Bronx Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
After a motorcycle crash in the Bronx, the insurance company’s first move is often to assume you were riding recklessly. That assumption costs riders real money. Frekhtman & Associates has spent 25 years proving adjusters wrong in Bronx courts, and we’re ready to do the same for you.
Motorcyclists on the Cross Bronx Expressway, Bruckner Boulevard, and the Grand Concourse ride in conditions that leave almost no margin for error. A driver who cuts a lane, misses a signal, or opens a door without looking can put a rider on the pavement in seconds. When that happens, the insurance company does not wait. Adjusters open their file fast, they look for evidence that you were speeding or lane-splitting, and they build toward a number that costs them as little as possible. You need a Bronx motorcycle accident lawyer who moves just as fast.
Frekhtman & Associates was founded by Bronx Supreme trial attorney Arkady Frekhtman, who has spent 25+ years handling serious injury cases on the Bronx Supreme calendar. The firm has recovered $900M+ for injured clients across New York City, including a $69.25 million verdict in a motor vehicle case. When an adjuster tries to minimize what happened to you by pointing to your riding behavior, we come back with physical evidence, reconstructed crash data, and a trial record they have seen in Bronx courtrooms before.
A record built case by case, verdict by verdict.
- $900M+ recovered for injured clients
- $69.25M largest single recovery in a motor vehicle case
- 25+ years trying cases on the Bronx Supreme calendar
- AVVO 9.9 Rating, National Top 100 Trial Lawyers, AIPIA Ten Best Attorneys
- No fee unless we win.
After getting into a bad motorcycle crash I needed a real trial lawyer not one of those billboard lawyers who just want to make a buck at other people's expense. This firm is small, personable, and they truly care about human beings. My trial lawyer fought hard and never made me feel uncomfortable or asked me to lower the ultimate amount I wanted to obtain. They don't charge any fee until they win a settlement or verdict for you.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Bronx Motorcycle Crash?
Medical bills arrive before paychecks stop. Rent, utilities, and mortgage payments don’t pause while you recover. New York law allows you to pursue the following from the at-fault party:
Medical Expenses
Motorcyclists are excluded from New York’s No-Fault/PIP benefits, meaning all medical costs must be claimed directly against the at-fault party. Recoverable expenses include:
- Emergency room and ambulance bills
- Diagnostic imaging including X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans
- Specialist visits and follow-up appointments
- Surgery, spinal fusion alone can exceed $100,000
- Medical equipment including wheelchairs, braces, and crutches
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Psychological treatment for trauma and emotional distress
Lost Wages
A serious injury often means missed work for months, not days. Recoverable losses include:
- Past and future lost salary via pay stubs, W2s, or 1099s
- Reduced earning capacity or earning potential
- Household services you can no longer perform
- Fringe benefits including pension, union benefits, and overtime
- Career opportunities delayed or lost due to the crash
Pain and Suffering
- Physical pain from the injury itself
- Emotional distress and mental trauma
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent limitations on daily activity
How Will a Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me After a Bronx Motorcycle Crash?
After a Bronx motorcycle crash, the police may take the motor vehicle driver’s side and issue an unhelpful report. The insurance company and the at-fault party will fight to pay out as little money as possible. Working with an experienced and successful motorcycle accident attorney will allow you to:
- get the medical care you need to feel better
- have your medical care coordinated by a med-legal team
- build a strong medical record and evidence to present to a judge and jury at trial
- have a legal advisor answer all your questions and help guide you through the lawsuit process
- negotiate and obtain the largest settlement or verdict possible
- conduct a full and complete investigation of the crash
- identify all potential defendants and sources of financial recovery
- hire top liability experts including engineers and accident reconstruction specialists
- work with top medical specialists in the fields of neurology, brain injury, spinal cord injury, etc
The motorcycle accident lawyers at the F&A Injury Law Firm have been helping serious injury victims and their families for more than twenty (20) years. Please contact us for a free no-obligation legal consultation so we can understand your questions and help you.
Frekhtman & Associates really helped me when I got into a moped accident last Halloween. They took care of everything. From all my medical expenses, setting me up with rehabilitation for my injuries, to getting every dollar that was available. They got me more money when I thought the case was already closed!!! I'm so thankful for their representation.
How Much is a Good Settlement for a Motorcycle Accident in The Bronx?
A good settlement or jury verdict must match your own sense of justice, reasonableness, and fairness. Full justice in a motorcycle crash lawsuit cannot be quantified as large or small but rather commensurate with the details of your particular case.
