If a driver hit you while you were riding, a Houston bicycle accident lawyer can take the insurance calls off your plate and start protecting evidence before it disappears. AP Law Group represents injured cyclists across the city, from the Heights Hike and Bike Trail to the painted lanes downtown and the crossings along Brays Bayou. We know how fast a driver's insurer moves to shift blame onto the rider.
Cyclists get treated differently after a crash. You were lighter, slower, and easier to dismiss, and the adjuster is counting on that. Our job is to put the facts back in the right order.
Your case is not just a number to us. Call AP Law Group at (713) 913-4627 for a free, no-obligation consultation. You only pay if we win.
Who Is Liable for a Bicycle Crash in Houston?
In most Houston bicycle crashes, liability sits with the driver who failed to yield, passed too closely, or turned across the rider's path. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 551 gives a person on a bicycle the same rights and duties as the driver of a vehicle. That means your claim is judged by ordinary negligence rules, not by some lesser standard because you were on two wheels.
Liability often reaches past the person behind the wheel. Identifying every responsible party early is what opens up enough coverage to actually pay for a serious injury.
- An employer, when the driver was working at the time, whether in a delivery van, a work truck, or a company car
- A rideshare company, whose commercial policy may apply when the driver was logged into the app
- A contractor or property owner, when construction plating, debris, or a poorly marked lane closure pushed you into traffic
- A government entity, when a road defect or a failed signal contributed to the collision
Claims involving a city, county, or state agency carry notice requirements that are far shorter than the ordinary filing deadline, which is one more reason to have someone looking at your case in the first weeks rather than the last.
What Does Texas Law Say About Passing a Cyclist?
State law requires drivers to pass at a safe distance without specifying a number, while the City of Houston sets a specific minimum. Texas Transportation Code Section 545.053 requires an operator passing another vehicle, including a bicycle, to do so at a safe distance. Left there, "safe" is whatever a defense lawyer can persuade a jury it means.
Houston filled that gap locally. Under Section 45-44 of the Houston Code of Ordinances, a safe distance means not less than 3 feet for a passenger car or light truck, and not less than 6 feet for a larger truck or commercial vehicle. The same ordinance bars a driver from overtaking a cyclist and then turning across their path, and from maneuvering to intimidate or harass a rider.
A statewide safe passing bill passed the Legislature in 2009 and was vetoed, so no three-foot rule applies across all of Texas. For a crash inside city limits, that makes the Houston ordinance genuinely valuable: it converts a vague duty into a measurable one, and the 3-foot safe passing rule protects Houston cyclists in a way state law alone does not. We measure it, document it, and put it in front of the adjuster.
Why Houston Cyclists Turn to AP Law Group
Founder Arsha Pourghaffar was born and raised in Houston. He studied petroleum engineering at the University of Texas before earning his JD at the University of Houston Law Center, and he interned for the Honorable Kenneth M. Hoyt in the Southern District of Texas. He is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Houston Bar Association, and he volunteers with the Houston Food Bank.
- Founder-led attention. Arsha Pourghaffar works on the firm's cases himself, so you always know who is handling yours.
- An engineer's read of the evidence. That petroleum engineering background shapes how we approach speed, sightlines, braking distance, and impact damage.
- Houston-specific claims. We build around the actual intersection, ordinance, and trail crossing involved, not a generic template.
- Results that hold up. Our published recoveries include a $2.95 million result.
- Nothing out of pocket. The consultation is free, and you only pay if we win.
We stand by your side from the first phone call through resolution. If you were hurt riding in Houston, reach us at (713) 913-4627 and tell us what happened.
Common Bicycle Crash Types We Handle in Houston
Different collisions leave different evidence behind, and each one calls for a different proof strategy.
Dooring Collisions
Someone parked along Westheimer or in Rice Village swings a door open into the bike lane, and a rider has nowhere to go. Texas law puts the duty on the person opening the door, and understanding dooring accidents and who is liable often decides whether an insurer pays or fights. We handle dooring bicycle accident claims throughout the city.
Right Hooks and Left-Turn Crashes
A driver passes you, then immediately turns right across the lane. Or a driver turning left at an intersection misjudges your speed entirely. These cases usually come down to sightlines and timing, which is exactly where physical evidence matters most.
Unsafe Passing and Sideswipes
A vehicle squeezes by with inches to spare on a narrow stretch of Washington Avenue or White Oak Drive. Mirror strikes and handlebar contact leave transfer marks that can be matched to the vehicle when someone looks for them promptly.
