Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Lawyers

How Bicycle Accidents Happen

The most common bicycle accident scenarios in Los Angeles include right-hook accidents, where a vehicle turns right across a cyclist’s path, dooring incidents in which a parked car’s door opens into a cyclist’s lane of travel, intersection collisions where drivers fail to yield to cyclists with the right of way, rear-end collisions on roads without separated bike lanes, and sideswipe incidents where vehicles pass too closely.

Under California Vehicle Code Section 21760, drivers must provide at least three feet of clearance when passing a bicycle. Violations of this law are both a traffic offense and evidence of negligence.

Common Injuries

Bicycle accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries even with a helmet, broken collarbones, wrists, and ribs, spinal injuries, facial fractures and dental injuries, road rash and skin abrasions, and internal bleeding and organ damage.

Many cyclists face extended recovery periods, chronic pain, and the inability to return to cycling or other physical activities they enjoyed before the accident.

Your Rights as a Cyclist in California

California law gives bicyclists the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle operators. This means that when a driver’s negligence causes an accident, the cyclist has the same legal right to compensation as any other injured party. Cyclists are not second-class road users, and the fact that a bike is smaller and slower than a car does not diminish the driver’s duty of care.

California’s comparative negligence system also applies: even if a cyclist was partially at fault—for example, for riding without lights at night—the driver’s share of responsibility is still compensable.

Compensation Available

Injured cyclists may recover compensation for medical treatment and rehabilitation, bicycle replacement, lost wages, pain and suffering, permanent disability or scarring, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of activities.

If you were hit by a car while cycling in Los Angeles, Beverly Wilshire Law APC can protect your rights and pursue the full compensation you are owed. Call (310) 424-5566 or email info@bevwilshire.com for a free consultation—we’re here to guide you in the right direction.