Our firm has settled motorcycle lawsuits from $25,000 up to over $1,000,000.00 (One Million Dollars). The ultimate amount depends on a few factors most important of which are:
- can you prove the defendant you are suing is at fault? Known by attorneys as “LIABILITY”
- what are your injuries? How did this crash affect your life & your human story?
- How much insurance does the defendant you are suing have?
What Causes Motorcycle Accidents in the Bronx?
Motorcycle crashes rarely happen without a traceable cause. New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law (“VTL”) and Pattern Jury Instructions both recognize the most common violations that lead to collisions, and identifying which applies to your case is how liability gets established in court.
Driver Error
- Failure to maintain a proper lookout
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Unsafe left turns or following too closely
- Texting or other distracted driving
Vehicle Defects
- Defective brakes or blown tires
- Unsecured cargo falling from a trailer
- Unidentified or unresolved mechanical issues
Other Contributing Factors
- Other motorists including trucks, buses, and bicycles
- Road conditions or poor visibility
- Pedestrian interference
Filing a lawsuit in Supreme Court allows a thorough investigation into the real cause of the crash, pulling in evidence that insurance adjusters won’t volunteer on their own.
Does health insurance cover motorcycle accidents ?
Yes. An injured motorcycle rider can use his or her health insurance for medical coverage allowing them to get the medical care they need. Since there is no PIP automobile benefits by law for motorcyclists, it is very important to be able to use your own medical insurance or another method that allows you to obtain medical treatment. An injured motorcyclist does not need to meet a minimum serious injury threshold under Insurance Law 5102(d).
Does Medicare cover motorcycle accidents?
Yes. Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs are all a form of health insurance. If you have Medicare or qualify to receive Medicare and get into a motorcycle collision, you can use your Medicare to get medical treatment.
How much can you claim from a motorcycle accident?
There is no cap or limit. It all depends on how much insurance the defendant you are suing has, who was at fault, and what injuries you sustained. In Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of Bronx which is the trial court in the Bronx, NY an injured motorcyclist can sue for any amount which exceeds the jurisdictional limits of all lower courts. Civil court has a jurisdictional limit of $50,000 or less. Supreme Court has no monetary limit.
How can car drivers help improve safety and avoid careless behavior towards bikers?
All vehicle drivers should exercise greater precautions when traveling near motorcycles to avoid a wreck. Careful defensive driving also levels the playing field between unprotected motorcyclists and operators of motor vehicles, trucks, buses, vans, and other “cages”:
- Car and truck drivers should graciously yield the right-of-way to those riding on motorcycles. Frequently, many people ride motorcycles because they cannot afford all the added expenses involved with owning and maintaining a car. Being respectful of others’ added needs on the road should come naturally to all of us.
- Everyone must stop driving distracted and tailgating others. Just because many of us have the full armor of a car or truck around us (riders call them “cages”), we do not have any excuse to drive distracted — putting the lives of others at greater risk.
- Driving too fast. During the last two decades, speed has played a direct role in about one- third (33 1/3%) of all fatal motorcycle accidents. And in 2017, accident statistics reveal that driving at excessive speeds was a contributing factor in over one-fourth (25%) of all motorcycle and other road fatalities.
- Getting behind the wheel of a car when intoxicated or compromised by potent drugs. Every driver must be responsible enough to have someone else drive whenever they have recently imbibed alcohol, smoked marijuana — or taken drugs known to impair people’s cognitive skills and physical reaction time.
- Failing to obey all traffic signs and lights at intersections. Everyone must carefully look at each sign they pass since new and updated ones are posted regularly. It is also crucial to avoid running yellow lights when going through intersections.
- If you are personally overwhelmed by too many motorcyclists riding on specific streets, consider finding alternate paths to your destinations.
Can I Still Win My Bronx Motorcycle Case if I Was NOT Wearing My Helmet?
The law in New York requires motorcyclists to wear a helmet but not wearing one does NOT mean you automatically lose your case. Often not wearing a helmet had nothing to do with the reason for the crash making it irrelevant.
Remember the fact that you didn’t wear your helmet did not give the defendant the right to disobey the rules of the road or other safety norms. Often the defense will use a failure to wear a helmet as an argument against you that you failed to mitigate or lessen your damages.
This applies if the defense can prove that wearing a helmet would have likely lead to a lesser injury.
What can motorcycle riders do to stay safe and protect themselves?
