Bicycle Accidents matters in San Rafael
San Rafael's Cycling Corridors and Their Risks
Cycling is woven into life in Marin, and San Rafael sits on key routes that also carry real danger. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is a major artery for both commuters and recreational riders heading west toward Ross, San Anselmo, and the coast, and its intersections and driveways are common sites of right-hook and left-cross collisions. The Canal district and downtown blocks around Fourth Street mix cyclists with turning cars, double-parked vehicles, and the ever-present risk of a driver opening a door into the bike lane.
Routes paralleling US-101, along with connections feeding the North–South Greenway and the corridors toward Larkspur and the ferry, bring cyclists into contact with fast vehicle traffic and tricky merge points. Riders crossing toward the I-580 and Bellam Boulevard area near the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge — which now carries a bike and pedestrian path — face heavy traffic transitions. Whether you ride for transportation, sport, or both, a collision with a car puts the full force of the impact onto your body.
Common Crashes and Insurer Tactics
The crashes we see most often are right hooks, where a driver passes and then turns across the cyclist's path; left crosses, where an oncoming car turns left into a rider it did not see; and dooring, where a parked motorist swings a door open without checking. In each, the driver's insurer tends to argue the cyclist was riding unpredictably or should have anticipated the move. California's pure comparative negligence rule lets you recover even if you were partly at fault, with your award reduced by your share — but insurers use it to shift blame onto riders.
Cyclists have the same right to the road as drivers in California. We protect that right by securing the police report, finding witnesses, mapping sight lines and bike-lane markings, and looking for camera footage. Getting evaluated promptly at MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae documents fractures, head injuries, and road rash and ties them clearly to the crash.
Deadlines and the Marin County Court
Most California bicycle injury claims must be filed within two years under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a dangerous road condition, defective bike lane, or government vehicle contributed, you may have only six months to file a government claim under Government Code section 911.2. Marin County cases are heard at the Marin County Superior Court at the Civic Center on North San Pedro Road. MMG Law Firm prepares every cyclist's case thoroughly and is ready to present it to a Marin jury when an insurer will not offer a fair resolution.
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.