Editor's note: updated July 2026 for New York's 2026 tort-reform changes.
Intersections are the most dangerous places on the road. Nationally, roughly half of all traffic injuries happen at or near them. About one-quarter of traffic fatalities do too. In New York City, intersections are packed closer together than almost anywhere else. Pedestrian and cyclist traffic is heavy. Turning movements are complex. That combination makes intersection accidents a defining feature of the city's road safety problem.
Who you are matters. A driver, pedestrian, and cyclist each enter the legal framework differently. So does the question of who caused the crash. And in New York, your injuries may need to meet the serious injury threshold before you can pursue damages beyond no-fault benefits.
Why intersections produce so many accidents
Intersections are where vehicles traveling in different directions cross the same space. Every time a driver makes a left turn, runs a red light, or rolls through a stop sign, a collision becomes possible. Failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk carries the same risk.
The most common intersection accidents in New York fall into a few patterns. Left-turn collisions happen when a driver turns into oncoming traffic. Right-angle or T-bone collisions happen when one vehicle runs a red light and strikes another broadside. Rear-end collisions happen when a driver stops for a light and the following vehicle does not. Pedestrian and cyclist strikes happen during turning movements.
Right-angle collisions are the most dangerous type. The struck vehicle absorbs the impact on its side, where structural protection is weakest. Even a moderate-speed T-bone can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, rib fractures, and internal organ damage to occupants on the struck side.
Determining fault in an intersection accident
Fault in an intersection accident depends on who had the right of way. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law establishes clear right-of-way rules: a driver facing a red light must stop and yield to cross traffic. A driver making a left turn must yield to oncoming vehicles. A driver approaching a stop sign must yield to traffic on the through road. Pedestrians in a marked crosswalk with the signal have the right of way.
When a driver violates a right-of-way rule and causes a collision, that violation is evidence of negligence. A red-light violation caught on a traffic camera supports the claim. So does a witness who saw the other driver run a stop sign. An accident report documenting a failure to yield does the same.
New York's fault rules work differently depending on how the accident happened. In a motor vehicle case, the adjuster has a direct incentive to build your share of fault as high as possible. If your share of fault exceeds the combined fault of all defendants, you are barred from recovering non-economic damages entirely. That threshold matters more than it might seem. A finding that you were speeding when the other driver ran the red light could push your share past that line. Even partial fault on your side changes the math significantly.
Pedestrians and cyclists at intersections
Pedestrians and cyclists have no metal frame around them. At an intersection, a turning car hits them directly. New York City records show pedestrians make up a large share of intersection deaths. That gap is not random. A person on foot absorbs the full force of a strike. A cyclist does too.
New York law gives pedestrians the right of way in crosswalks when the pedestrian signal is in their favor. Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 1151 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. A driver who strikes a pedestrian in a crosswalk while making a turn is presumptively negligent.
Cyclists face real danger at intersections too. Drivers turning right often skip a check of the bike lane. New York City's Vision Zero program has pushed for safer designs. Protected bike lanes, longer pedestrian signals, and turn-slowing barriers are part of that push. The death toll shows the problem is not solved.
The serious injury threshold for intersection accidents
New York's no-fault system limits who can sue for pain and suffering. Your injuries must meet the serious injury threshold before that door opens. That rule applies to intersection crashes just like any other car accident.
Some injuries qualify on their own. A fracture qualifies. So does significant disfigurement or dismemberment. Loss of a fetus qualifies too.
Other injuries qualify based on how severe the damage is. Permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function, or system qualifies. A significant limit on use of a body function or system also qualifies. So does a permanent consequential limit on use of a body organ or member.
Side-impact crashes and pedestrian strikes hit hard. The force comes from the side or straight on, with little to absorb it. That makes serious injuries far more likely than in a slow rear-end crash.
Those injury patterns often meet the serious injury threshold. That threshold is the legal test New York uses to decide whether you can sue for pain and suffering.
Evidence in intersection accident cases
Intersection crashes often come down to conflicting accounts. One driver says the light was green. The other says it was red.
Several types of evidence can resolve that dispute. Traffic camera footage captures the signal state at the moment of impact. Surveillance cameras from nearby businesses often record the full sequence of events. Dashcam video from either vehicle can be decisive. Witness statements add independent perspective. The police accident report documents the responding officer's observations. Vehicle damage patterns can indicate the angle and speed of impact. Electronic data from the vehicles' event data recorders logs speed, braking, and steering inputs in the seconds before the crash.
Report it to the police right away. Note where any cameras are pointed. Then call an attorney fast.
Camera footage does not last. Traffic cameras overwrite on a set cycle. Business cameras often delete within days.
An attorney can send letters to lock that footage in place. Once it is gone, it is gone.
How Schwartzapfel Holbrook handles intersection accident cases
We handle intersection accident cases for drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists across New York City and Long Island. Our work starts with preserving evidence. That means camera footage, police reports, witness statements, and vehicle data, all secured before it is gone. We then evaluate injuries against the serious injury threshold and pursue the full damages available when it is met.
Schwartzapfel Holbrook / Fighting For You
