Burbank Bicycle Accident Lawyer

A driver turned across your lane, or a door swung open, and now your bike is wrecked and your body hurts. Burbank mixes freeway ramps, wide boulevards, and busy corners, and a rider has little protection on any of them. The insurer will call fast. Expect a friendly voice, a request for a recorded statement, and a theory that you rode wrong. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. handles motor-vehicle injury claims only, and that includes bicycle crashes. Attorney Moe Abdallah takes the calls himself, updates you by call and text, and moves quickly on video and witnesses before they disappear. The first review is free, you pay no fee unless we win, and you can reach us 24/7. Se habla Español. Below you will find where Burbank riders get hurt, the traffic laws that protect you, the police report, your treatment, and the deadlines that can end a claim.

Where Burbank riders share the road with fast traffic

Burbank is a city of about 107,000 people in the southeastern San Fernando Valley, and its cyclists share the street with commuters headed to and from Interstate 5 and the SR 134 Ventura Freeway. Surface streets matter most to riders. Olive Avenue, Glenoaks Boulevard, Buena Vista Street, Victory Boulevard, Burbank Boulevard, Magnolia Boulevard, and San Fernando Road carry the traffic that cyclists meet at driveways, turn lanes, and signals. City data reported by myBurbank counted 50 crashes at Victory Place and Burbank Boulevard from 2015 to 2020, 45 at Olive Avenue and Buena Vista Street, and 41 at Buena Vista Street and Victory Boulevard. Those counts cover all crashes, not only bike crashes, and they are old, so treat them as a pattern. The state's Office of Traffic Safety ranked Burbank 27th of 61 similar cities for bicyclist victims in 2022 and 39th of 62 in 2023, where rank 1 is the worst record. That puts Burbank in the middle of its group, not at the bottom. A middle ranking is no comfort when you are the rider on the pavement. In late March 2025 the city restriped East Olive Avenue between Glenoaks Boulevard and N. Sunset Canyon Dr. to cut lanes and slow cars. If your crash happened on a street that was recently changed, tell us. Old lane markings and new ones can change who had the right of way.

Close passes, doorings, and right hooks under California law

Most Burbank bike claims start with one of three moves. A driver passes too close, a parked driver opens a door into your path, or a driver turns right across a rider who is going straight. California law covers each one. Under the Three Feet for Safety Act, a driver may not pass a bicycle going the same way with less than three feet of clearance. Since 2023, the driver must also change lanes to pass when another lane is open and it is practical. If three feet is not possible, the driver must slow down and pass only when it is safe. Vehicle Code section 21760 sets the fine at $35, or $220 if the crash injures the cyclist. Vehicle Code section 22517 covers dooring. No one may open a car door on the traffic side unless it is reasonably safe and does not interfere with moving traffic, and that includes you. Cyclists on a public road have the same rights as drivers under Vehicle Code section 21200, and the same duties. A right hook happens when a driver passes you and then turns right in front of you, or fails to look before turning. Turning drivers are the Burbank pattern. The City told myBurbank that most crashes at its three worst corners involve a driver turning on a yellow while through traffic enters late, and a rider going straight is the through traffic. Your proof is whatever you save in the first days: video from a store or doorbell, the driver's plate, and the names of people who stopped.

When the adjuster says you rode wrong

California follows pure comparative negligence, set out in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804. You can recover even if you were partly at fault, but your award shrinks by your share of the blame. Insurers know this, so they push hard to raise your share. Expect three arguments. First, they say you were in the middle of the lane. Vehicle Code section 21202 lets a rider who is moving slower than traffic leave the right edge to pass, to prepare for a left turn, to approach a right turn, to avoid hazards, or when a lane is too narrow for a bike and a car side by side. Second, they say you wore no helmet. Adults have no helmet requirement in California. Riders under 18 must wear one under section 21212. Third, they say you were hard to see, or that you came out of nowhere. A driver turning across your path at a Burbank corner or driveway still owes you a look. Do not argue with the adjuster. Do not give a recorded statement, guess about your speed, or say you are fine. A short, honest line such as I am still being checked by my doctor protects you. We take those calls, so a casual word cannot become a fault percentage.

The Burbank police report and the proof to save

The Burbank Police Department, at 200 N. Third St., writes reports for crashes on city streets when someone is hurt or killed, when a driver asks for one, when a city or government vehicle is involved, or when there is a chargeable violation such as DUI or hit-and-run. You can buy your report online through LexisNexis at least four days after the crash, with a convenience fee, or in person at the Records Bureau. Call the Records Bureau at (818) 238-3140 or the Traffic Bureau at (818) 238-3100. Two city pages list different in-person fees, so ask before you go. The California Highway Patrol normally handles crashes on Interstate 5 and the SR 134, which matters if you were hit near a ramp. Read the report right away. Officers often record a cyclist's position or speed from the driver's story alone. Beyond the report, save your damaged bike, helmet, clothing, and phone, and do not repair or throw anything away. Photograph the street, the lane markings, the signal, and any parked cars. Ask nearby shops about cameras, because many overwrite in days. The driver who hit you must also report the crash to the DMV on form SR-1 within 10 days when anyone is hurt or damage tops $1,000 (Vehicle Code section 16000).

Bike injuries and treatment at Providence Saint Joseph

A rider has no frame around the body. Common bike crash injuries include broken collarbones, wrists, and hips, road rash, cracked ribs, spine injuries, and head injuries even with a helmet. Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, at 501 S. Buena Vista St. in Burbank, runs a 24/7 emergency department at (818) 843-5111. It sits on Buena Vista Street, one of the corridors in the City's worst-intersection list, so it is often the nearest ER after a ride on that side of town. Its emergency page names no trauma center level, and after a serious crash paramedics may take you to a trauma center elsewhere in the county. Get seen the same day even if you feel fine. Adrenaline hides pain, and head, neck, and back injuries often show up days later. Tell every provider exactly how the crash happened. Follow the treatment plan and keep every bill, discharge sheet, and referral. A gap in care is the first thing an adjuster uses to argue you healed. Your claim can include medical costs now and in the future, lost pay, damage to your bike and gear, and pain and suffering. If a head injury is part of your case, our Burbank brain injury page explains how those claims are proved.

Hit-and-run, city claims, and the deadlines that matter

In 2022 OTS ranked Burbank 26th of 61 cities for hit-and-run victims and 36th of 62 in 2023. Leaving the scene of an injury crash is a crime under Vehicle Code sections 20001 and 20003, but a charge does not pay your bills. Your own uninsured motorist coverage can. When the driver cannot be identified, California treats that car as uninsured if you had physical contact with it, you reported the crash within 24 hours to city police (or the sheriff or CHP outside city limits), and you gave your insurer a sworn statement within 30 days of the report (Insurance Code section 11580.2). Uninsured motorist coverage does not pay for your property damage, so your bike needs another path. Public entities add shorter deadlines. If a city vehicle hit you, or a defective road caused the crash, you must present a written claim within six months under Government Code section 911.2. File it with the Burbank City Clerk's Office at cityclerks@burbankca.gov or P.O. Box 6459, Burbank, CA 91510. If the claim is rejected in writing, you have six months to sue. Most other bike claims carry a two-year limit under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. Moe Abdallah takes these cases on contingency. In one case an insurer offered $900, and the client recovered $75,000 total. Past results are no promise of a similar outcome.

Talk to a Burbank bicycle accident lawyer

Call (323) 716-1992 for a free, no-obligation case review. You pay nothing unless we win, and we'll handle the insurance companies for you. Learn more about our bicycle accidents representation →

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