver moved into occupied space.
• Truck accidents. Box trucks, sanitation vehicles, and delivery vans carry commercial policies and corporate defendants. We preserve driver logs and fleet records early.
• DUI accidents. An intoxicated driver’s criminal case runs on its own track. We pursue the civil claim in parallel and look at whether a bar or restaurant overserved the driver.
• Rear-end collisions. A rider stopped at a red light on Ocean Parkway gets pushed into the intersection. Fault is rarely disputed, but the injury value is, and that’s where the fight happens.
• Dangerous road conditions. Potholes, steel plates, and unmarked construction zones throw riders. Claims against the City of New York carry short deadlines, and we file the required notice of claim promptly.
• Defective motorcycle parts. Brake failure, tire separation, and design flaws are product liability cases, and our firm tried one against Harley-Davidson to a $287 million verdict.
• Hit-and-run crashes. When the driver flees, we pursue your own policy’s uninsured motorist coverage and work with NYPD to identify the vehicle.
• Catastrophic injuries. Amputations, paralysis, and severe burns require life-care planning and economists to prove the full cost of decades of care.
• Wrongful death. Families of riders killed in Brooklyn can pursue a wrongful death claim. We handle these cases with the care they deserve.

Why Choose The Edelsteins, Faegenburg, & Blyakher LLP as my Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Brooklyn, NY?

Trial Lawyers Who Know Brooklyn Courtrooms

Paul J. Edelstein earned his law degree at Brooklyn Law School after studying at the University at Albany. He belongs to the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA), the Brooklyn Bar Association, and the American Bar Association, and he volunteered with the Trial Lawyers Care 9/11 Project. Our personal injury lawyer in Brooklyn, NY has the trial experience that makes a difference in client’s cases. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.

Proven Results

Our firm has recovered more than $137 million for injured clients. Results relevant to riders and road users include:

• A $287 million verdict against Harley-Davidson after a fatal crash
• $9,000,000 for a pedestrian struck on the sidewalk by a drunk driver
• $4,350,000 for a driver hit head-on by an intoxicated driver
• $2,850,000 for a bicyclist struck by a police vehicle
• $1,500,000 jury verdict for a man whose car was hit by a tractor-trailer

What Is Important To Understand About Motorcycle Accident Cases?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Motorcycle Accident Cases

Every motorcycle case rests on two questions. Who caused the crash, and what did it cost you. The first question is usually harder than it looks, because the only two witnesses often disagree and one of them was unconscious. The second requires medical proof of what your injuries will cost over a lifetime, not just what they cost last month.

• Negligence. The driver owed you a duty of reasonable care, breached it, and caused your injuries. A failure to yield, an unsignaled lane change, or texting at the wheel all qualify.
• Comparative fault. New York reduces your recovery by your share of fault. Since May 2026, in motor vehicle injury actions governed by the No-Fault law, a claimant found more than 50 percent at fault recovers nothing under CPLR 1411. How that rule applies to riders, who fall outside no-fault coverage, is still being worked out in the courts, which makes the fault allocation fight critical.
• Economic damages. Medical bills, future care, lost wages, and the motorcycle.
• Non-economic damages. Pain and suffering, scarring, and loss of enjoyment of life. A spouse may have a loss of consortium claim.

Important Aspects of a Motorcycle Accident Case

Rider bias is real. Adjusters and some jurors assume the motorcyclist was speeding or weaving. We counter that assumption with evidence.

• Get treated the same day and follow through. A gap in treatment becomes the insurer’s best defense.
• Don’t give a recorded statement when the adjuster calls. Send them to us.
• Stay off social media. Posts can destroy a legitimate claim.
• Helmet use, licensing, and registration will come up. They affect the case but rarely end it.
• If the driver had no coverage, your own policy’s uninsured motorist benefits may apply.

What Is The Motorcycle Accident Case Timeline?

Most cases take a year or more. Serious injury cases take longer because we don’t settle until your doctors can say what your future looks like.

• Investigation and evidence preservation in the first weeks
• Notice of claim within 90 days if a city vehicle or road defect is involved, followed by a 50-h hearing
• Filing suit in Kings County Supreme Court
• Discovery, including your deposition and the defendant’s
• Mediation, then the decision to settle or try the case

What to Bring to Your Motorcycle Accident Consultation

A personal injury consultation with us is about an hour. You’ll leave knowing whether you have a case and what happens next. Bring what you have of the following:

• Police report or the NYPD incident number
• Photos of the scene, your bike, and your injuries
• Medical discharge papers and provider names
• Your motorcycle insurance policy
• Any letters or calls from the other driver’s insurer

Most Dangerous Locations for Motorcycle Accidents in Brooklyn

In the first six months of 2024, Brooklyn recorded more traffic deaths than in any comparable period since Vision Zero began, according to Transportation Alternatives. Atlantic Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Eastern Parkway, and Linden Boulevard combine high speeds with constant turning traffic. The Belt Parkway and the BQE produce lane-change crashes at merge points. Crash data by intersection is published on the city’s Vision Zero View map. Where a road defect contributed, suing the City is possible but time-sensitive.

