Legal help for injured Portland cyclists
Portland Bicycle Accident Lawyer
A turning driver, an opened door, or an unsafe pass can leave you managing injuries and a damaged bicycle at the same time. Johnson Law represents injured riders and can help identify the evidence, insurance, and next steps that matter to your claim.
Start With Your Health and What You Can Save
Get care and get out of traffic
Call 911 for an emergency. If you cannot safely collect information, ask someone else to help. Do not ride a damaged bicycle or reuse a damaged helmet.
Keep the bicycle and riding gear
Photograph damage before repair. Keep the helmet, lights, clothing, bike computer, original photos, and repair estimates. These can help explain both the collision and property loss.
Save the route and witnesses
Keep GPS or ride-app files, witness contacts, the incident number, and the exact intersection or block. Note nearby businesses or homes that may have recorded the crash.
What Happens When You Contact Johnson Law
The initial case review is free. You do not need every document, and an initial conversation does not obligate you to hire the firm.
Tell us what happened
Share the location, date, injuries, and your most pressing question. It is okay if you do not know who caused the injury or which insurer should respond.
We identify urgent issues and explain options
We ask about the rider's path, the driver's movement, bike-lane markings, injuries, and insurance requests. We identify evidence that may need preservation and explain how a bicycle injury claim could proceed.
You decide whether to proceed
If representation is a fit, we explain the scope of the work and the written fee and cost terms. You choose whether to hire Johnson Law.
Know the People and the Fee Terms
Our team includes Justin Johnson, Reed Johnson, and Ralph Gzik. Read their backgrounds, client reviews, and how we handle injury claims before deciding who should represent you.
How do attorney fees, medical bills, and case costs work?
For eligible personal injury matters, Johnson Law, P.C. calculates its attorney fee after outstanding medical bills are paid, according to the written fee agreement. Clients do not pay attorney fees unless there is a recovery, subject to that agreement.
Attorney fees, case costs, medical bills, and insurance reimbursement obligations are separate issues. The written agreement explains the fee percentage and responsibility for costs. Read our Client-First Fee Promise for the firm's approach.
Reconstructing a Portland Bike-Lane Collision
A useful investigation starts with how the rider and vehicle came together, not an assumption about who belongs on the road. Portland intersections can have separate bicycle lanes, parking lanes, signals, and turning movements. The arrangement at the actual crash location matters more than a general description of the corridor.
Right turns across a bicycle lane
Photographs of lane markings, vehicle damage, the turning path, and the rider's approach may help determine whether the driver crossed an occupied bicycle lane. Signal timing and witness accounts can clarify the sequence.
Left turns and driveway crossings
Identify sight lines, the driver's direction, obstructions, and where the bicycle first became visible. A later photograph may not capture a parked vehicle or temporary obstruction that was present during the collision.
Dooring and close passes
Preserve the door position, contact marks, available video, and the space between traffic and parked cars. Passing speed and whether the rider was in a separate lane affect which rules apply.
Road defects or work zones
Document the precise hazard and travel direction if someone can do so safely. Road ownership, who performed work, prior notice, and whether the condition caused the fall require separate investigation.
ORS 814.400 generally gives bicycle riders vehicle-driver rights and duties, subject to exceptions. ORS 811.050 and 811.065 address bicycle-lane yielding and safe passing. Oregon does not use one universal fixed-foot passing rule: the fall-clearance standard has exceptions, including specified speed and separate-lane circumstances. A collision or citation alone does not decide civil fault.
Portland Records: Start With the Report Number
If Portland Police responded, the Police Records Division is a starting point. Identify the date, time, intersection, and incident number. A report request and a request for a specific recording may involve different records, release rules, or custodians.
The City's public-records process can also help locate relevant transportation records, such as signal or project documents. Nearby business video, a driver's dashcam, and your own ride files are separate sources. A camera visible at an intersection is not proof that usable footage exists.
Once retained, we can identify relevant record holders, seek preservation where appropriate, compare the physical evidence with the report, and address insurer requests. If you were taken away by ambulance, missing scene photographs do not prevent an initial case review.
The Injury Claim and the Bicycle Are Separate Parts of the Loss
A claim may include medical expenses, missed work, reduced earning capacity, pain, and interference with daily activities when supported by the facts and law. Keep medical restrictions and specific examples of what changed: commuting, lifting a child, working at a screen, or returning to a regular ride.
For the bicycle, save purchase records, component lists, photographs, and a written repair assessment. A property-damage payment does not necessarily resolve the injury claim, but release wording matters. Review what a document settles before signing.
The driver's liability policy, applicable personal injury protection, or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may need review. Being on a bicycle does not answer every coverage question, and owning no car does not by itself resolve eligibility. Read our Oregon PIP explanation for background.
Representative bicycle case
Johnson Law's published results include a $130,000 recovery for a bicyclist struck by a motorist turning left across traffic, resulting in significant soft-tissue injuries. This is a past example, not a valuation of your claim or a claim that the crash occurred in Portland.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case depends on its facts, evidence, insurance, and law. See our representative case results.
Fault and Deadlines Need an Individual Review
Under ORS 31.600, a rider's share of fault can reduce damages. Recovery is barred if that fault is greater than the combined fault of the people specified by the statute. An adjuster's allegation about visibility, lane position, or speed should be tested against the evidence.
Many Oregon injury actions have a two-year period under ORS 12.110. Non-death injury claims against an Oregon public body, such as a claim involving a public vehicle or road condition, may require notice within 180 days under ORS 30.275. Different claims, accrual rules, incapacity, and exceptions can change the analysis. A police report is not necessarily tort-claim notice.
This page is educational information only, not legal advice. For statewide background, see Oregon bicycle accident claims; for other local injuries, visit our Portland service hub.
Portland Bicycle Accident Questions
Can I ask for help if the driver left or was not identified?
Yes. Witnesses, nearby recordings, vehicle details, and available insurance may still be worth investigating. Uninsured motorist coverage can raise special policy, notice, and proof questions. Save what you have and ask for a review rather than assuming there is no possible claim.
Should I repair my bicycle right away?
Document its condition first and discuss preservation if the bicycle may help explain the collision. Obtain an estimate and keep damaged parts when practical. Do not ride unsafe equipment simply to preserve a claim.
What if the insurance company says I caused the crash?
That is an allegation to evaluate, not a final legal decision. Lane markings, signals, video, witnesses, and damage patterns may support a different account. Oregon shared-fault rules can reduce or bar recovery depending on the allocation of fault.
Do I need a police report before contacting Johnson Law?
No. The date, approximate location, basic account, and any available insurance information are enough to begin a conversation. We can discuss what other records may be needed and whether representation is a fit.
Talk Through Your Next Step
Discuss Your Portland Bicycle Injury
Free initial case review
Bicycle evidence, injury documentation, and insurance questions
Related bicycle injury pages
Continue to the most useful service pages, guides, and trust pages for this topic.
Local and statewide bicycle resources
- Bicycle accidents
Review the statewide bicycle crash hub.
- City injury hub
Return to the broader city service page.
- Pedestrian injuries
Compare similar vulnerable-road-user issues.
- Post-accident checklist
Preserve scene photos and witness evidence early.
Related support pages
- Medical documentation checklist
Track treatment, symptoms, and provider records carefully.
- Client reviews
See what former clients say about Johnson Law.
- Case results
Review representative outcomes in injury matters.
- Free consultation
Talk with Johnson Law about your bicycle injury claim.