Pompano Beach Bicycle Accident Lawyer

A cyclist has the same right to the road as any driver and none of the protection. Jacobson Injury Firm represents riders struck in Pompano Beach and across Broward County, along with the families of those who did not survive the crash.

Attorney Adam Jacobson handles every case personally rather than passing it to a case manager. Contact us today for a free consultation, and see our broader Pompano Beach personal injury practice for related claims.

Florida Bars the No-Helmet Defense

Insurers raise this immediately, and in Florida the argument is not merely weak. It is prohibited. Florida Statute 316.2065 states that a cyclist’s failure to wear a helmet may not be considered evidence of negligence or contributory negligence. The statute is explicit, and it applies whether or not the injury was to the head.

Helmets are required only for riders and passengers under 16. An adult riding without one has broken no law and given the defense nothing. Many injured cyclists settle for less because they assume the opposite, and adjusters have no reason to correct them.

The Three-Foot Rule and What It Proves

Under Florida Statute 316.083, a driver overtaking a cyclist must leave at least three feet of clearance. If that gap is not available, the driver must stay behind until it is. The requirement applies in a shared travel lane and in a marked bicycle lane alike, with the only exception being a bike lane physically separated from traffic by a barrier.

Two things follow, and both matter to a claim. A violation of the rule supports a negligence argument built on the statute itself rather than on a jury’s general sense of carelessness. And physical contact is not required. A driver who passes too close and forces a rider into a curb, a parked car, or the pavement can be liable even though the vehicle never touched the bicycle. Riders in that situation often assume they have no claim because nothing hit them.

What Florida Law Actually Requires of Cyclists

A cyclist in Florida has all the rights and all the duties of a driver. The details decide fault arguments, so they are worth knowing. A rider traveling slower than traffic must generally keep as far right as practicable, but Florida Statute 316.2065 carves out clear exceptions: when passing, when preparing to turn left, when avoiding debris, drainage grates, parked cars, or other hazards, and when the lane is too narrow to share safely with a vehicle. In that last situation the rider is entitled to the entire lane, and drivers frequently do not know it.

Sidewalk riding is legal statewide unless a local ordinance says otherwise. A cyclist on a sidewalk carries the rights and duties of a pedestrian, must yield to people on foot, and must give an audible signal before passing. These provisions cut both ways in a claim, and the defense will reach for them, so how comparative fault is argued matters. Under Florida Statute 768.81, a rider assigned more than 50 percent of the blame recovers nothing.

Where Your Medical Bills Come From

A bicycle is not a motor vehicle, so it carries no personal injury protection of its own. If you own a car, your own PIP applies and follows you onto the bike under Florida Statute 627.736. If you do not own a vehicle, Florida still extends PIP to residents struck by a motor vehicle, with coverage coming from the insurer of the vehicle that hit you. The 14-day treatment deadline applies either way, and missing it forfeits the benefit entirely.

Your own uninsured motorist coverage also protects you while cycling. Since Florida does not require private drivers to carry any bodily injury liability coverage, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is frequently what pays a serious bicycle claim, particularly in hit and run cases where the driver is never identified.

Why Choose Jacobson Injury Firm for Your Pompano Beach Bicycle Claim?

Command of the Rules That Decide These Cases

Bicycle claims turn on statutory duties more than most injury cases, because Florida writes out exactly what a driver and a rider each owe. Knowing which provision applies to a given crash is what converts a fault dispute into a straightforward argument. Claims arising here proceed through the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Broward County.

Demonstrated Results for Injured Clients

The firm has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients. Cycling injuries are frequently severe while the available coverage is limited, which makes identifying every applicable policy as important as establishing fault. Our client reviews describe how the firm communicates through that process.

No Attorney Fees Unless You Recover

Bicycle claims at the firm run on contingency. Nothing is owed at the outset, we advance case costs, and no recovery means no fee.

Key Components of a Pompano Beach Bicycle Claim

Establishing Negligence

Negligence requires duty, breach, causation, and damages. In cycling cases the breach is usually a failure to yield when turning, a right hook across a bike lane, an unsafe pass, or a door opened into traffic. Federal bicycle safety data shows how heavily these crashes cluster at intersections and driveways, and physical evidence including the bicycle itself supports the reconstruction. Keep the bike and the damaged gear rather than discarding them.

Preserving Video Before It Disappears

Cycling crashes happen where cameras are. Storefronts, gas stations, and traffic infrastructure record continuously and overwrite within days. Camera footage showing the pass, the turn, or the signal phase frequently ends a fault dispute outright, and it has to be requested immediately.

Crossing the Permanent Injury Threshold

Because no-fault applies, Florida Statute 627.737 permits recovery of pain and suffering only where the injury meets one of four categories: significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death. Cycling injuries often clear it, but permanency requires medical documentation rather than assumption.

Calculating Damages

Damages cover medical costs, future care, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity, along with pain, scarring, and the loss of an activity that may have structured your week. Broken bones, collarbone and wrist fractures, road rash, and back injuries dominate these claims, and head trauma appears in a significant share. Florida also rewrote the evidence rules for medical damages in Florida Statute 768.0427, requiring disclosure of letters of protection and changing what juries see about amounts billed against amounts paid.

Acting Within Two Years

Florida cut the negligence deadline from four years to two in March 2023 under Florida Statute 95.11. Our statute of limitations resource explains how the clock runs. Where a government vehicle or a defective roadway or bike lane is involved, Florida Statute 768.28 adds written pre-suit notice to the agency and the Department of Financial Services.

“Excellent service and results. Attorney Jacobson was professional, responsive, and truly cared about my case. They explained everything clearly and delivered great results.”

Isaac M.