Key choices that Bronx motorcycle riders can choose to better protect themselves from reckless drivers not to become a crash victim while also protecting their legal rights:
- Invest in an anti-lock braking system. When riding a motorcycle with this type of braking system, you have a 31 percent (31%) lower chance of being in a fatal crash. These types of brakes should probably be mandatory – to better protect all motorcycle riders.
- Buy several outfits referred to “air bag” clothing, in addition to some rugged boots.
- Buy the most expensive, well-crafted helmet you can afford. Every year, traumatic brain injuries cause severe, permanent damage to too many riders. Make sure the helmet you buy fits the type of riding you do most often. Also, be thoughtful and purchase a high-quality helmet for your future passengers.
- Consider riding only part of the way to your regular, distant destinations. If there’s heavy traffic beyond a train station or bus terminal that’s not too far from where you live, give serious thought to just riding your motorcycle to that halfway point and riding public transit the rest of the way.
- Avoid riding a motorcycle when it is raining or snowing. While many riders ignore this advice, wet streets always play a role in higher motorcycle accident statistics.
If you have suffered a serious motorcycle injury due to someone else’s negligence, you need to contact our Bronx motorcycle accident injury law firm. We will carefully investigate all the facts of your case, review all your medical records, and then fight hard to win the maximum compensation available to you. We want every client to fully recover for all lost wages, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and other losses.
Do motorcyclists assume the risk of crashes?
Many people believe motorcycle riders assume all risk of an accident when riding their bikes. As a result, motorcycles are sometimes not given the full respect they deserve on the road. In truth, motorcyclists have the same rights and obligations under the law as all other motorists.
For those injured, while riding motorcycles, the best chance possible to obtain compensation for their injuries may be working with a Bronx motorcycle accident lawyer. The legal process can be confusing but an experienced injury attorney understands the rights of motorcyclists and can help you assert those rights.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Motorcyclists suing any private vehicle have three years from the date of the incident in New York as per the statute of limitations. If the crash involved a New York City vehicle then a Notice of Claim must be filed within ninety (90) days and a lawsuit must be filed within one year and ninety (90) days after the crash. There are additional time limits for other entities so it’s best to consult with a Bronx personal injury attorney.
How long will my case take until I get paid?
The true answer is one many people don’t want to hear – it all depends. Usually smaller cases can be resolved in just a few months with the injured rider getting medical treatment and the lawyer negotiating a favorable settlement. We have had cases settled in four (4) months from the crash date which is lightning fast. Another scenario where a case can resolve quickly is when the insurance policy limits are small but the injury is severe.
For example, if a motorcycle rider gets rear-ended by a car with a $25k policy leaving her with a fractured ankle requiring open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) Here, the rider has a potentially half million to million-plus injury yet the car who is 100% at fault only has $25,000 in insurance limits. The rider would submit her medical package to the bodily injury adjuster and receive a policy tender meaning the insurance carrier is tendering or releasing all of the money available: the full limits.
Usually, a lawsuit where the plaintiff and defendant strongly disagree on value and are far apart in negotiations will take time because it will need to go all the way through the legal process to a jury trial. For example, a plaintiff thinks a case is worth $1 million but the defendants offer $25,000, and each side confident in their position. The only way to resolve it is via jury trial which can take years especially now with all trials paused due to the Covid19 pandemic.
Another way a case could get delayed is when the lawyer prosecuting the case does not do so diligently allowing it to stall in discovery. The courts in NY are overburdened as is so in reality, no judge is going to speed up your case if your lawyer has too many files or is just not moving the case efficiently. This can mean a huge time difference when all is said and done – even a few years.
A case can easily get stuck in discovery with no certification of trial readiness lingering for years. Different venues also affect the timeline. Some courts are fast while others are slower.
Who Is At Fault in a Bronx Motorcycle Crash?
Every driver on New York roads carries the same legal duty of care, regardless of what they’re driving. When a motorist breaches that duty and causes a crash, they can be held financially responsible for the resulting damages.
To succeed in a negligence claim, four elements must be established:
- A duty to care for others on the road, which applies to every motorist
- A breach of that duty by the defendant
- A direct link between that breach and your injuries
- Actual damages, physical, financial, or both
Mental anguish and emotional distress can be added as additional damages but cannot form the basis of a claim on their own. Liability determines not just who pays, but how much leverage your attorney has at the negotiating table and at trial.
How much cost a Bronx motorcycle lawyer?
