Bicycle Accidents

How Bicycle Crashes Happen

Cyclists use the same roads as cars with none of the protection. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 1,166 cyclists were killed in traffic crashes nationwide in 2023. Around Tampa Bay, the most common patterns include:

• Right hooks. A driver passes a cyclist, then turns right across the bike lane or into a driveway.
• Left crosses. An oncoming driver turns left without yielding to a rider coming straight through.
• Dooring. Someone in a parked car opens a door into the path of a rider in a bike lane or along the curb.
• Unsafe passing. Florida requires drivers to give cyclists at least three feet when passing. Many don't.
• Distracted and impaired driving. Drivers looking at phones drift onto shoulders and into bike lanes.
• Dangerous surfaces. Potholes, broken pavement, debris, standing water and slick growth on paths can throw a rider without warning.

E-Bikes Are Part of the Picture

E-bikes are now common around USF, downtown and suburban neighborhoods. Florida generally treats e-bikes that meet the state's definition like bicycles, so riders have the same rights on the road. Higher speeds can make injuries more serious, and they give insurers another argument about fault.

Not every crash involves a car. One of our clients was riding an e-bike on N 56th Street near USF when the operator of a riding lawn mower failed to use care and collided with our client, causing multiple arm fractures that required surgery with plates and screws. The result: $195,000 (E-Bicycle Accident in Tampa, FL). Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

When a Path, Sidewalk or Bike Lane Is the Problem

Property owners, homeowners associations and the contractors they hire must keep the paths and sidewalks they control reasonably safe. When they let water pool, algae spread, roots buckle the pavement or landscaping crowd a path, riders get hurt.

That was the situation in one of our client stories. An avid cyclist fell in a designated bike lane on West Village Drive in Carrollwood where water and algae had built up. He fractured his hip and needed hip replacement surgery. We pursued the homeowners association and the landscaping company. The initial offer was $10,000, and the case settled for $170,000 (Bicycle Accident in Carrollwood, FL). Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

When a city or county maintains the path, special rules apply. Claims against government entities carry pre-suit notice requirements, so it is important to act quickly.

Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Rider

Under Florida law, a bicycle is a vehicle, and riders generally have the same rights and duties as drivers. That means riding with traffic, obeying signals, and using a white front light plus a red rear reflector and light at night. Riders under 16 must wear a helmet.

Adults aren't required to wear helmets, but insurers may still argue that a missing helmet made injuries worse. Under Florida's modified comparative negligence rule (section 768.81), any fault assigned to you reduces your recovery, and you generally cannot recover if you are found more than 50% at fault. A rule violation or a missing helmet does not automatically defeat your claim.

Who Pays After a Bike Crash

• Personal Injury Protection (PIP). If you or a relative you live with has PIP, it generally covers your medical bills and lost wages when a motor vehicle hits you on your bike, regardless of fault. If no one in your household has PIP, the PIP of the vehicle that hit you may apply. Get initial treatment within 14 days to use PIP.
• The driver's liability coverage, for losses beyond what PIP pays.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, if the driver has little or no insurance or leaves the scene.
• A property owner's liability coverage, when a dangerous path or sidewalk caused the crash.

What to Do After a Bicycle Accident

• Call 911 and ask for a police report.
• See a doctor promptly, even if you feel okay.
• Photograph the scene, the road surface, your bike and your injuries.
• Keep your bike, helmet and gear as they are.
• Get names and contact details for drivers and witnesses.
• Hold off on recorded statements and quick settlements until you talk with us.

How We Build a Bicycle Case

We move quickly to document the scene before conditions change, because a patched pothole or a cleaned-up path can erase key evidence. We identify everyone who may share responsibility, whether that is a driver, an HOA, a landscaping company or a contractor. Then we measure your full losses, including medical care, lost income, pain and suffering, and the rides and activities you have had to give up.

We also push back when an insurer treats a serious injury like a minor one, as the $10,000 first offer in the Carrollwood case shows. Most bicycle injury claims must be filed within two years, and exceptions can shorten that window.

Free Consultation for Injured Cyclists

You pay nothing up front, and there is no fee unless we recover for you. Contact us or call (813) 915-1110 to talk through your case.