Burbank Bicycle Accident Lawyers
Burbank cyclists share busy streets with commuter traffic, commercial vehicles, transit connections, and freeway access points. The City’s Safer Streets Burbank Action Plan identifies San Fernando Boulevard and Glenoaks Boulevard among the corridors studied for safety improvements, making intersection design, traffic movements, and roadway conditions important sources of evidence after a bicycle crash.
If another party’s negligence caused your bicycle crash in Burbank, California law may allow you to pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost income, property damage, and other losses. Depending on the circumstances, responsibility may rest with a driver, employer, property owner, public entity, or another party. Arash Law reports recovering more than $1 billion for clients across its California practice.
Call: (888) 488-1391 (24-hour line)
Reviewed by: Arash Khorsandi, Esq., California State Bar #249405, admitted 2007, last reviewed September 2026
We’ll review what happened and tell you what options may be available.
Or, get LIVE help now — call our free 24-hour accident hotline at (888) 488-1391
Recovered
Fees unless we win
Free case hotline
Statewide practice
Why Burbank Bicycle Accident Claims Require Local Evidence
The evidence available after a bicycle crash can change from one Burbank intersection to another. The investigating agency, roadway owner, nearby cameras, traffic configuration, and surrounding businesses may all affect how the collision is investigated.
- San Fernando Boulevard: Burbank’s safety planning has specifically studied San Fernando Boulevard. The City’s data for the segment between the I-5 ramps and Cypress Avenue identifies substantial daily traffic and injury collisions during the 2018–2022 study period, including bicycle collisions concentrated at intersections. Those conditions can make signal timing, turning movements, sight lines, roadway configuration, and available video important after a crash.
- Glenoaks Boulevard: The City’s safety plan also identifies the stretch of Glenoaks Boulevard between Cypress Avenue and Olive Avenue as a priority corridor. For 2018–2022, the plan reports 59 injury collisions, with bicycle collisions accounting for 7 percent of the total, and all recorded injury collisions on the segment occurring at intersections. The studied segment had no dedicated bicycle facility.
- Burbank Police Reports and Traffic Video: The Burbank Police Department (BPD) investigates qualifying collisions on public roads and makes approved traffic collision reports available through its Records Bureau and online service. Traffic-camera footage is handled separately through Burbank Traffic Engineering, so a request for the police report does not automatically preserve City video.
- Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station: The Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station is at 201 N. Front St. and serves both the Antelope Valley and Ventura County lines. The station also lists secured bicycle parking. A collision near the station may require review of the rider’s access route, nearby intersections, transit movements, and available roadway evidence.
- Medical Records After a Burbank Crash: Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, located at 501 S. Buena Vista St. in Burbank, operates a 24-hour emergency department. If you received treatment there or at another facility, medical records, diagnostic imaging, treatment notes, work restrictions, and follow-up recommendations can help document your injuries and ongoing needs.
Court and Public Entity Issues: Unlimited personal injury cases arising from bicycle crashes in Burbank are subject to the Los Angeles Superior Court’s special filing rules for personal injury actions. Although the Burbank Courthouse is part of the North Central Judicial District, the Court’s Local Rule 2.3 generally requires these cases to be filed in the Central District at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Central District personal injury cases filed since January 8, 2024, are assigned to the Independent Calendar departments at Stanley Mosk rather than a separate PI Hub Court.
Roadway responsibility can also affect a claim. Burbank Public Works maintains City streets and sidewalks, while its Traffic Section maintains traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings. Caltrans maintains State highway facilities, including Interstate 5 through Burbank. If a dangerous condition of public property contributed to a crash, California’s government claim procedures may apply. Government Code § 911.2 generally requires a claim involving personal injury or damage to personal property to be presented within six months after the cause of action accrues.
Who Can File a Bicycle Accident Claim in Burbank?
A person injured in a Burbank bicycle crash because of another party’s negligence may have the right to pursue a claim. That right extends beyond the injured cyclist.