Reach Out to The Edelsteins, Faegenburg, & Blyakher LLP to Schedule a Consultation

Talk to a Brooklyn motorcycle accident attorney before you talk to the other driver’s insurer. The consultation is free, and we’ll review the police report and your injuries the same week. Contact us to schedule a time that works around your treatment.

Motorcycle Accident Statistics in Brooklyn, NY

Riders make up a small share of vehicles on Brooklyn streets and a large share of the people killed on them. The city’s own Vision Zero figures show motorcyclist deaths have stayed elevated since 2020 even as pedestrian deaths dropped. Officials attribute part of the increase to unlicensed and unregistered riders, but that framing leaves out the drivers who hit them. A licensed rider on a registered bike is just as vulnerable to a left turn across his lane, and the figures below include plenty of those.

Statewide numbers point the same direction. ITSMR reported 4,681 personal injury motorcycle crashes and 189 motorcyclist deaths across New York in 2024. Nationally, NHTSA data shows speeding was a factor for 33 percent of riders in fatal crashes, and helmets are estimated to be 37 percent effective in preventing rider deaths.

• 55 motorcyclist deaths in New York City in 2023, a record high, per NYC DOT
• Only 27 percent of those riders held a proper motorcycle license
• 728 rider injuries citywide through early May 2024, up from 548 the year before
• 51 deaths among riders of motorcycles and other motorized two-wheelers in the first nine months of 2025, per a 2025 Vision Zero report
• Motorcycle fatalities accounted for 18 percent of all New York crash deaths in 2021, per the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee

Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Accident in Brooklyn

1. Get to safety and call 911. Move out of traffic if you can. Ask for an ambulance even if you think you’re fine. Adrenaline hides fractures.
2. Stay on scene until police arrive. Leaving complicates everything. Get the report number before you go.
3. Photograph everything. The vehicles, the skid marks, the traffic signal, your gear, the driver’s plate. Evidence disappears within hours in Brooklyn.
4. Collect witness information. Bystanders leave. Get names and phone numbers before they do.
5. Don’t apologize or discuss fault. Say you need medical attention and nothing more about how it happened.
6. Get a full medical evaluation. Delayed symptoms from head and spine injuries surface days later.
7. Keep your helmet and gear. Don’t repair the bike. Both are evidence of impact forces.
8. Note the driver’s insurance and vehicle. If the driver fled, a hit-and-run lawyer should be involved immediately.
9. Write down what you remember. Speed, signals, weather, what the driver said. Do it that night.
10. Call a motorcycle accident lawyer in Brooklyn before the insurer calls you. We handle the adjuster, preserve the evidence, and sort out how medical bills get paid while the case proceeds.

Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Lawyer FAQs

How much does a Brooklyn motorcycle accident lawyer cost?

Your consultation with our firm is free. We’ll explain the fee arrangement in detail before you sign anything, and you’ll never be billed hourly for an injury case.

How long do I have to file a motorcycle accident claim in New York?

Generally three years from the crash under CPLR 214. Claims against the City require a notice of claim within 90 days. Wrongful death claims have a two-year limit. The statute of limitations has exceptions, but don’t count on them.

Does no-fault insurance cover motorcyclists in New York?

No. Motorcyclists are excluded from no-fault first-party benefits, so your medical bills are not automatically paid by your own insurer. The upside is that riders are not limited by the serious injury threshold that restricts car occupants.

Can I recover if I was partly at fault?

It depends on the percentage. New York’s general rule reduces your award by your share of fault. For motor vehicle actions under the 2026 amendment, a claimant more than 50 percent at fault is barred. Whether that bar reaches motorcyclists is unsettled, and we litigate fault aggressively.

What if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?

You can still recover. The defense will argue your injuries would have been less severe, and a medical opinion on that question may reduce the value of a head injury claim. It does not affect a broken leg.

How much is my Brooklyn motorcycle accident case worth?

