Miami Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Injured in a Bicycle Accident in Miami?

A bicycle crash can leave you facing painful injuries, medical bills, missed work, and questions about insurance. You may also be dealing with a driver or insurance company that disputes what happened.

Gimenez & Carrillo, LLC helps injured cyclists in Miami and throughout Miami-Dade County. A Miami bicycle accident lawyer from our firm can investigate the crash, identify the insurance coverage that may apply, and explain your options under Florida law.

Our Miami office is located at 5775 Waterford District Dr., Suite 300, Miami, FL 33126-2579.

Call (305) 444-3000 or Request a Free Initial Consultation. Hablamos Español.

Free Initial Consultation

Talk through what happened at no cost.

Serving Miami-Dade County

Main office at Waterford District Dr.

Hablamos Español

Consultas en español, sin costo.

Over 30 Years of Experience

Florida injury claims since 2010.

Bicycle Accidents in Miami and Miami-Dade County

People ride bicycles across Miami for work, exercise, transportation, and recreation. However, cyclists often share the road with heavy traffic, rideshare vehicles, delivery drivers, buses, and visitors who may not know the area.

The risks can be especially serious at busy intersections, in bike lanes crossed by turning cars, and near shopping centers, schools, apartment buildings, and parking garages. Crashes may occur along Biscayne Boulevard, US 1, Flagler Street, Calle Ocho, Coral Way, Miami Avenue, and Brickell Avenue.

Miami-Dade County has made traffic safety a public priority through its Vision Zero program. The county reports close to 300 roadway deaths each year and identifies people walking and biking as vulnerable road users.

If a driver, business, property owner, government agency, or product manufacturer may have contributed to your crash, the facts should be reviewed carefully. Learn more about the firm’s broader Florida bicycle accident services.

Common Types of Miami Bicycle Accidents

Bicycle crashes do not all happen in the same way. Common cases include:

Intersection and turning crashes: A driver may turn left across a cyclist’s path or turn right through a bike lane without checking for a rider.
Failure-to-yield and crosswalk crashes: A driver may ignore a stop sign, traffic signal, or cyclist who has the right of way in a crosswalk.
Unsafe passing and sideswipes: A vehicle may pass too closely or drift into the rider’s space on a narrow or high-traffic road.
Dooring and parking-area crashes: A person may open a vehicle door into a cyclist’s path, or a driver may back out without seeing a rider.
Distracted, speeding, or impaired driving: A driver who is using a phone, traveling too fast, or impaired may have less time to see and avoid a cyclist.
Hit-and-run crashes: A driver may leave before providing information or helping the injured rider.
Road and bicycle defects: Potholes, broken pavement, debris, blocked bike lanes, poor lighting, unsafe construction zones, or defective bicycle parts may contribute to a crash.

Crashes involving a passenger vehicle may also relate to issues covered on our Miami car accident lawyer page. Cases involving someone struck while walking are addressed on our Miami pedestrian accident lawyer page.

Who May Be Responsible for a Bicycle Crash?

Responsibility depends on how and where the crash happened. One or more parties may be involved.

Drivers and vehicle owners: A driver may be responsible for speeding, distraction, an unsafe turn, failure to yield, impaired driving, or another careless act. Vehicle ownership and insurance coverage may also matter.
Employers and commercial companies: A delivery company, contractor, or other employer may share responsibility when an employee causes a crash while working.
Property owners and contractors: Unsafe exits, blocked views, construction debris, or work that interferes with a bike lane may require closer review.
Government agencies: A dangerous road condition, missing sign, or maintenance problem may raise a possible claim against a public agency. These cases can have special notice rules and deadlines.
Manufacturers and repair businesses: A defective frame, brake, tire, e-bike battery, or poorly completed repair may contribute to a loss of control.

An insurance company may try to place some or all of the blame on the cyclist. It may question the rider’s position, lights, signals, speed, helmet use, or actions at an intersection.

A careful investigation can test those claims against physical evidence, witness accounts, video, and Florida law.

What to Do After a Bicycle Accident in Miami

Your safety comes first. If you are able, these steps may also help preserve important information:

Call 911 and get medical care: Report the collision and ask for medical help. Some head, neck, and internal injuries may not be obvious at once.
Document the scene: Take photos or video of the vehicle, bicycle, injuries, road surface, bike lane, traffic controls, skid marks, debris, lighting, and weather.
Gather identifying information: Get the driver’s name, contact details, license plate, and insurance information. Ask witnesses for their contact information.
Protect physical and digital evidence: Keep the bicycle, helmet, damaged clothing, lights, camera footage, repair records, GPS data, and fitness-app records in their post-crash condition.
Be careful with insurance requests: Avoid guessing about fault or the extent of your injuries. Consider legal advice before giving a recorded statement or signing a release.
Keep a claim file: Save medical bills, treatment instructions, wage records, receipts, insurer letters, and notes about how the injuries affect daily life.

If your injuries kept you from taking these steps, do not assume you have no case. Other evidence may still be available.

Evidence That Can Matter in a Miami Bicycle Accident Claim

Bicycle accident evidence can disappear quickly. Security footage may be overwritten, road conditions may change, and witnesses may become difficult to locate.

