Pasadena Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Pasadena is one of the region's most popular places to ride, which is precisely why bicycle crashes happen here. The Rose Bowl loop draws road cyclists in large numbers, the Arroyo Seco offers miles of riding, and bike lanes along Colorado Boulevard put riders directly alongside busy traffic. When drivers pass too closely, turn across a bike lane, or fling open a door without looking, the cyclist absorbs the entire impact.

Cyclists have strong rights under California law, but they still face skeptical insurers. Here is how these cases work in Pasadena and how we handle them from nearby Glendale.

Why bicycle crashes happen here

• Heavy road-cycling traffic on the Rose Bowl loop and through the Arroyo Seco
• Cars passing too closely in the Colorado Boulevard bike lanes
• Right-hook turns where a driver cuts across a cyclist's path
• Dooring, when a driver or passenger opens a door into a rider
• Drivers who simply fail to look for cyclists at intersections

The California law that controls your case

California's Three Feet for Safety Act, Vehicle Code section 21760, requires a driver overtaking a bicycle in the same direction to leave at least three feet of clearance, and where that is not possible, to slow down and pass only when safe. Cyclists generally have the same rights and duties as drivers and are entitled to use the road. Because California follows pure comparative negligence, a cyclist who is assigned part of the fault still recovers, with the award reduced by that percentage. We use the controlling traffic laws to establish that the driver, not the rider, failed to use due care.

Injuries and case types we handle

A cyclist struck by a car often suffers serious harm: head and traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, road rash, facial and dental injuries, and joint damage requiring surgery. We handle close-pass and three-foot-rule violations, right-hook turns, dooring incidents, and intersection collisions where a driver failed to yield.

What you may be able to recover

There are no guaranteed amounts, but California law allows recovery for economic and non-economic losses, which may include:

• Medical treatment, present and future
• Lost income and reduced earning capacity
• Bicycle and equipment damage
• Pain, suffering, scarring, and loss of enjoyment of life

Deadlines and where Pasadena cases are heard

California generally allows two years from the date of the crash to file suit under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, and if a public entity may be responsible, a much shorter government-claim deadline can apply, so early advice matters. Pasadena is in Los Angeles County, so cases proceed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. With the historic Pasadena courthouse closed, area civil matters are typically heard at the Alhambra Courthouse or the Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown. From Glendale, roughly ten miles away, we know Pasadena's riding routes and its courts. We offer free consultations in English, Armenian, and Russian and handle bicycle cases on contingency, so there is no fee unless we win.