Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Los Angeles is one of the most active cycling cities in America. Between Metro Bike Share docks across downtown, the city’s Vision Zero push for safer streets, and a steady rise in commuters who would rather ride than sit in 405 traffic, there are more cyclists on LA roads than ever. The trouble is that LA was built for cars, and the drivers who pilot those cars often act like cyclists are invisible. The result is a city where bike lanes exist on paper, then disappear behind a double-parked Amazon van or a distracted Uber driver checking the next ping.

If you were hit while riding a bike anywhere in Los Angeles County, you do not have to take the insurance company’s first offer. Asher Hoffman Law fights for cyclists across LA, from the bike paths along the LA River to the steep descents on PCH in Pacific Palisades. We work on a pure contingency fee, which means you pay nothing unless we win your case. Call (877) 792-4529 for a free consultation, or keep reading to understand exactly what a Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer can do for you.

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Los Angeles

After handling cycling cases across LA County for years, the patterns are clear. The crashes are rarely random. They cluster around a handful of preventable driver mistakes and a handful of dangerous road conditions the City has known about for years.

• Dooring: A driver or passenger flings open a parked car door into the bike lane on Spring Street, 7th Street, or Broadway downtown. The cyclist has no time to react.
• Right-hook turns: A driver passes a cyclist on the left, then immediately turns right across the bike lane. This is one of the most common causes of serious injury crashes on Sunset and Wilshire.
• Running red lights and stop signs: Drivers gunning yellow lights at intersections like Cahuenga and Fountain hit cyclists who legally entered the crosswalk on green.
• Distracted driving: Phones, navigation apps, food, kids in the back seat. LAPD reports list driver inattention as a primary factor in a huge share of bike crashes.
• Road defects: Potholes, sunken utility covers, raised pavement seams, and crumbling asphalt throw cyclists over the handlebars. These are often LADOT or Bureau of Street Services maintenance failures.
• Rideshare conflicts: Uber and Lyft drivers stopping in bike lanes to pick up passengers, or swinging across lanes to grab the next fare, regularly cause cyclist injuries. If you were hit in a rideshare accident involving an Uber or Lyft driver, there are usually higher policy limits available.
• Delivery trucks blocking bike lanes: On 7th Street, Spring Street, and Broadway in DTLA, FedEx, UPS, and Amazon trucks routinely park in protected bike lanes, forcing cyclists into live traffic.
• PCH cliff-side crashes: Cyclists riding the shoulder on Pacific Coast Highway through Pacific Palisades and Malibu get sideswiped by drivers who drift over the white line or by car doors swung open at scenic pullouts.
• LA River Bike Path and Ballona Creek hazards: Cracked pavement, blind curves, gates left open into vehicle traffic, and homeless encampment debris cause crashes along these popular routes.

Where Bicycle Accidents Happen Most in Los Angeles

Some LA streets and intersections are notorious for cyclist injuries. If you ride regularly, you know them. If you were hit at one of these locations, you are not alone, and the fact that the City has known about the danger for years can actually strengthen your case.

• Figueroa Street at West 6th Street (90017): High-volume DTLA traffic with bike lanes that vanish at the worst possible moments.
• Venice Boulevard at Lincoln Boulevard: A six-leg intersection where Venice meets Mar Vista, with constant right-hook conflicts.
• Cahuenga Boulevard at Fountain Avenue (90028, 90038): Heavy nightlife traffic and confused tourists.
• Sunset Boulevard crossings through Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Hollywood (90026, 90028, 90046): Narrow lanes, fast traffic, and aggressive drivers.
• Spring Street at 4th Street (90013, 90014): Protected bike lane that is constantly blocked by delivery vehicles and rideshare pickups.
• PCH through Pacific Palisades and Malibu: Tourists, hard chargers in sports cars, and zero shoulder in some stretches.
• LA River Greenway and Ballona Creek Trail: Most riders assume these paths are safe, but cracked pavement, missing signage, and unsecured access gates cause crashes.
• Silver Lake and Los Feliz residential streets (90026, 90027): Steep grades, blind intersections, and street parking that creates a dooring corridor.
• Koreatown and Wilshire corridor (90010, 90020): Dense pedestrian and vehicle traffic, frequent jaywalking, and cars turning across bike lanes.
• Civic Center / Bunker Hill (90012): Construction zones and shifting bike routes that confuse even regular commuters.

California Bicycle Laws and Your Rights

California gives cyclists strong legal protections. Insurance companies count on you not knowing what those protections are, then use that ignorance to lowball you. Here is what actually matters in a Los Angeles bicycle case.

• California Vehicle Code 21200: A bicycle has every right to use the road that a car does. You are not a pedestrian. You are a vehicle operator with full rights and duties.
• California Vehicle Code 21760 (Three Feet for Safety Act): Drivers must give cyclists at least three feet of clearance when passing. Violation carries a minimum fine of $220, and if a driver hit you while passing too close, that is direct evidence of negligence.
• California Vehicle Code 21650.1: Bicyclists riding on a roadway must ride in the same direction as traffic. Riding against traffic can complicate your claim, but it does not bar recovery.
• California Vehicle Code 21212: Helmets are required for cyclists under 18. Adults are not legally required to wear a helmet, and the absence of a helmet does not bar your claim.
• Comparative negligence (CACI 405): California uses pure comparative fault. Even if you were partly at fault, you can still recover. Your award is reduced by your percentage of fault, not eliminated.
• LAPD and LADOT records: Every reported crash in the city generates a traffic collision report. LADOT also keeps records of past complaints about specific intersections and road defects. We pull all of it.

Injuries Cyclists Suffer

A cyclist hit by a 4,000 pound SUV has no airbag, no crumple zone, no seatbelt. The injuries are almost always more serious than what a vehicle occupant would suffer in the same crash. California courts recognize this vulnerability through the eggshell plaintiff doctrine, which means a defendant takes the cyclist as they find them, even if a particular rider was more susceptible to severe injury than the average person.

• Traumatic brain injury, concussion, and post-concussive syndrome
• Skull fractures and intracranial hemorrhage
• Road rash requiring skin grafts and reconstructive surgery
• Clavicle fractures, rib fractures, and pneumothorax
• Spinal injury, herniated discs, and in severe cases, paraplegia
• Facial fractures and dental injuries requiring reconstruction
• Knee ligament tears, including ACL and meniscus damage
• Wrist and hand fractures from the instinctive arm-out fall
• Internal organ injuries from handlebar impact
• Wrongful death claims when a family loses a loved one to a fatal cycling crash

What to Do After a Bicycle Accident in LA

What you do in the first 72 hours often decides the value of your case. Here is the checklist.

• Call 911 and LAPD. Even if you feel okay, get a police report on file. Adrenaline masks injury.
• Photograph everything. The bike, the car, the driver’s license plate, the intersection, the skid marks, any visible road defect like a pothole or sunken grate.
• Get the driver’s information. Name, license, insurance card, phone number. Photograph it all.
• Find witnesses. Get names and phone numbers from anyone who saw the crash. Witnesses disappear within minutes.
• Document the road defect. If a pothole or broken pavement caused the crash, photograph it from multiple angles with a coin or shoe for scale. This becomes critical for an LADOT claim.
• Preserve the bicycle. Do not throw it away, do not get it repaired. The damage to the bike is physical evidence.
• Get medical care immediately. Go to an ER or urgent care the same day. Gaps in treatment are the single biggest tool insurance companies use to discount cycling claims.
• Do not talk to the driver’s insurance adjuster. They will call within 48 hours, sound friendly, ask for a recorded statement, and use it against you. Refer them to your attorney.

Government Entity Claims for Road Defects

If your crash was caused by a pothole, a broken bike lane marker, missing signage, or any other road defect, you may have a claim against the government entity responsible for the road. This is where most cyclists lose. The deadlines are short, and missing them ends the claim before it starts.

• City of Los Angeles streets: Most surface streets in LA are maintained by LADOT and the Bureau of Street Services. Claims against the City are governed by California Government Code 911.2, which requires a written claim within six months of the date of injury.
• State highways and PCH: Caltrans maintains state routes including PCH through Malibu. Same six-month deadline applies.
• County roads: Unincorporated areas of LA County fall under County jurisdiction. Same deadline.
• Metro property and Metro Bike Share: Crashes involving Metro infrastructure or rental bikes have their own claim procedures.

Miss the six-month deadline and your claim is barred entirely, no matter how clear the liability is. This is why getting a Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer involved early matters so much.

How We Handle Your Case

From the day you sign up with Asher Hoffman Law, the process is straightforward.

• Free consultation: We talk through what happened, evaluate liability, and explain what your case is worth.
• Contingency fee: No money up front. No fee unless we win. We advance all case costs.
• Investigation: We pull the LAPD traffic collision report, request LADOT records, interview witnesses, and when needed, hire crash reconstruction experts.
• Medical coordination: We connect you with cycling-experienced doctors and specialists who treat on a lien if you do not have health insurance.
• Demand and negotiation: We build the case, prepare a comprehensive demand package, and push the insurance company hard.
• Litigation: If the insurance company will not pay fair value, we file suit and take the case to trial. Carriers know which firms actually try cases, and they pay accordingly.

Compensation You May Recover

California law allows a wide range of damages for injured cyclists. Every case is different, but in serious LA bicycle accident cases we routinely pursue:

• Medical expenses: Past bills and the cost of future care, including surgeries, physical therapy, and pain management.
• Lost wages: Time off work, and if you cannot return to your prior job, loss of future earning capacity.
• Pain and suffering: Non-economic damages for physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Property damage: Replacement value of the bicycle, helmet, cycling computer, lights, clothing, and any other gear destroyed in the crash.
• Wrongful death damages: For families who lost a loved one, this includes funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and loss of love, companionship, comfort, and moral support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I was not wearing a helmet?

For adults, California does not require a helmet. The lack of a helmet does not bar your claim. The defense will try to argue that a helmet would have reduced head injuries, but this only applies to head injuries, not to road rash, broken bones, or other damages. We push back hard on this argument and win the point in most cases.

Does comparative fault reduce my recovery?

California uses pure comparative fault. If a jury finds you 20 percent at fault and the driver 80 percent at fault, you still recover 80 percent of your damages. Insurance companies inflate cyclist fault percentages aggressively. Do not accept their version.

What if the driver fled the scene?

Hit and run is more common in LA bike cases than people realize. If the driver took off, your own uninsured motorist coverage on a personal auto policy may apply, even though you were on a bicycle. We track down hit and run drivers using surveillance footage from nearby businesses, traffic cameras, and license plate readers.

How long do I have to file a Los Angeles bicycle accident claim?

For most claims against private drivers, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the crash. For claims against the City of Los Angeles, Caltrans, or any other government entity, you have only six months to file a written government claim. Waiting is the biggest mistake cyclists make.

Can I sue the City if a pothole caused my crash?

Yes, but only if you file the government claim within six months and only if you can show the City had notice of the defect or that the condition existed long enough that the City should have known. Photos, prior complaints to 311, and LADOT maintenance records all matter.

Beverly Hills Bicycle Accident Claims

Our firm also handles bicycle injury claims immediately west of our Wilshire office in Beverly Hills, including dooring, valet, hotel, rideshare, delivery, and turning-driver crashes near Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Olympic Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, Canon Drive, Beverly Drive, La Cienega, and Robertson. See our Beverly Hills bicycle accident lawyer page.

Nearby Cities We Serve

Our office handles cycling injury cases across LA County and the South Bay. Each city has its own bike infrastructure quirks and its own local hazards.

• Beverly Hills: Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards see heavy cyclist traffic mixed with luxury vehicles and valet zones that create dooring risks.
• Santa Monica: The beach bike path along Ocean Avenue and the Strand brings tourist riders into conflict with locals and delivery vehicles.
• Culver City: Bike lanes on Washington and Venice Boulevards intersect with heavy studio and rideshare traffic.
• Long Beach: The Long Beach beach path and PCH corridor produce frequent dooring and right-hook crashes.
• Torrance: Wide arterials like Hawthorne Boulevard combine high speeds with limited bike infrastructure.
• El Segundo: Industrial truck routes and Sepulveda Boulevard create real hazards for commuter cyclists.
• Manhattan Beach: The Strand is a top crash zone for cyclist and pedestrian conflicts in summer months.
• Hermosa Beach: Pier Avenue and the bike path see heavy weekend traffic and intoxicated drivers leaving local bars.
• Redondo Beach: Catalina Avenue and the Esplanade have narrow lanes and frequent left-turn conflicts.
• Glendale: Brand Boulevard and Glendale Avenue carry fast traffic with inconsistent bike lane coverage.
• Pasadena: The Rose Bowl loop and Colorado Boulevard combine recreational cyclists with heavy event traffic.
• Burbank: Olive Avenue and the LA River path on the Burbank side see commuter and studio worker bike traffic.

Looking for general representation across practice areas? Visit our main Los Angeles personal injury lawyer page.

Get Your Free Case Review Today

If you or someone you love was hurt in a bicycle accident anywhere in Los Angeles County, call Asher Hoffman Law at (877) 792-4529. The consultation is free, the conversation is confidential, and there is no fee unless we win your case. We have offices in Los Angeles and we handle cycling cases throughout California. Do not let the insurance company push you into a settlement that leaves you with unpaid medical bills and a wrecked bike. Call now.