Close Menu
X

San Francisco Bicycle Accident Attorneys

Callaway & Wolf are experienced San Francisco bicycle accident injury lawyers who are proud members of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.  Attorney Boone Callaway took the Urban Street Skills training course at the S.F. Bike Coalition, and when the instructor, Bert Hill, needed a lawyer for his bike accident case, he chose Boone.

In our experience, a surprising number of bike accident cases in San Francisco involve police reports blaming the bicyclist for the accident. We’ve handled many successful cases where the police found our client completely at fault, and many of these have been bike accidents. Our attorneys have won settlements in a number of recent bike accident cases, including:

  • $3.74 million settlement with the city of San Francisco for a bicyclist injured by a street sweeper.  The bicyclist was legally intoxicated, and was riding at midnight without a helmet, no lights and inadequate reflectors on his bike.
  • $322,000 settlement for bicyclist injured in a “right hook” accident on Market Street, after the police issued a report blaming the accident entirely on the bicyclist.

Contact Callaway & Wolf today if you, your child or a family member has been seriously injured in a bike accident. Mr. Callaway not only has the experience of being a cyclist, he has litigated numerous collisions involving bicycles and motor vehicles for over 20 years. Call 415-541-0300 today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation and get your questions answered.

child on bikeCalifornia Law Requires Drivers to Take Responsibility for Causing Bike Accidents

We stand up for our bicycle injury clients, insuring that they receive fair treatment and compensation. San Francisco has more bicycle riders per capita than any other American city. But drivers often do not bother to look for bikes — or don’t want to give them the fair use of the road they are entitled by California law, which permits bike riders full use of a lane whenever there isn’t enough room to ride safely next to a car. To learn more, read the California DMV safety tips for bike riders and car drivers.

Many bike accidents occur when drivers simply don’t see a bike, and change lanes or make a right turn when a bicyclist is to their right. Bicycle riders in California are also often injured by “dooring” — when a person opens their car door without looking to see if a bike is coming. California law requires drivers to look carefully before opening their doors. Drivers are responsible for injuries to bike riders when they break this law.

What is California’s Statute of Limitations for Bike Accidents?

California has a two-year statute of limitations for bicycle injuries. This is the time in which your case must be settled, or filed in court. This time limit shrinks to six months if the state or a city is responsible. Even though you may have plenty of time before your time limit is up, our experienced San Francisco bike accident lawyers can help guide you through the process from day one, helping to insure that the proper groundwork is laid for your claim.

biking on busy streetWhat do I do Immediately After I’ve Been in a Bicycle Accident?

Following an injury bike accident, most of our clients are unsure of what steps to take next. Questions about medical bills, employment and long-term needs are just a few of the things you might be thinking about. Not to mention the questions surrounding your legal rights, whether you can collect compensation for your injuries or knowing how much that compensation should be are all things that might be on your mind. Here are a few suggestions we have for you to do right after a serious bike accident:

  • Get a Police Report and Seek Medical Attention. While this might sound like common sense, you might be surprised how many people don’t report being hit by a vehicle or don’t promptly go to a doctor. Reporting the accident and seeing a physician establishes the paper trail evidence in your legal matter. The longer you wait the less severe a claims adjuster or attorney for the insurance company may try to make it sound if you decide to pursue legal action. Keep copies of all of your paperwork, reports and files.
  • Exchange Information with Driver and Take Pictures. Ideally you should try to get the driver’s name, address, telephone number, Driver’s License number and insurance information. Take photos of the driver’s license and their license plate. Additionally, get pictures of the scene of the accident, traffic conditions, damage to the vehicle and bike. Later on, you should also photograph any visible injuries.
  • Get Witness Information. If there were any witnesses make sure to get their contact info. Sometimes they might have seen the entire incident, or the sequence of events that lead up to the collision. Having their contact information might be a valuable piece of evidence.
  • Don’t Talk to the Driver’s Insurance Company Before You Call a Lawyer. If there is a police report, the insurance company will get it promptly and may call you up, peppering you with questions. If you let them, they will even take a lengthy recorded formal statement. It’s OK to give them the very basic facts, but nothing more. These people are trained cost control specialists, and they will try to get you to say things that are helpful for their side. Despite what they may tell you, there is little information they need from you anytime soon after an accident. Often times, an insurance company will want to settle a claim out of court without the involvement of lawyers. For a small claim this may be the best way to proceed, but you should talk to a lawyer before you make that decision. If you have injuries, please call us at 415-541-0300 and allow us the opportunity to discuss the specifics of your matter. We are always glad to talk to people about their claims and how to proceed, even if all we are doing is giving some advice about how to proceed without a lawyer.

After over 20 years we’ve learned that every sequence of events leading up to, and following a bicycle crash is unique. Even if you’ve already done a lot of things differently than the advice above, you can still benefit from the advice & assistance of an experienced bike accident attorney. Call us today and let us help you.

Contact a Bike Accident Lawyer in San Francisco

Callaway & Wolf are highly experienced personal injury lawyers in San Francisco. If you or someone you know has been injured in a bike accident in the San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to Oakland and Marin, contact us for a free consultation using our online contact form. Or call 415-541-0300 to speak to a bike accident lawyer experienced in handling bicycle injury claims and winning settlements.

Share This Page:
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
HAVE A QUESTION? WE'VE GOT ANSWERS

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in this form. This form sends information by non-encrypted e-mail which is not secure. By submitting this form, I understand that it does not create an attorney-client relationship.

protected by reCAPTCHA Privacy - Terms