It depends on the severity and permanence of your injuries, your medical costs, lost income, and available insurance. We’ll give you an honest range after reviewing the records, not a number on the phone. Insurance limits often cap what a case is worth more than the injury itself does.

The driver was drunk. Can I sue the bar that served him?

Possibly. New York allows claims against establishments that overserve visibly intoxicated patrons who then cause a crash. We investigate where the driver was drinking.

I was riding for work when I was hit. Do I get workers’ comp?

If you were on the job, yes, and you can still pursue a third-party injury claim against the driver for damages workers’ comp doesn’t cover, including pain and suffering.

Should I accept the insurer’s first offer?

Almost never. First offers arrive before your injuries are fully understood. Once you sign a release, you cannot reopen the case when a surgery is recommended six months later.

Do I need a lawyer if the driver admitted fault?

Yes. Fault admitted at the scene often gets walked back once the driver talks to an insurer. And even when liability holds, the insurer will still contest the value of your injuries. A motorcycle accident attorney in Brooklyn protects the admission and proves the damages.

How long will my motorcycle accident case take?

Straightforward cases with clear liability can resolve in under a year. Cases involving surgery, permanent injury, or a City defendant often take two years or longer. We won’t rush a settlement before your doctors know your long-term prognosis.

What if the driver’s insurance isn’t enough?

New York’s minimum liability limits are low. We look for every source of recovery, including your own underinsured motorist coverage, the vehicle owner’s policy, an employer if the driver was working, and any bar that overserved a drunk driver.

Will my case go to trial?

Most cases settle, but we prepare every case as if it will be tried in Kings County. Insurers pay more to firms with verdicts on record.

Can passengers file a claim?

Yes. A passenger injured in a Brooklyn motorcycle crash can pursue a claim against the at-fault driver, and in some situations against the motorcycle operator as well.

Important Resources for Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Cases

New York Legal Resources for Motorcycle Accident Cases

New York statutes are published by the State Senate. These are the provisions most relevant to a rider’s claim.

• CPLR 214 sets the three-year statute of limitations for personal injury actions.
• EPTL 5-4.1 sets the two-year limit for wrongful death actions.
• CPLR 1411 governs comparative negligence and how fault reduces or bars recovery.
• General Municipal Law 50-e sets the 90-day notice of claim deadline for cases against the City.
• Insurance Law 5102 contains the definitions that exclude motorcycles from no-fault coverage.

Local Resources for Brooklyn Motorcycle Accidents

These Brooklyn resources handle the medical, police, and court side of a motorcycle crash. We provide them for convenience and do not endorse any listed organization.

• Kings County Hospital: (NYC Health + Hospitals), Level 1 trauma center, 451 Clarkson Avenue, (718) 245-3131
• Maimonides Medical Center: Level 1 trauma center, 4802 Tenth Avenue, (718) 283-6000
• Kings County Supreme Court: Civil Term, 360 Adams Street, (347) 296-1800
• NYPD precinct finder: For the precinct that responded to your crash
• State trauma center list: Maintained by New York State Department of Health

About The Edelsteins, Faegenburg, & Blyakher LLP

Our firm’s attorneys have secured the largest personal injury settlement ever reported in New York State, $36 million for a construction worker struck by a utility pole. Arthur Blyakher worked in the field for 13 years before earning his law degree at Brooklyn Law School as a Richardson Scholarship recipient. Clients describe the firm in their own words as attentive and unrelenting in pursuit of the justice and compensation they deserve.

What Our Clients Say

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I had a really great experience with Paul Edelstein working my accident case. Paul and his staff were super helpful, easy to talk to, and always made sure I understood what was going on with my case. I felt like they genuinely cared and were always looking out for my best interest. Made a stressful situation a lot easier to deal with. I’d definitely recommend them to anyone who needs a good, trustworthy and reliable lawyer.” – Yaneiry Lora

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Additional Resources for Brooklyn Motorcycle Accident Cases

• Tips for Motorcycle Accident Claims
• Should I Hire an Attorney for My Motorcycle Accident Claim?
• How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Assist Me With My Motorcycle Accident Case?
• Two Fatal NYC Motorcycle Crashes Hours Apart
• Motorcycle Crash Injures 12 in Brooklyn Park

Contact The Edelsteins, Faegenburg, & Blyakher LLP

A motorcycle crash in Brooklyn, NY leaves you with injuries, a damaged bike, and an insurer that already has its version of events. Our Brooklyn motorcycle accident attorneys review your case at no cost, explain your options, and start preserving evidence the day you retain us. We’ll work around your medical appointments. Contact us to schedule your free consultation with a motorcycle accident lawyer.