- Injured cyclists may pursue claims against drivers, employers, public entities, property owners, or other parties whose conduct contributed to the crash.
- Passengers and other injured road users may have separate claims arising from the same collision.
- Pedestrians injured in the same crash may pursue their own claims. Arash Law also handles Burbank pedestrian accident claims.
- Cyclists struck by commercial vehicles may have claims involving both the driver and an employer when the driver was acting within the scope of employment.
- Eligible surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim under California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) § 377.60 when a cyclist dies from crash-related injuries.
- A spouse or registered domestic partner may have a separate loss of consortium claim when severe injuries damage the marital or domestic partnership relationship.
Claims Involving Minors: A child’s claim generally proceeds through a guardian, conservator of the estate, or court-appointed guardian ad litem. A settlement involving a minor also generally requires court approval.
Common Injuries in Burbank Bicycle Accidents
A cyclist has little physical protection from an impact with a motor vehicle or roadway surface. Bicycle crashes can therefore cause injuries that require emergency treatment, rehabilitation, surgery, or long-term care.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can affect memory, concentration, behavior, balance, and a person’s ability to work.
Trauma to the neck or back can damage the spinal cord and may cause lasting weakness, loss of sensation, or paralysis.
Contact with pavement can damage skin and underlying tissue, sometimes requiring surgery, wound care, or skin grafting.
Bicycle crashes frequently involve injuries to the wrist, clavicle, pelvis, legs, or other bones. Severe fractures may require surgery and rehabilitation.
Blunt-force trauma can damage internal organs even when serious injury is not immediately visible at the scene.
A child’s size and developmental stage can affect both the injuries sustained and the types of future medical or developmental evidence required.
Medical records, imaging, therapy notes, work restrictions, and future-care recommendations can document how an injury affected your health, employment, independence, and long-term needs.
Questions After A Bicycle Accident?
Speak with our team about your situation.
What Damages Can You Recover from a Bicycle Accident in Burbank?
California law may allow an injured victim in a bicycle crash to recover economic and non-economic damages and, in limited circumstances, punitive damages.Â
Economic Damages
Economic damages address financial losses caused by the crash.Â
- Medical Expenses: Recoverable losses may include emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, specialist treatment, medication, and reasonably necessary future care.
- Lost Income: A claim may include wages or other income lost while injuries prevented you from working.
- Reduced Earning Capacity: Serious injuries that limit future work may support a claim for diminished earning capacity.
- Property Damage: Repair or replacement costs may include the bicycle, helmet, cycling equipment, electronics, and other property damaged in the collision.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages address the personal effects of an injury that are not measured by a bill or receipt.Â
- Pain and Suffering: Serious injuries may cause ongoing pain during treatment and recovery.
- Emotional Distress: A crash may contribute to anxiety, depression, sleep problems, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Injuries may interfere with cycling, exercise, recreation, family activities, and other parts of daily life.
- Scarring and Disfigurement: Permanent scarring or other changes in appearance may support non-economic damages.
Wrongful Death Damages
When a cyclist dies from crash-related injuries, CCP § 377.60 governs who may bring a wrongful death action. CCP § 377.61 concerns the damages that may be recovered. Depending on the circumstances, damages may include lost financial support, funeral and burial expenses, household services, companionship, and other legally recognized losses.
Loss of Consortium
A spouse or registered domestic partner may have a separate claim for harm to the relationship caused by a seriously injured partner’s condition.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages may be available only when the evidence satisfies California’s heightened legal requirements. They are intended to punish qualifying misconduct rather than compensate the injured person for ordinary losses.
