Fresno Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Hit by a driver while riding your bike in Fresno, CA? Contact the top Fresno bicycle accident lawyer to seek justice and compensation.

A driver drifts into the bike lane on Van Ness Avenue. A car door swings open without warning on Palm Avenue. A pickup truck makes a right turn across First Street without checking for a cyclist. However your crash happened in Fresno, you are the one left with the road rash, the hospital bill, and an insurance adjuster from the at-fault driver’s insurer who is already building a case to pay you as little as possible.

At Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, our Fresno bicycle accident attorneys have represented more than 100,000 clients since 1971, recovering over $1.25 billion on their behalf. We prepare every bicycle crash claim across the Central Valley for trial from day one, and we focus on your net recovery, the amount you actually take home after liens and fees, not just the size of the settlement number.

Contact us today for a free consultation and discover how our bicycle accident attorneys in Fresno can help you seek the compensation and justice you deserve.

Do I Have a Bicycle Accident Claim in Fresno?

You likely have a claim if someone else’s carelessness put you in the path of harm. To prove it, we establish three things: the at-fault party had a duty to act safely around you, they broke that duty, and that breach directly caused your injuries and losses.

Fresno’s busiest corridors, Blackstone Avenue, Shaw Avenue, Herndon Avenue, Shields Avenue, see serious bicycle crashes regularly. But where your crash happened matters less than one legal question: was someone else responsible, and can we build a case that forces them to pay?

What Compensation Can You Recover?

The at-fault party and their insurance carrier are responsible for every loss this crash caused you, financial and personal. We pursue the full scope of damages, not just the immediate bills.

Recoverable damages in a Fresno bicycle accident typically include:

• Emergency and future medical care: Ambulance fees, hospital treatment, surgeries, physical therapy, and any ongoing care your recovery requires.
• Lost income: Wages you missed while unable to work, plus any reduction in your long-term earning capacity if your injuries are permanent.
• Property damage: The cost to repair or replace your bicycle, helmet, and damaged personal belongings.
• Pain and suffering: Compensation for the physical pain and emotional burden this crash placed on your life.
• Loss of enjoyment of life: Damages for the activities and experiences you can no longer participate in because of your injuries.

Insurers open with low offers, and count on you to accept them. In one case, a client received a lowball opening offer. We rejected it. The case resolved for $100,000. The adjuster’s first number is a position, not a final answer.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Fresno Bicycle Accident?

Responsibility for a bicycle crash often falls on more than one party. Multiple defendants can mean access to multiple insurance policies, which directly increases your total recovery.

Parties that may be held responsible include:

• A distracted, reckless, or impaired driver
• An employer, if the at-fault driver was on the job or operating a company vehicle
• A rideshare company such as Uber or Lyft
• A bicycle or component manufacturer if a product defect contributed to the crash
• The City of Fresno, Fresno County, or Caltrans if a road defect or infrastructure failure played a role

We investigate every potential source of liability before making a single demand.

One pattern we consistently see in bicycle liability claims along Blackstone Avenue is that the driver’s insurer settles on a single theory of fault before every responsible party has been identified. In our experience handling these cases out of our Fresno office, cyclists treated at Community Regional Medical Center often assume the driver is the only party who can be held liable, when a distracted delivery driver, an employer, or a rideshare company may share the blame. We routinely pull employment records and vehicle registrations before we send a single demand letter, and that extra step is often what turns one insurance policy into two or three.

What if the At-Fault Driver Is Uninsured or Underinsured?

Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage pays you when the driver who hit you carries no insurance at all. Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap when the driver’s policy limits fall short of covering your full losses.

Here is what most cyclists don’t realize: if your own auto insurance policy includes UM or UIM coverage, that protection follows you while you are riding a bicycle. Your insurer won’t volunteer this information. We make sure they honor the coverage you already paid for.

“Uninsured motorist coverage is coverage everybody should have. I wish I had a nickel for every client who said, ‘Oh, I’ve got full coverage’ — there’s full, and there’s a lot more full.” – Mark Anderson

What if the Driver Fled the Scene?

A hit-and-run does not end your right to recover. Uninsured Motorist coverage exists specifically for this situation, you don’t need the driver to be identified or caught to make a claim.

File a report with Fresno PD immediately, hold onto every piece of evidence you have, and call us. We know what California’s UM rules require and how to protect your recovery even when the driver is never found.

What if a Road Defect or City Property Caused Your Crash?

Potholes, missing lane markings, broken pavement, and defective bike infrastructure cause serious crashes just as often as careless drivers. When a government entity is responsible for maintaining that road, you may have a valid claim against the City of Fresno, the County, or the State of California.

One deadline most people miss: California Government Code § 911.2 gives you only six months from the date of the accident to file a formal claim against a government entity. Miss that window and your claim is permanently barred, regardless of how strong your evidence is.

A tactic we see repeatedly from the City of Fresno and Caltrans when a bike lane defect is at issue is to argue the hazard was too minor to have caused a serious fall. What we see across the road defect claims we handle in Fresno County is that cyclists who get their government claim on file within the first few weeks preserve far more evidence, since crews often repair the exact stretch of road within days of a reported crash. Photographing the defect and filing before that repair happens is frequently the difference between a claim that settles and one that gets denied outright.

How Long Do You Have to File a Bicycle Accident Lawsuit?

California’s statute of limitations gives you two years from the date of your crash to file. That window sounds wide. It is not.

Surveillance footage gets deleted within days. Witnesses’ memories fade. Physical evidence disappears once repairs are made. The sooner we start building your case, the more leverage you have.

