Whether you’re commuting to work, making food deliveries, or enjoying a ride through Griffith Park or Ventura Boulevard, more people than ever are relying on bicycles to navigate the San Fernando Valley. With growing interest in eco-friendly transportation, better fitness, and flexible gig work, it's no surprise that bike use is on the rise across Southern California.
But with that rise comes a troubling trend: an increase in bicycle-related crashes and serious injuries. Busy intersections in Van Nuys, poorly marked bike lanes in North Hollywood, and high-speed traffic along Victory Boulevard or Sepulveda mean that even the most cautious cyclist is vulnerable to harm. From dooring accidents to collisions with rideshare drivers or commercial trucks, these incidents are happening far too often—and the consequences can be devastating.
Unfortunately, determining who’s at fault in a bicycle accident isn’t always straightforward. Liability can involve multiple parties: a distracted driver, a delivery van operator, the city for poor road maintenance, or even a business owner with an obstructed sidewalk. Add in the fact that cyclists are frequently (and unfairly) blamed for crashes, and it becomes clear—getting to the truth requires a deeper understanding of California injury law.
The most frequent cause of bike accidents involves drivers of passenger vehicles. If a driver was:
—they may be fully or partially liable for your injuries. California law requires motorists to share the road with cyclists and exercise reasonable care. When they fail to do so, injured cyclists have the right to hold them accountable.
Accidents involving delivery trucks, company vans, or rideshare drivers (like Uber and Lyft) are becoming more common. These cases are more complex because they often involve corporate insurance policies or third-party logistics companies.
Liability could extend beyond just the driver and include:
An experienced attorney can help determine whether vicarious liability applies—holding both the driver and their employer accountable.
In some cases, a crash isn’t caused by another driver, but by the condition of the road itself. If you were injured due to:
—you may have a claim against the City of Los Angeles, Caltrans, or another public agency responsible for road maintenance.
However, claims against government entities have shorter deadlines and special filing procedures, so it’s essential to speak with a lawyer right away if you suspect the city may be at fault.
If your crash happened near a private property—such as a shopping center, residential driveway, or construction zone—the property owner may be liable if:
Under California premises liability law, property owners have a duty to keep their premises safe for lawful visitors—including cyclists using adjacent sidewalks or driveways.
It’s not uncommon for drivers or insurance companies to argue that the cyclist was partially at fault—even when the injuries are severe. Under California’s comparative negligence system, you can still recover compensation even if you were partly to blame, but your award will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, if you were found 20% at fault for not wearing a helmet or failing to stop completely at an intersection, and your total damages were $100,000, you’d still recover $80,000.
That’s why having a skilled personal injury attorney matters—to protect you from being unfairly blamed and to make sure fault is properly assigned based on the facts.
California follows what’s called the pure comparative negligence rule. Under this system, you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for the accident. Your total recovery will simply be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.
This means that even if you were 99% responsible, you could technically still recover 1% of your damages. While most cases don’t involve such extreme fault sharing, it’s a powerful rule that helps protect injured cyclists—even if they made a mistake.
Here’s how it works in practice:
This reduction applies to all forms of compensation, including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Some of the most frequent injuries we see in bike accident cases include:
If your accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you have the right to pursue compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. These may include:
If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident in the San Fernando Valley, you may be facing painful injuries, mounting medical bills, and time away from work. But you don't have to navigate the aftermath alone.
🚴 You may be entitled to compensation—not just for your medical costs, but also for lost income, pain and suffering, and damage to your bike and gear.
🚗 Multiple parties may be responsible, including negligent drivers, commercial vehicle operators, property owners, or even public agencies that failed to maintain safe roads.
⚖️ California’s comparative fault laws protect you, even if you were partially at fault for the accident. Don’t assume you don’t have a case just because you made a mistake or weren’t wearing a helmet.
⏳ Most importantly, acting quickly preserves your legal rights. Evidence fades, witnesses disappear, and insurance companies act fast to reduce or deny claims. The sooner you speak with a lawyer, the better your chance of recovering what you're owed.
📍 Burbank Office: 1112 W. Burbank Blvd., Suite 302, Burbank, CA 91506
📍 Van Nuys Workers’ Comp Office: 16555 Sherman Way, Suite B2, Van Nuys, CA 91406
📞 Call: (323) 379-9995
📧 Email: firm@timwrightlaw.com
🌐 Website: www.timwrightlaw.com
✅ No upfront fees — you only pay if we win
🗣️ Multilingual service available
🚴♂️ Helping injured cyclists across the San Fernando Valley and Southern California