How Insurance Coverage Works in a Burbank Bicycle Crash
Identifying all available insurance policies is a critical step early in any bicycle accident claim in Burbank. Several insurance policies may need to be reviewed after a bicycle crash.Â
- At-Fault Driver’s Liability Policy: This policy is the primary source of payment in most bicycle accident claims. California’s current minimum automobile liability limits are:
- $30,000 for injury or death to one person
- $60,000 for injury or death to more than one person
- $15,000 for property damage
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage: Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage under an injured cyclist’s automobile policy may apply when the responsible driver has no insurance or insufficient limits. Whether coverage applies depends on the policy and circumstances.Â
- Household Policies: In some cases, coverage under a spouse’s or qualifying household member’s policy may apply. The policy language and definition of an insured should be reviewed.Â
- Commercial Coverage: When an employee causes a collision while acting within the scope of employment, an employer’s commercial policy may become relevant. Arash Law also handles Burbank car accident claims involving commercial and other vehicle coverage issues.
- Other Available Policies: Umbrella or other liability coverage may apply depending on the insured parties, exclusions, and circumstances of the crash.
An insurer may dispute fault, causation, the extent of an injury, or the amount of claimed damages. Collision reports, medical records, video, witness information, physical evidence, and insurance documents can help evaluate those disputes.
What Happens When You Start a Burbank Bicycle Accident Claim
A bicycle accident claim in Burbank usually begins with identifying the parties involved and preserving evidence before it becomes unavailable.
- Request the Collision Report. Obtain the BPD report if one was prepared. The report may contain party information, witness information, diagrams, statements, citations, and the investigating officer’s observations. It does not, by itself, determine civil liability.
- Preserve Available Video. Determine whether video may exist with Burbank Traffic Engineering, nearby businesses, property owners, or other sources. Prompt requests can matter because footage may not be kept indefinitely.
- Save Ride Data. Preserve original data from a cycling computer or app. Global positioning system (GPS) data may help document route, timing, speed, or movement, but should be evaluated alongside other evidence.
- Preserve Camera Footage. Keep the original files from any helmet, bicycle, or action camera and create a backup.
- Document Physical Damage. Photograph the bicycle, vehicle, helmet, clothing, and other damaged property before repair, disposal, or alteration.
- Maintain Medical Records. Keep treatment records, imaging, work restrictions, billing records, and follow-up recommendations that document the course of recovery.
How Fault and Negligence Work in a Burbank Bicycle Crash
California Civil Code § 1714 establishes a general duty to use ordinary care. A bicycle accident negligence claim generally requires proof of duty, breach, causation, and damages.
- Duty: A driver or other defendant owed the cyclist a legal duty of reasonable care.
- Breach: The defendant failed to use reasonable care under the circumstances.
- Causation: The defendant’s conduct was a substantial factor in causing the injury.
- Damages: The cyclist suffered compensable harm.
California’s Comparative Fault Rule
California follows a pure comparative fault system. A cyclist’s share of responsibility does not automatically eliminate the right to recover, but the cyclist’s percentage of fault may reduce damages.
Insurers may argue that a rider’s speed, lighting, lane position, visibility, or other conduct contributed to the collision. Video, photographs, witnesses, physical evidence, and roadway records may help evaluate those arguments.
Who May Be Held Liable
Depending on the facts, responsible parties may include:
- Negligent drivers who speed, fail to yield, drive while distracted, disregard signals, or otherwise fail to use reasonable care.
- Drivers who violate California’s bicycle-passing requirements under California Vehicle Code (CVC) § 21760.
- People who open vehicle doors unsafely in violation of CVC § 22517.
- The City of Burbank, when the requirements of Government Code § 835 are met for a dangerous condition of property that the City owns or controls.
- Caltrans, when a dangerous condition of State-controlled property contributes to an injury. State claims may require presentation through the applicable government claims process. Caltrans directs qualifying State claims through the Department of General Services Office of Risk and Insurance Management when appropriate.
- Employers, when an employee causes a collision while acting within the scope of employment.
Liability depends on the evidence. A traffic-law violation can be relevant, but it does not automatically resolve every disputed issue in a negligence claim.
Deadlines That Apply to Burbank Bicycle Accident Claims
Different deadlines may apply to personal injury, property damage, and government claims. Missing a statute of limitations or a government claim deadline may bar the affected claim entirely.
