Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf is a New York Plaintiff's personal injury law firm specializing in automobile accidents, construction accidents, medical malpractice, products liability, police misconduct and all types of New York personal injury litigation.

Articles Posted in Bicycle Accidents

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Location of the fatal collision between the car in the scooter in QueensA fatal crash in Queens, NYC, tragically ended the life of a local stand-up scooter rider during morning rush hour, underscoring the increasing dangers faced by micromobility users on city streets.

According to the NYPD, 39-year-old Shaun Lagredelle was riding his electric scooter westbound on 116th Avenue in Cambria Heights just before 6:40 a.m. on June 26, when a Ford Transit van traveling eastbound attempted to turn left onto Nashville Boulevard. The van collided with the scooter, throwing Lagredelle to the pavement. He sustained severe head and body injuries and was rushed by EMS to Long Island Jewish Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

As Queens car accident lawyers, we have seen far too many cases involving electric scooters and bicycles where drivers fail to yield or misjudge turns—often with fatal consequences. These cases raise urgent questions about visibility, driver attentiveness, and the adequacy of street design in protecting vulnerable road users.

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31st-street-in-Queens-is-dangerous-for-cyclistsAs personal injury lawyers serving the Queens community — and as legal advocates who have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of bicycle accidents — we feel compelled to weigh in on a matter that’s deeply impacting our neighbors in Astoria: the proposed protected bike lane on 31st Street.

This debate is about more than infrastructure. It’s about lives, livelihoods, and the possibility of building a safer, stronger community.

The Harsh Reality of Bicycle Accidents

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As New York City bicycle-accident attorneys, we question Mayor Eric Adams’s push to cap e-bike speeds at 15 mph. The proposal grabs headlines, but the data shows that speed-limited e-bikes aren’t what’s killing New Yorkers—multi-ton motor vehicles and policy inaction are.

What the Numbers Say

From January 2024 through May 2025 at least 16 fatal bike-related crashes occurred city-wide. Only one involved a cyclist striking a pedestrian. The rest were motorists striking cyclists or cyclists forced into harm’s way by car doors, trucks, or emergency vehicles.

Date Victim Bike Type Citi Bike Cause Category Specific Cause / Scenario At Fault
2024-02-22 Cyclist Private pedal No Driver Error Truck left-turn hit-and-run Motorist
2024-02-23 Cyclist Private pedal No Driver Error Speeding driver ran red light Motorist
2024-02-27 Cyclist Citi Bike e-assist Yes Dooring + Driver Error Doored, then hit by passing car Shared
2024-04-04 Cyclist Private (pedal) No Driver Error Truck “right-hooked” across protected lane Motorist
2024-06-07 Cyclist Citi Bike pedal Yes Driver Error Box truck struck rider Motorist
2024-08-19 Cyclist Private e-bike No Driver Error Box truck right turn into teens on e-bike Motorist
2024-09-01 Cyclist Private pedal No Driver Error Drunk, unlicensed van driver Motorist
2024-10-22 Cyclist Private pedal No Police Chase Fleeing pickup ran red light Motorist
2024-10-30 Cyclist Private (pedal) No Emergency Vehicle FDNY pickup struck cyclist Motorist
2024-11-02 Cyclist Private (pedal) No Police Chase Fleeing minivan ran red light Motorist
2025-02-25 Cyclist Private (pedal) No Driver Error MTA bus turning through intersection Motorist
2025-03-19 Cyclist Private e-bike No Driver Error Two cars in chain-reaction crash Motorist
2025-03-21 Pedestrian Delivery e-bike No Cyclist Error E-biker blew stop sign, struck pedestrian Cyclist
2025-04-19 Cyclist Private (pedal) No Emergency Vehicle FDNY fire engine ran red light Motorist
2025-05-01 Cyclist Private e-bike No Dooring + Driver Error Doored, then run over by box truck Shared

Ghost bike in New York City as a tribute to the cyclist who died at this location

Totals (Jan 2024 – May 2025)

  • Driver Error / Motorist at fault: 13 deaths
  • Dooring + Driver Error (shared fault): 2 deaths
  • Emergency Vehicle collisions: 2 deaths
  • Police-chase crashes: 2 deaths
  • Cyclist error: 1 death (pedestrian struck)

Why a 15 mph Cap Misses the Mark

  • Motor-vehicle violence—not e-bike speed—is the killer. Thirteen of sixteen deaths were caused by drivers of vans, trucks, buses, or cars.
  • Dooring remains lethal. Two fatalities started with a parked driver flinging a door open. No speed cap fixes that.
  • High-speed police chases and emergency-vehicle protocols need reform. Two cyclists died because drivers—fleeing or on emergency runs—blew through red lights.
  • Delivery workers will bear the burden. A blanket e-bike cap criminalizes low-wage couriers while leaving truck violence untouched.

