San Francisco Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Do I Have a Case?

The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan represent the victims of bicycle accidents in San Francisco and across the Bay Area.

Our skilled San Francisco bicycle accident lawyers are advocates for safe rides for all cyclists. We take immediate action to secure the financial compensation injured bicyclists need to pay for the best medical care available and return to their bikes again.

We also help families who have lost a loved one in a tragic San Francisco bicycle accident seek wrongful death support from an at-fault driver’s car insurance company to protect their futures.

Matthew J. Quinlan

Daniel R. Aguilar

Exactly what we do for our clients in a short, animated video:

Bicycle Accident
Dangers in San Francisco

Cyclists have protected and unprotected bike lanes in many parts of San Francisco now. Those include stretches along Market Street and Cabrillo Street. Cyclists also have every right to travel in the street, just like a motor vehicle, in places without these bike lanes. Sadly, these lanes and protective vehicle codes aren’t enough to prevent all cycling collisions.

City transportation experts with TransBASE track the bicycle accident dangers in the Bay Area each year. In San Francisco, at least 316 bicycle accidents involving vehicles occurred in 2021. That’s up slightly from the 311 bicycle accidents recorded in 2020. Tragically, the lives of at least four cyclists were claimed over the same two-year span.

For a more detailed look at San Francisco’s Bicycle Accident statistics over the past few years, check out  the 2022 MJQ Law Bicycle Accident Study.

The figures will tell you that there are still too many bicycle accidents on San Francisco streets. There are also too many victims who end up paying for their hospital bills of pocket, while a careless driver gets away without paying any consequences.

Our skilled San Francisco Bicycle Accident Lawyers are working to change this. We want the opportunity to inform every bicycle accident victim of the benefits available. We offer every victim a free case review before an auto insurance company tries to get them to accept far less than they need in recovery.

What to Do After a San Francisco Bicycle Accident

After a bicycle accident on a San Francisco boulevard, you may be able to stand immediately, or you might be unconscious and injured.

The first thing to do, if you are able to move, is to get out of harm’s way. If the accident left you in the path of other cars, try to get to a sidewalk.

Once the scene is secure, you may have the opportunity to collect evidence on the scene.

If you are feeling up to it, you should try to collect details that probably won’t be there once the accident scene is cleared.

Try to secure this proof to use to back up any injury claim you file:

Do I Have a Case?

Schedule a free consultation to find out!

What are the most common types of cycling injuries treated in San Francisco Emergency Rooms?

How Much is My San Francisco Bicycle Accident Injury Claim Worth?

This is understandably the single most asked question we get when meeting people who have been injured in a bike accident. San Francisco injury victims may be facing a financial disaster as medical bills pile up. They may also be losing paychecks at work and be unable to keep up with rent and car payments.

The factors of each case are different and it’s hard to put a value on your bicycle injury case before sitting down with you to discuss what happened. It is possible to get an idea of what you’d earn by going over the details that most affect your bike accident injury settlement amount.

Generally speaking, here are the types of things you would receive compensation for as the victim of a bike accident in the Bay Area:

Bicycle Accident Case Success
for our San Francisco Clients

$300,000 Settlement

$45,000 Settlement

Confidential Policy Limits Settlement

I Was Injured in a Bicycle Accident.
Do I Need a San Francisco Injury Lawyer?

We’re sorry to learn that you were injured in a bicycle accident, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to hire a San Francisco bicycle accident lawyer. For example, if you suffered only minor injuries (scrapes and/or soft tissue injuries) and it is clear that the other party was at fault, you may be able to handle your accident claim yourself.

That said, for obvious reasons most bicycle collisions involving cars, SUVs, or Trucks result in serious injuries to bicyclists. If that’s the case, victims will benefit from having a great bike accident attorney. Contact us online to set up a free consultation to discuss whether you need a lawyer. If we can’t help you improve your potential settlement amount, we’ll tell you that and help you determine how to best proceed without a lawyer.

If you did suffer something more than a minor injury, you can likely benefit from having a legal representative. Furthermore, insurance companies love blaming the bicyclist in an accident as a way of not compensating you fairly, so you should be on high alert when you aren’t represented by a lawyer.

We also negotiate and reduce your health insurance claims, which nets you more in a bicycle accident settlement check.

Can I Earn Compensation If My Bicycle Accident Was Caused by a Hit-And-Run Driver?

Sadly, being hit by a motorist is only the beginning of a difficult period for many injured cyclists. In too many cases, the guilty driver decides to flee the scene to make it a hit-and-run crime.