- Personal Injury Claims: CCP § 335.1 generally provides a two-year limitations period for an action involving injury or death caused by another person’s wrongful act or neglect.
- Property Damage Claims: CCP § 338 generally provides a three-year limitations period for injury to personal property, including a damaged bicycle or cycling equipment.
- Government Claims: Government Code § 911.2 generally requires a claim involving personal injury or damage to personal property against a public entity to be presented within six months after accrual.
For claims against the City of Burbank, the City’s Claim for Damages process is handled through the City Clerk’s Office. The City’s current form also states the six-month presentation period for personal injury and personal property claims.
California law provides limited procedures for seeking relief from a missed government claim-presentation deadline in some circumstances. Those procedures involve separate deadlines and should not be treated as an extension of the original six-month period.
Filing deadlines are different from evidence preservation concerns. Video, electronic data, records, and physical evidence may disappear well before a legal filing deadline expires. Delay can therefore affect the strength of the available proof even when the lawsuit deadline has not passed.
Representative Results for Cyclists and Vulnerable Road Users
Arash Law has secured more than $1 billion for injured clients throughout California. The results below highlight the firm’s experience representing cyclists, pedestrians, and other road users in serious injury matters. They show how disputed liability, the severity of the injuries, and careful case preparation can affect the resolution of a claim.
We secured a $3.5 million settlement for a six-year-old boy who sustained a traumatic brain injury after a pickup truck struck and ran over him while he was riding his bicycle across the street. The defense argued that the child caused the collision by crossing outside an intersection. Through discovery and deposition testimony, we uncovered evidence that the driver was distracted at the time of the crash.
The case settled as jury selection was about to begin. While crossing the street, a vehicle struck our 74-year-old client, causing serious injuries that required extensive treatment and a prolonged recovery. Our team provided individualized support while preparing the case for trial, and the matter was resolved before jury selection.
Our client sustained significant injuries after a speeding vehicle struck and ran over him. In addition to securing a substantial financial recovery, our team helped connect him with the medical care he needed throughout his recovery. The recovery provided financial support for the client and his family as he continued his medical treatment.
The case results described on this page are settlements and verdicts obtained in prior matters. They are not guarantees of outcome. Every case is different; results depend on the unique facts and circumstances of each matter. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Arash Law is a California personal injury law firm.
Talk to Arash Law’s Burbank Bicycle Accident Team: Free Case Evaluation
Evidence can become unavailable before the legal deadline for filing a claim. Arash Law can review the circumstances of a Burbank bicycle crash, available insurance, medical documentation, and potential sources of liability.
Call Arash Law at (888) 488-1391. Arash Law is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No attorney fee is owed unless the firm recovers compensation for you. Case-related costs may apply under the written agreement. Hablamos español.
Why Hire Arash Law for a Burbank Bicycle Accident Claim?
Arash Law handles bicycle and other personal injury claims throughout California. In a Burbank bicycle case, the legal work may involve local collision records, traffic video, insurance coverage, medical evidence, comparative-fault disputes, and public entity procedures.
- Evidence Preservation: The firm can identify potential sources of video, records, digital information, and physical evidence before they become unavailable.
- Insurance Analysis: The legal team can review liability, UM/UIM, household, commercial, and other potentially applicable policies.
- Comparative Fault Disputes: The firm can investigate claims that a cyclist contributed to a collision and evaluate the evidence supporting or contradicting those allegations.
- Public Entity Claims: When roadway conditions or government-controlled property may be involved, the firm can evaluate government claim-presentation requirements and applicable deadlines.
- Litigation Preparation: When a claim cannot be resolved through negotiation, the firm’s litigation team can evaluate whether filing suit is appropriate.
- Contingency Fee Representation: The fee arrangement must be stated in a written agreement as required by California Business and Professions Code § 6147. The agreement explains the fee terms and treatment of case-related costs.
