Bicycle Accidents matters in Richmond
Bicycle Accidents in Richmond
Richmond has invested in cycling, with the San Francisco Bay Trail along the shoreline, the Richmond Greenway crossing the city, and bike lanes on routes like Marina Bay Parkway and Carlson Boulevard. But riders still have to share busy streets with cars, and that is where most serious crashes happen. Drivers who fail to check for cyclists when turning, open car doors into bike lanes, or pass too closely on roads like San Pablo Avenue and Cutting Boulevard cause collisions that leave cyclists badly hurt.
A bicyclist has no protective shell, so a collision with a car often results in fractures, head injuries, and road rash even at moderate speeds. Richmond cyclists are typically treated at Kaiser Permanente Richmond, with major trauma transferred to the John Muir Medical Center program in Walnut Creek. California law gives cyclists the same right to the road as drivers, and motorists must use due care around them.
Common Causes of Richmond Bicycle Crashes
The "right hook," where a driver passes a cyclist and then turns right across the bike's path, and the "left cross," where an oncoming driver turns left into a rider, are two of the most common and dangerous collisions. Dooring, when someone opens a car door into a cyclist riding past parked cars, is a frequent hazard on busy commercial streets. Drivers passing too closely violate California's three-foot passing law, and many crashes happen where bike lanes disappear and riders are forced into traffic. Each scenario points to driver negligence we can document.
Holding Drivers Accountable
Insurance companies often blame the cyclist, claiming the rider ran a light or rode unpredictably. We counter with the police report, scene and damage photos, video footage, and witness accounts. Because California follows pure comparative negligence, an insurer may try to assign you part of the fault to reduce its payment, and we work to document the driver's responsibility instead.
We make sure your injuries are fully evaluated, including future treatment, and we handle every conversation with the insurer. If they refuse a fair offer, we file in the Contra Costa County Superior Court. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.
Compensation for Injured Cyclists
A bicycle crash can leave you with broken bones, head injuries, and months away from work. California law lets you recover past and future medical bills, lost income and lost earning capacity, the cost of your damaged bicycle and gear, and compensation for pain and the lasting effects of your injuries. We coordinate with your doctors to project future treatment so the settlement reflects the full cost of your recovery, not just your emergency-room visit.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with bicycle accidents
Mihran M. Ghazaryan documents the bike-specific facts insurers prefer to ignore — door-zone collisions, unsafe passing, and right-hook turns — and counters the reflexive assumption that the cyclist was at fault. He gathers the scene evidence, witness accounts, and medical record that put the claim on solid ground, and handles the insurer directly so you can heal.
Types of bicycle accidents we handle
Door-zone collisions
California Vehicle Code §22517 makes opening a door into traffic the responsibility of the door-opener. We frame these cleanly.
Right-hook and unsafe-merge crashes
Drivers turning across a bike lane without yielding. Lane-position and bike-lane markings are central.
Hit-from-behind crashes
Often the most serious injuries. Visibility analysis and reconstruction matter here as much as in any motor-vehicle case.
Damages
What compensation can cover
Every bicycle accident claim is different, but California law allows injured plaintiffs to seek several categories of damages. We build each one with documentation — medical records, wage statements, expert opinions — so nothing is left on the table.
Medical expenses
Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and the future treatment your providers say you'll need.
Lost wages
Income you lost while recovering — and, where the injury affects your ability to work, diminished future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has changed how you live day to day.
Property damage
Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other property damaged in the incident.
Out-of-pocket costs
Transportation to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and the other expenses an injury forces on you.
How we work
- 1
Free, no-pressure consultation
We listen first. We answer your questions. There is no fee for the initial conversation — and you decide whether to engage us at the end of it.
- 2
Investigation and evidence preservation
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, vehicle data, surveillance video, medical records. The earlier we collect, the harder it is for the other side to reshape the story later.
- 3
Treatment, demand, and negotiation
We coordinate with your providers, document the full extent of damages — medical, lost income, pain — and present a demand backed by evidence. We push back firmly when an insurer lowballs.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Most matters settle. When an insurer refuses to be reasonable, we file. Preparing every case as if it will be tried is what makes the settlement number move.
What to do right away
- Get medical attention — concussion symptoms can take days to appear.
- Photograph the bike's resting position, the lane markings, and the vehicle.
- Save the bike, your helmet, and clothing without cleaning them.
- Identify witnesses; pedestrians and other riders often see what police miss.
- Call us before contacting either insurer.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Deadlines that matter
Most California personal-injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss the window and the court will almost always dismiss the case, no matter how strong it is.
Claims against government entities are much shorter — generally a written claim within six months (Government Code §911.2). Crashes involving city vehicles, public buses, or dangerous public-road conditions can fall under this rule.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.