Chatsworth Bicycle & E-Bike Accident Lawyers

Bicycle Accident Lawyer Serving Chatsworth and the San Fernando Valley

Cyclists are everywhere in the north Valley, commuting along the Metro G Line bike path, climbing Browns Canyon and Santa Susana Pass, and riding to Chatsworth Park with their families. They are also incredibly vulnerable. When a bicycle and a motor vehicle collide, the cyclist almost always bears the brunt of the impact, and a single moment of driver carelessness can cause life-altering injuries.

Manoukian Law Firm represents injured cyclists from our office on Topanga Canyon Boulevard. We know the biases cyclists face from insurance adjusters, and we build cases that keep the focus where it belongs: on the driver’s negligence.

Your Rights as a Cyclist in California

In California, bicyclists have the same rights to the road as motorists, and drivers are required by law to give cyclists at least three feet of clearance when passing. Many drivers either do not know these laws or ignore them. We use the California Vehicle Code to prove negligence in the crash patterns that injure Valley cyclists most often:

• Failure to yield: drivers who turn or merge across a cyclist’s right of way at intersections
• Dooring: a driver or passenger opening a car door into the path of an oncoming cyclist
• Unsafe passing: violating the three-foot clearance law on narrow Valley streets
• Right hook accidents: a driver turning right directly into a cyclist proceeding straight in a bike lane
• Distracted and impaired driving: texting, phone use, or alcohol and drugs behind the wheel

Insurance adjusters routinely try to shift blame onto the cyclist. We fight back against those tactics with evidence.

Who Pays After a Bicycle Accident?

Most people are surprised by how bicycle accident insurance actually works. The at-fault driver’s auto insurance is the primary source of compensation for your injuries and your damaged bike. If the driver fled the scene or carries no insurance, your own auto policy’s uninsured motorist coverage may protect you, even though you were on a bicycle when you were hit. Health insurance can cover treatment while the claim is pending, and in some situations a homeowners or renters policy plays a role. Untangling which policies apply, and in what order, is one of the most valuable things we do for injured cyclists.

Bicycle Accidents Cause Catastrophic Injuries

With minimal physical protection, cyclists suffer injuries that demand extensive treatment and long-term care. We handle claims involving traumatic brain injuries, which can occur even with a helmet, spinal cord damage, complex fractures of the legs, arms, collarbone, and pelvis, internal injuries and bleeding, and severe road rash that leads to permanent scarring. Cyclists hurt in these crashes face many of the same battles as pedestrians struck by vehicles, and when a collision proves fatal, we stand with the family through a wrongful death claim.

E-Bike and Electric Bicycle Accidents

E-bikes have transformed how the Valley rides, and they have also raised the stakes in collisions. Higher speeds mean harder impacts, and insurers sometimes try to treat e-bike riders differently under their policies depending on the bike’s class. We handle claims for riders of traditional bicycles and all classes of e-bikes, as well as electric scooter riders injured by negligent drivers.

What to Do After a Bicycle Accident

1. Get medical attention immediately. Adrenaline masks serious injuries, and a same-day medical record is critical evidence.
2. Call 911 and get a police report. Do not let the driver talk you out of an official record.
3. Document everything. Photograph the vehicle, your bike, the roadway, and your injuries, and collect witness contact information.
4. Preserve your bike and gear. Do not repair or discard your bicycle, helmet, or damaged clothing. They are physical evidence.
5. Do not give recorded statements. The driver’s insurer will call quickly. Refer them to your attorney.

Compensation for Injured Cyclists in Chatsworth

Our goal is a settlement or verdict that covers every accident-related loss: all medical expenses from ambulance transport through future care, the full replacement cost of your bicycle and gear, lost wages and diminished future earnings, and meaningful compensation for pain, trauma, scarring, and lost enjoyment of life. Many of the legal issues overlap with the claims our car accident attorneys handle daily, but the injuries, the insurance questions, and the adjuster bias cyclists face demand representation that knows this territory.

Manoukian Law Firm is a personal injury law firm in Chatsworth serving injured cyclists throughout the San Fernando Valley, including Northridge, Porter Ranch, Canoga Park, West Hills, Woodland Hills, and Simi Valley. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. You pay nothing unless we win.