Its actually completely FREE with no up front cost of any kind EVER. We never receive even 1 penny from our clients. We only WIN money for our clients.
So if you recover financial compensation for you, our legal fee is a percentage of the recovery paid at the same time the check comes in to our office from the insurance company.
The legal fee is usually 1/3rd or 33% and is set by the appellate division judges so every lawyer in New York charges the same fee. Before that insurance check arrives we pay all the expenses involved even the big ones like paying a doctor $10,000 to come to testify at trial. So its a win-win with you and your lawyer in the same boat. Our goal is always to obtain the maximum settlement or verdict because it benefits our client and our firm as well.
Can't I just settle a Bronx Motorcycle Accident claim on my own?
For anything beyond minor property damage, handling it alone puts you at a serious disadvantage. Insurance companies track law firm results. When they see an experienced trial firm on the other side, they reserve millions as a potential payout. When they see an unrepresented claimant, they offer nuisance value to close the file fast.
We’ve seen it directly. A client was offered $500 before hiring our firm. After we got involved, that offer became $1,000,000.
Many motorcycle cases also involve product liability, which means suing a manufacturer for a defective part. One of our cases involved a faulty steering mechanism that pinned a passenger’s leg against a UPS truck. The motorcycle insurer paid its $25,000 policy limit and closed the file. We traced the defective part to a Chinese manufacturer that didn’t meet U.S. safety standards and recovered nearly $2,000,000. Most lawyers would have stopped at $25,000.
Who you hire determines what you recover.
What to do after a Motorcycle Accident in the Bronx?
While every crash has its own unique set of facts and circumstances here are some template guidelines for what to do after a motorcycle collision:
- Don’t be afraid to make hospital visits or go to Urgent Care if you feel pain or symptoms of injury
- Take photographs of your bike, the other car’s license plate, the scene of the crash. It’s good to get both close ups and distance photos for context.
- Exchange information.
- Make sure to explain what happened to the police if you can. Never admit fault.
- Do call the police. Leaving the scene of a crash is illegal.
How Can I Get Medical Care After a Bike Crash?
Unlike car accidents, No-Fault benefits are not available to motorcyclists by statute. Unless purchased as additional personal injury protection (PIP) under the motorcycle insurance policy, it will not be available.
It is vital to keep track of all your records, bills, and receipts because this can be part of your overall financial compensation at the end of your case. A motorcycle accident attorney will contact all of your doctors to obtain not only medical records but medical billing information to submit for full reimbursement of all your losses.
In a motorcycle accident lawsuit, your law office should add medical bills to the lawsuit by pleading all expenses in the Bill of Particulars as part of the personal injury claim:
- medical expenses: hospital bills, physical therapy bills
- transportation to and from medical providers
- Ambulance; Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) bills
- rehabilitation costs
- diagnostic testing such as X-rays, MRIs, CT-scans
- orthopedic surgery bills
- doctor visit bills
- the full extent of time spent in bed, home, hospital and fully outlining the extent of your disability
- and any other medical bills
- In the case of a brain injury for example, the medical bills could be astronomical. Very often TBI survivors require a slew of diagnostic testing such as 3T MRIs, Diffuse Tensor Imaging, SWI MRI, PET SCAN, brain mapping, ASL testing, and others. Victims also require different specialists such as neurologists, neuropsychologists, neuroradiologists, traumatic brain injury rehabilitation programs, etc. Please visit our brain injury page to learn more.
Speak With a Bronx Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today
A motorcycle crash leaves marks that go beyond broken bones. The mental toll of another driver’s negligence, the months of recovery, the lost income, and the permanent limitations all factor into what you’re owed. Insurance companies know this and still routinely offer less.
Frekhtman & Associates handles motorcycle accident cases across all five boroughs, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Long Island, and throughout New York State. We investigate every responsible party, build the evidentiary record from the ground up, and cover case expenses so you’re never forced into a low settlement because of financial pressure.
Our Bronx office is ready to review your case at no cost. There’s no fee unless we recover compensation for you. Our Fight is Your Fight.
Visit our Bronx Office
Frekhtman & Associates
20 E 205th Street
Bronx, NY 10468
Contact For A Free Case Review
While it’s possible to handle a personal injury case on your own, having an experienced attorney by your side significantly increases the likelihood of a favorable outcome. According to studies, victims represented by a personal injury lawyer receive higher settlement amounts compared to those who handle their cases independently. For a free case evaluation: