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If you were injured while riding a bicycle in Pasadena, the crash probably did not feel like a simple traffic accident. A driver may have turned across your lane on Colorado Boulevard, opened a door near Old Pasadena, drifted into the bike lane on Lake Avenue, rolled through a stop near Caltech, or rushed through Rose Bowl or event traffic without seeing you. Bicycle cases often involve serious injuries, disputed fault, missing video, and insurance companies that try to blame the rider before they understand the facts.
The Law Offices of Asher Hoffman handles Pasadena bicycle accident claims for riders hit by cars, trucks, rideshare vehicles, delivery drivers, buses, unsafe doors, negligent property owners, and dangerous roadway conditions. We investigate quickly, preserve evidence, deal with insurance adjusters, and pursue the compensation needed for medical care, lost income, pain, scarring, future treatment, and the full impact of the crash.
Pasadena has a mix of dense commercial streets, residential corridors, school traffic, freeway access, hills, and major event destinations. A bicycle crash near Colorado Boulevard and Fair Oaks Avenue may involve different evidence than a collision near the Rose Bowl, South Lake Avenue, Pasadena City College, Caltech, Huntington Hospital, or the Arroyo Parkway corridor. We handle bicycle claims involving:
Even when the police report appears to blame the cyclist, that does not end the case. Officers often arrive after the scene has changed. Witnesses leave. Video gets overwritten. Drivers may give a self-serving version first. We look at the physical evidence, vehicle damage, bicycle damage, traffic signal timing, sight lines, road design, and available video before accepting any fault conclusion.
Local detail matters in a bicycle injury case. Pasadena riders often face risk near Colorado Boulevard, Lake Avenue, Fair Oaks Avenue, Green Street, Union Street, Walnut Street, Del Mar Boulevard, Orange Grove Boulevard, Arroyo Parkway, Los Robles Avenue, Hill Avenue, Washington Boulevard, Allen Avenue, and the streets around Old Pasadena, Playhouse Village, South Lake, PCC, Caltech, Huntington Hospital, and the Rose Bowl.
Drivers may be distracted by restaurant traffic, parking searches, rideshare pickups, delivery stops, event congestion, freeway ramps, or pedestrians crossing busy intersections. A crash near Old Pasadena may involve retail security footage and curbside pickup records. A collision near PCC or Caltech may involve campus cameras, student witnesses, bus stops, and commuter traffic. A Rose Bowl area crash may involve event control, road closures, temporary signage, shuttle routes, or city maintenance records.
California law gives cyclists many of the same rights and responsibilities as drivers. Vehicle Code section 21200 generally gives bicycle riders the same rights and duties as vehicle operators, subject to bicycle-specific rules. Vehicle Code section 21760 requires drivers to pass bicycles at a safe distance. Vehicle Code section 22517 addresses unsafe door opening, which can be critical in dooring cases. Other rules may apply to bike lanes, turns, traffic signals, nighttime equipment, speed, right-of-way, and roadway hazards.
Insurance companies frequently use these rules selectively. They may argue the rider was outside a bike lane, moving too fast, riding too close to parked cars, not visible enough, or partly responsible for entering an intersection. California comparative fault law allows an injured cyclist to recover compensation even if the defense proves some percentage of fault. The real question is whether the evidence supports the percentage the insurance company is trying to assign.
Bicycle cases can turn on evidence that disappears fast. Surveillance footage may be overwritten within days. Rideshare and delivery app data may require preservation demands. Vehicles may be repaired. Skid marks, debris fields, and temporary construction conditions may be gone by the time an adjuster calls. Important evidence can include:
Our firm sends preservation letters, identifies potential video sources, reviews the crash location, and builds the claim around proof rather than guesswork.
A cyclist has little protection when a vehicle hits them. Even a low-speed impact can cause a rider to strike pavement, a curb, a parked vehicle, or another object. We handle bicycle cases involving concussions, traumatic brain injuries, facial injuries, dental trauma, shoulder injuries, collarbone fractures, wrist and hand fractures, hip injuries, knee injuries, ankle fractures, road rash, infections, nerve damage, back injuries, neck injuries, herniated discs, surgeries, hardware, scarring, and emotional trauma.
