After a bicycle crash: map the pass, turn, or door

First obtain appropriate medical care. Then describe your route, direction of travel, lane position, vehicle movement, and contact point. Mark whether you were being passed, a vehicle was turning across your path, a door opened, or a surface defect changed your line. Preserve the bicycle, helmet, lights, bags, and clothing before repairs. Photograph damage from several angles, along with the road from both directions.

A passing case needs evidence of relative position and available lane space; a turning case needs signal, driveway, and bike lane details; a dooring case needs parked-car position and door swing. If a surface hazard matters, capture its exact dimensions and location while it is still present. Witnesses and camera locations should be recorded promptly, since the scene can change before anyone investigates.

California Vehicle Code section 21760 generally requires a motorist overtaking a bicyclist in the same direction to leave at least three feet. When the motorist and bicyclist are in the same lane of travel, the law also requires a lane change into another available lane traveling in the same direction when lawful, practicable, and safe. Where road or traffic conditions prevent the required space, the law addresses slowing and safe passing. The precise road width, lane availability, and traffic conditions therefore matter more than a slogan about a single distance.

The bike lane rule also has exceptions. Under section 21208, a cyclist may leave a bike lane for a left turn, to pass, to avoid a hazard, or when approaching a place where a right turn is authorized. Section 21209 limits when a motor vehicle may drive in a bike lane, including certain turns and entries. Take photographs of signs, lane markings, driveways, and the distance from an intersection rather than assuming bike lane presence decides fault.

Keep emergency and follow-up records, clinician instructions, receipts for transportation or replacement equipment, work records, and a dated note of activities you could not perform. Describe symptoms to clinicians and leave diagnosis to them. If another person helped with daily tasks, record the dates and tasks. The California Courts’ personal injury guide explains that injury claims can address medical costs and lost wages, but responsibility and supporting evidence must be evaluated case by case.

Ask an attorney to assess timing early. California Courts state a usual two-year personal injury filing period and note shorter rules when a government agency is involved. That distinction may matter if a public roadway condition or public vehicle is part of the account. Insurance notice provisions and a legal filing deadline are different questions; bring policies and correspondence so counsel can identify both.