Representing injured cyclists in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester.
Queens is one of the most difficult boroughs in New York City for cyclists to navigate. Wide, high-speed arterial roads like Queens Boulevard, Woodhaven Boulevard, and Northern Boulevard were built for cars, not bicycles, and much of the borough still has limited protected bike lane coverage compared to Manhattan and Brooklyn. When a driver strikes a cyclist on one of these roads, the results can be severe. Our firm’s New York City bicycle accident attorneys have represented cyclists hurt in crashes across every borough, and Queens presents its own distinct set of dangers. A Queens Bicycle Accident Attorney who understands these roads and how the NYPD investigates crashes on them can make a real difference in how your case is built.
At Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. P.C., we represent people who have been injured because of another party’s negligence, and Michael J. Redenburg personally handles every case the firm takes on. Michael J. Redenburg has spent more than 15 years representing injured New Yorkers and personally handles bicycle accident cases rather than passing clients off to a case manager. The firm offers free consultations and handles personal injury matters on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you owe nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
If you or a family member was injured while riding a bicycle in Queens, call 212-240-9465 to discuss what happened and learn what options may be available to you.
Why Bicycle Accidents in Queens Are So Common
Queens is the largest borough in New York City by land area, covering roughly 178 square miles and home to over 2.25 million residents. That size and sprawl create a specific set of hazards for cyclists that look different from the tighter street grids of Manhattan or Brooklyn.
Several conditions come up again and again in Queens bicycle accident cases:
- Wide, multi-lane arterial roads with higher posted speeds
- Long gaps between traffic signals that encourage speeding
- Limited or disconnected protected bike lane coverage in many neighborhoods
- Heavy truck and delivery traffic near commercial corridors
- Drivers turning across bike lanes at complex intersections
- Confusing merge points where service roads meet main roadways
- Poor visibility at dusk and night along unlit stretches
Roads such as Queens Boulevard, once nicknamed the “Boulevard of Death,” Woodhaven Boulevard, and Northern Boulevard have long been flagged by NYC DOT’s Vision Zero program as priority corridors because of their crash history. Intersections like Linden Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue continue to average well over 100 crashes a year involving all types of road users, including cyclists.
The city has made real infrastructure investments in recent years, including an expanded bike boulevard on 31st Avenue in Astoria connecting to protected lanes on Northern Boulevard, Broadway, and 34th Avenue. Along that same Astoria corridor, seven pedestrians and two cyclists were severely injured, and one cyclist was killed between 2021 and 2025. Improvements like these matter, but they cannot undo the decades of road design that still puts Queens cyclists at risk today.
What Are the Most Common Injuries Cyclists Suffer in Queens Bicycle Accidents?
Bicycle crashes can result in injuries ranging from soft-tissue damage to permanent disability. Some of the injuries we frequently see in Queens bicycle accident cases include:
Traumatic brain injuries. A cyclist’s head may strike the pavement, a vehicle, a curb, or another object. These injuries range from concussions to more serious traumatic brain injuries with lasting effects.
Broken bones and fractures. Cyclists frequently suffer fractures to the arms, wrists, hands, shoulders, collarbone, ribs, hips, legs, ankles, and facial bones.
Back and spinal injuries. The force of a collision can cause disc injuries, vertebral fractures, nerve damage, or, in the most severe cases, damage to the spinal cord.
Knee and joint injuries. Shoulders, knees, wrists, and other joints often absorb much of the impact when a cyclist is thrown from the bike.
Road rash and lacerations. Sliding across pavement can cause deep abrasions, scarring, nerve damage, infection, or wounds requiring reconstructive treatment.
Internal injuries. Trauma to the abdomen or chest may cause internal bleeding or organ damage that isn’t immediately obvious.
Facial and dental injuries. Facial fractures, broken teeth, cuts, and permanent scarring can occur when a cyclist strikes the ground, a windshield, or another object.
Not every injury shows up right away. Some become more apparent in the hours or days after the crash, which is one reason prompt medical evaluation matters both for your health and for documenting the connection between the accident and your injuries.
Drivers Are Often Responsible for Bicycle Accidents in Queens
When a motor vehicle and a bicycle collide, one of the first questions a Queens Bicycle Accident Attorney asks is why the crash happened. In Queens, we see driver negligence come up in a recurring set of patterns:
Failure to Yield at Intersections and Driveways
Drivers turning off Queens Boulevard, Northern Boulevard, and similar corridors often fail to check for a cyclist traveling straight through the intersection before making a turn.
