Can You Sue Citi Bike for Poorly Maintained Equipment in NYC?

Bikes are a popular mode of transportation in New York City, and companies like Citi Bike allow people to rent bikes as needed. Unfortunately, accidents sometimes happen because Citi Bike fails to maintain its equipment properly.

You can sue Citi Bike after an accident if the bike was improperly maintained or damaged. Citi Bike has a duty to provide safe equipment for its customers, and when this duty is breached, customers get hurt. Citi Bike’s rental agreement makes it difficult to place liability on them where it belongs, and you should speak to an attorney for help. Citi Bike may be held responsible if your bike was damaged or defective and Citi Bike failed to remove the bike from its docking station for repairs. We can prove your bike was damaged or improperly maintained with photos and videos of the damaged bike. We can even subpoena records from Citi Bike regarding how often equipment is repaired.

If you were injured while riding a Citi Bike because the bike was damaged or defective, our Bronx bicycle accident lawyers can help you file a lawsuit. For a free case review, call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.

Suing Citi Bike in NYC for Accidents Caused by Equipment Failures

Imagine you are riding your bike down the street in New York City when suddenly your front tire comes apart and falls away from the bike. You swerve into the street, where you are hit by a car and seriously injured. This kind of bike accident is not unusual, especially when thousands of New Yorkers rent bikes from companies like Citi Bike. Citi Bike is responsible for maintaining and repairing their bikes, so they are safe for riders.

If you were injured in a bike accident while riding a Citi Bike and believe the accident was caused by poorly maintained equipment, the company should be held liable. Our Brooklyn bike accident lawyers can help you sue Citi Bike for negligently allowing you to ride a damaged or defective bicycle.

Bike accidents can be incredibly severe, especially in high-traffic areas like New York City. Injured riders often have high medical bills and long-lasting injuries. Many injured riders cannot return to work after the accident and lose income, making it even harder to pay for their medical bills and other expenses. An attorney can help you file a personal injury lawsuit against Citi Bike for negligently providing a faulty bike.

How the Citi Bike Rental Agreement Affects Your Lawsuit in NYC

Using Citi Bikes requires riders to enter rental agreements with the company and pay an annual fee for the service. These rental agreements are contracts that spell out the numerous terms and conditions the customer and Citi Bike must abide by. Unsurprisingly, the rental agreement protects Citi Bike more than it does customers, and the company shields itself from numerous forms of liability.

One hitch that Citi Bike cannot circumvent with the rental agreement is the liability for faulty equipment. While the rental agreement places responsibility on bike riders to make reasonable inspections of bikes before riding them and to perform their own due diligence to avoid riding a damaged bike, Citi Bike might still bear some responsibility in certain cases.

It is more than possible that a rider hops on a Citi Bike after making reasonable inspections for damage only to discover that the bike was damaged or defective in an unseen or less obvious way. For example, a rider cannot see that screws are loose on the bike until those screws come off in transit. Similarly, you might not notice a small puncture hole in the tire until the tire goes flat or blows out on the road.

In short, Citi Bike should be held liable for providing a damaged bike even when riders do their own due diligence. Our Harlem bicycle accident lawyers can help you file a personal injury lawsuit to get financial compensation for your injuries and damages.

How to Prove Citi Bike is Responsible for an Accident Caused by Poorly Maintained Equipment in NYC

Once we know that Citi Bike should be held liable for providing the damaged bike that caused your accident, we have to find evidence to prove our claims. Ideally, injured bike riders should begin collecting evidence immediately after the crash, as many important details can be collected from the accident scene. However, this is not always possible, and our Long Island bicycle accident lawyers can help you gather evidence after you have been treated for your injuries.

Photos and videos are of utmost importance in bike accident cases, especially those involving Citi Bike equipment. If possible, you can take photos of the bike to record evidence of damage. If the tire blew out or the chains fell apart, these details will be preserved in your photos. You can also record videos of the scene to preserve other important details, particularly information about where the accident happened.

We should try to have the bike itself presented as evidence if we can. While pictures and videos can help present details about the damaged bike, the bike itself is perhaps the best evidence. Unfortunately, this can be difficult, as the bike legally belongs to City Bike. They will undoubtedly try to reclaim the bike and eliminate any signs of damage long before the trial.

Another important piece of evidence many riders overlook includes records maintained by Citi Bike regarding the repairs and maintenance of bikes. According to the Citi Bike website, damaged bikes can be reported to the company by riders. This can be done by docking the bike at a nearby station and pressing a specific button that locks the bike in place and alerts the company to the damaged bike. If the bike in your case has been damaged before, we can subpoena records of repairs from Citi Bike. It is possible that your bike was too badly damaged and should have been removed from the streets long ago.

Call Our NYC Bicycle Accident Attorneys for a Free Case Review

Riding a bike should not have to be a risky endeavor. You should expect safe, reliable equipment from rental companies like Citi Bike. Our Manhattan bike accident lawyers can help you hold Citi Bike liable for its negligence. For a free case review, call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.