Bicycle Accidents: Common Injuries and Legal Options for Cyclists

Posted November 24, 2025 | Personal Injury Blog

Cycling is more than just a hobby, it’s a way of life for many Texans and Utah residents. Unfortunately, sharing the road with cars and trucks means cyclists face serious risks every day. Even with helmets and safety gear, a single careless driver can cause life-altering injuries.

In this article, we’ll explain:

• The most common causes and injuries in bicycle accidents
• Who can be held liable for a bike crash
• What damages injured cyclists can recover
• How a bicycle accident attorney can help you navigate the legal process and protect your rights

At Fielding Law Auto Accident Attorneys, we represent cyclists across Texas and Utah who have been injured by negligent drivers, unsafe road conditions, or defective bike components.

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents

Most bicycle crashes happen because a motorist failed to notice or yield to a cyclist. Some of the most frequent causes include:

• Driver negligence: Distracted, speeding, or reckless drivers not watching for cyclists.
• Failure to yield: Cars turning right or left without checking bike lanes or intersections.
• Dooring incidents: Drivers or passengers opening car doors into a cyclist’s path.
• Unsafe road design: Poor lighting, potholes, or lack of proper bike lanes.
• Drunk or impaired driving: A leading cause of severe and fatal cyclist crashes.
• Defective bike parts: Faulty brakes, tires, or frames that cause loss of control.

These cases often overlap with car accident claims, truck crashes, and distracted driving accidents, each requiring careful investigation to determine fault.

Common Bicycle Accident Injuries

Even a low-speed collision between a car and a bicycle can result in catastrophic harm. Common injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), even when wearing a helmet
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis

• Broken bones and fractures

• Road rash and lacerations

• Internal bleeding or organ damage

• Facial injuries and disfigurement

Many of these injuries lead to lifelong consequences, requiring surgeries, therapy, and ongoing medical care. That’s why it’s critical to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after a bicycle crash, before evidence disappears or insurers try to downplay your claim.

Determining Liability in a Bicycle Accident

In most cases, the driver of the vehicle that hit the cyclist is at fault. However, liability can extend to others as well:

• Drivers: For failing to yield, texting while driving, or violating traffic laws.
• Municipalities or contractors: For dangerous road conditions or lack of signage.
• Bike manufacturers: For defective equipment that contributed to the crash.

Your bicycle accident attorney will collect evidence such as police reports, witness statements, dashcam footage, and accident reconstruction analyses to identify all responsible parties.

What to Do After a Bicycle Accident

If you’ve been involved in a bike crash:

1. Call 911 and report the accident, even if you think your injuries are minor.
2. Seek medical treatment immediately. Some injuries, like concussions, don’t show symptoms right away.
3. Get driver and witness information. Include license, insurance, and contact details.
4. Take photos of your injuries, your bike, and the scene.
5. Avoid making statements to insurance adjusters before consulting a lawyer.

Fielding Law’s attorneys can step in to handle communication with insurers, gather evidence, and ensure your rights are protected from day one.

Compensation for Bicycle Accident Victims

If you were injured by a negligent driver, you may be entitled to recover compensation for:

• Medical expenses: Emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term treatment
• Lost wages and earning potential if you’re unable to work
• Pain and suffering for physical and emotional distress
• Property damage to your bicycle and equipment
• Permanent disability or disfigurement

In fatal cases, surviving family members may also file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover for funeral expenses and loss of companionship.

Texas and Utah Bicycle Laws: What Cyclists Should Know

Both Texas and Utah have laws designed to protect cyclists’ rights on the road:

• Three-foot passing law: Drivers must leave at least three feet of space when passing a cyclist.
• Bike lane rights: Cyclists have the right to use bike lanes, and when no bike lane is available, they can ride in the regular traffic lane.
• Helmet laws: Utah strongly encourages helmets for all riders; Texas does not have a statewide helmet law, though local ordinances may require them.

When a driver violates these rules and causes an accident, your bicycle accident lawyers can use that violation as evidence of negligence in your claim.

How Fielding Law Can Help

After a serious bicycle crash, insurance companies often try to blame the cyclist or minimize their injuries. At Fielding Law Auto Accident Attorneys, we won’t let them.

Our attorneys will:

• Investigate the accident and identify all liable parties
• Work with medical and accident reconstruction experts
• Negotiate with insurance companies for a fair settlement
• Take your case to court if needed to pursue full compensation

We also represent victims in related cases such as rideshare accidents, pedestrian accidents, and catastrophic injury claims, where severe trauma and lifelong disability are common.

Contact Fielding Law Auto Accident Attorneys

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident in Texas or Utah, don’t face the legal and financial burden alone. You have rights, and we’re here to help you protect them.

Let Fielding Law Auto Accident Attorneys fight for your recovery, so you can focus on healing and getting back on the road.

Texas Offices:

• Mesquite: 18601 Lyndon B Johnson Freeway Suite 315, Mesquite, TX 75150
• Heath: 4232 Ridge Rd #104, Heath, TX 75032
• Richardson: 2221 Lakeside Blvd, Suite 1600, Richardson, TX 75082

Utah Office:

• Taylorsville: 4179 South Riverboat Road, Ste 150, Taylorsville, UT 84123

Call Fielding Law today for a free consultation, because it’s not about us. It’s about you.