Dooring Accidents
A cyclist may have only a second or two to react when someone parked along a bike lane opens a car door directly into their path.
Distracted Driving
Phones, navigation systems, and in-car distractions cause drivers to overlook cyclists, particularly on wide roads where a bike can sit in a driver’s blind spot for longer stretches.
Speeding on Arterial Roads
Long, straight roads with wide lanes tend to encourage higher speeds. A faster impact speed almost always means a more serious injury.
Unsafe Lane Changes and Merges
Drivers merging across multiple lanes, especially near highway ramps and service roads common throughout Queens, can strike cyclists riding alongside them.
Commercial and Delivery Vehicles
Queens has significant truck and delivery traffic tied to its commercial corridors and proximity to LaGuardia and JFK. When a commercial vehicle is involved, determining liability may require investigating the driver, the driver’s employer, the vehicle owner, and applicable insurance coverage. If the vehicle involved was a commercial truck or delivery vehicle, our Queens truck accident lawyers can help identify every party who may share responsibility.
Drivers are not necessarily the only possible defendants. The same investigative approach applies whether the crash involved a passenger car, a rideshare vehicle, or a motorcycle sharing the road with a cyclist. Drivers are not necessarily the only possible defendants. Depending on the facts, responsibility could also involve a vehicle owner, an employer, a delivery or trucking company, a rideshare-related entity, a contractor, a property owner, or a government entity responsible for maintaining the roadway.
What If the Cyclist Was Partially at Fault?
Being accused of contributing to an accident does not automatically prevent an injured cyclist from recovering compensation. New York follows a comparative negligence system under CPLR Section 141. A claimant’s own conduct generally does not bar recovery entirely; instead, any damages awarded can be reduced according to the percentage of fault assigned to the cyclist. An insurance company may argue a cyclist was riding too fast or was positioned improperly in the road, but that allegation doesn’t end the case. Fault should be determined by the evidence, not assumptions about cyclists.
How Our Queens Bicycle Accident Attorney May Be Able to Help You Build a Case
Bicycle accident cases in Queens can become evidence-intensive quickly, and much of that evidence does not stay available forever. At Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. P.C., building a Queens bicycle accident case may involve obtaining and evaluating:
- NYPD accident reports
- Photographs and videos from the scene
- Surveillance footage from nearby businesses along commercial corridors
- Dash-camera or bicycle-camera footage
- Witness statements
- Damage to the bicycle and the vehicle involved
- Medical records documenting the injury and treatment
- Employment and wage documentation
- Insurance information for all potentially responsible parties
- Traffic signal and roadway condition information
- GPS or commercial vehicle records, where applicable
The goal isn’t simply to prove an accident happened. This is the same evidence-gathering process we use in our Queens car accident cases, adapted to the specific dynamics of a bicycle collision. The goal isn’t simply to prove an accident happened. It’s to build a clear picture of how it happened, who was responsible, and how the collision has changed your life.
Losses Recoverable After a Queens Bicycle Accident
The compensation available after a bicycle accident depends on the circumstances of the crash, the severity of the injuries, and the insurance coverage that applies. A claim may potentially include:
Medical Expenses
Emergency transportation, hospital treatment, surgery, physician visits, rehabilitation, physical therapy, medication, diagnostic imaging, and future medical care can all become significant costs after a serious bicycle crash.
Lost Income
An injured cyclist may be unable to work temporarily, or may no longer be able to perform the same job at all. Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity may both factor into the case.
Pain and Suffering
Physical pain, emotional distress, disability, loss of mobility, scarring, and the overall impact on daily life may all be considered when determining damages.
Future Care Costs
Serious injuries sometimes require years of ongoing treatment, additional surgeries, therapy, adaptive equipment, or in-home assistance.
Property Damage
A damaged or destroyed bicycle, helmet, phone, or other personal property may also be included in the claim.
There is no set dollar figure for a Queens bicycle accident case. The severity and permanence of the injury, the strength of the liability evidence, available insurance coverage, and lost income all shape the value of an individual claim.
