Cyclist riding on a Texas road at golden hour, Texas bicycle accident lawyers J. Alexander Law Firm
Texas Roads, Trails & Bike LanesBicycle Accident Lawyers

Texas Bicycle Accident Lawyers

A Texas bicycle accident lawyer goes after the driver who hit you, and the insurer behind them. When a car turns across you, passes too close, or never looks, the proof vanishes within days: the crash report, the camera footage, the driver’s phone records. We move fast to lock it down. You pay nothing unless we win.

4.9 ★★★★★ on 568+ Google reviews
01Texas roads, trails & bike lanes

A bike crash is a fight over who looked, and who didn’t.

A Texas bicycle accident case is different from a regular car wreck because you have no steel around you, the driver almost always says he never saw you, and the case turns on proof, the crash report, camera footage, and the driver’s own data, that disappears within days.

That changes the crashes we see, and how we have to prove them:

Intersection and failure-to-yield crashes, when a driver turns across your path or pulls out without looking.

Unsafe close passes and sideswipes, when a driver squeezes by instead of waiting for room.

Dooring, when someone opens a car door into the bike lane without ever checking.

105Cyclists killed on Texas roads in 2023, up sharply over the last five years.
2,595Bicycle crashes reported across Texas that same year.
59%Of injury crashes happen at intersections, where drivers turn or fail to yield.
Sources: Texas Department of Transportation pedalcyclist crash data, 2023; NHTSA, 2023.
02Why these crashes happen

Most bike crashes are caused by a driver, not a cyclist.

In Texas, driver inattention is the single most common cause of bicycle crashes, followed by drivers who fail to yield, run a light or sign, pass too close, or open a door into the lane. The driver’s first words are almost always “I never saw the bike.” Our job is to prove what the records show instead.

Inattention

Looked but never saw you

Driver inattention is the number-one cause of Texas bike crashes. A phone, a screen, or a glance away is all it takes to drift into a rider the driver swears was not there.

Failure to yield

Turned or pulled out across you

A driver turning left across your lane, or pulling out of a driveway or stop sign, has to yield to a cyclist with the right of way, and often does not.

Ran the light

Blew a stop sign or red light

Roughly one in eight Texas bike crashes happens because a driver ran a stop sign or a red light straight into a rider who had the right of way.

Unsafe pass

Squeezed by instead of waiting

A driver who passes too close clips or forces a rider down. In many Texas cities a too-close pass breaks a safe-passing ordinance, which is hard evidence of fault.

Dooring

Opened a door into the lane

Opening a car door into a rider’s path is illegal in Texas. When a driver or passenger doors a cyclist, the person who opened the door is responsible.

Speed & impairment

Too fast, or impaired

Speed decides whether a rider walks away or does not, and a drunk or distracted driver, often at dusk or after dark, turns a near miss into a life-changing hit.

03How we build it

The driver says he never saw you. We prove what happened.

A bike case is won on evidence the driver and the insurer would rather you never find. Footage gets recorded over, phones get wiped, and a vehicle’s data resets. We move to preserve all of it the day we are hired, and bring in experts to read it.

What we lock down

The police crash report and the officer’s findings on who failed to yield.

Nearby camera footage: doorbell, dashcam, business, and traffic cameras, before it is recorded over.

The driver’s phone records, when distraction is in question.

The vehicle’s event data recorder: speed, braking, and steering in the seconds before impact.

Your bike, helmet, and gear as physical evidence, plus scene photos and measurements.

Your medical records, tied to the crash on the record.

Who we bring in

Accident reconstruction engineers to rebuild the crash and measure the pass from the evidence.

Human factors and visibility experts on sightlines and what the driver could and should have seen.

Treating doctors and medical experts to connect the crash to your injuries.

Life care planners to price out future treatment after a serious injury.

Vocational and economic experts when an injury limits or ends your ability to work.

The rules these cases turn on

In Texas, a cyclist has the same rights and duties as a driver (Transportation Code § 551.101), and a driver must pass at a safe distance. There is no statewide minimum, but Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and around twenty other Texas cities require at least three feet for cars and six for trucks by ordinance, and opening a door into a rider’s path is illegal. A violation of any of those turns a “he said, she said” into objective evidence of negligence.

