A person on a bicycle is doing something California law encourages and protects, yet a rider has almost nothing between them and a two-ton vehicle. A driver who drifts right at an intersection, opens a door without looking, or passes too closely can cause injuries that take months to heal and sometimes never fully do. Electric bicycles add speed to the same exposure, which is why e-bike crashes so often involve fractures, shoulder and hip injuries, and head trauma.
Manoukian Law Firm represents injured cyclists throughout California from an office on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth. Attorney Vaheh Manoukian handles each case personally. You will not be handed off to a case manager you have never met. Every file is built as though it will be tried, because that is what gives a claim its weight.
What to do after a bicycle crash
- Call 911 and ask for both police and paramedics, even if you feel able to stand. Adrenaline hides injuries for hours.
- Get checked at an emergency room or urgent care the same day. A gap between the crash and the first medical visit is the single most common argument used to reduce a claim.
- Photograph everything before it is moved: the bicycle, the vehicle, the roadway, skid marks, the bike lane markings, your clothing and your injuries.
- Get names and phone numbers for witnesses. Police reports often list only one or two, and witnesses become impossible to locate later.
- Do not repair or discard the bicycle, the helmet, or any damaged electronics. They are evidence, and an e-bike’s controller may hold speed data.
- Report the collision to the DMV on form SR-1 within ten days if anyone was injured or property damage exceeds $1,000 (Veh. Code 16000). The form is available at dmv.ca.gov.
- Decline to give a recorded statement to the driver’s insurance company before you have spoken with a lawyer.
How these cases work in California
Under Vehicle Code 21200, a person riding a bicycle on a roadway has all the rights and all the duties of a driver of a vehicle. That single rule decides a great many disputes. A cyclist riding lawfully in a traffic lane is not somewhere they do not belong, and a driver owes them the same care owed to any other vehicle. You can read the statute directly at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
Vehicle Code 21760, the three-foot passing rule, requires a driver overtaking a bicycle in the same direction to pass at a distance of at least three feet between any part of the vehicle and any part of the bicycle or rider. If three feet is not possible given traffic and roadway conditions, the driver must slow to a reasonable and prudent speed and pass only when it will not endanger the rider. Sideswipe and buzz-pass collisions frequently turn on this section.
Two other principles matter in nearly every bicycle case. California follows pure comparative negligence, established in Li v. Yellow Cab (1975): if a rider is found partly at fault, the recovery is reduced by that share rather than eliminated. Insurers often argue a cyclist was riding too far left, had no lights, or entered a crosswalk quickly. Those arguments affect the percentage; they do not end the claim. And medical damages are measured by what was actually paid or remains owed under Howell v. Hamilton Meats (2011), which is why the billing and lien records matter as much as the treatment records.
Electric bicycles ride in the same traffic environment and the same rules of the road govern the driver’s conduct toward them. The practical difference is speed, which changes both the severity of injury and the accident reconstruction. Cases involving Lime and Bird devices are governed by a separate set of rules for motorized scooters, and we cover those on our Scooter Injuries page.
How Manoukian Law Firm handles bicycle and e-bike cases
The first work is preservation. Intersection and business surveillance video is often overwritten within days, so we send preservation letters early and go out to look for cameras that a police report never mentions. We obtain the traffic collision report, request the 911 audio and computer-aided dispatch entries where they exist, and locate witnesses while memories are fresh.
Next comes the physical evidence. The bicycle itself tells a story about the direction and force of impact. Helmet damage, clothing, and the position of the debris field help establish where in the lane the rider was. In serious cases we retain an accident reconstruction engineer and, where a head injury is involved, coordinate with treating physicians and a neuropsychologist so the record reflects the full injury rather than only the visible one.
Medical documentation is where cases are won or lost. We make sure you are treating with physicians who examine you carefully and write clearly, we gather the complete records and billing, and we track lien balances so the final numbers are accurate. When we present the claim to the insurance company, it is supported by records, by imaging, by wage documentation, and by a clear liability picture. If the offer does not reflect the harm, we file suit and prepare the case for a jury. Serious San Fernando Valley cases are generally heard in the Los Angeles Superior Court’s North Valley district in Chatsworth or Northwest district in Van Nuys.
What can be recovered
California law allows an injured rider to recover past and future medical care, including surgery, therapy, and treatment reasonably expected in the years ahead. Lost income and lost earning capacity are recoverable, including the self-employment income that is often harder to document. Property damage includes the bicycle, the helmet, and the equipment destroyed with it.
Non-economic damages cover the pain, the physical limitation, the sleep loss, and the loss of activities that were part of your life before the crash. There are no formulas here and no promises. What we can do is document the harm thoroughly and present it honestly.
Deadlines
Most California personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code Civ. Proc. 335.1). If a government entity is involved, for example a dangerous roadway condition, a city vehicle, or a transit bus, you must first present a written claim to that entity within six months (Gov. Code 911.2), with a shorter lawsuit deadline after the claim is rejected. Six months arrives quickly. If there is any chance a public entity had a role, speak with a lawyer early rather than late.
Case results
Our client suffered catastrophic injuries after being struck by a commercial delivery driver who was on the job.
Our client developed ongoing neck pain after a multi-vehicle rear-end collision on the highway, requiring pain-management treatment.
First offer: $0. The insurer valued our client's injuries at $5,000 to $10,000, and called it a “soft impact.”
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Does not wearing a helmet ruin my claim?
No. California requires helmets for riders under 18, and an adult riding without one is not barred from recovering. Under pure comparative negligence, the absence of a helmet may be argued to reduce damages related to a head injury, but it does not affect liability for the collision itself or for injuries elsewhere in the body.
What if the driver left the scene?
Hit-and-run bicycle cases are often resolved through the uninsured motorist coverage on your own auto policy, which insurers are required to offer under Insurance Code 11580.2. Many cyclists do not realize their car policy can cover them while riding a bicycle. We review every policy in the household.
The driver only had minimum insurance. Is that all there is?
Not necessarily. Since January 1, 2025, minimum California liability limits are $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 property damage (Veh. Code 16056). When injuries exceed those limits we look for underinsured motorist coverage, an employer whose driver was working, a commercial policy, or a responsible party beyond the driver.
Do I have a case if I was riding outside the bike lane?
Possibly. Cyclists are permitted to leave a bike lane for many reasons, including avoiding debris, parked cars, and opening doors. Where you were riding is a fact to be established, not an automatic answer, and it is one reason photographs and witnesses matter so much.
What does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. Bicycle cases are handled on a contingency fee, and there is no fee unless we recover for you. The consultation is free.
If you or someone in your family was hit while riding, call Manoukian Law Firm at (818) 818-5031. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, we speak English, Spanish and Armenian, and if travel is difficult we will meet you by phone, by video, at your home or at the hospital. You can also reach us through our contact page, read more about Vaheh Manoukian, or look at related work in Pedestrian Accidents, Car Accidents, and Brain Injuries.
Serving clients across California
The office is on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth, and the firm represents injured people throughout California. If you cannot travel, we meet by phone, by video, at your home or in the hospital.