Cyclists left on the roadway can wait even longer for emergency care. They can also have recovery bills left in their laps when there’s no insurance company to file a claim with.

The good news is that San Francisco cyclists can earn injury compensation even when a hit-and-run driver escapes justice. The victim or the victim’s family may file a claim with the victim’s own car accident policy. The claim would be filed on the victim’s uninsured motorist coverage. If the bicyclist didn’t have insurance, it’s possible the victim was covered by a family member’s policy.

When hit-and-run drivers are caught, they will likely be facing criminal charges. This will not delay the victim’s right to file a claim with the suspect’s car insurance provider. The civil claim is filed separately and an injury claim settlement can be reached even if a criminal trial hasn’t been decided.

No matter whose policy the claim is filed under, it’s safe to assume that any insurance company, even your own, will be trying to limit the support you receive. Having a San Francisco personal injury lawyer watching out for your interests is the best way to ensure you get the funds you need to cover every recovery bill and hardship.

What are the most common types of bicycle accidents you see?

Although based on our experience there are never ending fact patterns that give rise to injured bicyclists, the ones we see most often are “Dooring” Accidents, Driveway & Side Street Pull-Out Accidents, Side-swipe/Cut-off and Failure to Yield to Your Right of Way.

(1) Dooring Accidents

“Doorings” occur when a cyclist is riding in the bicycle lane or to the right of a road way when suddenly a car parked along the right curb swings out into the path of the cyclist. Unable to swerve to avoid the door, the cyclist slams into the open door. This type of accident occurs frequently in San Francisco and the Bay Area and typically causes severe injuries to the cyclist.  Fault for this type of accident is squarely on whoever opened the door. CVC 22517 clearly states that no person shall open a vehicle’s door on the side of moving traffic until it is safe to do so. Despite this law, people in cars regularly swing open their doors without checking their mirror or generally being aware that a bicycle may be passing by. A good rule of thumb to avoid doorings is to ride at least 4 feet from cars parked on the street, even if that requires you to ride slightly outside a bicycle lane that may be painted on the roadway.

(2) Driveway & Side Street Pull-Out Accidents

The busy streets of the Bay Area and San Francisco make every driveway and side street a hazard for unsuspecting bicyclists, as cars regularly “appear” from out of nowhere and into the path of moving bicycles.  In situation like this, cars are responsible for entering roadways in a safe manner and that includes being alert to the potential presence of bicyclists.  These types of sudden collisions typically cause severe injuries to the bicyclists and are one of the most common types of bicycle accidents we handle.  To protect yourself, always slow as you approach streets and driveways and attempt to make eye contact with drivers.  At night, be sure to use a front head light.  Lastly, make sure you travel with the flow of traffic, as cars exiting driveways and turning onto streets, typically only look to their left.

(3) Sideswipe/Cut-Off Accidents

Common sense and the law have bicyclists riding on the right side of the road, but being on the right of cars that may not see you is exactly how a lot of bike vs. car accidents happen.  Specifically, we see a lot of accidents where a car will turn right with no signal or a late signal and turn directly into a bicyclist proceeding straight.  The same type of accident can occur when a car passes a bicyclists and then quickly turns right, causing the bicyclist to crash into the back of the car.  Both of these types of accidents are likely the fault of the driver for making an unsafe turn.  To avoid these types of accidents, it is critical to slow down and be extra-alert as you near intersections, side streets, or commercial driveways.

(4) Failure to Yield Accidents

Since most drivers aren’t conditioned to be alert for bicyclists, it is common for drivers to turn in front of bicyclists that have the right of way at intersections.  Remember that bicyclists have an obligation to stop at stop signs and stop lights just like cars do, but even when you do, don’t’ assume that the drivers will yield to your right of way the same way you might if you were driving a car.

What are the Rules of the Road for San Francisco Bicyclists?

Contact a San Francisco Bicycle Accident Lawyer as Soon as Possible

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a bicycle crash caused by a negligent driver, don’t trust your recovery to an insurance company. Allow The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan to deal with the most frustrating parts of injury claims and insurance hassles so you can focus on getting better.

Contact our offices for a free case consultation that comes with no obligation to you or your family. Let us work to get the most out of your San Francisco bicycle accident settlement. We want to see you return to the streets again on your bike.

And if you decide to hire us to maximize the compensation you receive, you won’t have to worry about payment right now. MJQ Law doesn’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then we are paid out of the settlement money you receive.

Did You Know?