No-Fault Insurance and Queens Bicycle Accidents
Insurance issues involving cyclists can be confusing since the cyclist was not driving a motor vehicle. When a bicyclist is injured by a covered motor vehicle, New York’s No-Fault insurance system may apply to certain accident-related economic losses, depending on the facts and coverage involved. The New York Department of Financial Services describes No-Fault, also known as Personal Injury Protection or PIP, as coverage for certain expenses following a motor vehicle accident. Sorting out the correct insurer and additional available claims becomes especially complicated when the crash involves a hit-and-run driver, a commercial vehicle, or a rideshare vehicle.
Recent Bicycle Accidents in Queens
Queens sees a meaningful share of the city’s bicycle crashes each year, and recent data shows the risk is not evenly spread across the borough.
According to published analysis of the NYPD Motor Vehicle Collisions dataset and NYC DOT crash data:
- Queens recorded 787 bicyclists injured and 4 cyclists killed in a recent full-year period, with cyclist deaths accounting for roughly 13% of the borough’s traffic fatalities.
- The 114th Precinct, covering northwest Queens including Astoria and Long Island City up to Northern Boulevard and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, recorded the most cyclist crashes of any precinct in the city in 2023, with 147 crashes resulting in 134 injuries and 2 fatalities.
- Corridors including Queens Boulevard, Woodhaven Boulevard, Northern Boulevard, and the intersection of Linden Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue continue to be flagged by NYC DOT’s Vision Zero program as priority locations due to repeated serious crashes.
- Citywide, NYC DOT reported 205 total traffic fatalities in 2025, a 19% decrease from 253 in 2024, with traffic deaths declining across most travel modes including cyclists.
- Through June 29, 2026, NYC DOT reported 94 total traffic fatalities citywide, including 3 traditional bicycle deaths and 18 deaths involving e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds, a reminder that micromobility riders remain especially vulnerable even as traditional cycling fatalities trend down.
These numbers reflect real progress from Vision Zero infrastructure investment, but they also confirm that Queens remains one of the more dangerous boroughs for cyclists, particularly along its widest and fastest roads. A crash doesn’t need to be fatal to change someone’s life. Thousands of Queens cyclists are treated for serious injuries every year that lead to surgery, missed work, and months of recovery.
What Should You Do After a Bicycle Accident in Queens?
A few steps taken after the crash can help protect both your health and any future claim:
Seek medical attention, even if you feel able to walk away from the scene. Some injuries take hours or days to become apparent.
Report the accident to the NYPD and get information identifying the driver and vehicle involved.
Photograph the scene, your bicycle, the vehicle, road conditions, any bike lane markings, and your visible injuries.
Get contact information from any witnesses before they leave.
Avoid repairing or throwing away a damaged bicycle before its condition has been documented.
Try to identify nearby surveillance cameras quickly. Footage can sometimes show exactly how a crash happened, but recordings are often overwritten within days.
Be cautious about giving a detailed recorded statement to an insurance company before you understand your rights.
How Long Do You Have to File a Queens Bicycle Accident Claim?
Deadlines depend heavily on who caused the accident and what type of claim applies. Most New York personal injury claims are subject to a three-year statute of limitations under CPLR Section 214, though exceptions exist. Claims involving a government entity, such as a case involving a poorly maintained city street or a defective traffic signal, can carry much shorter deadlines. Under New York General Municipal Law Section 50-e, a notice of claim against a municipal entity generally must be filed within 90 days. Speaking with a Queens Bicycle Accident Attorney as soon as possible after the crash can help make sure none of these deadlines are missed. Waiting creates other risks too. Surveillance footage can be gone within days or weeks, and witnesses become harder to locate the longer a case sits.
Talk to a Member of Our Bicycle Accident Team Serving Queens
A serious bicycle accident can leave you dealing with medical appointments, lost income, insurance adjusters, pain, and a lot of uncertainty about what happens next. You shouldn’t have to sort out fault, track down insurance coverage, preserve evidence, and evaluate your claim on your own.
As a Queens Bicycle Accident Attorney, Michael J. Redenburg works directly with clients rather than handing cases off to a case manager. Michael has spent more than 15 years representing injured New Yorkers and handles cases on a contingency-fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we win.
The firm represents injured cyclists throughout Queens and the surrounding areas, including Astoria, Long Island City, Flushing, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, Jamaica, and beyond.
If you or a family member has been injured in a bicycle accident in Queens, call or reach out online to Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. P.C. at 212-240-9465 for a free consultation.