Bicycle Accidents matters in San Jose
San Jose is a major bike-commuting city, and its mix of dedicated trails and busy streets creates real risk. The Guadalupe River Trail and the Los Gatos Creek Trail connect riders to downtown, but at every street crossing cyclists meet vehicle traffic. Commuters ride along corridors like Stevens Creek Boulevard, First Street, and the routes feeding into the SJSU area, where drivers turning across bike lanes or passing too closely cause serious crashes.
Drivers often claim they "didn't see" the cyclist, but California law sets clear duties for sharing the road. MMG Law Firm handles San Jose bicycle accident claims remotely from Glendale, building a clear record of how the collision occurred.
Where San Jose Bicycle Crashes Happen
- Trail-and-street crossings along the Guadalupe River Trail
- Los Gatos Creek Trail intersections
- Commuter routes on Stevens Creek Boulevard and First Street
- Bike lanes near downtown and SJSU
- Right-hook and left-cross collisions at busy intersections
The Three Feet for Safety Act
California's Three Feet for Safety Act, codified at Vehicle Code §21760, requires a driver passing a bicycle traveling the same direction to leave at least three feet of clearance. When three feet is not possible, the driver must slow and pass only when safe. A driver who passes too closely and causes a crash can be held liable. Under pure comparative negligence, a cyclist can recover even if found partly at fault, with damages reduced by their share.
Injuries and Case Types
- Traumatic brain injury, even with a helmet
- Fractures and orthopedic trauma
- Road rash and severe abrasions
- Spinal injuries
- Wrongful death
Compensation You May Recover
California allows both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover medical bills, future care, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and damage to your bicycle and gear. Non-economic damages address pain, suffering, and the loss of activities you valued. We never promise a result, but we work to document every loss and rebut claims that the cyclist was to blame.
Deadlines, Venue, and How MMG Law Firm Helps
Most California bicycle injury claims must be filed within two years of the crash under CCP §335.1, and a shorter government-claim deadline can apply if a public entity is involved. San Jose cases are venued in the Santa Clara County Superior Court, with civil matters at the Downtown Superior Court on North First Street.
MMG Law Firm represents injured cyclists across California from Glendale. We handle your case by phone, email, and secure portal, and appear in Santa Clara County court when needed. Consultations are free in English, Armenian, and Russian, and we work on contingency — 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.
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