Encino Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Riding in Encino means sharing Ventura Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, and Balboa Boulevard with fast cars, delivery vans, and drivers pulling out of shopping center lots. If a driver hit you, doored you, or cut you off, the first call from the other insurer will probably sound friendly. Don't trust it. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. is a Los Angeles firm that handles motor-vehicle injury cases only, and bicycle crashes are one of them. Attorney Mohamad "Moe" Abdallah takes the calls himself, keeps you updated by phone and text, and charges no fee unless he wins. A cyclist has the same rights on the road as a driver, and this page explains how that plays out for an Encino bike crash: the streets, the police report, the hospitals, the insurance fights, and the deadlines. The consultation is free, and we are available 24/7, with Spanish spoken.

Where Encino cyclists meet cars at speed

Encino has no single bike-crash hotspot we can prove with city data, so we won't name one. We can tell you where the traffic is. Ventura Boulevard is the main commercial street, lined with storefronts, driveways, and parked cars. Sepulveda Boulevard and Balboa Boulevard carry traffic north and south toward the US-101 (Ventura Freeway) and the I-405 (San Diego Freeway). White Oak Avenue, Louise Avenue, Hayvenhurst Avenue, and Densmore Avenue feed those boulevards. FOX 11 reported that a two-vehicle crash at Ventura Boulevard and Densmore Avenue on September 12, 2026 killed one woman and injured six people. That was a car crash, not a bike crash, but it shows how serious a collision at that intersection can be. A cyclist has no steel around them. The usual Encino bike claims start with a driver turning right across a rider, a driver pulling out of a driveway or parking lot, a car door opening into the lane, or a driver passing too close. If you rode through one of these spots, mark it on a map and photograph the lane, the curb, and any parked cars while the scene still looks the way it did.

Passing distance, car doors, and the bicycle rules drivers break

California gives cyclists clear rules to point to. A person riding a bicycle on a highway has the rights and duties of a driver (Veh. Code § 21200). Under the Three Feet for Safety Act, a driver may not pass a bicycle with less than three feet of clearance, and since 2023 a driver must change lanes to pass if another lane is open and it is practical (Veh. Code § 21760). If three feet is not possible, the driver must slow down and pass only when it is safe. The fine rises to $220 if the pass injures the rider. Dooring has its own rule. Nobody may open a vehicle door into moving traffic unless it is reasonably safe, and a door cannot stay open longer than needed (Veh. Code § 22517). A driver who opens a door into a bike lane or a travel lane on Ventura Boulevard broke that law. These statutes turn a he-said, she-said crash into a fault argument you can win. They also help with your next problem. Cyclists who ride far from the curb often face the charge that they should have stayed right, and the law answers that on its own terms.

When the adjuster says you rode wrong

In a bicycle case, the insurer's first move is to shift blame to you. You were in the middle of the lane. You ran the stop sign. You were not wearing a helmet. Each has an answer. California follows pure comparative negligence, so partial fault reduces your award but does not bar it (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804). A cyclist moving slower than traffic must ride as close to the right edge as practicable, except when passing, preparing for a left turn, approaching a right turn, or avoiding hazards, and a lane too narrow for a bike and a car side by side does not count as a lane you must hug (Veh. Code § 21202). On Ventura Boulevard, with parked cars and driveways, that exception may apply. The helmet charge is weaker than adjusters suggest. The law requires a helmet only for riders under 18 (Veh. Code § 21212), so an adult without one broke no rule. Don't take the adjuster's recorded statement without talking to us first. Give the adjuster your name and the claim number, nothing more, and point the questions to Moe at (323) 716-1992.

The LAPD report and the evidence that disappears fast

LAPD covers Encino through its West Valley Community Police Station at 19020 Vanowen Street in Reseda, with the Valley Traffic Division at 7870 Nollan Place in Panorama City handling traffic. If officers came to the scene of your bike crash, get the report number. LAPD says to request the report through its online Traffic Collision Report page and allow at least 45 days. Reports with an arrest, a death, or a juvenile go by mail with a form and a $19.00 check or money order. Many bike crashes never get a full report, so your own evidence matters more than the officer's. Photograph your bike frame, wheels, helmet, torn clothing, and your injuries before you repair or wash anything. Keep the bike. Keep the helmet, even cracked, since it shows the force. Look for security cameras on Ventura Boulevard storefronts, because many record over within days. A rider's phone app, bike computer, or helmet camera may show speed and route. We send preservation letters fast. Plate photos and camera footage can also help identify a driver who left or gave a false name.

Head, wrist, and spine injuries, and where Encino riders get treated

A fall from a bike onto pavement or a car hood causes a pattern of injuries. Head injuries, including concussions, broken collarbones, wrist and elbow fractures, rib fractures, road rash that scars, and back and neck injuries are the ones we see most. If you hit your head, treat it as serious even if you walk away. Encino Hospital Medical Center, at 16237 Ventura Boulevard, is the hospital in the neighborhood. California's hospital database lists it as a general acute care hospital with an emergency room and 148 licensed beds. Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center and Northridge Hospital Medical Center are nearby, and we have not verified the trauma level at either. Paramedics decide where to take you, so tell them about every symptom. Follow up with your own doctor within a few days. A gap in treatment is the first thing an adjuster points to. Keep every bill, every prescription receipt, and every missed-work note. Your damages include medical costs, lost income, the cost to repair or replace the bicycle and gear, and pain and suffering. Our brain injury page for Encino goes further on head trauma.

Hit-and-run riders, city road claims, and the deadlines

Many drivers leave the scene after hitting a cyclist. Leaving is a crime, and a driver who fled after an injury crash can face prison or jail (Veh. Code § 20001). For your claim, the question is who pays. If you can't identify the driver, your own uninsured motorist coverage may apply, but only if the vehicle made physical contact, you reported the crash to police within 24 hours, and you filed a sworn statement with your insurer within 30 days (Ins. Code § 11580.2(b)). A near miss that made you fall without touching the car is the hardest version of this claim, so tell us exactly what happened. Moe won a $100,000 policy-limit UM recovery for a woman rear-ended by a driver who fled, after other firms turned her down. Past results do not predict a similar outcome. If a pothole, broken pavement, or other road defect threw you, the City of Los Angeles may be liable under Gov. Code § 835. You must present a claim to the City Clerk within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2). For a private driver, the lawsuit deadline is two years (CCP § 335.1).

Talk to a Encino 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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