I Was Hit by a Car While Riding My Bike — What Do I Do?
Cyclists have full rights to the road in California — drivers must give three feet to pass, check before opening doors, and yield in bike lanes. After a crash: medical care, police report, photograph everything, and don’t accept fault talk at the scene. Driver liability policies pay bike claims, and your own auto policy’s UM coverage can cover you on a bicycle.
Doored, clipped, or run off the road? Real claims, all — 24/7.
Se habla español — Llama Me. No out-of-pocket fees — we work on contingency.
What rules protect cyclists on California roads?
Cyclists generally have the rights and duties of drivers (Veh. Code § 21200). Drivers must keep three feet when passing — or slow and pass only when safe (§ 21760, the Three Feet for Safety Act) — must not open doors into traffic (§ 22517 — “dooring” is the door-opener’s fault), and must yield before crossing bike lanes to turn.
The driver says I “came out of nowhere.” How is fault actually decided?
By evidence, not vibes: point of impact on car and bike, where each party was in the lane, sight lines, bike cams and dashcams, and witnesses. “Came out of nowhere” usually means “I didn’t look” — the legal duty was to look. If fault gets shared — no lights at night (§ 21201 requires them), rolling a stop — comparative negligence reduces the claim by a percentage; it doesn’t erase it.
Whose insurance pays a cyclist?
The at-fault driver’s auto liability policy is primary. What cyclists don’t expect: your own auto policy’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage generally covers you while cycling — you’re insured as a person, not a car — which is the answer for hit-and-runs (report to police within 24 hours) and minimally insured drivers. Household relatives’ policies can apply too. Med-Pay on your auto policy can cover bike-crash medical bills as well.
Do I need a helmet for my claim? Was I required to be in the bike lane?
Adults aren’t required to wear helmets (under-18s are — § 21212); expect a comparative-fault argument on head injuries without one, limited to those injuries. Bike lanes: you must use one where provided and moving slower than traffic, with broad exceptions — passing, turning left, avoiding hazards including the door zone (§ 21208). Riding outside the lane to avoid a hazard is lawful, whatever the adjuster implies.
What should I preserve after a bike crash?
The bike itself — unrepaired — plus your helmet and damaged gear: they’re physical evidence of impact forces. Bike-computer and app data (speed, route), camera footage from your bike and nearby businesses, the driver’s info and insurance, witness contacts, and scene photos with the vehicle still positioned if safely possible. Then the standard rules: medical documentation from day one, and no recorded statements to the driver’s insurer.
Three feet is the law. Full damages is the remedy.
Se habla español — Llama Me. No out-of-pocket fees — we work on contingency.
