Articles & Resources

If an insurance adjuster has already put a percentage on you, that figure is an argument. Comparative negligence reduces your bicycle accident recovery by your share of fault for the collision, and in most jurisdictions it erases the claim once that share passes half. Comparative negligence is an affirmative defense, and the defendant has to plead it and then establish...

Two years from the accident date is the deadline that decides your money. Arizona gives you that long to file a personal injury lawsuit under ARS § 12-542, and it runs whether or not police identify the driver. Four other time limits start the same day, two of them the prosecutor’s. Waiting on an investigation that goes nowhere is the most common reason a strong...

New York City helmet laws require certified headgear for children under 14, commercial cyclists, and all who ride Class 3 e-bikes. Adults on standard bikes face no state or city mandate. The NYC Department of Transportation recommends protective headgear for every cyclist, calling it a critical safety measure for anyone on city streets and busy roadways. This page covers...

Bicycle regulations in the state come from three levels of government, and only one follows you everywhere. Article 34 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law governs bicycles and e-bikes in every county, from Montauk to Buffalo. Your own city, town or village can add requirements on top of it, and New York City adds more than anywhere else in the state. That layering is why an...

New York City allows three categories of e-bike on public streets, in bike lanes, on park drives and greenways, and across bridges in the cycling lane. All are capped at 15 mph on any NYC street, effective October 24, 2025. You must be at least 16 years of age, and every device and battery sold in NYC must carry an accredited safety certification. E-bikes are not motor...

Most bicycle accident settlements in Pennsylvania fall between $20,000 and $200,000 for car accident cases. Severe injuries push past $250,000, and catastrophic harm starts around $500,000. Philadelphia accounts for roughly a third of the state’s cycling crash reports. What you keep depends on the circumstances, the other motorist’s insurance coverage, your...

If you hit a cyclist with your car, you must stop, help, and report the accident. After that, five things can follow from one event: a traffic citation, a personal injury claim against your liability coverage, a higher premium, and personal exposure for anything above your policy limits. A criminal charge is the fifth, if you were impaired, reckless, or you drove away....

There is no verified average settlement for California bicycle accidents, but the published ranges overlap tightly. If you were hit while riding, the bills are arriving before anyone has told you what the case is worth. Minor injuries from bicycle crashes mostly resolve in the low five figures. The moderate-injury claims that make up most bicycle accident cases land between...

A pothole crash is a lonely one: no driver, no insurance card, just you, a bent rim, and a medical bill. You can still make a pothole claim against whoever owns that strip of pavement, usually a city, county, or state DOT, but the case is won or lost on proof of prior awareness. You must prove the pothole was a dangerous condition and that the entity knew about it, or...

Yes, in most states you can face charges for riding a bike under the influence. Statutes covering “any vehicle” include bicycles; those saying “motor vehicle” usually do not. That can bring fines, potential jail time, a criminal record, and in some states the loss of your license. Many people assume biking home is the responsible choice, but DUI...

After a bicycle accident, you expect the police report to get the facts right. When the accident report contains errors, that inaccuracy follows you into every conversation with the insurance company. A wrong location, missing injuries, or a misassigned fault finding all affect how your insurance claim is handled. No single deadline exists to correct or amend a police...

No federal rule governs how you ride. Federal regulations reach the machine itself and stop there. In nearly every locale a cycle is classified alongside cars under the legal framework, handing you the same protections and obligations as any operator. Each state, jurisdiction and municipality layers its own rules on top, which is why Texas cycling rules and California...

Sidewalk cycling is legal in most states and banned in a few. 2026 bicycle laws for all 50 states, $50 to $500 fines, and what a sidewalk crash does to your claim. You can ride a bicycle on a sidewalk in most of the United States. Only a handful of states ban it statewide. State vehicle codes, highway regulations, and safety regulations rarely prohibit riding a bicycle...

In 2025, Georgia recorded 31 bicycle fatalities, up from 23 cyclist deaths in 2023, according to the state’s live crash dashboard. In the most recent full statewide fact sheet, Georgia reported 921 bicycle crashes, 23 cyclist fatalities, and 140 serious or fatal injury crashes in 2023. These numbers show more than crash volume. They show where cyclist risk is concentrated,...

Roughly one-third (30-35%) of non-fatal bicycle accidents involve head injuries that require emergency treatment. The numbers are far worse in fatal crashes: TBI and related trauma cause an estimated 60% to 75% of all cyclist deaths, most commonly in collisions with motor vehicles. A properly fitted helmet can significantly reduce head injury risk by 60% and traumatic...

Wearing a helmet reduces the odds of a serious or fatal head injury by 60 to 70%, and brain injuries remain a leading cause of death in bicycle crashes. In 2024, 68% of US cyclists killed were not wearing a helmet, 14% were, and helmet use was unknown for the rest. But the raw fatality share is widely misread, and bicycle helmets do not prevent every death. We’re...

The most common cause of serious bicycle accidents is a broadside crash at an intersection, where an automobile and a rider cross paths, accounting for about 35% of fatal and serious crashes. The top factors are unsafe velocity (16.5%), failing to yield (16.3%), and improper turning (15%). In 82% of fatal crashes, the front of the automobile struck the cyclist, meaning...

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 1 in 5 cyclists injured in a US traffic accident in 2023 was struck by someone who left the scene, and more than 70% of everyone killed in a hit-and-run that year was on foot or biking (AAA Foundation, 2026). The National Safety Council estimates that bicyclist fatalities from hit-and-run accidents are among the fastest-growing...

If a collision left you injured while riding, you have the right to file a cycling accident claim in New York City and recover compensation for your medical bills, lost income, bike damage, and suffering. When a motorist’s negligence caused the incident, that driver and their insurer can be held liable. New York’s PIP system covers your initial medical expenses...

A bike ticket in NYC costs between $50 and $190. It adds no points to your driver license and carries no extra fees. On March 27, 2026, the NYPD stopped writing criminal summonses for minor cycling offenses. Police now issue civil citations instead, which means an OATH hearing, not Criminal Court. There is no arrest and no criminal record. Cyclists follow the same traffic...