New York City Citi Bike Accident Lawyer
Citi Bike is under an exclusive contract across New York City to be the main bike share program in the city. This means that most of the blue bikes going around town are probably owned and operated by Citi Bike. If you or a loved one is involved in an accident while riding a Citi Bike, it is important to get yourself medical and legal help. You could face serious injuries after a bike accident, and you may be entitled to file a lawsuit for compensation to help you pay for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Talk to an attorney about your options for receiving compensation after a Citi Bike accident. The Citi Bike accident lawyers at Sullivan and Galleshaw represent injury victims and help them and their families to get the compensation they need. For a free consultation on your case, contact our law offices today at (718) 843-0300.
Who is Responsible for a Citi Bike Accident?
Citi Bike is the name of the company that owns and operates the bike share program in New York. The City has given them exclusive rights to operate the bike share program sponsored by Citi Bank. In addition, the accident that injured you likely involved at least one car or truck driver. These are the parties your lawyer would look at as potential parties that could be liable for your bike accident.
New York City itself would likely take no blame for your accident. Unless the crash was caused by dangerous construction projects, potholes, or other issues the City caused directly, you would likely have no case against the City. Their role as the ones who gave Citi Bike its exclusive contract does not make them liable for these bike accidents.
Similarly, Citi Bank would not be responsible for a bike accident. Citi Bike is sponsored by Citi Bank and may use their logo, but Citi Bank as an entity does not help with the ownership or operation of the bikes. That means they can’t be blamed for accidents.
If you were hit by a car or truck, the driver is always a potential party that could be held responsible for your injuries and other harms. Drivers are required to carry auto insurance that can cover the injuries and damage the driver causes during a car accident. This means that the at-fault driver and their insurance can always be made to pay for your damages after a bike accident. In some cases, their insurance may not fully cover your needs, and you may need to file a lawsuit in court instead of filing through insurance. Talk to a personal injury lawyer about which option is best in your case.
In some cases, you may also be entitled to file a lawsuit against Citi Bike to cover your injuries. As the owners of the bikes and the operators of the bike share program, Citi Bike is responsible for making sure that its bikes are properly maintained and kept in usable condition. If they allow tires to become too worn down or flat, chains to rust, or brakes to deteriorate, riders could be injured. These kinds of accidents may even occur without another vehicle involved at all. If you were injured because of equipment failure another dangerous condition caused by the Citi Bike itself, you may be able to file a lawsuit against Citi Bike for its negligence.
Suing for Damages After a Citi Bike Accident
As mentioned, sometimes insurance does not fully cover your needs after a bike accident. Many bike riders face very serious injuries after a bike crash, and some even lose their lives. If you or a loved one was injured, or if you lost a loved one in a bike accident, the damages paid through insurance claims might not be high enough for cover your needs.
First, the payments made through insurance are intended to cover your medical expenses and lost wages, but typically do not cover more than that. In some cases, they may only cover a fractional portion of these payments, leaving you to deal with the difference on your own. In some cases, filing a lawsuit may entitle you to full compensation for the harms you face because of the accident.
In addition, lawsuits often cover added damages that insurance would not. The most important of these are direct damages to pay for your pain and suffering. Especially if you faced severe injuries, you could be entitled to high damages for pain and suffering.
When you take your case to court, you need to prove that the at-fault party breached some duty that they owed you. Because the City and Citi Bank do not owe you any duty, you would not be able to sue those parties. However, Citi Bike’s duty to maintain its bikes and another driver’s duty to follow the rules of the road and drive with reasonable care and skill can be the basis of lawsuits against those parties. Talk to an attorney today about how this would work in your case.
NYC Citi Bike Accident Lawyers Offering Free Consultations
If you or a loved one was injured while riding a Citi Bike, talk to our attorneys today for help understanding your options and what kind of compensation you might be entitled to. Our lawyers can help figure out who to hold responsible and what your case should be worth. The NYC Citi Bike accident attorneys at Sullivan and Galleshaw fight to help victims and their families get the maximum compensation they deserve. For a free consultation, call us today at (718) 843-0300.