Intersection Bicycle Accidents: Know Your Rights

Intersections Are the Most Dangerous Places for Cyclists

Intersections present a crucible of risk. Vehicles turning, crossing, accelerating—eyes everywhere, but attention divided. For cyclists, those moments when cars converge can feel like a gauntlet. One misstep by a driver, and tragedy follows.

You expect drivers to obey signals, yield when they should, and respect your right to pass safely. When they don’t, injuries happen, fractures, head trauma, lifelong damage. Cyclists often end up with more than scraped knees: broken bodies, shattered confidence, steep medical bills.

At Horn Wright, LLP, our personal injury attorneys represent riders hurt at intersections every year. We know intersections intimately, the hazards, the patterns, the claims. And we stand with cyclists who were doing everything right yet got hurt anyway.

Common Causes of Intersection Accidents in New York

Intersections combine speed, direction changes, traffic signals, and split-second choices. That mix breeds danger. In New York, a number of recurring driver behaviors account for a high share of intersection crashes.

Some frequent causes:

• Left-turn conflicts — a driver turning left collides with a cyclist going straight across, especially when the driver misjudges clearance
• Red-light runs or rolling stops — vehicles entering an intersection after signal change, cutting off cyclists
• Failure to yield while entering from a side street or driveway
• Driver obscured by traffic or signage — misperceives a cyclist in blind zones or behind obstructions

New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law contains signal and right-of-way rules that define how vehicles and bicycles should behave at intersections. Violations of those traffic rules, proven by records or observations, often become core evidence in fault disputes.

When a crash involves a government vehicle, say a municipal truck, federal law comes into play. Under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), the government can be held responsible for negligent operation of vehicles, subject to procedural rules. But even then, the standard for fault is based on local traffic laws, New York’s intersection rules, in this case.

How Right-of-Way Laws Affect Liability

Right-of-way regulation is one of the key battlegrounds in intersection crashes. Who had the legal priority? Who should have waited? These rules often decide who bears responsibility in bicycles-versus-driver cases.

In New York:

• Drivers turning left must yield to oncoming traffic, including cyclists.
• When entering an intersection from a side road, drivers must yield to vehicles already in the intersection or on the main road.
• Cyclists riding straight through signaling green have the same rights as motorists unless signage or markings dictate otherwise.

When a driver violates a right-of-way rule, that violation can form the basis of a negligence claim. Opposing counsel may argue exceptions, emergency maneuvers, unavoidable conditions, but a clear signal or lane marking violation strengthens your position.

In federal cases, that same local rule will be used to judge whether the governmental driver acted reasonably. If the driver broke the local traffic rule, that violation often becomes strong proof of negligent conduct.

Evidence That Proves Fault at an Intersection

Because traffic converges at intersections, the right evidence can tell a complete story: who moved when, how fast, and who failed to yield. Without it, claims become battles of memory and speculation.

Key evidence includes:

• Traffic camera footage or red-light camera video
• Photographs of signal timing, vehicle positions, skid marks, and damage
• Police reports noting signal violation or right-of-way breach
• Witness accounts from pedestrians, other drivers, or cyclists

Under New York’s CPLR § 3120, your legal team can subpoena video and surveillance records from local agencies or private businesses to preserve crucial footage before it's erased.

For intersection crashes involving city vehicles, the FTCA process requires that you include that evidence in your administrative claim. Once that window closes, you might not get a second chance to bring in a late video or witness statement.

Experts like traffic engineers or reconstructionists may be necessary to analyze signal phases, turning radius, and speed. Their opinions turn raw data into injury narratives a jury can understand.

In New Hampshire, Intersection Liability Rules Favor Drivers More Than in New York

If you ride across state lines, say from New York to New Hampshire, your rights at intersections may shift. NH’s rules are often more generous to drivers; cyclists might end up disadvantaged when rights-of-way are disputed.

Some differences:

• New Hampshire sometimes gives more deference to motorists making cautious turns than New York courts do.
• NH may recognize more assumptions of driver blame reduction in shared-fault scenarios.
• In some jurisdictions, signal timing and marking enforcement are weaker, making claims harder to prove.

If your crash happened near border towns or in NH territory, Dover, Nashua, or the Seacoast, you or your attorney must carefully analyze which state’s rules apply, which damages are allowed, and how to argue across jurisdictions.

Compensation for Cyclists Injured in Intersection Crashes

Injuries from intersection crashes often come with heavy costs, medical, emotional, social. And just as intersections bring conflicting paths, compensation claims often consist of multiple legal strands.

Potential recoverable damages include:

• Medical bills: past, present, and future
• Lost wages: immediate and long-term
• Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment: diminished ability to ride, play, or engage
• Out-of-pocket expenses: physical therapy, assistive devices, travel costs

Because serious intersection-accident injuries often involve long recovery and permanent effects, your legal strategy should include life care plans, projected future damages, and vocational impact studies.

When a federal vehicle is involved, your FTCA claim must enumerate all compensation upfront, there’s no second chance to add lost wages or therapy costs later. That demands careful expert input and evaluation from day one.

Why Intersection Safety Must Be Enforced

Bike lane designs, signal timing, dedicated turning phases, they all exist for a reason. Safe intersections aren’t optional. They’re a public necessity. But laws and infrastructure do nothing without enforcement.

When drivers are held accountable for intersection collisions, it sends a message: you can’t drift, run signals, or cut off riders and walk away. That pressure encourages safer driving, better signal designs, and stronger municipal responsibilities.

Cyclists whose cases result in judicial or settlement outcomes don’t just repair what was broken, they help protect the next rider. Every case fought helps strengthen safety norms at intersections across the city and state.

Horn Wright, LLP, Protects Cyclists Injured at Intersections

You followed the rules, moved through the intersection legally, and somehow ended up hurt anyway. That’s unfair. But it doesn’t mean your voice is silenced.

At Horn Wright, LLP, our personal injury attorneys specialize in intersection crash claims. We’ve litigated signal violations, tackled right-of-way disputes, and challenged government defenses. From Manhattan to upstate towns, we stand with bicyclists hurt when design, driver error, or negligence fails to keep them safe.

You deserve justice. You deserve opportunity to heal. And you deserve a team that protects your rights at every red light and every crosswalk.