Some riders try to go home after the crash and only later realize symptoms are worsening. Headaches, dizziness, neck pain, numbness, sleep disruption, memory problems, shoulder pain, and back pain should be taken seriously. Delayed medical care gives insurance companies an opening to argue the injuries were not caused by the crash, so documenting symptoms early can matter.
The at-fault driver is often the first defendant, but bicycle accident cases can involve more than one responsible party. A rideshare company, delivery platform, employer, trucking company, public entity, construction contractor, property owner, vehicle owner, or maintenance company may share fault depending on the facts. If a public entity is involved because of a dangerous roadway, traffic signal issue, public bus, city vehicle, or poorly maintained street, a government claim may need to be filed within six months. That deadline is much shorter than the general two-year personal injury statute of limitations.
We evaluate all potential sources of recovery early because serious bicycle injuries can exceed a single driver’s insurance limits. That is especially important when the rider needs surgery, has permanent scarring, cannot return to work, or faces long-term pain and limitations.
A strong claim explains what happened, why the cyclist was not at fault or why any comparative fault should be limited, how the crash caused the injuries, and what the case is worth. We gather medical records, billing, wage loss proof, photographs, repair estimates, witness evidence, video, insurance information, and liability documents. We also work to show how the injuries affect the client’s daily life, including riding, work, family obligations, sleep, mobility, mental health, and future medical needs.
When the defense argues the cyclist was hard to see, we ask why the driver failed to keep a proper lookout. When the defense claims the rider came out of nowhere, we look for sight lines, signal timing, speed, and driver distraction. When the insurer says the injury is minor, we compare that claim to the medical records, imaging, specialist opinions, and the client’s actual limitations.
Depending on the facts, compensation may include emergency care, ambulance bills, hospitalization, surgery, follow-up visits, imaging, physical therapy, medication, injections, future medical treatment, lost income, reduced earning capacity, bicycle and gear damage, transportation costs, pain, suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Insurance companies often focus on bills while ignoring the larger human losses. A cyclist who can no longer commute, exercise, sleep comfortably, lift a child, work a physically demanding job, or ride without fear has suffered more than a stack of invoices. The claim should reflect that.
The Law Offices of Asher Hoffman offers free consultations for injured cyclists in Pasadena and throughout Los Angeles County. You pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. If you were hurt near Colorado Boulevard, Lake Avenue, Fair Oaks Avenue, Old Pasadena, South Lake, PCC, Caltech, Huntington Hospital, the Rose Bowl, Arroyo Parkway, or another Pasadena street, contact us today.
Yes. Not every street has a usable bike lane, and cyclists may have lawful reasons to ride outside one. The facts matter, including lane conditions, parked cars, turning traffic, debris, construction, and whether the driver acted safely.
That is a common defense. Video, witness statements, vehicle damage, bicycle damage, sight lines, signal timing, lighting, and phone or app records may show that the driver failed to keep a proper lookout.
You may. California law prohibits opening a vehicle door unless it is reasonably safe and does not interfere with traffic, including cyclists. Photos, parking location, witness statements, and nearby video can be important.
A dangerous roadway claim may involve a city, county, state agency, contractor, or property owner. Public-entity claims often have a six-month deadline, so prompt investigation is important.
The consultation is free, and our firm handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee. That means no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
I can’t say enough about how grateful I am for the team that helped me after my motorcycle accident. From day one, they treated me with respect and compassion, while also fighting aggressively on my behalf. The process of dealing with insurance companies and medical bills was overwhelming, but they walked me through every step, […]
My boyfriend and I were getting the runaround from an at-fault driver and their insurance after my very first car accident in Los Angeles back in February, so I decided to find a lawyer to help us out with the process. Working with Asher Hoffman made all the difference. He was communicative, patient, and always […]
Asher is absolutely amazing! After my car accident, I was overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do, but he made the whole process so much easier. He’s very attentive, caring, and really goes above and beyond for his clients. I always felt supported and confident knowing he was handling my case. He not only got […]
I hope you never need a lawyer due to a car accident, but if you do, Asher Hoffman is the best! I had never been in a car accident this serious before and was rattled, stressed, and scared to say the least, suffering injuries and the total loss of my car. From our first meeting […]
I am so grateful to have had Asher Hoffman as my accident attorney. From the very beginning, he was professional, compassionate, and dedicated to my case. Asher always took the time to explain every step of the process in a way that was easy to understand, and he made sure I felt supported throughout. His […]
