Denver has made tremendous strides in becoming a bike-friendly city, with expanding bike lanes, improved infrastructure, and a growing cycling community.
But despite these improvements, bicycle accidents remain all too common.
When a multi-ton vehicle collides with a cyclist, the results are often catastrophic—severe injuries, mounting medical bills, and long recovery periods that can derail your life.
If you’ve been injured while cycling in Denver, you need more than just medical care—you need experienced legal representation to hold negligent drivers accountable and secure the compensation you deserve.
At Eddington Law, our attorneys have over 35 years of experience representing injured Coloradans, including cyclists struck by negligent drivers.
We understand Colorado’s bicycle laws, know how to prove driver fault, and fight aggressively to ensure cyclists receive fair compensation—not diminished payouts based on misunderstandings about cyclists’ rights.
We believe cyclists deserve safe roads and full protection under the law.
When drivers fail to share the road responsibly, we make them answer for it.
Why Choose Eddington Law for Your Denver Bicycle Accident Case?
Bicycle accident cases require attorneys who understand both cycling rights and the challenges injured cyclists face:
Over 35 Years Fighting for Injured Coloradans
Our attorneys have spent more than three decades representing accident victims throughout Denver and Colorado.
We’ve handled numerous bicycle accident cases and understand the unique dynamics of cyclist-vehicle collisions, from proving fault to overcoming insurance company biases.
This experience means we know how to build compelling cases that hold drivers accountable and secure maximum compensation for injured cyclists.
Understanding of Colorado Bicycle Laws
Colorado law grants cyclists the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle operators. We thoroughly understand:
- Cyclists’ right to use full traffic lanes when necessary
- Three-foot passing law requirements
- Right-of-way rules at intersections
- Bike lane regulations
- Duties of drivers around cyclists
- Local Denver bicycle ordinances
This knowledge helps us prove when drivers violated the law and caused your injuries.
Knowledge of Common Driver Errors
We understand the typical mistakes drivers make around cyclists:
- Failing to check blind spots before turning
- Opening doors without looking (dooring)
- Passing too closely
- Right-hook and left-hook turns
- Failing to yield at intersections
- Distracted driving near bike lanes
Identifying these specific violations strengthens your case and establishes clear liability.
Experience with Serious Injury Claims
Cyclists lack the protection of an enclosed vehicle, meaning accidents often result in severe injuries requiring substantial compensation.
We work with medical experts to fully document your injuries and future needs, ensuring we seek appropriate compensation for:
- Ongoing medical care
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disabilities
Commitment to Cyclist Safety
Beyond representing individual clients, we believe in promoting cyclist safety in Denver.
Every case we win sends a message that drivers must share the road responsibly and that negligence has consequences.
No Fees Unless We Win
After a bicycle accident, medical bills create financial stress. We work on contingency—you pay no attorney fees unless we successfully recover compensation for you.
This means you can afford experienced legal representation regardless of your financial situation.
Personalized Service from a Family-Owned Firm
As a family-owned practice, we treat clients with genuine care and respect.
We understand the cycling community, appreciate the vulnerability cyclists face, and are passionate about protecting cyclists’ rights.
Common Types of Bicycle Accidents in Denver
Denver’s mix of bike lanes, multi-use trails, and shared roadways creates various accident scenarios:
“Dooring” Accidents
When drivers or passengers open car doors without checking for approaching cyclists—particularly in downtown Denver—cyclists have no time to avoid the door.
These accidents throw riders from their bikes, often into traffic, causing severe injuries.
Colorado law requires checking for cyclists before opening doors, and violations establish clear liability.
Right-Hook Accidents
Right-hook accidents occur when vehicles turn right across a cyclist’s path.
The driver either fails to check for cyclists or misjudges their speed. These accidents are particularly common when:
- Drivers turn from bike lanes
- Vehicles pass cyclists then immediately turn right
- Drivers exit driveways or parking lots
Left-Hook Accidents
Left-hook crashes happen when drivers turn left in front of oncoming cyclists. Drivers often misjudge cyclists’ speed or simply don’t see them. These intersection accidents can be particularly severe.
Bike Lane Intrusions
Drivers who drift into, park in, or block bike lanes force cyclists into traffic. When cyclists swerve to avoid obstacles and are struck by vehicles, the driver who created the hazard may share liability.
Intersection Collisions
Intersections are particularly dangerous for cyclists. Common scenarios include:
- Drivers running red lights or stop signs
- Failure to yield right-of-way
- Drivers not seeing cyclists when turning
- Multi-lane intersection conflicts
Rear-End Collisions
Distracted or inattentive drivers rear-end cyclists at traffic lights or in traffic. Even low-speed rear-end collisions can throw cyclists from their bikes, causing serious injuries.
