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A bike crash usually ends with the rider on the pavement and the driver still standing, and that imbalance often follows the rider into the insurance claim. Questions about the cyclist’s own conduct can come up before anyone has looked at the evidence. Mickey Keenan, P.A. works to change that, and our Tampa bicycle accident lawyers build each claim around what the driver did, not what the insurer assumes.
Talk with us for free at (813) 871-1300 before you give any statement to the driver’s insurance company, or accept any first offers.
Tampa Roots and a Team That Knows These Roads
Our firm has more than 20 years of experience handling injury claims, and Mickey Keenan is a former insurance defense lawyer who now represents injured people. We belong to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and 314 clients have left us five-star Google reviews.
Our help often starts with practical needs, such as arranging a rental car or finding the right doctor, before the legal work begins. Our Tampa bicycle accident attorneys know the streets our clients ride, from South Tampa to Seminole Heights.
Our team serves riders across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Sumter counties. Our results include a $760,000 settlement for a client hurt in a collision that looked minor at first.
Results may vary. Prior case outcomes do not guarantee similar results.
Ask for a free first meeting, and bring whatever photos or paperwork you have already gathered.
Florida Bicycle Laws Affecting Bicycle Accident Claims
Florida has clear rules for where and how cyclists ride. You should ride in a bike lane or near the right edge of the road, but you may take the full lane when passing, turning left, avoiding debris or parked cars, or riding in a lane too narrow for a car and bike to share safely, under Florida Statutes Section 316.2065.
The same law requires a white front light and a red rear light at night, and riders under 16 must wear a helmet. Breaking one of these rules does not automatically end a claim. Tell us which rules the insurer says you broke, and we will check whether they had anything to do with the collision.
How Do Bicycle Crashes Happen Around Tampa?
Most bike collisions in Tampa happen when a driver fails to see a rider or misjudges the space needed to pass. The collision patterns we see most often include:
- Right Hooks: A driver passes a cyclist, then turns right across the rider’s path.
- Left Crosses: An oncoming driver turns left without seeing a rider coming straight through the intersection.
- Dooring: Someone in a parked car opens a door into a bike lane without checking behind them.
- Unsafe Passing: A driver squeezes by too closely and clips the rider or the handlebars.
- Rear-End Hits: A distracted driver runs into a rider from behind, often at higher speed.
Drivers must leave at least three feet when passing a bicycle, under Florida Statutes Section 316.083. Many unsafe-passing cases come down to whether the driver gave that space, and witness statements and video often answer that question.
Dooring has its own rule as well. Florida law bars anyone from opening a car door on the traffic side unless it is safe to do so, under Florida Statutes Section 316.2005, which puts the duty on the person in the parked car.
Location plays a big part in these cases. Bayshore Boulevard draws heavy bike traffic beside fast-moving cars, while Dale Mabry Highway and Gandy Boulevard carry wide lanes of traffic with frequent turns into shopping centers. Riders near the Selmon Expressway extension above Gandy and along the Selmon Greenway also deal with ramps, merging traffic, and tight crossings.
Neighborhood streets bring their own problems. For example, in Ybor City and Downtown Tampa, riders share space with streetcar tracks, delivery trucks, and parked cars, while South Tampa and Seminole Heights mix narrow older streets with fast cut-through traffic.
Busy crossings such as Kennedy Boulevard at Dale Mabry Highway and Hillsborough Avenue at Florida Avenue stack several turn lanes together, which can set up right hooks and left crosses.
Mark the exact spot on a map and send it to us, so we can look for nearby cameras before the footage is gone.
What Makes Bicycle Accident Claims Complex?
Bicycle accident claims are complex because riders often suffer severe injuries and the insurance picture can get messy. A rider has none of the protection a car provides, so the bicycle accident claims we handle often involve:
- Traumatic brain injury claims
- Spinal cord injury claims
- Broken bone claims
- Scarring and disfigurement claims
- Wrongful death claims
Get checked by a doctor after any crash, even if you felt fine at the scene, since those records become part of the claim. Some of these injuries require care for life, such as home health aides, wheelchairs, or years of therapy. In those cases, we work with doctors and life care planners, who estimate the cost of the care a person will need over time, so the claim covers future needs as well as today’s bills.
Insurance adds another layer. Your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policy, the no-fault part of an auto policy that pays your own medical bills, usually pays first even though you were on a bike. If you and the relatives you live with have no car insurance, the PIP coverage on the car that hit you may pay instead.
You must get medical care within 14 days to use those benefits, under Florida Statutes Section 627.736, so share your records with us early, and we will track what PIP has paid.
How Is Fault Decided in a Tampa Bicycle Accident Claim?
Fault in a Tampa bicycle accident claim is decided by comparing what the driver and the rider each did. Florida uses modified comparative negligence, which means a jury can lower your award by your share of blame.
