Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles
If a driver hit you while you were riding, a bicycle accident lawyer in Los Angeles can take over the insurance fight and pursue the full value of your injuries. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. deals with the driver's insurer, fights the blame-the-cyclist arguments, and charges no fee unless we win.
If you were hurt on your bike in Los Angeles, a bicycle accident lawyer can take over the insurance fight and pursue the full value of your injuries while you heal. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. does that for LA cyclists hit by drivers. A driver runs a light or throws open a door, you go down hard, and within days an adjuster calls trying to blame the rider and close the claim cheap. We investigate the crash, gather the evidence, take on the insurers, and stand between you and the pressure so you never face it alone. If your bike crash claim recovers nothing, you owe us no fee.
LA streets where cyclists get hurt most
Riding in Los Angeles means sharing wide, fast arterials with heavy traffic. LADOT's 2024 High Injury Network map lists Western Avenue, Figueroa Street and Vermont Avenue among its longest stretches for pedestrians and bicyclists. Those same streets keep showing up in federal crash data. In our tally of NHTSA FARS records for 2019 to 2024, Western Avenue appears in about 38 fatal crashes inside the city, Figueroa Street in about 30, and Vermont Avenue in about 28. South of downtown, LADOT's Avalon Boulevard Safety Project reports that 149 people were killed or severely injured on Avalon between Jefferson Boulevard and 120th Street from 2009 to 2017. Of those, 44 percent were walking or riding a bike. Across the whole city, the FARS data counts 82 bicyclists among the 1,914 people killed from 2019 through 2024. Speeding played a part in 38 percent of the city's fatal crashes, and 71 percent happened after dark. Valley riders have their own trouble spots. LADOT lists Sherman Way, Vanowen Street and Victory Boulevard among the longest High Injury Network stretches for drivers, and riders share those same lanes. None of this means you rode carelessly. It means the city already knows these streets hurt people. When a driver hits you on one of them, we put that history in front of the insurer, and it undercuts the claim that the crash came out of nowhere.
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Which LAPD traffic division handles your bike crash
Bike crashes on city streets go to the Los Angeles Police Department. The division that investigates depends on where you went down. Central Traffic Division (251 E. 6th St., 213-833-3746) handles the Central, Hollenbeck, Newton, Northeast and Rampart areas. South Traffic Division (4125 S. Crenshaw Blvd., 323-421-2577) handles 77th Street, Harbor, Southeast and Southwest. West Traffic Division (4849 Venice Blvd., 213-473-0222) handles Hollywood, Olympic, Pacific, West Los Angeles and Wilshire. Valley Traffic Division (7870 Nollan Place, Panorama City, 818-644-8000) handles Devonshire, Foothill, Mission, Topanga, Van Nuys, West Valley and North Hollywood. LAPD's non-emergency line is 877-ASK-LAPD (877-275-5273). If the driver fled, report the crash to LAPD within 24 hours. Your uninsured motorist coverage can cover a hit-and-run only if the car physically hit you, that report was made in time, and you send your insurer a sworn statement within 30 days (Ins. Code § 11580.2(b)). Once a report exists, order it online and give LAPD at least 45 days to approve it. Mailed requests cost $19. Read it closely when it arrives. Check the diagram, the direction you were riding, and where the officer placed you in the lane. Under Vehicle Code § 21202, a rider moving slower than traffic may leave the right edge to pass, turn left, avoid hazards, or take a lane that's too narrow to share. If the report gets that wrong, we gather the photos, video and witness accounts to set the record straight with the insurer.
Head, wrist and spine injuries: LA trauma care for riders
Riders thrown over a hood or onto pavement tend to land head first or hands first. The worst cases go to the trauma centers in the LA County EMS Agency's receiving hospital directory. In the city, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are Level I trauma centers, and so is Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center downtown, Dignity Health-Northridge Hospital Medical Center and Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills are Level II. Children's Hospital Los Angeles is the pediatric Level I center for young riders. That matters for families. California requires riders under 18 to wear a helmet (Vehicle Code § 21212), and insurers bring it up when a child was hurt without one. Adults have no helmet rule, and riding without one doesn't bar an adult's claim. Keep your helmet anyway, even if it's cracked. The damage shows where your head hit and how hard. Keep the bike, your torn clothes, and any ride-tracking app data on your phone or bike computer. Those apps can show your speed and route in the seconds before the crash. Tell your doctors about every spot that hurts, including your wrists, shoulders and neck, so the chart matches what happened. If a wrist or collarbone still hurts weeks later, see a doctor and get it on record, because a gap in the record gives the insurer room to argue. Then get the ambulance report, the ER notes and the imaging. We pull those records and line them up against the crash report, injury by injury.
Potholes, broken bike lanes and city vehicles: filing with the City Clerk
Some bike crashes start with the road itself. A deep pothole, a crumbling bike lane edge, or a signal that never changed can throw you to the ground. Others involve a city vehicle, like an LADOT DASH bus pulling to the curb across your lane. When a public entity is involved, you must present a written government claim within six months of the crash (Gov. Code § 911.2). If the entity sends a written rejection, you have six months from that notice to sue (Gov. Code § 945.6). A road-defect claim also has to meet Government Code § 835. You must show the condition was dangerous, it caused your crash, the risk was foreseeable, and the city either created it or knew about it in time to fix it. The minor-tolling rule doesn't stretch these deadlines for a young rider (Code Civ. Proc. § 352(b)). For the City of Los Angeles, only the Office of the City Clerk takes these claims. Use the online Claim for Damages portal, mail a signed form, or hand-deliver it to City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Room 395. The Clerk won't accept email or fax. After you file, the City Attorney Claims Division investigates. For a county road in an unincorporated area, the claim goes to the Board of Supervisors claims desk at 500 West Temple Street, Room 383. The County's form dates from 2016, so confirm the address first. If a Metro bus hit you, use Metro's own Claim for Damages form. Photograph the defect right away, with something next to it for scale, before a crew patches it. That photo may be the only proof the hazard existed on the day you fell.
Where a Los Angeles bike injury case gets filed
Most bike injury cases settle. Still, the court where yours would land shapes how the insurer values it. California splits civil cases by dollar amount. Small claims lets you sue for up to $12,500, and no lawyer can speak for you in court. Cases of $35,000 or less are limited civil. In Los Angeles, the court's Civil Division points those to the Spring Street Courthouse at 312 North Spring Street. Cases over $35,000 are unlimited civil. LA Superior Court Local Rule 2.3 sends injury cases of that size to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 North Hill Street, or to the Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster. Several of those Stanley Mosk courtrooms are reserved for personal injury cases. A pilot announced in 2024 moved some new motor vehicle injury cases to Van Nuys, Pomona and West Covina, and we confirm whether it still applies before we file. A rider with a broken wrist, a concussion or a surgery almost never belongs in small claims. You'd give up your lawyer and cap your recovery at $12,500. Crashes are common here. LAPD's own open data listed 56,628 reported collisions in 2019, about 155 a day, with the 77th Street, Southwest, Wilshire and Newton areas logging the most. An adjuster with a stack of files pays closer attention to a case that's ready for trial. Moe works from 527 W 7th St in downtown Los Angeles. He takes your call himself and builds each bike case as if a jury will hear it.
How most Los Angeles bicycle accidents happen
Los Angeles roads were built for cars, and drivers rarely watch for people on bikes. Most of the crashes we handle come down to a few patterns. A right-hook, where a driver passes you and turns right across your path. A left-cross, where an oncoming driver turns left in front of you at an intersection. Dooring, where someone parked throws open a door into the bike lane without looking. And the unsafe pass, where a driver squeezes by with inches to spare and clips you or runs you off the road. Distracted driving, speeding, and running red lights make all of it worse. Each crash leaves behind evidence: the driver's phone records, traffic-camera and dashcam footage, skid marks, and witness statements. A lot of it disappears within days, so the sooner we start, the more we can lock down.
Bicycle injuries cost more than the first offer
A cyclist has almost nothing between their body and two tons of steel, so the injuries run severe. We handle claims involving head injuries and traumatic brain injuries, broken bones and shattered wrists from bracing the fall, facial fractures, spinal-cord damage, torn shoulders and knees that need surgery, internal injuries, and deep road rash that can scar for life. The driver's insurer may dangle a number before your wrist is set, before surgery is on the calendar, before anyone knows whether you'll ride again. Accept it and the claim is over, because a signed settlement can't be reopened when the scars or a stiff shoulder turn out to last. We hold off until your doctors can say where your recovery is headed, then add up every cost, from future care to the bike and gear, and value the claim on its lifetime cost.
Your rights on the road under California law
In California, a person riding a bike on the road has the same rights and the same duties as a driver under Vehicle Code § 21200, which means a driver who hits you can be held to the same rules of the road. California also has a three-feet-for-safety law: under Vehicle Code § 21760, a driver passing a cyclist going the same way must leave at least three feet of space. Since 2023, the driver must also move into another lane to pass when one is open and it is practicable. If three feet is not possible, the driver has to slow down and pass only when it will not put you in danger. Dooring is its own violation, too. Vehicle Code § 22517 makes it illegal to open a car door on the traffic side unless it is reasonably safe, so the person who doored you can be held at fault. One myth we clear up often: adult riders are not required to wear a helmet. The helmet law, Vehicle Code § 21212, applies only to riders under 18, and not wearing one does not bar an adult's claim.
