Bicycle Accident Attorneys
Florida Bicycle Accident Attorneys
Cyclists are among the most vulnerable people on Florida’s roads. When a driver fails to pay attention, follows too closely, or simply does not look before opening a door, a bicyclist can suffer devastating injuries in an instant. If you were hurt in a bicycle accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you have the right to pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain, and everything else this injury has cost you.
Florida Civil Counsel, P.A. represents injured cyclists throughout Florida. Our roots are in Orlando, but our team handles bicycle accident cases across the state, from Miami to Jacksonville and everywhere in between. We are committed to making sure you are not left to fight the insurance company alone.
Florida’s Roads and the Risks Cyclists Face
Florida consistently ranks among the most dangerous states in the country for cyclists. The combination of high traffic volume, wide roads designed for motor vehicles, distracted driving, and a large tourist population unfamiliar with local roads creates conditions that put cyclists at serious risk year-round.
Florida law gives cyclists many of the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle drivers, but that legal protection only goes so far when a driver strikes a cyclist at speed. The size and weight difference between a car and a bicycle means that even a low-speed impact can cause severe injury.
What Florida Law Says About Bicycle Accidents
Cyclists in Florida are governed by Florida Statute Section 316.2065, which establishes that a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle on the road. This means cyclists are entitled to use the roadway, and other drivers are obligated to share it safely.
Florida law also requires drivers to maintain a safe distance when passing a cyclist. Under Florida Statute Section 316.083, a driver must allow at least three feet of clearance when overtaking a bicyclist. Violations of this rule, or any failure to yield, failure to stop, or distracted driving that leads to a collision, can establish the negligence needed to support your injury claim.
Florida’s modified comparative fault system also applies to bicycle accident cases. If you are found partially at fault for the crash, your compensation may be reduced proportionally. If you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you may not be able to recover at all. This is one of the key reasons having an experienced attorney in your corner matters so much: establishing the full picture of what the driver did wrong protects the value of your claim.
Common Causes of Florida Bicycle Accidents
Most bicycle accidents we handle involve one or more of the following: distracted driving (especially phone use), failure to yield at intersections, dooring (when a driver or passenger opens a car door into the path of a cyclist), unsafe passing with insufficient clearance, running red lights or stop signs, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Road conditions can also play a role. Poorly maintained pavement, missing bike lane markings, inadequate lighting, and road debris all contribute to bicycle accidents in Florida. In some cases, a property owner or government entity may share responsibility for conditions that caused or contributed to a crash.
Injuries Cyclists Commonly Suffer in Florida Accidents
Because cyclists have no protective shell around them, the injuries from a bicycle accident can be serious even when the collision itself seems minor. The injuries we see most often in our practice include traumatic brain injuries and concussions, broken bones in the arms, wrists, legs, and collarbone, road rash and soft tissue damage requiring skin grafting in severe cases, spinal cord injuries, internal organ damage, and facial fractures.
Head injuries deserve special attention. Even with a helmet, a cyclist can suffer a significant traumatic brain injury in a collision. TBIs can affect memory, concentration, emotional regulation, and the ability to work, sometimes permanently. If you or a loved one suffered a head injury in a bicycle accident, it is important to make sure the full long-term impact of that injury is accounted for in your claim.
In the most tragic cases, a bicycle accident results in a fatality. If you lost a loved one in a crash, our Florida wrongful death attorneys can help surviving family members pursue accountability and compensation.
What Compensation Can an Injured Cyclist Recover?
A successful bicycle accident claim can provide compensation for a wide range of losses. These include all medical expenses, both past and future, including emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, and specialist care. Lost wages and reduced earning capacity are also recoverable if the injury has affected your ability to work. Beyond the financial losses, you can pursue compensation for physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Insurance companies routinely try to minimize what they pay out. They may argue that your injuries are not as severe as you claim, that you were at fault for the crash, or that your future care needs are overstated. Having an attorney who can build a thorough, evidence-backed case is the most effective way to counter those tactics.
It is also worth knowing that if the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured, your own automobile or bicycle insurance policy may provide coverage through uninsured motorist benefits. Our post on uninsured motorist coverage in Florida explains how this coverage works and why it matters for cyclists.
What to Do After a Florida Bicycle Accident
The steps you take in the hours and days following a bicycle accident can have a significant impact on your case. Here is what we recommend.
Call 911 and get an official police report made at the scene. Even if your injuries seem minor in the moment, get checked out by a medical professional right away. TBIs and internal injuries do not always produce obvious symptoms immediately. Document the scene with photos of the vehicles, your bicycle, your injuries, and the road conditions. Get the driver’s name, contact information, and insurance details, and collect the names and numbers of any witnesses.
Avoid giving a recorded statement to the driver’s insurance company before speaking with an attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions in ways that can limit your claim. You can learn more about what to expect at each stage by reviewing our overview of how a civil lawsuit unfolds in Florida.
Keep a written record of your symptoms, medical appointments, and how the injury is affecting your daily life. This kind of documentation is valuable evidence in support of your claim for pain and suffering.
How Our Bicycle Accident Attorneys Handle Your Case
We begin every case with a thorough consultation to understand how the accident happened, what injuries you sustained, and what your recovery looks like. From there, we investigate the crash, gather the police report, interview witnesses, review any available surveillance or dashcam footage, and work with accident reconstruction experts when necessary.
We manage all communication with the at-fault driver’s insurance company so you do not have to. We negotiate aggressively for a fair settlement, and if the insurer refuses to make a reasonable offer, we are prepared to take your case to trial. Our team handles bicycle accident cases throughout Florida, including in Miami, Tampa, and the greater Orlando area.
Contact Florida Civil Counsel, P.A. Today
You should be focused on your recovery, not fighting with an insurance company. Our team is here to handle the legal side so you can concentrate on getting better.
If your accident occurred in Central Florida, you can also connect directly with our Orlando bicycle accident attorneys for local representation.
Contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation. We handle bicycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.