Attorney Michael Rehm - (916) 233-7346

Attorney Michael Rehm represents cyclists who have been seriously injured by careless drivers in Sacramento and throughout Sacramento County. He handles bicycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis — no fee without a recovery. If you or someone you love was hurt while riding a bike, call (916) 233-7346 for a free consultation.

What Injured Cyclists Can Recover

A cyclist injured through another person's negligence may be entitled to compensation for all losses the injury causes — both economic and non-economic. Those damages can include:

• All medical expenses, past and future, including emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and assistive devices
• Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Permanent disability or disfigurement, including scarring from road rash
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Wrongful death damages if a cyclist was killed, including the full range of economic and non-economic losses available under California law

The Legal Framework for Bicycle Accident Claims in California

Cyclists Have Full Legal Rights on the Road

California Vehicle Code § 21200 gives cyclists the same legal rights and imposes the same legal responsibilities as any other vehicle operator on a public roadway. When a driver fails to respect a cyclist's right to be on the road, that driver can be held fully accountable under California personal injury law.

The Three Feet for Safety Act

California Vehicle Code § 21760, the Three Feet for Safety Act, requires a motorist who overtakes and passes a cyclist traveling in the same direction to maintain a minimum three-foot clearance between the vehicle and the bicycle. If road or traffic conditions prevent a three-foot gap, the driver must slow to a safe and prudent speed and wait until passing can be done without endangering the cyclist. A driver who violates this requirement and causes injury faces a negligence per se claim under Evidence Code § 669 — meaning the violation of the statute itself establishes the breach of duty.

Dooring

California Vehicle Code § 22517 prohibits opening a vehicle door on the traffic side until it is reasonably safe to do so. Dooring crashes — where a parked driver or passenger swings a car door open into a cyclist's path — cause some of the most serious bicycle injuries in Sacramento's urban core and midtown neighborhoods. The statute places the duty squarely on the person opening the door, not the cyclist. Insurance adjusters sometimes argue the cyclist should have ridden farther from parked cars; California Vehicle Code § 21202(a)(3) expressly recognizes that avoiding door-zone hazards is a valid reason to deviate from the far right.

Road Defects and Government Liability

Potholes, raised pavement seams, broken bike lane surfaces, defective curb cuts, and inadequate signage affect cyclists far more severely than motor vehicle occupants. When a dangerous condition of public property caused or contributed to a crash, a government entity may be liable under Government Code § 835. Filing a government tort claim within six months of the incident is a mandatory prerequisite to filing suit (Gov. Code § 911.2). Missing the six-month window can permanently bar your case — a deadline that applies even while you are still in the hospital. If a road defect played any role in your crash, contact an attorney immediately.

Comparative Fault and the Helmet Defense

California follows pure comparative fault. Under Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, a jury can reduce an injured cyclist's damages by whatever percentage of fault it assigns to the cyclist, and any percentage sticks. Insurance companies routinely allege inflated comparative fault against cyclists — claiming the rider was too far left, traveling too fast, running a signal, or not wearing a helmet.

The helmet argument requires careful handling. California does not require adult cyclists to wear a helmet. CVC § 21212 mandates helmets only for riders under 18. When an adult cyclist is not wearing a helmet, a defendant may still argue that the absence of a helmet was a substantial factor in causing specific head injuries. That argument has legal limits — the defendant must prove both causation as to specific injuries and that a helmet would have prevented them — and it is irrelevant to every injury that is not a head injury. Attorney Rehm challenges inflated comparative fault arguments and moves to exclude helmet evidence when it has no connection to the injuries actually at issue.

Sacramento Bicycle Accident Facts

Sacramento is statistically one of the most dangerous cities in the country for cyclists — a fact that holds up even after years of official pledges to fix it.

• 5th deadliest city in the nation for bicyclists, according to a Wall Street Journal study
• Sacramento County ranked 8th nationally for bicycle fatalities from 2011 through 2020, according to an ABC10 analysis
• Four cyclists killed in Sacramento in 2025, including Sau Voong, 84, struck during a morning bike ride in Natomas
• More than 265 people walking or cycling have been killed by vehicles within Sacramento city limits since Vision Zero was promised in 2017 through September 2024, according to UC Berkeley TIMS data — the wrong direction on a goal of zero deaths by 2027
• 38% of pedestrian and cyclist deaths in Sacramento involved hit-and-run drivers between 2020 and 2024 — the third-highest rate among California's ten largest cities, behind only Los Angeles and Oakland
• The city's High Injury Network — the small percentage of streets that produce the majority of fatal and severe crashes — runs through central corridors including Stockton Boulevard, Del Paso Boulevard, Broadway, and Marysville Boulevard, all of which see significant bicycle traffic
• Sacramento's Vision Zero program promised to eliminate traffic deaths by 2027; the trajectory is moving in the wrong direction

Insurance Issues in Sacramento Bicycle Cases

Most bicycle accident claims are covered under the at-fault driver's automobile liability policy. But coverage gaps are common, and identifying every available source of recovery is part of the job from the first day of the case.

• Uninsured and underinsured drivers: California's minimum auto liability limits are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per occurrence — far too low for serious bicycle injuries involving surgery, hospitalization, or permanent impairment. If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, your own auto policy's uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may apply even if you were on a bicycle, not in a car. The California UM/UIM statute protects you as a person regardless of what you were riding.
• Rideshare drivers: If a Lyft or Uber driver struck you, coverage depends on whether the app was active, the driver's status in the app, and the platform's insurance layers. Attorney Rehm identifies and pursues all applicable coverage.
• Your own policy: Medical payments coverage under a homeowners, renters, or auto policy may apply to bicycle injuries regardless of who was at fault and can help cover immediate out-of-pocket costs.

Filing a Bicycle Accident Lawsuit in Sacramento County

Bicycle accident injury claims in Sacramento County are filed in the Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Superior Court, located at 720 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. The standard statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. When a government entity is involved — a city, county, or state agency — the time to act can be as short as six months from the date of the incident. Attorney Rehm identifies all applicable deadlines at the outset of every case.

Free Consultation — No Fee Without a Recovery

Attorney Michael Rehm handles bicycle accident cases throughout Sacramento County on a contingency fee basis. No fee without a recovery. Call (916) 233-7346 for a free consultation — home visits and hospital visits available.

Sacramento Bicycle Accident Lawyer - Michael Rehm - (916) 233-7346