What to do after a bicycle accident in Los Angeles
Get medical care right away
Call 911 and get checked out even if you feel "okay." Adrenaline hides injuries, and head and spine trauma can show up hours or days later. A gap in treatment is the first thing insurers use to shrink a claim.
Document everything you can
Photos of the car, your bike, the road, and your injuries; the driver's license, insurance, and plate; and the names and numbers of any witnesses. Keep your damaged helmet and gear. Get the police report number.
Keep the driver's insurer at arm's length, call us
Skip the recorded statement and turn down any offer until a lawyer has heard what happened on your ride. Anything you say can be twisted to blame the rider. The consultation is free.
How the driver's insurer blames cyclists, and how we answer it
The driver's insurer is not on your side. Its job is to pay you as little as it can, and with a cyclist the go-to move is to blame the rider. Within days an adjuster calls sounding kind, asks to record your account, sends a medical release that reaches far past this crash, and floats a low offer while you're still nursing road rash. It may claim you swerved, ran a light, wore dark clothes, or weren't in the bike lane, anything to pin fault on you. We shut those tactics down. We handle every conversation so you never have to, we pull the footage and witness accounts that show what really happened, and we prepare each case as if it will go to trial. When the evidence shows the driver turned across your path or opened that door, the blame-the-rider story falls apart, and the insurer has to deal with it.
What your bicycle accident claim can recover
- ✓Medical expenses. ER care, hospital time, surgery for fractures, scans, prescriptions, wound care for road rash, and physical therapy, both already paid and still to come.
- ✓Lost income. Missed paychecks, plus lost earning power if a hand, wrist or back injury limits the work you can do later.
- ✓Pain & suffering. Physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life, including scarring from road rash.
- ✓Property damage. Repair or replacement of your bicycle, helmet, and personal gear.
- ✓Future care. Rehab, scar care, and any later treatment or long-term care you'll need, whether or not you ride again.
- ✓Punitive damages. Extra damages meant to punish a driver whose conduct was malicious or showed a willful and conscious disregard for the safety of others, proven by clear and convincing evidence (Civ. Code § 3294).
California injury law, the deadlines that matter
Against a driver or other private party, most injured cyclists have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal-injury lawsuit (California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1). If the rider is a minor, that clock generally does not run until age 18 (Code Civ. Proc. § 352). Claims against a city, county, state agency or other public entity work differently. That includes a crash with a government vehicle or one caused by a dangerous road condition such as a pothole or a defective bike lane (Gov. Code § 835). Before you can sue, you must first present a written government claim within six months of the crash (Gov. Code § 911.2). If the entity sends a written rejection, you then have six months from that notice to file suit (Gov. Code § 945.6). The minor rule does not extend these government deadlines (Code Civ. Proc. § 352(b)). Under California's pure comparative negligence rule, a cyclist who shares some blame can still recover, and the award drops by the rider's percentage of fault (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804). Adjusters often argue that a cyclist shares the blame so they can pay less, which is why it pays to talk to a lawyer early.
Why LA cyclists call Moe Abdallah Law after a crash
Moe takes your bike case himself
Attorney Moe Abdallah handles your bicycle claim personally, pushes back when the driver's insurer blames the rider, and keeps you updated by call and text.
No fee unless we win
It costs nothing to start, and you owe no fee unless your bike claim recovers money. The consultation is always free.
We prepare to win
We prepare every bike case for trial: the scene, the video, the witnesses, the experts it calls for, and tough negotiation with the driver's insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nothing upfront. Our contingency fee comes only out of the money we recover on your bicycle claim. No win, no fee. The consultation is always free.
Against the driver, you usually have two years from the date of the crash to sue (California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1). If a government entity is involved, such as a dangerous road or a government vehicle, you must first present a written claim to that entity within six months of the crash (Gov. Code § 911.2). If it sends a written rejection, you then have six months from that notice to sue (Gov. Code § 945.6). Call soon, before street video records over and the scene changes.
No. In California only riders under 18 are required to wear a helmet under Vehicle Code § 21212. If you're an adult, not wearing one does not bar your claim. An insurer may try to use it to reduce your recovery, and we push back on that.
You can still recover. California's pure comparative negligence rule only trims your award by your share of fault. It doesn't block it. Insurers overstate a cyclist's share of blame to pay less, and we fight that with evidence.
Most of the time, the blame falls on the person in the parked car. Under Vehicle Code § 22517 it's illegal to open a car door on the traffic side unless it's reasonably safe, so a dooring crash usually points to the person who opened the door, not you. We gather the proof to hold them responsible.
Yes. California's three-feet-for-safety law, Vehicle Code § 21760, requires drivers to give at least three feet when passing a cyclist going the same way, and to move into another lane to pass when one is open and it's practicable. If they can't give three feet, they have to slow down and pass only when it won't put you in danger. A driver who breaks that rule and hits you can be held at fault.
