Did another driver cause your motorcycle accident in Albany, NY?
At Buttafuoco & Associates, we establish that a negligent driver, not the rider, caused the crash and pursue the full cost of the injuries.
If you were hurt in a motorcycle accident in Albany, the claim may depend on overcoming the assumption that you, and not the driver, were at fault. Our Albany, NY motorcycle accident lawyer gathers evidence showing how the crash actually happened and pursues the compensation you are owed. At Buttafuoco & Associates, we build a rider’s claim on independent proof of the driver’s conduct, and we document injuries that are often serious because a rider has little protection in a collision.
Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Albany, NY
A motorcycle accident case often begins against an unfair assumption. Because motorcyclists are sometimes viewed as reckless, a rider’s own conduct is examined more closely than a driver’s after a crash. The evidence frequently tells a different story. Many motorcycle crashes happen because a driver turns across a rider’s path, changes lanes without seeing the motorcycle, or misjudges its speed and distance. Establishing what the driver actually did, rather than accepting an assumption about the rider, is central to the claim. These cases are also defined by the severity of the injuries. Riders have little protection between themselves and the road, and the injuries that result are often serious and lasting.
Motorcyclists make up a small share of vehicles but account for a disproportionate share of serious traffic injuries. In New York, there were 4,681 personal-injury motorcycle crashes and 189 rider deaths in 2024, according to New York crash data. Nationally, motorcyclists account for roughly 15 percent of traffic deaths while making up about 3 percent of registered vehicles, according to federal motorcycle data. In the Capital Region, riders share Albany’s roads and the surrounding highways with far heavier vehicles. When a driver’s negligence injures a rider, our Albany motorcycle accident attorneys work to establish fault and prove the full extent of the harm.
Types of Motorcycle Accident Cases We Handle in Albany
Motorcycle crashes take many forms, and most of them involve another vehicle. We handle Albany motorcycle accident claims that include:
- Left-turn and failure-to-yield crashes. A driver turning across a rider’s path is one of the most common and most serious motorcycle crashes.
- Lane-change and blind-spot crashes. A driver who does not check for a motorcycle can move directly into a rider’s lane.
- Car accidents. Most motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle, and the driver’s conduct is central to the claim.
- Truck accidents. A rider struck by a commercial truck faces an especially high risk of severe injury.
- Bus accidents. Crashes involving large vehicles raise questions about the driver’s care and the operator’s responsibility.
- Back injuries. The impact of a motorcycle crash often damages the discs and vertebrae of the spine.
- Neck injuries. Cervical injuries are common when a rider is thrown from the motorcycle.
- Brain injuries. Head injuries can occur even when a rider is wearing a helmet.
Why Choose Buttafuoco & Associates as Your Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Albany, NY?
Trial Advocacy for Injured Motorcyclists
Mark Freeley has spent more than twenty years on the firm’s motor vehicle cases and has taken nearly 1,000 depositions and negotiated hundreds of six- and seven-figure settlements. Dan Buttafuoco, who founded the firm in 1981 and is himself a motorcyclist, has tried more than 100 cases to verdict and is a board-certified trial lawyer. That trial record matters in a motorcycle case, because a rider’s claim is taken more seriously when the other side knows the firm is prepared to try it. The injuries a rider suffers are often catastrophic, and our personal injury lawyer in Albany, NY draws on medical and vocational experts to establish their full extent.
Results in Motor Vehicle Cases
The firm’s attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for people injured in motor vehicle collisions. A motorcycle crash is a motor vehicle case, and the same evidence-gathering and trial preparation apply. Past motor vehicle results include:
- A $1,500,000 recovery for a driver whose car was forced into a highway divider and overturned, causing multiple fractures and requiring knee reconstruction.
- A $700,000 settlement for a man struck by a vehicle that spun out of a highway collision, resulting in leg and facial fractures that required surgery.
- A $250,000 settlement for a driver struck by a motorist making a left turn across his path, causing fractures of the leg and elbow.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What Is Important to Understand About a Motorcycle Accident Case?
What Are Important Aspects of a Motorcycle Accident Case?
Because a rider is often assumed to be at fault, independent evidence of what actually happened is the most important part of a motorcycle case. The police report, statements from witnesses who have no stake in the outcome, and photographs of the vehicles and the scene establish how the crash occurred. The position and damage of each vehicle can show who had the right of way and where the impact happened. Footage from a traffic camera or a nearby business is valuable when it exists, and it should be requested before it is erased. In some cases, an accident-reconstruction expert can explain the physics of the crash to show that the driver, not the rider, caused it. This evidence is strongest when it is gathered early, while it still exists and memories are fresh.
Damages, Liability, and Compensation in a Motorcycle Accident Case
Liability in a motorcycle accident rests on ordinary negligence: a driver who fails to yield, turns without looking, or does not account for a motorcycle can be held responsible for the resulting harm. Compensation can cover medical care, both past and future, lost earnings and lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering, which is often substantial given the severity of these injuries. If you were not wearing a helmet, that may reduce your recovery but does not bar it, and it does not excuse the driver who caused the crash. The same is true of any other fault attributed to you, since a share of fault reduces recovery in proportion rather than ending the claim. If the driver who caused the crash has no insurance or cannot be identified, compensation may still be available through your own uninsured-motorist coverage or through New York’s Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation. A motorcycle accident claim must generally be filed within a three-year filing period for personal injury actions, and suits arising from Albany crashes are usually brought in Albany County’s Supreme Court.
What Is the Timeline of a Motorcycle Accident Case?
A motorcycle case tends to follow a set of stages. At the start, we investigate the crash and gather independent evidence showing what the driver did before it is lost. As treatment continues, we document the injuries and their effect on your work and daily life, which can take time when the injuries are serious. We then present the claim to the driver’s insurer. A claim supported by strong evidence of fault can resolve at this stage, while a disputed claim often requires filing suit and moving through discovery and depositions. Most cases settle before trial, though a case prepared for trial tends to settle on better terms.
What Should You Bring to a Consultation?
A first meeting is most useful when you bring what you have: the police report or its number, photographs from the scene, your medical records or bills, and the insurance information exchanged at the crash, along with your own policy. If you kept your helmet, riding gear, or the damaged motorcycle, do not repair or discard them, because they can be evidence of how the crash happened and how the injuries occurred. Names and contact information for any witnesses are helpful as well. You do not need to have everything before you call. The first consultation is free, and if the evidence points away from a claim, we will tell you that directly.
Reach Out to Buttafuoco & Associates to Schedule a Consultation
The assumption that a motorcyclist was to blame is best answered with evidence gathered soon after the crash. At Buttafuoco & Associates, we investigate what the driver did and build the claim on that proof. Contact us to speak with our Albany motorcycle accident lawyer about the crash and your options. The first consultation is free.