Bicycle Accidents matters in Riverside
Riverside has a strong cycling culture, from commuters and UC Riverside students to recreational riders enjoying the Santa Ana River Trail and the historic, tree-lined Victoria Avenue bike route. But every time a cyclist shares pavement with cars, a driver who is distracted, impatient, or simply not looking can cause a serious collision. Unlike a motorist, a cyclist has no metal shell, no seat belt, and no airbag, so even a low-speed impact can cause lasting harm.
Knowing how these crashes happen in Riverside and what California law requires of drivers around cyclists is the foundation of a strong claim.
Where Riverside bicycle crashes happen
Riders face risk on dedicated routes and on ordinary streets alike:
- Victoria Avenue, a popular bike route where drivers and cyclists share a scenic corridor
- The Santa Ana River Trail and its street crossings, where path users meet vehicle traffic
- Around UC Riverside, with heavy student cycling near busy roads
- Unsafe passing by drivers who crowd cyclists instead of giving room
- Right-hook and door-zone collisions on commercial streets
California's Three Feet for Safety Act
Vehicle Code section 21760, the Three Feet for Safety Act, requires a driver overtaking a bicycle traveling in the same direction to pass at a safe distance of at least three feet. If three feet is not possible because of traffic or roadway conditions, the driver must slow to a reasonable speed and pass only when it will not endanger the cyclist. A violation that causes injury can establish a driver's negligence. California also applies pure comparative negligence, so a cyclist who is found partly at fault can still recover compensation, reduced by that percentage. Cyclists generally have the same rights and duties as drivers on the road.
Common cycling injuries
The lack of protection means bicycle crash injuries are often severe:
- Traumatic brain injuries, even when wearing a helmet
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken collarbones, wrists, and other fractures
- Road rash and deep lacerations
- Dental and facial injuries
Compensation a cyclist may seek
When a driver caused your crash, you may pursue economic damages such as emergency and ongoing medical care, future treatment, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and bicycle replacement, along with non-economic damages for pain, suffering, scarring, and loss of enjoyment of life. The value of any case depends on its specific facts, and no result can be guaranteed.
Deadlines and the Riverside courthouse
Under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of the bicycle crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, though shorter deadlines apply if a government entity is involved. Riverside County cases are typically filed in the Riverside County Superior Court, often at the Riverside Historic Courthouse downtown.
How MMG Law Firm helps cyclists
Based in Glendale, an accessible drive from Riverside on the 60 and 210, we represent injured cyclists throughout Riverside County and across California. We document the scene, gather witness and video evidence, apply the Three Feet for Safety Act, and negotiate firmly with insurers, litigating when necessary. Consultations are free and available in English, Armenian, and Russian, and we work on contingency, meaning no fee unless we win.
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.