Pasadena Bicycle Accident Lawyer

A car door swings open on Colorado Boulevard. A driver turns right across your path on Lake Avenue. A pickup squeezes past you on Orange Grove without leaving room. Whatever the cause, you are hurt, your bike is damaged and an adjuster is already looking for a reason to blame you. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. represents cyclists injured in Pasadena crashes. Moe handles motor-vehicle injury cases only, so bike claims against drivers are work he knows. He takes your call himself, moves fast on video and witnesses, and updates you by call and text. The free review is open 24/7, and you owe no fee unless he wins. Below, you will see where cyclists get hit here, what California law says about drivers and bikes, and which deadlines matter.

Where Pasadena cyclists get hurt

The California Office of Traffic Safety ranked Pasadena 14th of 62 comparable cities for bicyclist victims in 2023, with 45 people killed or injured on bikes. Pasadena also ranked 5th for pedestrian victims, so people outside cars face real danger here. The city's own review of 2020 to 2024 collisions found that 13 percent of its roads account for 80 percent of fatal and serious-injury crashes. Those corridors include Lake Avenue, Washington Boulevard, Orange Grove Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard. Sunset Avenue, East Colorado Boulevard and Allen Avenue were added after residents pushed for them. These are the same streets you ride to reach Old Pasadena, the A Line stations, and the schools and shops nearby. Intersections are the danger points, because drivers turning right or left often fail to look for a rider. Parked cars lining Old Pasadena add dooring risk. If your crash happened on one of these corridors, we study the intersection, the signal timing and any prior complaints, which can matter if the city shares the blame. Moe reviews the report, the photos and your medical file before he advises you.

Dooring, close passes and right hooks under California law

Most Pasadena bike crashes fit a few patterns, and California law covers each one. Start with dooring. No one may open a car door on the traffic side unless it is reasonably safe and does not interfere with moving traffic, which includes cyclists (Vehicle Code 22517). Next comes the passing rule. A driver must leave at least three feet when passing a bicycle going the same direction, and since 2023 must change lanes to pass if 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. The fine is $35, or $220 if the cyclist is hurt (Vehicle Code 21760). Then there is the right hook, where a driver passes you and turns right across your path. Cyclists have the same rights as drivers and the same duties (Vehicle Code 21200). So the driver who cuts you off or opens a door into you broke a rule that applies to them. A traffic citation helps, but the insurer can still fight over fault, so we collect proof beyond the ticket.

When the insurance company says you were riding wrong

Adjusters have a script for cyclists. They say you were in the middle of the lane, ran a stop sign, came out of nowhere, or should have worn a helmet. Several of these arguments are weaker than they sound. A rider moving slower than traffic must keep as far right as practical, but not when passing, preparing a left turn, avoiding hazards, or riding in a lane too narrow for a bike and car side by side (Vehicle Code 21202). A lane squeezed by a row of parked cars can fit that exception. On helmets, California requires them only for riders under 18, so an adult without one broke no law. California also uses pure comparative negligence. If a jury put 20 percent of the blame on you, your award would drop by 20 percent, but you would still recover (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.). Never give a recorded statement or take a quick offer before you talk to a lawyer. Moe has turned a $900 insurer offer into $75,000 in another case. Past results do not predict a similar outcome.

Police reports, CHP and the proof to save after a bike crash

The report comes first. If the crash happened on a city street, the Pasadena Police Department handles it, and you request a copy through the public records page on the city website. If a cyclist is hit on or near a state route, the California Highway Patrol may write it. Ask the officer for the report number and make sure the report names you as a bicyclist and lists your injuries. If you leave by ambulance, the report can end up thin, so tell the officer exactly what happened. Then protect the physical evidence. Keep the bike, helmet, clothing and any lights or cameras exactly as they are after the crash. Do not repair or clean them. Photograph the road, the skid marks and any car damage. A GoPro, a phone ride app or a bike computer can record speed and route. Ask nearby shops on Colorado Boulevard or Lake Avenue about camera footage right away, since many systems overwrite within days. If anyone was hurt, you must also file an SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days. Moe sends preservation letters fast.

Bike crash injuries and Huntington Hospital

You have no metal frame around you on a bike, so injuries turn serious fast. Common bike crash injuries include broken collarbones and wrists, fractured hips and ribs, torn shoulders and scarring road rash. Head injuries happen even when a helmet was worn. Huntington Hospital at 100 W. California Boulevard says it has the only Level II trauma center in the San Gabriel Valley and the largest emergency department, so a badly hurt rider in Pasadena may be taken there. Get examined even if you walk away. A concussion can pass for a bad headache or foggy thinking for days. Tell every provider that you were hit on a bicycle so the records show how the injury happened. Keep a log of pain, missed work, and things you cannot do, such as commuting by bike, lifting your child or sleeping. Receipts for the damaged bike, helmet, clothing and gear count too. Medical bills, lost income and future care make up the economic side of a claim, and pain and loss of normal life make up the rest. We build both from your records, not from guesses.

Insurance, city claims and the deadline to sue

Who pays? The driver's policy may carry only California's minimum of $30,000 per person, which is often too little for a serious bike injury. Your own auto policy may include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage that can apply when the driver has too little insurance or flees. That coverage matters when a driver flees. In another type of crash, Moe recovered a $100,000 uninsured motorist policy limit for a woman rear-ended by a driver who fled. Past results do not predict a similar outcome. Now the deadlines. You generally have two years to sue a driver or private company (Code of Civil Procedure 335.1). If a road defect such as a pothole or a poorly designed bike lane played a part, the city may be liable only if it created the condition or knew about it in time to fix it (Government Code 835). In that case you must present a written claim within six months (Government Code 911.2), and Pasadena handles those through the City Attorney's Liability and Claims office. A rejection starts a six-month window to sue (Government Code 945.6). You pay no fee unless Moe wins, so call before time runs out.

Talk to a Pasadena 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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