Bicycle Accidents matters in Fresno
Fresno has a growing community of cyclists, from commuters and students near Fresno State to riders out on the Sugar Pine Trail and the Eaton Trail along the San Joaquin River. But much of the city's daily riding still happens on wide, fast arterials never designed with bikes in mind, where a single careless pass or unsignaled turn can put a rider on the pavement. The gap between recreational trails and high-speed surface streets is where many serious bicycle crashes occur.
When a driver hits a cyclist, the injuries are often severe and the legal questions turn on how California protects people on bikes.
Why bicycle crashes happen in Fresno
- Drivers passing cyclists too closely on wide arterials
- Right-hook turns across a rider traveling straight
- Left-turn drivers failing to yield to an oncoming cyclist
- Dooring, where a parked driver opens a door into a rider's path
- Speed differentials on fast streets that leave little reaction time
The Three Feet for Safety Act
California's Three Feet for Safety Act, codified at Vehicle Code section 21760, requires a driver overtaking a bicycle traveling in the same direction to pass at a safe distance of at least three feet between any part of the vehicle and any part of the bicycle. When a safe three-foot pass is not possible because of traffic or roadway conditions, the driver must slow to a reasonable speed and may pass only when doing so would not endanger the cyclist. A violation of this law that causes a crash can be powerful evidence of negligence, and it shifts the focus onto the driver's conduct rather than the rider's. Under California's pure comparative negligence rule, a cyclist found partly at fault can still recover compensation, with the award reduced by their percentage of responsibility instead of barred altogether.
Injuries and case types
- Head and brain injuries, even when wearing a helmet
- Broken collarbones, wrists, arms, and legs
- Road rash, lacerations, and dental injuries
- Spinal injuries and long-term disability
- Wrongful death claims when a crash is fatal
What compensation may cover
A bicycle injury claim can seek economic damages such as emergency treatment, surgery, physical therapy, future medical care, a replacement bicycle and damaged gear, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. It can also pursue non-economic damages for physical pain, emotional suffering, permanent scarring, and the loss of the riding and activities you love. When a crash causes a brain or spinal injury, the long-term cost of care and lost earning power can dominate the claim. No lawyer can promise a number or guarantee a result; the value of a case depends on its specific facts, the severity of the injuries, and the insurance available.
The two-year deadline and your courthouse
Under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit in California. If a public entity contributed through a dangerous road condition, a much shorter government-claim deadline may apply, so prompt advice matters. Bicycle injury lawsuits arising in Fresno are filed with the Fresno County Superior Court, with civil matters heard at the B.F. Sisk Courthouse downtown.
How MMG Law Firm helps from Glendale
MMG Law Firm is based in Glendale, roughly 220 miles south, and represents injured cyclists throughout California. We keep no Fresno office; instead we handle your case remotely by phone, email, and video, and we travel for the hearings and court appearances your case requires. Consultations are free and available in English, Armenian, and Russian, and we work on a contingency fee — you owe no attorney fee unless we recover for you.
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.