Unsafe Passing
Colorado’s three-foot passing law requires drivers to give cyclists at least three feet of clearance when passing. Drivers who violate this law by passing too closely can clip cyclists or force them off the road.
Trail and Path Accidents
Denver’s extensive trail system (Cherry Creek Trail, South Platte River Trail, etc.) sees accidents involving:
- Vehicles at trail crossings
- Pedestrians stepping into bike paths
- Other cyclists
- Poor trail maintenance
Liability depends on who caused the accident and whether property owners failed to maintain safe conditions.
Sideswipe Accidents
When drivers change lanes or drift without seeing cyclists in adjacent lanes, sideswipe collisions result. These accidents often occur when drivers fail to check blind spots.
Multi-Vehicle Accidents
Cyclists caught in multi-vehicle crashes face danger from all sides. These complex accidents require thorough investigation to identify all liable parties.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Denver
Understanding what caused your accident helps establish liability:
Driver Failure to See Cyclists
The most common cause is drivers simply not seeing cyclists. This occurs because:
- Drivers aren’t actively looking for cyclists
- Cyclists have smaller visual profiles than cars
- Drivers suffer from inattention blindness
- Drivers focus only on motor vehicles
Failure to look properly before turning, changing lanes, or opening doors establishes negligence.
Distracted Driving
Drivers texting, using phones, eating, or engaging in other distractions don’t notice cyclists until it’s too late. Colorado law prohibits texting while driving, and violations support liability claims.
Failure to Yield Right-of-Way
Cyclists have the same right-of-way as motor vehicles. Drivers who turn in front of cyclists, fail to yield at intersections, or cut off cyclists violate traffic laws and cause accidents.
Unsafe Door Opening
Colorado law requires checking for cyclists before opening doors. Drivers and passengers who fail to look create hazards that cause serious injuries.
Violating Three-Foot Passing Law
Colorado requires drivers to give cyclists at least three feet when passing. Drivers who pass too closely violate this law and may clip cyclists or force them into hazards.
Speeding and Reckless Driving
Drivers exceeding speed limits or driving aggressively have less time to react to cyclists. High speeds also increase injury severity when accidents occur.
Impaired Driving
Drunk or drugged drivers have slower reaction times and impaired judgment, making them particularly dangerous to vulnerable cyclists.
Turning Without Signaling
Drivers who turn without using turn signals give cyclists no warning of their intentions. This is especially dangerous for right-hook and left-hook accidents.
Blocking Bike Lanes
Drivers who park in, stop in, or drift into bike lanes create hazards that force cyclists into traffic. When this causes accidents, drivers share liability.
Road Rage
Some drivers deliberately harass or endanger cyclists due to anger or prejudice about cyclists using roadways. Intentional acts create enhanced liability and may support punitive damages.
Injuries Common in Bicycle Accidents
Without the protection of an enclosed vehicle, cyclists suffer severe injuries even in “low-speed” accidents:
Head and Brain Injuries
Despite helmet use, head impacts can cause concussions, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), skull fractures, brain bleeding, cognitive impairment, and personality changes. Head injuries are the leading cause of death in bicycle accidents and often result in permanent disability.
Facial Injuries
Facial trauma from bicycle accidents includes broken jaw or cheekbones, dental injuries, eye injuries, lacerations requiring stitches, permanent scarring, and disfigurement. These injuries often require reconstructive surgery and cause significant emotional trauma.
Road Rash and Skin Injuries
When cyclists slide across pavement, friction causes severe abrasions called road rash. These injuries range from minor scrapes to deep wounds requiring skin grafts and often leave permanent scarring.
Broken Bones and Fractures
Bicycle crashes commonly cause:
- Broken collarbone (clavicle)
- Broken wrists, hands, and fingers
- Broken arms (radius, ulna, humerus)
- Broken ribs
- Broken legs (tibia, fibula, femur)
- Pelvic fractures
Severe fractures may require surgery, metal hardware, and lengthy rehabilitation.
Shoulder Injuries
The instinct to break a fall often results in:
- Separated shoulders
- Dislocated shoulders
- Rotator cuff tears
- Shoulder fractures
These injuries can cause chronic pain and limited mobility.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Severe impacts can fracture vertebrae or damage the spinal cord, resulting in paraplegia (lower body paralysis), quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs), partial paralysis, chronic pain, and loss of sensation. Spinal cord injuries often require lifetime medical care and dramatically affect quality of life.