Arash Law’s Burbank injury law firm page provides additional information about the practice areas the firm handles in the Burbank area.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bicycle Accidents in Burbank
Who Is at Fault If a Car Hits a Bicycle in Burbank?
Fault depends on the circumstances of the crash and whether one or more parties failed to use reasonable care. A driver who turns across a bike lane without yielding, opens a vehicle door when it is unsafe to do so, runs a red light, or follows a cyclist too closely may be negligent and may also have violated applicable traffic laws.
Even if you share some responsibility, California’s pure comparative fault rule may still allow you to recover compensation. Your damages are generally reduced according to your percentage of fault. Insurers and defendants may argue that a cyclist’s conduct contributed to the crash, so video, witness statements, photographs, and other physical evidence can be important when liability is disputed.
An attorney can evaluate how these rules apply to the specific circumstances of your crash.
What If the Driver Says They Never Saw Me?
A driver’s claim that they did not see a cyclist does not by itself resolve liability. Investigators may examine lighting, sight distance, vehicle position, traffic controls, witness statements, video, physical evidence, and whether the driver was distracted or otherwise failed to keep a reasonable lookout.
The relevant question is generally whether the parties used the level of care required under the circumstances, not simply whether the driver says the cyclist was visible.
Can I Still File a Claim If I Wasn't Wearing a Helmet?
Yes. Failure to wear a helmet does not automatically bar a bicycle injury claim. CVC § 21212 generally requires riders under age 18 to wear bicycle helmets, while CVC § 21213 contains additional helmet requirements for Class 3 electric bicycles.
In a case involving a head injury, a defendant may argue that helmet use would have reduced the severity of the injury. Whether that argument affects damages depends on the evidence and circumstances.
What If the Driver Who Hit Me Had No Insurance or Left the Scene?
Uninsured motorist coverage may provide another source of recovery when an applicable automobile policy covers the injured cyclist. Hit-and-run claims can carry additional notice, reporting, physical-contact, and timing requirements under California Insurance Code § 11580.2.
Report a hit-and-run promptly and notify potentially applicable insurers. The available coverage depends on the policy language and facts.
What If My Crash Happened Because of a Road Defect in Burbank?
A pothole, defective traffic control, dangerous roadway condition, or other condition of public property may raise a potential claim against the entity that owned or controlled the property.
Claims against the City of Burbank, Caltrans, or another public entity involve rules that differ from ordinary claims against private drivers. The six-month government claim-presentation period may apply, and evidence such as photographs, maintenance records, prior complaints, inspection records, and design documents may become important.
How Does California's Three-Foot Passing Law Affect My Claim?
CVC § 21760 regulates how motorists pass bicycles traveling in the same direction. It generally requires at least three feet of clearance and, in specified circumstances, requires a motorist to move into another available lane before passing when practicable, safe, and lawful.
A violation may be relevant evidence in a negligence claim. Whether it creates a presumption of negligence under Evidence Code § 669 depends on whether the statutory requirements are satisfied.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Bicycle Accident Lawyer?
Arash Law handles bicycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis. No attorney fee is owed unless the firm obtains a recovery for the client, although case-related costs may apply depending on the written agreement.
California Business and Professions Code § 6147 requires that a contingency fee agreement be in writing and state the agreed-upon fee percentage and specified information concerning costs. The actual terms should come from the signed agreement, not a generic percentage published on a webpage.
Protect Your Rights: Call Arash Law’s Burbank Bicycle Accident Lawyers Today
You have already dealt with enough: the crash, the emergency room, and the insurance calls. You should not have to navigate a legal claim alone while you are still trying to heal.
Arash Law’s bicycle accident lawyers in Burbank are ready to take over the legal work: securing BPD collision reports, demanding preservation of surveillance footage from Magnolia Boulevard and San Fernando Boulevard, building your medical record, and pursuing every liable party from the driver who hit you to the City of Burbank if a road defect played a role.
Call (888) 488-1391 for a free case evaluation with Arash Law. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Arash Law — MAKE THEM PAY, CALL AK.