What Will Save Lives

  1. Build the protected bike-lane network Mayor Adams promised. Paint alone isn’t protection; New Yorkers need concrete-separated lanes in every borough.
  2. Daylight intersections and end curbside parking at corners so cyclists aren’t hidden from turning trucks.
  3. Hold dangerous drivers accountable—especially for hit-and-runs, DWI, and dooring violations.
  4. Equip city and commercial trucks with side guards and better visibility tech.
  5. Re-evaluate NYPD pursuit policies that turn city streets into racetracks.

Lowering e-bike speeds to 15 mph may feel like action, but it’s a distraction. Let’s focus on the proven fixes that keep every New Yorker, cyclist, pedestrian, and motorist, alive.


Need legal help after a bicycle crash? Our team at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf has recovered record-setting verdicts and settlements for injured cyclists and their families. Call 212-943-1090 for a free consultation.

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The Marine Parway Bridge where the accident occuredOur NYC Personal Injury Lawyers Raise Concerns About Kite Fighting, Negligence, and Public Safety

Two cyclists were seriously injured—one critically—after riding into a string stretched across the Marine Parkway Bridge bike lane on June 1st, 2025. Despite the traumatic injuries sustained, including a severed windpipe and broken bones, the NYPD has announced it found “no criminality.” As New York personal injury attorneys, we believe this incident raises troubling questions about accountability, enforcement, and public safety.

A Harrowing Incident with Life-Altering Consequences

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Car Accident NYAt Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, our New York personal injury attorneys have represented victims of negligence in New York for more than 100 years. Each June, we see a seasonal rise in serious personal injury claims across the five boroughs. Below are the most common types of cases we handle this time of year—and what you should know if you or a loved one has been injured.


1. Car Accident Claims

Traffic congestion increases significantly in the summer, and with it, so do accidents. Many of the cases we handle involve serious injuries caused by speeding, distracted driving, or failure to yield. We have obtained some of the highest verdicts and settlements in New York for motor vehicle accident victims, including an $85 million jury verdict for a pedestrian struck by a sightseeing bus in Manhattan.

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A part of the Greenway that was closedThe extended closure of the Hudson River Greenway between Dyckman and 181st Streets isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a safety hazard. As New York bicycle accident lawyers, we know that even short detours can have serious consequences when cyclists are forced into traffic-heavy streets without proper protections.

What’s unfolding in Upper Manhattan right now is a striking example of how the city continues to treat cyclists as second-class commuters. The Greenway, the busiest bike path in the United States, is not just a recreational amenity—it’s a critical part of New York City’s transportation infrastructure. When it’s closed, riders aren’t just delayed—they’re endangered.

A Detour That Isn’t a Detour

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Queensboro_Bridge_from_Manhattan_sideA Blog by our NYC Personal Injury Lawyers

After years of dangerous conditions and tireless advocacy, New Yorkers finally have a safer way to cross the Queensboro Bridge. On Sunday, the city officially opened a newly redesigned layout that separates cyclists and pedestrians for the first time in the bridge’s history.

Until now, pedestrians and cyclists were forced to share a narrow 11-foot-wide space on the north outer roadway — a setup that led to constant congestion, unsafe conditions, and a documented pattern of injuries. As lawyers who represent victims of bicycle and pedestrian accidents throughout New York City, we’ve long seen the consequences of neglecting proper infrastructure. The redesign is a major step in the right direction.

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Car Accidents, Bicycle Crashes, Pedestrian Knockdowns, and Construction Injuries Spike as New Yorkers Head Outdoors

As New York thaws from winter and the streets grow busier, personal injury claims tend to rise—often sharply—during the spring months. At Gair, Gcommon NY personal injuries in the springair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, our attorneys have represented victims of serious accidents for more than 100 years. Below are the most common spring-related personal injury cases we see across New York City.

1. Car Accidents Increase with Holiday Travel and Wet Roads

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Queensboro_Bridge_from_Manhattan_sideDespite years of planning and a near-complete pedestrian infrastructure project on the Queensboro Bridge, New York City continues to favor motor vehicles over the safety of its most vulnerable road users. On Saturday, more than 200 activists, including local officials and transportation advocates, walked across the southern roadway of the bridge to protest Mayor Adams’s failure to open the long-promised pedestrian pathway.

As New York City bicycle crash attorneys and pedestrian accident lawyers, we’ve seen firsthand how overcrowded, dangerous infrastructure contributes to severe injuries and fatalities. Nowhere is this more evident than on the Queensboro Bridge, where pedestrians and cyclists are forced to share a single, narrow 10-foot path—often resulting in collisions, near-misses, and chaos.

A Preventable Safety Crisis

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Winter Storm in NYC keep most New Yorkers indoorPedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motor vehicle occupant fatalities declined in New York City during the first quarter.

While Mayor Adams Celebrates Progress Under Vision Zero, Winter Weather May Be the Unsung Hero

Officials are celebrating a sharp and historic drop in traffic fatalities during the first quarter of 2025. According to a recent announcement by Mayor Eric Adams and DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, 41 people died in traffic crashes between January and March—down from 65 during the same period last year, and the second lowest Q1 total since records began.