Where Bicycle Crashes Happen in Pompano Beach

Pompano Beach mixes year-round recreational riding with dense commercial traffic, and the two meet badly. A1A carries a steady stream of riders along the beach past constant parking turnover and hotel entrances. Federal Highway and Dixie Highway put bike traffic alongside six lanes of vehicles and hundreds of driveways. Atlantic Boulevard, Copans Road, and Sample Road combine higher speeds with intersections where right-turning drivers cross a bike lane without checking. Riders on the Intracoastal bridges face pinch points where the shoulder narrows. The FLHSMV crash dashboard tracks the results across Broward County, the Florida Department of Transportation publishes the safety data, and the City of Pompano Beach has been adding and redesigning bike infrastructure in response.

Types of Bicycle Accident Claims We Handle

Right Hook Collisions

A driver passes a cyclist and then turns right across the bike lane. These are among the most common serious cycling crashes and among the clearest on liability, because the driver created the conflict by passing first.

Left Cross Collisions

A driver turning left across an oncoming rider’s path misjudges the speed of an approaching bicycle or does not register it at all. Injuries tend to be severe because neither party has time to slow.

Dooring

An occupant opens a door into a rider’s path with no time to react. The person who opened the door bears responsibility, and in some cases so does the driver who stopped where they did.

Unsafe Passing

A driver squeezing past inside three feet violates a specific statutory duty. Contact is not required, since a pass that forces a rider off the road creates liability on its own.

Hit and Run

A driver who flees leaves the rider with uninsured motorist coverage as the primary path to recovery. Reporting immediately and locating nearby video are what make these claims succeed.

Road Defects and Debris

Potholes, uneven resurfacing, drainage grates, and construction debris throw a bicycle in a way they never would a car. A government entity or contractor may share responsibility, which brings its own notice requirements.

We also handle pedestrian accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, rideshare collisions, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death claims. See all practice areas.

What to Do After a Bicycle Crash in Pompano Beach

• Get medical care within 14 days without exception. Head injuries and internal trauma often present after the adrenaline fades, and missing the window forfeits your PIP entirely.
• Photograph the scene, the vehicle, the bike, and your injuries before anything is moved. Evidence at the scene cannot be recreated.
• Keep the bicycle, the helmet, and the damaged clothing. They document impact forces and support the injury narrative, and repairing or discarding them removes evidence.
• Call law enforcement and get the crash report number. Reports are available through the FLHSMV crash portal, and incidents in the city are typically handled by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
• Decline a recorded statement to the driver’s insurer until you have spoken with a lawyer. The first questions will be about your helmet and your lane position, and both have statutory answers most riders do not know. Our guide to insurance companies explains the pattern.
• Follow your treatment plan without gaps, because gaps become causation arguments later in the case timeline, and document soft tissue injuries alongside the obvious fractures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the insurance company blame me for not wearing a helmet?

No. Florida law expressly prohibits using a cyclist’s failure to wear a helmet as evidence of negligence or contributory negligence. Helmets are legally required only under age 16. An adult riding without one has violated nothing, though adjusters will still raise it because many riders assume it counts against them.

How much space must a driver give me when passing?

At least three feet. If a driver cannot leave that gap, they must remain behind you until they can. The rule applies in a shared lane and in a marked bike lane, with the only exception being a bike lane separated from traffic by a physical barrier.

Do I have a claim if the car never actually hit me?

Often yes. Liability depends on causation rather than contact. A driver who passes too close and forces you into a curb, a parked car, or the pavement can be responsible for your injuries even though the vehicle never touched the bike.

Who pays my medical bills after a bicycle crash?

Personal injury protection pays first. If you own a car, your own PIP follows you onto the bicycle. If you do not own a vehicle, Florida extends PIP to residents struck by a motor vehicle, with coverage coming from the insurer of the vehicle that hit you. The 14-day treatment deadline applies either way.

Am I required to ride in the bike lane?

Generally you must keep as far right as practicable when traveling slower than traffic, but Florida law lists clear exceptions: passing, preparing to turn left, avoiding hazards like debris or drainage grates, and when the lane is too narrow to share safely with a vehicle. In that last case you are entitled to the full lane.

Can I ride on the sidewalk in Florida?

Yes, unless a local ordinance prohibits it. A cyclist on a sidewalk has the rights and duties of a pedestrian, must yield to people on foot, and must give an audible signal before passing.

How long do I have to file a bicycle accident claim?

Two years from the date of the crash for most negligence claims, shortened from four years in March 2023. Claims involving a government entity, such as a defective roadway or bike lane, require written pre-suit notice and follow additional rules.

What if the driver fled or had no insurance?

Your uninsured motorist coverage can respond in both situations. Florida does not require private drivers to carry bodily injury liability coverage at all, so this is common rather than unusual, and stacked coverage across household vehicles often provides more than riders expect.

Can I recover if I was partly at fault?

Yes, provided your share does not exceed 50 percent. Recovery is reduced by your percentage, and more than 50 percent bars it entirely. Lane position and right-of-way are where these arguments happen, and both are governed by specific statutes rather than by opinion.

How much is my bicycle accident case worth?

Value depends on the severity and permanence of your injuries, medical costs, lost income, whether you cross the permanent injury threshold, the available coverage, and your share of fault. Cycling claims often pair severe injuries with limited policies, so finding every source of coverage matters as much as proving fault.

Speak With a Pompano Beach Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Video disappears within days and the helmet question will come up in the first phone call. Reach out today to speak directly with Adam Jacobson about your case. Consultations are free and you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Call (561) 567-7163 or send us a message. The firm also serves Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and West Palm Beach, with the full list on our areas we serve page and further reading in our personal injury resources and blog.