Important evidence may include:

Crash and scene records: Police reports, 911 recordings, body-camera video, photographs, measurements, traffic signals, bike-lane markings, and road-condition records.
Video and electronic evidence: Traffic cameras, nearby business or apartment surveillance, dashcams, bicycle cameras, vehicle data, phone records when available, GPS files, and cycling-app data.
People and professional analysis: Witness statements, medical opinions, crash reconstruction, and testimony about future care or lost earning ability when needed.
Loss documentation: Medical records, bills, employment records, tax documents, receipts, bicycle estimates, and proof of damaged equipment.

A prompt investigation can help identify what exists and send preservation requests when appropriate.

Compensation and Insurance After a Bicycle Accident

There is no standard settlement amount for a bicycle accident. The value of a claim depends on the injuries, treatment, time away from work, long-term effects, available insurance, and evidence of fault.

Depending on the case, a claim may seek compensation for:

Medical and recovery needs: Emergency care, hospital treatment, surgery, medication, rehabilitation, therapy, medical equipment, and reasonably expected future care.
Work and financial losses: Lost wages, reduced earning ability, and reasonable accident-related expenses.
Personal harm: Physical pain, emotional distress, disability, scarring, and loss of enjoyment of life when supported by the facts and law.
Damaged property: Repair or replacement of the bicycle, helmet, clothing, lights, camera, phone, and other riding equipment.

Insurance can be more complex than it first appears. Coverage may come from the driver’s liability policy, a commercial policy, personal injury protection, or uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.

Which policy applies depends on the people involved, their coverage, and how the crash occurred.

Florida Bicycle Laws and Claim Deadlines

Florida law generally gives a person riding a bicycle the rights and duties of a motor-vehicle driver. Drivers passing a bicycle in the same lane must leave at least three feet when it is safe to pass. A cyclist using a sidewalk or crosswalk has pedestrian rights and duties but must yield to people walking.

Florida’s modified comparative-fault rule can also affect a claim. Compensation may be reduced when an injured cyclist shares fault. A person found more than 50 percent responsible for their own harm generally cannot recover damages in a negligence case.

Deadlines matter. Florida generally allows two years to file a lawsuit based on negligence, but exceptions and shorter deadlines may apply. For example, claims involving a government agency can require earlier notice. The date and facts of the crash should be reviewed as soon as possible.

When personal injury protection applies, Florida law generally requires initial medical services within 14 days of a motor-vehicle accident to qualify for medical benefits. Because coverage depends on the policies and circumstances, injured cyclists should not assume that PIP or another form of coverage does or does not apply without a review.

How Gimenez & Carrillo Can Help

Recovering from a bicycle injury can be hard enough without managing an insurance claim alone. Gimenez & Carrillo can handle the legal work while you focus on your health.

Depending on the case, our team may:

Investigate the crash and preserve available evidence
Identify responsible parties and possible insurance coverage
Review medical records, lost income, property damage, and future needs
Communicate and negotiate with insurers
Respond to disputes about fault, injuries, or treatment
Explain settlement offers and the rights a release would end
File a lawsuit and prepare the case for trial when appropriate

Managing Partner Jose I. Carrillo, Esq. has focused his practice on civil litigation since 1989. His experience includes personal injury litigation, trials, appeals, and work involving automobile insurance coverage from both the insurer and consumer sides.

No lawyer can promise a particular result. Our role is to explain the options, build the claim around reliable evidence, and pursue the course supported by the facts and law.

Visit our Miami law office page to learn more about the firm’s local services, or review our broader personal injury practice.

Areas We Serve Near Miami

Gimenez & Carrillo helps injured cyclists throughout Miami and Miami-Dade County, including Downtown Miami, Brickell, Little Havana, Wynwood, Edgewater, Midtown Miami, Flagami, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Kendall, Doral, Hialeah, and Miami Lakes.

We also assist people in nearby communities such as Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, North Miami, South Miami, Sweetwater, Westchester, and Pinecrest.

We may be able to help Florida residents and visitors injured while riding in South Florida.

Frequently Asked Questions About Miami Bicycle Accidents

Do I have a claim if I was not wearing a helmet?

Possibly. Florida requires riders and passengers under age 16 to wear a qualifying helmet. However, the statute states that failure to wear a bicycle helmet may not be treated as evidence of negligence or contributory negligence. The rest of the crash facts still matter.

What if I was partly at fault for the bicycle accident?

You may still have a claim if you were 50 percent or less at fault, but your compensation may be reduced by your share of responsibility.

Under Florida’s current rule, a person found more than 50 percent at fault for their own harm generally cannot recover damages in a negligence claim.

Can insurance help if the driver fled the scene?

It may. Uninsured motorist coverage or another policy may apply to a hit-and-run, depending on the coverage and facts.

Report the crash promptly and preserve any description, video, debris, or witness information that may help identify the vehicle.

How long do I have to file a bicycle accident lawsuit in Florida?

Florida generally provides two years for a negligence lawsuit. Other rules may change the deadline, especially when a public agency, a minor, a death, or another special circumstance is involved.

Getting advice early can also help protect evidence.

Does auto insurance cover someone injured while riding a bicycle?

It can. PIP, bodily injury liability, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, or a commercial policy may apply.

The order and amount of coverage depend on the crash and insurance policies, so each claim requires an individual review.

Speak With a Miami Bicycle Accident Lawyer

You do not have to sort through medical bills, insurance questions, and a disputed crash by yourself.

Gimenez & Carrillo, LLC can listen to what happened, review the available evidence and coverage, and explain the next steps that may fit your case. Our Miami office serves injured cyclists and families across Miami-Dade County and South Florida.