“The longer somebody deals directly with an insurance company before a lawyer gets involved, the more the case gets compromised. By then, they don’t need a lawyer, they need a magician.” – Mark Anderson

Can You Recover Compensation Without a Helmet?

California law requires a helmet only for cyclists under 18, under Cal. Vehicle Code § 21212. If you are an adult who was not wearing one, you are still fully entitled to pursue compensation for your injuries.

Insurers routinely use the absence of a helmet to argue that you share blame, a deliberate tactic designed to reduce what they owe you. We push back against this argument directly and know how to limit its effect on your recovery.

What Evidence Strengthens Your Bicycle Accident Claim?

We prepare every case for trial from the moment you hire us. Insurance companies pay more seriously against attorneys who are actually ready to walk into a courtroom, and they know who those attorneys are.

Insurance adjusters begin building their version of events before you leave the hospital. We match that urgency and then some.

Evidence that builds a strong bicycle accident claim includes:

• The official police report and any 911 call audio
• Traffic camera, dashcam, or nearby business surveillance footage
• Complete medical records and treatment bills from the crash date forward
• Photos of the road, crash scene, both vehicles, and your injuries
• Witness names and contact information
• Your damaged bicycle, helmet, and clothing from the day of the crash

Do not repair your bike or throw anything away before speaking with us. Every crack and tear is part of the story.

Across the bicycle accident claims we’ve worked through in Fresno County Superior Court, adjusters routinely argue that a gap between the crash and a formal medical visit means the injury was pre-existing. What we see consistently is that cyclists who seek care the same day, whether at Saint Agnes Medical Center or a nearby urgent care, hold far more leverage once the insurer starts looking for reasons to undervalue the claim. Preserving the bike itself, not just the medical file, is often what closes the gap adjusters try to exploit.

What to Do After a Bicycle Accident in Fresno

What you do in the first 24 hours either protects or permanently damages the value of your claim.

Call 911 and Get Medical Care the Same Day

Adrenaline conceals serious injuries. Concussions, internal bleeding, and spinal damage may feel manageable at the scene but worsen within days, and a gap in treatment gives insurers grounds to argue your injuries were not crash-related.

Get the Police Report Before You Leave the Scene

Insist that officers file a report even if the damage looks minor. That document locks in the facts of the crash while they are still fresh and becomes the foundation of your claim.

Preserve Your Bicycle, Helmet, and Clothing

Hold on to your bike, helmet, and whatever you were wearing at the time. Every crack, dent, and tear is physical evidence of the force of the impact.

Photograph the Crash Scene Before It Changes

Use your phone to document the road surface, skid marks, traffic signs, both vehicles, and your injuries. Emergency responders clear scenes quickly, get your photos before they do.

Identify Witnesses and Nearby Cameras

Collect names and contact numbers from anyone who saw what happened. Scan the area for businesses or homes with security cameras pointed toward the road.

Decline a Recorded Statement to the At-Fault Driver’s Insurer

Their adjuster will call within days requesting a recorded statement. Politely decline until you have spoken with an attorney, even a well-meaning comment can be used to reduce your claim.

“Little, seemingly harmless statements people give to insurance companies can torpedo a case.” – Mark Anderson

Call Us for a Free Case Review

We are available 24 hours a day. The earlier we get involved, the more evidence we can preserve and the stronger your negotiating position becomes.

What You Keep Matters More Than What You Win

A large settlement figure means nothing if medical liens, fees you didn’t fully understand, and rushed settlement pressure drain the money before it reaches you. We focus on net recovery, what you actually take home, not just the headline number.

We negotiate your medical and health insurance liens directly after a settlement is reached. Reducing what you owe is just as important as increasing what you win, and we do both.

Why Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers?

We represent only injured people. No insurance defense. No corporate clients. Our firm stands on one side of the courtroom: yours.

We know the local courts and the adjusters by name. That familiarity sharpens every demand we make on your behalf.

• $1.25 billion+ recovered for more than 100,000 clients since 1971
• 30+ legal professionals, including attorneys Reid Breitman, Robert Ryan, Mark Anderson, and Tyler Oldham-Monroe
• More than 80% of new clients come from referrals, earned through results, not advertising
• Bilingual service in English and Spanish for clients across Fresno and the Central Valley
• No fee unless we win, nothing upfront, and nothing at all if we don’t recover money for you

Contact Our Fresno Bicycle Accident Lawyers

The statute of limitations is already running. Call us at (661) 945-6969, any time of day or night. Your consultation is free and there is no obligation to move forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Accept the First Settlement Offer After a Bicycle Accident in Fresno?

No. The opening offer is almost always far below what your claim is actually worth, and once you accept, you permanently give up the right to seek any additional compensation, even if your injuries turn out to be more serious than originally diagnosed.

Does My Auto Insurance Cover Me If I Am Hurt While Riding a Bicycle?

In most cases, yes. The Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage on your auto policy follows you as a person, it applies when you are cycling, walking, or riding as a passenger, not just when you are behind the wheel.

How Much Does Hiring a Fresno Bicycle Accident Lawyer at Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Cost?

Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means our fee is a percentage of what we recover for you, paid only at the end of the case, and only if we win.

Can I Pursue a Claim If a Pothole or Defective Bike Lane Caused My Crash?

Yes. If a government agency was responsible for the road conditions where your crash occurred, you may have a valid claim against that public entity, but the filing deadline is just six months from the accident date, not two years, so acting quickly is essential.

Do You Handle Bicycle Accident Cases for Spanish-Speaking Clients in Fresno?

Yes. Our bilingual attorneys and staff provide complete legal services in Spanish for clients throughout Fresno and the Central Valley, and we are available by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.