Articles & Resources

After a car hits you on a bike in New York City, the no-fault insurance (PIP) on that car pays your medical costs and lost earnings first, whoever caused the accident. A personal injury case against the driver for pain and suffering requires a serious injury. Of the 4,403 bicycle injuries NYC DOT recorded on city roads in 2025, 3,536 came in accidents with a motor vehicle,...

Whether cycling with headphones is allowed depends on your state. The question when cycling is whether the state’s rule names a bicycle or defines one as a vehicle, which matters more than whether the state has a headphones law at all. Nine more states, Illinois and Washington among them, and D.C. write their rules for drivers of motor vehicles only, which leaves...

A certified, well-fitted bike helmet sharply reduces your odds of dying from a head injury in a crash, although its safety standard test is a fall rather than an impact with a vehicle. No helmet prevents every fatal concussion or skull fracture. How Much Does a Bike Helmet Reduce Fatal Head Injury Risk? In a crash or fall, wearing a helmet is linked to about two-thirds...

Bicycle accident claims work much like those after car accidents, but who pays first depends on your state and insurance policies, not only on who caused the crash. The outcome then depends on your evidence, your percentage of fault, and the timing of any settlement, while the deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit keeps running. What Should You Do First After a Bicycle...

If a pothole caused your bicycle accident, you can make a claim against the city, county, or state government that maintains the road. It covers medical bills for your injuries, a bent wheel, and other losses the accident caused. The case turns on proof that the government knew, or should have known, about the hole in time to fix it, or that a public employee created the...

The most dangerous NYC intersection for cyclists is 2nd Avenue at East 60th Street, at the Queensboro Bridge approach, where 15 cyclists were injured from 2022 to 2025 in a Bicycle Accident Lawyers Group (BALG) count of NYPD accident data. NYC Intersections Ranked by Cyclist Injuries, 2022 to 2025 The top 10 most dangerous intersections for cyclists in NYC run to 16 crossings,...

In most states, you do not need a license, registration or insurance to ride an electric bike. Your e-bike’s class decides which rules apply. If your model exceeds the legal power or speed limits, or its built-in speed limiter has been unlocked, the state can reclassify it as a motor vehicle. You then need credentials and paperwork you would not otherwise need. What...

After a bicycle accident, the steps that protect your health are also your first steps toward protecting your case. Each one, from the scene to the medical exam, leaves a record of how the crash happened and what it did to you. Injuries from bicycle crashes can stay hidden while you feel fine, so many cyclists never get the two things insurers rely on: a police report...

New York State calls a DUI a DWI, and you can’t get one for riding a pedal bicycle under the influence because its DWI rules apply only to motor vehicles. E-bikes don’t trigger a DWI either, though a separate statute can still bring criminal penalties after a crash. Can You Get a DWI on a Pedal Bicycle in New York? You cannot face a DWI charge on a regular...

If you hit a cyclist with your car, you must stop, help, and report the bicycle accident. Depending on the circumstances, you may face a traffic citation and an insurance or personal injury claim. In serious cases, a driver may face criminal charges. What to Do Immediately After Hitting a Cyclist: 7 Steps Stop, get emergency medical help, and document the accident scene,...

The average bicycle accident settlement in Arizona typically ranges from $15,000 to $100,000. Minor injuries often resolve for $5,000 to $25,000, while cases that require surgery commonly reach $25,000 to $100,000. Life-changing injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, can exceed $1 million. Where your case falls depends on three factors: the severity of your injuries,...

No federal rule governs how you ride. Federal regulations reach the machine itself and stop there. In nearly every locale a cycle is classified alongside cars under the legal framework, handing you the same protections and obligations as any operator. Each state, jurisdiction and municipality layers its own rules on top, which is why Texas cycling rules and California...

New York law treats your e-bike as a bicycle, ridden without a license or registration, only if it fits one of the state’s legal classes. Most New York e-bike laws apply statewide, and New York City adds its own rules and regulations. What Counts as a Legal E-Bike in New York? The state counts your e-bike as a bicycle only if it fits Class 1, 2 or 3 and is no more...

From April 28, 2025, the NYPD issued criminal summonses to many cyclists stopped for low-level traffic offenses. Since March 27, 2026, the city has handled those offenses as traffic tickets again, so most riders no longer face a criminal court date. Those offenses include red-light, stop sign, traffic control device and wrong way violations. A few offenses can still...

In New York City, you follow the same traffic laws as drivers, plus city rules on bike lanes, sidewalks and e-bike speed. A new state rule very likely applies to bicyclists hit by a car in injury lawsuits filed on or after May 26, 2026. Do Cyclists Have the Same Rights as Drivers in NYC? New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL § 1231) gives you the rights and...

You can correct or amend a police report after a bicycle accident, usually by asking the police department that wrote it to fix the specific mistake and proving the correct information with documentation. The police officer’s account of how the car accident happened is harder to amend, and it matters, because the driver’s insurance company often starts from...

No police accident report legally decides liability, and in most states the report form for a car accident involving a bicycle has no box labeled fault. The view of liability is still spread across sections of the form most people skim, and it can rest on the driver’s account alone if an ambulance took you away before the officer gathered statements. If the report...

On a bike you have no frame or airbag to absorb a crash, so your head often takes the impact against the road or a car. Brain injuries can change how you work, sleep and think for months afterward. Helmet use cuts head injury risk by about half, although none is concussion-proof. How Common Are Head Injuries in Bicycle Accidents? Head injuries show up in about one in...

When a car hits your bike in New York, the motorist is not automatically at fault. Responsibility goes to whoever broke a traffic rule or failed to take reasonable care, and it can be split between cyclists and drivers. No-fault insurance can pay your medical bills no matter who caused the collision. For personal injury lawsuits filed on or after May 26, 2026, a 2026 statute...

Arizona’s statute of limitations gives cyclists two years to sue after a hit-and-run accident, usually counted from the crash date. A government vehicle changes those rules, and if you were under 18, the two years start on your 18th birthday. If the driver is never identified, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage may still pay for your injuries, written notice to your...