Bicycle Accidents in Parking Lots and Driveways

Cyclists Are Vulnerable Even Off the Road

When most people think about bicycle crashes, they picture intersections, speeding cars, or careless drivers on crowded avenues. But many riders get hit in the places we least expect, quiet driveways, supermarket lots, or office building garages. Cars back up suddenly. Drivers cut across pedestrian areas. Delivery trucks block sightlines. In these spaces, cyclists often have no warning.

At Horn Wright, LLP, our personal injury attorneys have worked with riders who were hit in grocery store lots in Queens, struck by reversing cars in Brooklyn brownstone driveways, or sideswiped in Manhattan parking garages. These accidents might not happen at highway speeds, but the damage is often severe. A door that opens too fast or a car backing out without checking can change someone’s life in an instant.

Common Parking Lot and Driveway Bicycle Accidents

Parking areas aren’t designed with cyclists in mind. There are no bike lanes, traffic signals are rare, and pedestrians, cars, and cyclists all move in different directions. That chaos leads to accidents.

Some of the most frequent scenarios include:

• Backing-out collisions: Drivers reversing from spaces without checking blind spots.
• Cut-through driving: Motorists speeding across lots instead of following lanes.
• Driveway exits: Residents or delivery vans pulling straight into sidewalks or bike paths.
• Commercial vehicle hazards: Trucks unloading, blocking visibility, or forcing cyclists into unsafe spaces.

A cyclist riding home through a supermarket lot in Astoria can face the same risks as one crossing a driveway on Eastern Parkway. The danger doesn’t vanish just because the road signs do.

New York Liability Rules for Non-Road Collisions

Even though parking lots and driveways aren’t “roads” in the traditional sense, New York law doesn’t let drivers off the hook. Motorists still owe cyclists a duty of care, and bicycles are treated as vehicles under the Vehicle and Traffic Law. That means failing to yield, backing up carelessly, or speeding through a lot can be just as negligent as running a red light.

Property owners also share responsibility. If a lot has poor lighting, confusing signs, or potholes that make conditions unsafe, owners may face liability under premises liability law. They have a duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions for everyone, including cyclists.

If the incident happens on federal property, such as a post office parking lot, the rules shift. Claims fall under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Victims must file an administrative claim within two years, and missing that deadline often ends the case before it starts.

Evidence That Proves Negligence in These Cases

Parking lot crashes are tricky because they rarely involve speed cameras or traffic lights. Instead, lawyers rely on other forms of proof to show negligence.

Important evidence includes:

• Security footage from stores, garages, or apartment complexes.
• Eyewitness accounts from pedestrians, workers, or nearby drivers.
• Photos of the scene showing poor lighting, blocked views, or lack of signage.
• Police reports documenting statements from both sides.
• Expert reconstruction that demonstrates how a driver or property owner caused the collision.

New York also follows comparative negligence under CPLR § 1411, meaning cyclists can still recover damages even if partially at fault. For example, if a rider cut against arrows in a lot but was hit by a reversing SUV, they could still recover reduced damages. Federal cases under the FTCA apply similar negligence principles, though punitive damages aren’t available.

In Maine, Victims Face More Barriers in Parking Lot Claims Than in New York

The rules change once you leave New York. In Maine, victims face more obstacles.

• Maine follows a modified comparative negligence system. If a cyclist is more than 50% at fault, they can’t recover anything. In New York, they can still recover something, even if mostly at fault.
• Damage awards in Maine are often lower, especially for pain and suffering.
• Courts in Maine apply premises liability more narrowly, making it harder to hold property owners responsible for unsafe lots.

That means the same crash, a cyclist hit by a reversing car in a grocery lot, could result in compensation in Brooklyn but very little in Portland. Geography alone can change the outcome.

How Victims Can Recover From Parking Area Collisions

Victims of parking lot crashes face mounting medical bills, lost income, and painful recoveries. New York law allows them to pursue compensation through personal injury suits, wrongful death claims, or, in some cases, actions against property owners.

Damages can cover:

• Medical costs: ER visits, surgery, physical therapy, and ongoing care.
• Lost wages: immediate income and long-term earning potential.
• Non-economic harm: pain, suffering, and loss of independence.
• Wrongful death damages: funeral costs and family support under EPTL § 5-4.1.

When government property is involved, deadlines are tight. Under General Municipal Law § 50-e, notices for city-owned properties must be filed within 90 days. Under the FTCA, victims must file within two years. Miss these deadlines, and the case can be thrown out, regardless of fault.

Why Property Owners Must Maintain Safe Access

Drivers aren’t the only ones who create risk. Poorly maintained lots or unsafe driveway designs also cause crashes. Property owners are required to maintain reasonable safety, whether it’s keeping lights working in a garage or ensuring signage is clear for vehicles and cyclists.

If a rider is hit in a dark garage near Penn Station, or injured because of confusing markings in a store lot in Brooklyn, the property owner can share liability. It’s not enough to simply provide parking. They must provide safe access.

Cyclists deserve safe passage everywhere, not just on bike lanes but in the everyday spaces where drivers and riders cross paths.

Horn Wright, LLP, Protects Cyclists Injured in Parking Areas

Cyclists shouldn’t have to fear parking garages or neighborhood driveways, but negligence makes those places dangerous. And when riders are injured, they shouldn’t face the financial fallout alone.

At Horn Wright, LLP, our personal injury attorneys stand up for cyclists injured in these overlooked spaces. We investigate the drivers, hold property owners accountable, and push insurers to take parking-area crashes as seriously as roadway collisions.

Even off the street, cyclists deserve protection. And when that protection is denied, we fight to restore balance.