Internal Injuries
Blunt force trauma can damage internal organs, causing internal bleeding, ruptured organs (spleen, liver, kidneys), lung injuries, and abdominal trauma. Internal injuries require immediate medical attention and often emergency surgery.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Sprains, strains, and muscle damage are common but can cause significant pain and limit daily activities for weeks or months.
Psychological Trauma
Beyond physical injuries, bicycle accidents often cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety about cycling again, depression, sleep disturbances, and loss of confidence.
Wrongful Death
Tragically, some bicycle accidents result in fatalities. Surviving family members can pursue wrongful death claims for loss of financial support, companionship, and funeral expenses.
Colorado Bicycle Laws
Understanding Colorado’s bicycle laws helps establish liability and protect your rights:
Cyclists’ Rights and Responsibilities
Colorado law grants cyclists the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle operators. This means cyclists can use full traffic lanes when necessary, must obey traffic signals and signs, have right-of-way in bike lanes, and drivers must treat cyclists as legitimate road users.
Three-Foot Passing Law
Colorado law requires drivers to give cyclists at least three feet of clearance when passing. Violations establish negligence and support liability claims.
Bike Lane Regulations
When bike lanes exist, cyclists should use them when safe and practicable. However, cyclists can leave bike lanes to avoid hazards or debris, make left turns, pass slower cyclists, or navigate around parked cars. Drivers cannot use “cyclist wasn’t in bike lane” as a defense when cyclists legally occupy traffic lanes.
Helmet Laws
While Colorado doesn’t require adult cyclists to wear helmets, insurance companies often use lack of helmet use to argue comparative negligence—even when helmets wouldn’t have prevented specific injuries. We counter these arguments by focusing on driver negligence and using medical experts to show which injuries would have occurred regardless.
Right-of-Way Rules
Cyclists have the same right-of-way as motor vehicle operators at intersections. Drivers who violate these rules are liable for resulting accidents.
Lighting Requirements
Colorado requires bicycles operated at night to have a white front light visible from 500 feet and a red rear reflector visible from 600 feet. Compliance with lighting requirements demonstrates you were operating legally and safely—facts we emphasize to counter any attempt to blame you.
Denver-Specific Ordinances
Denver has additional regulations including sidewalk cycling restrictions in downtown areas, trail etiquette requirements, and bike parking regulations. We understand local Denver rules and how they affect liability determinations.
What to Do After a Bicycle Accident in Denver
Your actions after a bicycle accident affect your health and legal rights:
Call 911
Always call police after a bicycle accident. You need medical evaluation and an official police report documenting what happened. Even if injuries seem minor, internal trauma may not be immediately apparent.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Go to the emergency room even if you think you’re okay. Adrenaline can mask serious injuries. Additionally, immediate medical treatment creates documentation linking injuries to the accident—critical when insurance companies try to minimize claims.
Document the Scene
If physically able, take photos of all vehicles involved, your bicycle and damage, road conditions and bike lane markings, car door position (if dooring accident), traffic signs and signals, visible injuries, and torn clothing or damaged helmet. Get contact information from witnesses—their testimony can be crucial.
Get Driver Information
Obtain the driver’s name, license, and contact information, insurance company and policy information, vehicle license plate number, and the make and model of the vehicle.
Preserve Your Bicycle and Gear
Keep your damaged bicycle, helmet, and clothing even if ruined. This equipment provides evidence of impact severity and helps accident reconstruction.
Report Hazards
If poor road conditions, bike lane debris, or infrastructure failures contributed to your accident, report these to Denver’s 311 system. This creates a record that may support liability claims against the city.
Don’t Apologize or Admit Fault
Even polite apologies can be used as admissions of fault. Stick to facts when talking to police, and don’t speculate about what happened.
Don’t Talk to Insurance Adjusters
The at-fault driver’s insurance company will contact you quickly. They’ll seem sympathetic but are gathering evidence to minimize their payout. Politely decline to give recorded statements and refer them to your attorney.
Document Your Recovery
Keep a journal describing pain levels, limitations on activities, medical treatments, emotional impact, and how injuries affect daily life. This documentation supports claims for pain and suffering.
Avoid Social Media
Insurance companies monitor social media for evidence to minimize claims. Photos of you engaged in activities could be used to argue injuries aren’t serious. Avoid posting until your case resolves.
Contact Eddington Law
The sooner you have legal representation, the better we can protect your rights, preserve evidence, and counter insurance company tactics.
