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Action Guide

Bicycle Accident: Critical Steps to Take After a Crash

This California guide explains what to do after a bicycle accident. Start with this action: Do not move if you suspect spinal injuries. Preserve this priority record: Damaged helmet (critical evidence—do not discard). Avoid this common gap: Discarding your damaged helmet before documenting it. The sections below organize the evidence, timing, practical questions, and consultation steps that may matter.

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Raffi Naljian, Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney

Raffi Naljian

Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney

Raffi Garabed Naljian is the founder of Naljian Law Offices and an active California attorney under State Bar #238919. A Los Angeles Times profile says he founded the firm in 2008 after beginning his legal career in 1997, and the State Bar lists personal injury, litigation, criminal law, and business law among his self-reported practice areas.

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Primary identity record

Learn more about Raffi Naljian

This is a focused supporting page. Use Raffi Naljian's full verified attorney profile as the primary identity record for biography, role, languages, office information, and public-record links. Review that profile alongside the issue-specific preparation and public sources below.

The State Bar record lists Raffi Garabed Naljian as an active California attorney, State Bar #238919. Hurt Advice is a separate referral and legal information service, not the attorney's law firm.

How to Evaluate Attorney Fit for This Issue

For what to do after a bicycle accident, ask how prospective counsel would evaluate Damaged helmet (critical evidence—do not discard) and address the risk of Discarding your damaged helmet before documenting it. No directory or topic page can determine the right attorney. Compare active-license status, directly relevant experience, communication, fees, conflicts, availability, and who would handle the work, then confirm case fit directly before choosing counsel.

Topic preparation notes

Prepare the right information before an attorney consultation

These notes explain what the issue may involve, which documents make the first review stronger, and when a direct consultation may be more useful than further browsing.

First actions for What to Do After a Bicycle Accident

First action: Do not move if you suspect spinal injuries. Next action: Call 911 and insist on a police report. Keep the order tied to actual dates so an attorney can distinguish completed actions, open requests, and assumptions.

Priority records for What to Do After a Bicycle Accident

Start with Damaged helmet (critical evidence—do not discard) and Photos of bicycle damage. Add Photos of road conditions (bike lanes, debris, hazards) as a separate source, preserving who created or controls each item and when it was obtained.

Avoidable gaps for What to Do After a Bicycle Accident

Avoid Discarding your damaged helmet before documenting it. Also guard against Accepting blame because you weren't in a bike lane. A useful file separates confirmed facts, disputed points, and records that still need to be requested.

What to Do Next

  1. 1Do not move if you suspect spinal injuries
  2. 2Call 911 and insist on a police report
  3. 3Document your bicycle and helmet damage
  4. 4Get the driver's insurance information
  5. 5Take photos of the scene, including road conditions
  6. 6Note any bike lane markings or signage
  7. 7Seek medical attention even for seemingly minor injuries
  8. 8Preserve your helmet and damaged cycling gear

Evidence Checklist

  • Damaged helmet (critical evidence—do not discard)
  • Photos of bicycle damage
  • Photos of road conditions (bike lanes, debris, hazards)
  • Driver's insurance and contact information
  • Witness statements
  • Police report
  • Medical records documenting injuries
  • Cycling computer data if available (speed, route)
  • Dashcam or GoPro footage if you were recording

Compare the claim facts with the attorney's credentials, listed practice focus, and public sources.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Discarding your damaged helmet before documenting it
  • Accepting blame because you weren't in a bike lane
  • Not insisting on a police report
  • Downplaying injuries due to adrenaline
  • Repairing your bicycle before documentation
  • Not photographing road conditions that contributed
  • Settling quickly for just bicycle replacement costs

How the Process Typically Works

1

Complete the first topic-specific action

Begin with this step: Do not move if you suspect spinal injuries. Address urgent safety and necessary care before administrative preparation.

2

Build the supporting record file

Preserve Damaged helmet (critical evidence—do not discard) and Photos of bicycle damage as separate sources. Record their dates, custodians, and any unanswered request.

3

Check the file for avoidable gaps

Review the file for Discarding your damaged helmet before documenting it and Accepting blame because you weren't in a bike lane. Correct missing context without changing or discarding the original record.

4

Compare counsel and receive matter-specific advice

Bring the organized records and questions to the consultation. An independent attorney can evaluate the actual facts only after reviewing them and can provide representation only under a separate agreement.

Damages Questions to Discuss with Counsel

  • Past medical expenses supported by records, when legally recoverable
  • Future care supported by qualified evidence, when applicable
  • Lost income or earning-capacity evidence, when applicable
  • Property loss or repair evidence, when the claim includes it
  • Non-economic harm recognized under applicable law and supported by the facts
  • Other categories an independent attorney confirms after reviewing the matter

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first practical step for What to Do After a Bicycle Accident?

Start with this step: Do not move if you suspect spinal injuries. Next: Call 911 and insist on a police report. Address urgent safety or medical needs first, and seek timely advice if a deadline or changing evidence may matter.

Which records should I prioritize for What to Do After a Bicycle Accident?

Prioritize these records: Damaged helmet (critical evidence—do not discard); Photos of bicycle damage. Keep originals, note where each record came from, and identify anything requested but not yet received rather than treating a missing item as proof of what it would show.

What preparation mistake should I avoid for What to Do After a Bicycle Accident?

Avoid this gap: Discarding your damaged helmet before documenting it. Preserve the underlying facts and communications, separate what is known from what is assumed, and let a qualified attorney evaluate how the issue applies to the actual matter.

Does this guide create an attorney-client relationship?

No. This guide is general information. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, and representation begins only if an independent attorney accepts the matter under a separate written agreement.

How should I compare attorneys for this issue?

Compare active-license status, directly relevant experience, communication, fees, conflicts, availability, and who would handle the matter. Use the records and questions in this guide to evaluate case fit, then confirm those points directly before choosing counsel.

What fee questions should I ask before hiring an attorney?

Attorney fees and case costs vary. Review the written fee agreement, percentage, litigation costs, repayment terms, and who is responsible for expenses before hiring counsel.

Review the attorney's public background and write down the questions you want answered in a consultation.

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Important Disclosures

Attorney Advertising. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, not a law firm. This website provides general information, not legal advice. Viewing a page or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Independent participating attorneys decide whether to accept a matter, and representation begins only under a separate written agreement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter.