Here is what most drivers, and most insurance adjusters, get wrong: a person on a bicycle has the same right to the road as a person in a car. When a driver forgets that and hits a cyclist, the law does not treat it as the cyclist's problem to absorb.
A Spokane bicycle accident lawyer at Parker & McConkie holds careless drivers accountable when they injure people on bikes across Spokane and Washington. We handle the insurer and the paperwork, and you pay nothing unless we win. The first consultation is free.
If a driver hit you while you were riding, call our Spokane office at (509) 374-3111.
Do Cyclists Have the Same Road Rights as Cars in Washington?
Yes. Under Washington law, a person riding a bicycle on the road generally has all the rights and duties of a driver. That rule is set in RCW 46.61.755, and it is the foundation of most bicycle injury claims. A driver who cuts off, turns across, or fails to yield to a cyclist has broken the same duty they owe every other vehicle.
This matters because insurers often act as if a cyclist was somewhere they should not have been. In reality, you had a legal right to that lane or that crosswalk, and the driver's failure to respect it is what caused the crash.
Our Spokane attorneys use that legal footing to shift the focus back where it belongs, onto the driver who did not share the road.
Who Is at Fault When a Car Hits a Cyclist?
Most often the driver, and the crash pattern usually shows how. Certain collisions come up again and again, and each points to a specific driver error. Knowing the type helps prove fault.
The most common include:
- The left hook, where a driver turns left across an oncoming cyclist's path
- The right hook, where a driver passes a cyclist and then turns right into them
- Dooring, where someone opens a car door directly in a rider's path
- Failure to yield at intersections, driveways, and crosswalks
Each of these is the driver's mistake, not the cyclist's. We identify the pattern, match it to the physical evidence, and use it to establish exactly what the driver did wrong.
Cycling in Spokane? Read this quick guide to learn the most common types of bicycle accidents and how to stay protected on the road.
What Insurance Pays If No Car of Yours Was Involved?
You are often covered even though you were on a bike, which surprises many injured cyclists. The at-fault driver's auto insurance is the first source, because they caused the crash with their vehicle. But it does not stop there.
Your own auto insurance can also apply, even though you were not driving. If you have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, shortened to UM and UIM, it can pay for your injuries when the driver who hit you has no insurance or too little. Personal injury protection, or PIP, from your auto policy may cover medical bills regardless of fault.
Most people do not realize their car insurance protects them on a bicycle. We review every policy in your household to find coverage you already paid for.
Why Spokane Cyclists Get Hit
Spokane is a growing cycling city, and its mix of trails, commuter routes, and older streets creates predictable conflict points with cars. Understanding where and why crashes happen helps prove they were preventable.
Riders here move between the Centennial Trail, downtown bike lanes, and neighborhood streets that were never designed with bicycles in mind. Trouble spots include drivers turning across bike lanes on Sprague Avenue, distracted drivers near the Gonzaga University area, parked cars along downtown blocks where dooring happens, and low winter light that makes riders harder to see.
A driver who is not looking for a bicycle is the common thread.
We investigate the specific conditions of your crash, because the details are what defeat an insurer's attempt to blame the rider.
What Should You Do After a Bike Crash in Spokane?
Your health comes first, and a few quick steps right afterward protect your claim. What you do in the first hour can be the difference between a paid claim and a denied one.
Get medical attention right away, even if you think you are fine, because adrenaline hides injuries and head trauma can surface later. Then, if you are able:
- Call the police so there is an official report of the crash
- Get the driver's name, license, and insurance information
- Photograph the scene, the vehicle, your bike, and your injuries
- Keep your damaged bike and helmet exactly as they are, since they are evidence
- Collect names and numbers from any witnesses
Do not negotiate fault at the scene or give the driver's insurer a recorded statement before talking to a lawyer. Drivers sometimes apologize at the scene and then change their story later, so the independent evidence you gather now is what protects you. If you were too hurt to collect any of it, do not worry, because we can help reconstruct what happened afterward.
We help everyday people stand up for What's Right.
Is There a Deadline to File a Bicycle Accident Claim in Washington?
You generally have three years from the crash date to file a bicycle injury lawsuit in Washington, under RCW 4.16.080. Miss the deadline and you usually lose the right to recover, no matter how clearly the driver was at fault.
The sooner you act, the better the evidence. Damaged bikes get thrown out, helmets that show impact get tossed, and witness memories fade. All of it can matter.
What Is a Spokane Bicycle Accident Claim Worth?
