How to Get Compensation after an NYC Bus Crash

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Updated on Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023

Recently, a cyclist in Queens was struck by an MTA bus, right in the middle of an intersection.

While bus collisions are not an everyday occurrence, they are common enough that it is good to know what you can do to recover compensation in the event that you’re injured in a collision. These principles will serve whether you are a passenger on the bus, a pedestrian, a cyclist, or the driver of a passenger vehicle.

Reach out to your own insurance company, if you have one.

New York is a no-fault state, which means that you’ll usually have to turn to your own insurance company’s no-fault benefits before you turn to any other. You can usually only sue if your injuries meet the “serious injury threshold."

To meet the serious injury threshold, an accident victim must suffer from:

Death
Dismemberment
Disfigurement
Fractures
The loss of a fetus
The loss of a permanent bodily function, organ, or system
An injury which impairs normal daily activities for 90 to 180 days.

Of course, many people involved in MTA collisions do not have any kind of insurance, as many people here in New York City do not own cars. In this case, you will absolutely need an attorney’s help to recover compensation of any kind. If the accident was a hit and run, you may be able to recover from the New York Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation, instead.

Move quickly.

If you’re going to sue MTA over your injuries then you have just 90 days to file a Notice of Claim with the transit authority. If MTA is not the responsible party then you’ll need to move quickly to identify the responsible party and make the claim.

As your personal injury attorneys we can help you do just that. In addition, we can help prove responsibility that isn’t obvious. For example, sometimes MTA fails to maintain their vehicles properly, or fails to properly vet their employees before hiring them. The actual traffic conditions weren’t the source of the negligence, the way MTA handled their people and equipment was. Either way you’ll need help making the case.

Fortunately you don’t have to pay to get help from a qualified personal injury lawyer. We work on contingency. We don’t get paid until we bring your case to a successful conclusion.

Need help? Don’t wait. Contact us today.

We Have Recovered Over $2 Billion for Our Clients.

The attorneys at Jaroslawicz & Jaros have obtained verdicts and settlements of over $1 Million for hundreds of our individual clients. Since all New York personal injury law firms generally charge the same legal fee why not hire an experienced law firm with a proven track record?

When you retain the New York City accident lawyers at Jaroslawicz & Jaros, you will always work directly with your lawyer, and not with a paralegal or secretary. We will always be available to you! Our hundreds of positive client reviews and testimonials speak for themselves.