You can still recover as long as you are not more than 50% at fault, under Florida Statutes Section 768.81. Arguments about rider fault often come up in these claims, including:
- “You Weren’t in the Bike Lane”: Florida law lets riders leave the bike lane to avoid hazards, turn left, or pass. Leaving the lane for one of those reasons is not careless riding.
- “You Weren’t Wearing a Helmet”: Adults in Florida do not have to wear helmets. An insurer may argue a helmet would have lessened a head injury, but that argument has nothing to do with a broken leg or a crushed hand.
- “You Came Out of Nowhere”: Drivers have a duty to watch for cyclists. Bright clothing, lights, and video often show the rider was there to be seen.
- “You Were Riding Too Fast”: Speed claims need proof, and data from a bike computer or fitness app often tells a different story.
Our Tampa bicycle accident lawyers answer these arguments with scene photos, video, witness statements, and ride data from your phone. Before you give the driver’s insurer a recorded statement, call us first, and we will speak with the adjuster for you.
Damages Available in a Tampa Bicycle Accident Claim
A bicycle accident claim can cover the money you have lost and the ways the injury has changed your life. Damages may include:
- Medical expenses and future care
- Lost wages
- Lost earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Scarring
- Loss of enjoyment of life
For many riders, losing the ability to ride again is one of the hardest parts, and that loss counts in the claim. Keep a list of the rides, races, or group outings you have missed. Photos from before the crash can also show the active life the injury interrupted.
How Long Does a Tampa Bicycle Accident Claim Take?
Most bicycle accident claims take several months to a couple of years, depending on how serious the injuries are and how negotiations go. Step one is medical treatment, since no one can value a claim until doctors know how far you will recover.
After that, we send the insurer a written demand for payment with your records and bills, and negotiations begin. If negotiations stall, we file a lawsuit in Hillsborough County Circuit Court and keep building the case while settlement talks continue.
Can a Family Sue if Their Loved One Died?
A family can sue when a loved one dies in a bicycle crash caused by someone else’s carelessness, as long as the person could have sued if they had lived, under Florida Statutes Section 768.19. The claim is filed by the personal representative, the person chosen to handle the estate, on behalf of the family.
Depending on the family, survivors may recover lost support, lost companionship, and money for their grief, and the estate may recover medical and funeral costs. Florida law lists who counts as a survivor, including a spouse, children, and parents, and sometimes other relatives who relied on the person.
If the driver was drunk or racing, the family may also seek punitive damages, which are meant to punish very reckless conduct. Whenever your family feels able, our Tampa bicycle accident lawyers will meet with you and explain each step at a pace that feels manageable.
FAQs: Tampa Bicycle Accident Lawyers
Riders and their families often ask us these questions during their free consultations.
How Long Do You Have to File a Bicycle Accident Claim in Florida?
Most bicycle accident lawsuits in Florida must be filed within two years of the wreck, under Florida Statutes Section 95.11. A wrongful death claim also has a two-year limit, counted from the date of death, so families should not wait long to call.
What if a Driver Hit You and Drove Away?
If your car policy includes uninsured motorist coverage, which pays when the other driver cannot be found or has no insurance, it can often cover you even on your bike. Report the wreck to police right away, since insurers usually expect a police report for these claims.
Does It Matter if You Were Riding an E-Bike?
Florida treats most electric bicycles like regular bikes, so riders have the same rights on the road and do not need a driver’s license. Insurers sometimes argue an e-bike was going too fast, so ride data from the bike or an app can help.
Can Your Claim Cover a Damaged Bike?
Your claim can cover a damaged bike, including repairs to or replacement of your bike, helmet, lights, phone, and riding clothes. Keep damaged gear as it is, and take photos before any repair shop touches it.
Can You Recover if You Were Riding on a Sidewalk?
You can still recover if you were riding on a sidewalk. Florida lets adults ride on sidewalks unless a local rule bans it, and a rider on a sidewalk has the same rights as a person walking. You must yield to pedestrians and give a warning before passing them, but drivers pulling out of parking lots and side streets still have to look for you.
What if a Pothole Caused Your Crash?
A pothole, broken pavement, or missing sign can make a city, county, or state agency responsible. Claims against government bodies require written notice first, under Florida Statutes Section 768.28, so tell us about any road defect as soon as possible.
Do You Pay Anything Up Front to Work With Us?
No upfront fees, you pay nothing unless you win. We charge a contingency fee, which means we are paid a percentage of the money we recover for you.
Your Next Step With Our Tampa Bicycle Accident Lawyers
When you call Mickey Keenan, P.A., you will talk with our team about the ride, the driver, and what the injury has taken from you. There is no charge for that first conversation and no pressure to hire us. Our bicycle accident lawyer team in Tampa, FL, takes calls at (813) 871-1300.
Mickey Keenan, P.A. – Tampa Office
2011 W Cleveland St, Tampa,
FL 33606