Motorcycle accident claims in Queens
A rider has no cage, no airbag and no crumple zone. The same collision that leaves a driver shaken can leave a rider with fractures, road rash and a long orthopedic recovery. Queens riders deal with heavy arterial traffic on Queens Boulevard and Northern Boulevard, expressway merges on the Van Wyck and the Long Island Expressway, and drivers turning across them.
The assumption you are up against
Motorcycle claims start from a harder position than most. Insurers frequently open by suggesting the rider was going too fast or was somewhere he should not have been, before anyone has looked at the scene. Collisions involving a driver turning across a rider's path or changing lanes into one are a recurring pattern, and establishing what happened takes physical evidence rather than argument.
What we do
We collect the police report, scene and vehicle photographs, and any intersection or business camera footage before it is overwritten. Damage patterns, road markings and the resting positions of the vehicles often say more than either driver remembers. We work with reconstruction experts where the facts call for it.
An allegation of shared fault is not the end of it
An insurer will almost always suggest the rider contributed something. That is an argument to be answered with evidence, not a reason to assume there is no claim. It is worth asking rather than deciding for yourself.
Deadlines
Most personal injury actions in New York must be started within three years under CPLR 214. Shorter deadlines apply where a city agency, transit authority or other public entity is involved, including a 90-day notice of claim requirement. If a road defect or a construction plate is involved, the responsible party may be a contractor or an agency rather than another driver.
If you were in a car rather than on a bike, our Queens car accident page covers that.
Frequently asked questions
What if the insurer says I was partly at fault?
An insurer will almost always raise it. That is an argument to be answered with evidence rather than a reason to assume you have no claim, and it is worth asking about your own facts.
What evidence matters most in a motorcycle case?
Scene and vehicle photographs, damage patterns, road markings, resting positions and any camera footage. Much of it is gone within days, which is why these cases benefit from early investigation.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
Most claims must be started within three years under CPLR 214. A 90-day notice of claim generally applies where a city agency or public authority is involved.