If you weren't hurt and there's no dispute, you can often handle it yourself. But if you were injured, missed work, or the driver blames you, a lawyer usually puts more money in your pocket even after fees, because we know what the case is worth and how to prove it. Not sure which one you have? Call us. The answer is free, and we'll be straight with you.
No. You are not required to give the driver's insurer a recorded statement, and it's used to twist your words and blame the rider. Say no and don't answer questions about your speed, your lane or your lights. Pass along our number and we'll talk to them for you.
Not while you're still healing. A signed release ends the bicycle claim for good, and early offers rarely cover future therapy, scar care or a new bike and gear. Send it over and we'll review it free of charge before you sign.
Yes. Adrenaline masks pain right after a wreck, and head or spine injuries can show up days later. Insurers seize on any delay in care to fight a cyclist's claim, so get seen soon and hang on to every record. Then call us.
Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may still help, depending on your policy. If the driver is never identified, that coverage requires physical contact with the car, a police report within 24 hours of the crash, and a sworn statement to your insurer within 30 days after that report (Ins. Code § 11580.2(b)), so report it right away. We also chase video and witness leads to track down the driver. Call us and we'll lay out where your coverage can come from.
It depends on your injuries. A bike claim with minor injuries may settle in a few months, while a fracture or head injury case takes longer because we don't settle until your prognosis is clear. Settling fast tends to leave money unclaimed. You'll hear from Moe by call or text as things move.
Yes, Se Habla Español. You can walk us through your bike crash in Spanish or English, your choice.
It depends on where you crashed. Central Traffic Division covers Central, Hollenbeck, Newton, Northeast and Rampart. South Traffic Division covers 77th Street, Harbor, Southeast and Southwest. West Traffic Division covers Hollywood, Olympic, Pacific, West Los Angeles and Wilshire. Valley Traffic Division in Panorama City covers the San Fernando Valley areas. Order the report online and allow at least 45 days for LAPD to approve it. If the crash happened on a freeway, CHP handles it instead. We can request it for you.
If it was a City of Los Angeles street, file with the Office of the City Clerk, the only office that can accept claims against the City. Use the online portal, mail the signed form, or deliver it to City Hall, Room 395. For a county road in an unincorporated area, file with the County Board of Supervisors claims desk. You have six months to present the claim (Gov. Code § 911.2), and you must prove the elements of Gov. Code § 835. Photograph the defect before it gets fixed.
Usually not if you were hurt. Small claims caps an individual's case at $12,500, and no lawyer can appear for you in court. Cases of $35,000 or less are limited civil, heard at the Spring Street Courthouse. Cases over $35,000 go to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse or the Antelope Valley Courthouse. A broken bone, a concussion or a surgery can be worth far more than the small claims limit. A free call with Moe will help you see where your case fits.
Other ways we help
Bicycle Accidents lawyer by area
We represent bicycle accidents victims across Los Angeles County:
Los Angeles crash data: Bicycle and e-bike accident statistics, Los Angeles
Authoritative resources: California Courts, self-help for injury claims · Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1, 2-year deadline · California DMV · California Office of Traffic Safety, crash data
Sources & local resources
- Traffic Group · Los Angeles Police Department
- High Injury Network (2024) · City of Los Angeles GeoHub (LADOT)
- Avalon Boulevard Safety Project · LADOT Livable Streets
- Claim for Damage · Office of the Los Angeles City Clerk
- Civil lawsuits (limited vs. unlimited) · California Courts Self-Help Guide
- 9-1-1 Receiving Hospital Directory, Reference No. 501 · LA County EMS Agency, Department of Health Services
- Cal. Veh. Code § 21200 · California Legislative Information
- Civil Division overview (PI courts, limited civil) · Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
Talk to Moe Abdallah directly
When you call Moe Abdallah Law, you work directly with your attorney and get straight answers, not a call center. Moe takes on the insurance companies and fights for the maximum, and he keeps you updated at every step. The consultation is free and you pay nothing unless he wins.
Real recoveries for real Angelenos
Real recoveries from an attorney who takes your case personally and fights for the maximum.
Rear-ended by a driver who fled, and other firms turned her down. Moe opened an uninsured-motorist claim, proved she could not have been at fault, and secured the full policy limit.
Broke his sternum and had no insurance of his own, and his prior attorney ignored him. Moe took his calls day and night and recovered a settlement that covered his hospital bills and future treatment.
Cut off on the freeway and left with back and neck pain over four months of treatment. Moe secured the full policy limit for his pain and suffering, and his totaled car was reimbursed.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and depends on its own facts.
Talk to a lawyer today, free
Tell us what happened. We respond fast, usually within the hour, and there's no fee unless we win. Available 24/7 · Se Habla Español.
Call (323) 716-1992