The insurer wants a fast, small check before the footage is found and the report is read. We want the full picture, on paper, before anyone talks settlement.

General process; every case is handled on its own facts.
“I spent over a decade directing insurance defense. I know exactly what a carrier looks for to deny or shrink your claim, because I found it for them.”
Managing Litigation Attorney · former insurance defense director
04Who we help

The bike cases we see across Texas.

We handle the full range of Texas bicycle injury cases: intersection and failure-to-yield crashes, unsafe passes, dooring, hit-and-run and uninsured drivers, fatal crashes, and family riders hurt close to home. How you were hit decides who pays and from which policy.

Right of way

Intersection & failure to yield

The most common serious bike crash; a driver turns across you or pulls out without yielding. The crash report and camera footage usually decide it, which is why we move on them first.

Close pass

Unsafe pass & sideswipe

A driver who passes too close clips you or forces you down. In cities with a safe-passing ordinance, that too-close pass is itself evidence of fault.

Dooring

Doored in the bike lane

Someone opens a car door into your path without looking. Texas law puts the blame on the person who opened the door, not on you for being there.

No coverage

Hit-and-run & uninsured drivers

If the driver fled or had no insurance, your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage often covers you on a bike. Many riders do not realize they already carry it.

Fatal

Wrongful death

When a crash takes a rider’s life, Texas law lets the surviving family recover for their loss in a wrongful death claim, with a separate survival claim for what your loved one endured.

Family riders

Children & recreational riders

More than a quarter of Texas crash cyclists are under fifteen. A child hit while riding near home deserves the same hard investigation as any other case.

05Value & risk

What your case is worth, and how we think about it.

There is no honest average for a Texas bicycle case. Yours depends on how badly you were hurt, how clearly the driver was at fault, and how much insurance sits behind them. Anyone who quotes a number before seeing your records is guessing.

Injury & future care

The lasting medical picture, not just today’s bills; surgery, long recovery, and ongoing care all raise the stakes.

How clear the fault is

The cleaner the proof that the driver was negligent, the stronger your leverage. A safe-passing or yield violation helps a lot.

How much coverage exists

The driver’s auto policy, your own coverage, and a household policy can each add a layer of insurance to reach.

Lost earning capacity

What the injury costs your ability to work, now and for years ahead, counts as much as the bills.

Where the money actually comes from

A bike claim often reaches more than the at-fault driver’s auto liability policy. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage frequently covers you while riding, even though you were not in a car, and it is often the recovery when a driver flees or carries no insurance. A household member’s policy and an umbrella policy can add more. Finding every layer is part of the job, because the size of a recovery depends on how much coverage we can reach.

How we handle the risk. You pay nothing up front. Our fee comes out of the recovery, and only if we win, so we can tell you honestly whether an offer is fair or worth taking to trial. Under Texas law, being more than 50% at fault can bar recovery, which is one more reason to lock the evidence down early. We will tell you plainly when an offer is fair, and when it is worth pushing further. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Bilingual representation

Texas bilingual lawyers, in the language you think in.

Yes. Our team works in English and Spanish, so if English is not your first language, you can tell us what happened in your own words and follow every step of your case.

Hablamos español. La consulta es gratis y no paga nada a menos que ganemos.

A native Spanish speaker, Laura handles serious injury and wrongful death cases for Spanish speaking clients across Texas, start to finish, in their own language.

Senior Associate Attorney · bilingual, English & Spanish
06Client voices

What our clients actually say.

Real reviews and video testimonials from people the firm has represented. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Video testimonials · in their own words
★★★★★
Client testimonial · Dallas, TX
★★★★★
Client testimonial · Texas
★★★★★
Client testimonial · Texas
★★★★★

“They took the time to answer all my questions and made me feel confident in them. The whole staff was very friendly and professional.”

Cecilia G.
★★★★★

“After speaking with them I could finally relax. Rodrigo made sure my physical therapy was covered and has been invaluable to us.”

Kelly H.
★★★★★

“A very good experience with Rodrigo. He was knowledgeable and responsive to every question I had about my situation.”

Rolando M.
★★★★★

“The team was professional, and knowledgeable. They made the whole legal process smooth and stress free.”

Ricardo S.
★★★★★

“Their communication went above and beyond. They handled all my medical visits and my settlement was way more than I expected.”