Your claim is worth the full cost of the crash, and cyclist injuries are frequently serious because a rider has no protective shell. The value reflects both the bills you can add up and the losses that are harder to measure.
Compensation generally covers medical treatment from the emergency room through rehabilitation, lost income while you cannot work, reduced earning ability for lasting injuries, and pain, disability, and the disruption to your life.
Crashes that cause a traumatic brain injury, a lasting disruption of brain function known as a TBI, or spinal damage can require care for years, and we account for that future cost rather than just the immediate bills.
What If an Unsafe Road or Intersection Played a Role?
Sometimes the driver is not the only one responsible. A dangerous intersection, a poorly designed bike lane, or a road left in disrepair can contribute to a crash, and that can open the door to an additional claim. Identifying it can change the outcome in a serious case.
When a public road or bike lane is unreasonably dangerous, the government entity responsible for maintaining it may share liability. These claims are more complicated than a standard injury case, because claims against government bodies carry shorter notice deadlines and special procedures. Missing one of those early deadlines can end that part of the claim before it begins.
We look beyond the obvious. If a blind corner, a missing signal, an unmarked hazard, or a defective bike component contributed to your crash, we identify every responsible party, public or private. That thorough approach is often what separates a full recovery from a partial one, especially when the driver's insurance alone cannot cover a catastrophic injury.
If you are not sure whether more than one party was at fault, that is exactly what our free review is for. Call (509) 374-3111.
Discover the core legal principles of liability and see how proving negligence strengthens your claim after a Spokane bicycle accident.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a lawyer after a bicycle accident in Spokane?
For any crash with injuries, yes. Insurers routinely try to blame cyclists, and untangling which policies apply is not obvious when no car of yours was involved. A Spokane bicycle accident lawyer asserts your road rights, finds every source of coverage, and handles the insurer so you are not fighting the stereotype alone.
How much does a Spokane bicycle accident lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. We take bicycle cases on contingency, so our fee is a percentage of the recovery and applies only if we win, with no fee if we do not. The consultation is free and we advance the costs, so experienced help is available without money out of pocket.
Does my helmet use affect my bicycle accident claim?
It can come up, but Washington has no statewide adult bicycle helmet law, though some local rules exist. Not wearing a helmet does not erase a driver's fault for causing the crash. It may become a dispute over head injuries specifically, and we keep that argument in its proper, limited place.
What if the driver left the scene after hitting me?
You may still have a path to recovery. Hit-and-run crashes are frustrating, but your own uninsured motorist coverage can step in when the driver cannot be found. Police investigation, nearby cameras, and witnesses sometimes identify the driver later. We pursue both angles so a fleeing driver does not leave you with the bill.
Can I recover if I was not wearing a helmet or was riding at night?
Usually yes, on both counts. Washington has no statewide adult helmet law, and riding at night is legal, so neither one bars your claim. A driver still had a duty to see you and share the road. An insurer may argue that a lack of lights or reflective gear contributed, and that can affect a portion of the claim, but it does not erase the driver's responsibility for hitting you. We address these arguments directly and keep them in proportion. The core question remains what the driver did, and a driver who failed to yield or looked away does not escape liability because of what you were or were not wearing.
A driver doored me on a downtown Spokane street. Is that my fault for riding close to parked cars?
No. The person opening a car door has a duty to check for traffic first, including bicycles. Dooring is the driver's or passenger's error, not yours. Riding near a legal parking lane does not shift the blame to you, and we can show the door was opened into your path.
My child was hit while riding a bike. Is their claim different?
In some ways, yes, and often in the child's favor. Children are held to a lower standard of care than adults, so arguments that a young rider was careless carry far less weight. Washington also gives minors more time to bring certain claims. We handle these cases with that added protection in mind.
I was not hurt badly at the scene but felt worse the next day. Did I wait too long?
Probably not, but see a doctor now. Adrenaline hides injuries, and it is common for pain to set in a day later. Getting evaluated promptly links the injury to the crash and protects your claim. Waiting a little is explainable, but do not keep putting it off.
Talk to a Spokane Bicycle Accident Attorney
Riding a bike should not mean absorbing the cost of a driver's carelessness. Our Spokane attorneys assert your rights on the road, find every policy that owes you, and pursue the full value of injuries that cyclists too often face alone.
Call our Spokane team at (509) 374-3111, or dial our toll-free line at (833) 782-6387. We represent injured cyclists across Washington, and your first conversation is free.