Road Surface and Bike Lane Hazards
Broken pavement, sunken utility cuts, and construction plates throw riders without any vehicle contact at all. Photographing the defect and identifying who was responsible for that stretch of roadway has to happen before the next repair crew arrives.
Hit-and-Run Crashes
When a driver leaves, your own uninsured motorist coverage may still respond, and nearby cameras frequently capture more than anyone expects.
Whatever kind of collision put you on the pavement, the earlier we start, the more of the record still exists to work with.
How Much Is a Houston Bicycle Accident Claim Worth?
There is no flat figure, because a bicycle accident claim is worth the full extent of what the crash actually cost you. A broken collarbone that heals in eight weeks and a spinal injury that changes how you work are not the same case, and they should never be valued as though they were.
The categories a Texas claim can include are broad:
- Emergency treatment, surgery, imaging, and hospital care
- Physical therapy and future medical needs tied to the injury
- Lost wages, along with reduced earning capacity if you cannot return to the same work
- Physical pain, mental anguish, disfigurement, and physical impairment
- Replacement of the bicycle, helmet, and gear damaged in the collision
Insurers tend to make an early offer that covers the visible bills and nothing else. We wait until the medical picture is clear before putting a number on your case.
How Our Houston Bike Accident Attorneys Build Your Case
Bicycle cases turn on physical proof, and most of it has a short shelf life. If you are reading this within days of a crash, the single most useful thing you can do is leave the bicycle exactly as it is. Do not repair it, do not clean it, and do not throw away the helmet or the clothing you were wearing.
From there, we go after the record while it still exists:
- The crash report, the 911 audio, and the responding officer's notes
- Scene photographs showing lane width, pavement markings, and debris positions
- Surveillance video from nearby businesses, which is routinely overwritten within days
- Damage patterns on the bicycle, the helmet, and the vehicle
- Medical records connecting each injury to the collision
- Signal timing data and roadway maintenance history where they matter
- Statements from witnesses before memories blur together
Our bike accident lawyers in Houston also take over communication with the insurance company, so you are not answering recorded questions about fault while you are still on pain medication.
How Long Do You Have to File a Bicycle Accident Claim in Texas?
You generally have two years from the date of the crash, under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003. That is the outside limit for filing suit, not a comfortable window, and cases built in the final months are almost always weaker than cases built early.
Two years is also not universal. Claims against a governmental unit require formal notice much sooner, and a claim on behalf of an injured child follows a different timing. If you are unsure which deadline applies to your situation, that is worth a conversation rather than a guess.
FAQs Answered by Our Houston Bicycle Accident Attorneys
These are the questions injured riders ask us most often once the immediate medical crisis has passed.
Does not wearing a helmet hurt my claim?
Texas does not require adult riders to wear a helmet, so riding without one is not a violation and does not bar your claim. Insurers still raise it, usually to argue that a head injury would have been less severe. That argument gets answered with medical evidence about the mechanism of injury, not with an apology.
What if the driver who hit me had no insurance?
Your own auto policy may still cover you, even though you were on a bicycle rather than in your car. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage frequently follows the insured person instead of the vehicle. We review every policy in your household before assuming there is no coverage available.
Can I share fault and still recover money?
Yes, as long as your share of the responsibility is not greater than 50 percent, under Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. Because that percentage directly changes what you receive, it is usually the hardest-fought issue in the case.
How long does a Houston bicycle accident case take?
A straightforward claim with clear liability and completed treatment can be resolved in a few months. Serious injuries take longer because valuing the case honestly requires knowing where your recovery levels off. Filing suit extends the timeline further, and we talk that trade-off through with you rather than deciding it for you.
Will I have to go to court?
Most claims settle without a trial. We prepare every case as though it will be tried anyway, because a file that is ready for a courtroom settles on better terms than one that is not.
What if my child was injured while riding?
A parent or guardian can pursue a claim on an injured child's behalf, and the filing deadline works differently for minors. Cases involving children also require particular care in documenting how an injury affects school, activities, and development over time.
Does it cost anything to talk to you about my crash?
No. The consultation is free and carries no obligation, and we work on a contingency fee, so you only pay if we win.
Talk With a Houston Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today
The evidence that proves a bicycle case is disappearing right now. Video gets overwritten, pavement gets repaved, and witnesses move on.
AP Law Group is here to listen and to take the pressure off while you heal. Call (713) 913-4627 or reach us through our Houston office for a free, no-obligation consultation. You only pay if we win, and we stand by your side the whole way.