Maudie B.
★★★★★

“Muchas gracias Rodrigo y a todo el equipo. si están envueltos en un accidente te ayudan en todo el proceso.”

Miguel
★★★★★

“Excelente servicio al cliente, muy atentos con sus clientes. La comunicación es muy buena.”

Salvador T.
★★★★★

“She walked me through the whole process and kept checking in, not just on the next step but on how I was doing.”

McKenna B.
★★★★★

“They took the time to answer all my questions and made me feel confident in them. The whole staff was very friendly and professional.”

Cecilia G.
★★★★★

“After speaking with them I could finally relax. Rodrigo made sure my physical therapy was covered and has been invaluable to us.”

Kelly H.
★★★★★

“A very good experience with Rodrigo. He was knowledgeable and responsive to every question I had about my situation.”

Rolando M.
★★★★★

“The team was professional, and knowledgeable. They made the whole legal process smooth and stress free.”

Ricardo S.
★★★★★

“Their communication went above and beyond. They handled all my medical visits and my settlement was way more than I expected.”

Maudie B.
★★★★★

“Muchas gracias Rodrigo y a todo el equipo. si están envueltos en un accidente te ayudan en todo el proceso.”

Miguel
★★★★★

“Excelente servicio al cliente, muy atentos con sus clientes. La comunicación es muy buena.”

Salvador T.
★★★★★

“She walked me through the whole process and kept checking in, not just on the next step but on how I was doing.”

McKenna B.
Reviews reflect individual client experiences. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
07Common questions

Texas bicycle accident FAQ.

Straight answers, specific to Texas, to what riders ask most after a crash. Not sure how it applies to you? A free review sorts it out.

How long do I have to file a bicycle accident claim in Texas?
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file suit, and a wrongful death claim runs two years from the date of death. Cameras get recorded over long before then, so the sooner we start, the more proof we can save.
Does Texas have a 3-foot passing law?
Not statewide. Texas law only requires drivers to pass at a “safe distance” and sets no exact number. But Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and around twenty other Texas cities require at least three feet for cars and six for trucks by ordinance. If the driver who hit you broke a local passing law, that violation is strong evidence of fault.
Do I still have a case if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?
Usually, yes. Texas has no statewide helmet law for adult cyclists, and not wearing one generally does not bar your claim. The insurer may still argue it should reduce your recovery, which is one more reason to have a lawyer answer that argument for you.
The driver fled or had no insurance. What now?
Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage often covers you while you are riding, even though you were not in a car. We handle that claim against your own carrier so they treat it fairly, and we keep working to identify the driver who fled.
The driver says I came out of nowhere. What if it was partly my fault?
You can still recover under Texas’s modified comparative fault rule (§ 33.001) as long as you were 50% or less at fault, with your award reduced by your share. At 51% or more you recover nothing, which is exactly why drivers and insurers try to pin the blame on the rider. We use the report, footage, and reconstruction to answer it.
What if I was doored by a parked car?
Texas law makes it illegal to open a car door into the path of an approaching cyclist. When you are doored, the person who opened the door is responsible for your injuries, not you for riding where you had every right to be.
How much is my bicycle accident case worth?
There is no honest average, because value depends on injury severity, how clear the driver’s fault is, and how much insurance is available. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and any lawyer who quotes a number before reviewing your records is guessing.
What if a cyclist was killed in the crash?
Texas wrongful death law lets a surviving spouse, children, and parents recover for their loss, and a separate survival claim covers what your loved one endured. The deadline is generally two years from the date of death. We handle these cases gently and carry the legal weight so your family does not have to.
Should I talk to the driver’s insurance company?
Not without a lawyer. A recorded statement is used to lock in words that can be turned into fault later. Let our office handle all communication so nothing you say is used to reduce your claim.
How much does a bicycle accident lawyer cost?
We work on a contingency fee: nothing upfront, and fees are collected only if we recover for you. In most cases that arrangement also covers the investigation and expert costs along the way.
Free consultation

Hit on your bike
in Texas? Let’s talk.

Tell us what happened and we will tell you, honestly, where you stand under Texas law and what your case looks like. We represent injured cyclists across Texas, from city bike lanes to open country roads. The review is free, the footage is fading, and you owe nothing unless we win.

No fee until we win Bilingual English & Español 24/7 intake