Compensation Available in Bicycle Accident Cases
Colorado law allows bicycle accident victims to recover multiple types of damages:
Economic Damages
Medical expenses (emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation), future medical care (ongoing treatment, therapy, equipment), lost wages (income missed during recovery), lost earning capacity (reduced ability to work in the future), bicycle replacement, gear and equipment replacement, home modifications (if permanently disabled), and medical equipment and assistive devices.
Non-Economic Damages
Pain and suffering (physical pain from injuries), emotional distress (PTSD, anxiety, depression), loss of enjoyment of life (inability to cycle or participate in activities), disfigurement (scarring, facial injuries), permanent disability, and loss of consortium (impact on spousal relationship).
Punitive Damages
In cases involving particularly reckless conduct—such as drunk driving, road rage, or intentional acts against cyclists—Colorado courts may award punitive damages to punish defendants and deter similar behavior.
Overcoming Insurance Company Tactics
Insurance companies often try to minimize bicycle accident claims using various tactics:
Claiming Cyclist Was at Fault
Insurers may argue you violated traffic laws, weren’t visible, or acted unpredictably—even without evidence. We counter with accident reconstruction, witness testimony, and traffic camera footage proving the driver’s negligence.
Arguing Contributory Negligence
Under Colorado’s comparative negligence law, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies try to inflate your fault to reduce their payout. We fight to minimize or eliminate fault attributions through careful investigation and expert testimony.
Minimizing Injury Severity
Because cyclists expect some risk, insurers may argue injuries aren’t as serious as claimed. We work with medical experts to fully document injury severity and long-term impacts.
Blaming Lack of Helmet
Even when helmet use wouldn’t have prevented specific injuries, insurance companies raise this argument. We retain medical experts who explain which injuries would have occurred regardless.
Using Delayed Medical Treatment Against You
If you didn’t seek immediate medical care, insurers argue injuries weren’t serious. We emphasize that adrenaline often masks injuries initially and that delayed symptoms are common.
How Eddington Law Handles Your Case
When you hire us, we immediately begin building your case:
Comprehensive Investigation
We obtain police reports, medical records, and witness statements. We photograph accident scenes and document conditions. For complex cases, we hire accident reconstruction experts.
Proving Driver Negligence
We identify specific violations and negligent acts: three-foot passing law violations, failure to check before opening doors, failure to yield right-of-way, distracted driving, and traffic signal violations. Clear proof of negligence strengthens settlement negotiations and trial outcomes.
Medical Documentation
We work with healthcare providers to fully document injuries, treatment, and prognosis. For serious injuries, we consult with specialists and life care planners to calculate lifetime costs.
Combating Insurance Tactics
We anticipate and counter insurance company arguments, using evidence and expert testimony to prove your injuries are serious and the driver was at fault.
Aggressive Negotiation
We negotiate from a position of strength, demanding fair compensation based on solid evidence. Our reputation motivates reasonable settlement offers.
Trial Preparation
If insurance companies won’t offer fair compensation, we’re prepared to take your case to trial. Our trial experience is a powerful motivating factor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?
Colorado doesn’t require adult cyclists to wear helmets. While insurance companies may argue this increases your fault, we focus on the driver’s negligence and use medical experts to show which injuries would have occurred regardless.
What if the driver says they didn’t see me?
“I didn’t see them” isn’t a defense—it’s an admission of negligence. Drivers have a duty to look for all road users, including cyclists, before turning, changing lanes, or opening doors.
Can I recover if I was in the road rather than a bike lane?
Yes. Cyclists have the right to use full traffic lanes when bike lanes are unsafe, obstructed, or don’t exist. Colorado law doesn’t require using bike lanes in all circumstances.
What if the accident happened on a trail?
Trail accidents may involve different liable parties (city, property owners, other trail users). We investigate to identify who was at fault and can be held liable.
How long will my case take?
Timelines vary based on injury severity and liability disputes. Simple cases might settle in months; complex cases can take a year or more. We work efficiently while ensuring maximum recovery.
What if the driver doesn’t have insurance?
You may be able to recover through your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. We explore all available compensation sources.
Contact Our Denver Bicycle Accident Attorneys Today
If you’ve been injured while cycling in Denver, don’t face insurance companies alone. You need experienced advocates who understand cyclists’ rights and know how to fight for fair compensation.
At Eddington Law, we’ve spent over 35 years fighting for injured Coloradans, including cyclists struck by negligent drivers. We believe cyclists deserve safe roads and full protection under the law.
Call us today for your free consultation. No fees unless we win your case.
Don’t let insurance companies minimize your claim or blame you for a crash caused by a negligent driver. Contact Eddington Law and let us fight for the compensation you deserve.
Your recovery is our priority. Your rights are our mission. We’re ready to fight for you.