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During a collision between a bicycle and motor vehicle, a cyclist can suffer catastrophic injuries even if the other vehicle appears only moderately damaged. Without the protection of doors or a passenger compartment, a cyclist can absorb the impact of a vehicle and then strike the pavement or another object. A Cincinnati bicycle accident lawyer can review how a serious crash occurred and calculate the financial impact of lifelong injuries.
The city provides protected bike lanes and offers connections to regional trails such as the Ohio River Trail. Locations where vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians travel closely together can lead to conflicts at intersections, driveways, parking facilities, or lane shifts.
Spangenberg Shibley & Liber has advocated on behalf of seriously injured people and families since 1946. The firm’s trial attorneys have experience handling significant personal injury, medical malpractice, and civil rights claims and have secured in excess of $1 billion for clients through verdicts and settlements.
Verdicts & settlements include substantial recoveries for clients suffering from life-changing injuries. Additionally, our firm is responsible for 25% of all seven-figure-plus settlements that were awarded over the last two years in Ohio. However, past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own merits.
When compared to crashes between motor vehicles, the physics involved in a bicycle collision are different. Unlike a car crash, a cyclist has minimal protection from the metal exterior of a truck, sedan, or SUV.
A rider can be thrown from the bicycle during the initial impact, causing additional opportunities for serious injury to occur. The severity of head and brain injuries is amplified by their long-term impact, which can profoundly affect individuals long after they leave the hospital.
Spinal cord injuries may leave a victim permanently disabled or paralyzed. Bone fractures can require multiple surgical procedures and lengthy physical therapy. Other cyclists sustain internal bleeding or permanent loss of function in the arms and legs. Due to the severity of these injuries, properly calculating future losses is especially important to recover fair compensation in a high-value bike accident case.
Cyclists collide with motor vehicles when a driver either fails to see the bicycle or negligently enters the cyclist’s path when turning or changing lanes. Causes of bicycle collisions can include:
Some bicycle crashes are straightforward and require little investigation to prove driver negligence. Other accidents must be reconstructed through examination of vehicle damage, traffic controls, and line of sight.
In Hamilton County, there were 93 bicycle-related accidents in 2025. Out of these, 34 were attributed to a failure to yield, and eight were related to speed.
Ohio law gives bicyclists the same general rights as motorists and defines how bicycles can be operated on public streets. Ohio Revised Code § 4511.52 provides that traffic laws applicable to drivers of vehicles generally apply to bicyclists operating on highways or bicycle paths.
Ohio Revised Code § 4511.55 generally requires cyclists to ride as close to the right side of the roadway as reasonably possible and still comply with traffic laws. However, this does not give a driver the right to harass or endanger a cyclist by crowding into that bicyclist’s lane. The statute specifically allows a cyclist to leave the right side of the road when it is unsafe or unreasonable to remain.
A cyclist may leave the right side of the roadway to avoid debris, parked vehicles, moving traffic, surface hazards, or other dangerous conditions. Ohio law also allows cyclists to leave the right side of the road when the lane is too narrow for the cyclist and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by side.
Cincinnati shares Ohio’s basic rules regarding passing a cyclist. Cincinnati Municipal Code § 506-71(b) states that a motorist overtaking a bicycle traveling in the same direction must pass at a safe distance of not less than three feet. Ohio law also created a three-foot minimum passing distance for motorists.
This law can be important to a crash because it recognizes that cyclists can suffer serious injuries if they are sideswiped or do not have enough room to avoid being clipped by the vehicle. As a result, evidence about the vehicle’s position during the passing maneuver can be important to review during an investigation.
Once a person suffers a life-changing injury in a bike accident, damages can exceed initial medical bills. For example, someone who incurs a traumatic brain injury may require lifetime special care or rehabilitation. Common damages in serious bicycle accidents include:
Doctors can explain expected recovery, while vocational professionals can testify about lost employment ability. Economists are available to assess the monetary worth of these damages. If a cyclist is killed due to a collision, certain family members may be able to file a claim under Ohio’s wrongful death statute.
After a person suffers a serious injury, they may choose to hire a bicycle accident lawyer to try to recover damages. A Cincinnati bicycle accident attorney can help a person gather evidence from the accident scene and secure available police reports, witness testimony, and video evidence.
An attorney can assess whether a motorist violated any Ohio or Cincinnati traffic laws and work to preserve physical evidence from the crash. After a serious injury, your lawyer can work with your medical care providers to document your future treatment needs. Professionals such as accident reconstruction personnel or vocational analysts may need to analyze your claim and develop your case for litigation.
A: Who is at fault if a car hits a bicycle depends on how the collision took place and whether either driver violated traffic laws or otherwise failed to exercise reasonable care. A driver may be negligent for failing to yield or passing too closely, opening a car door into a cyclist’s path, or turning when the cyclist could not reasonably avoid a collision.
A: If someone was driving negligently and caused a crash that injured you, you may have a personal injury claim. You may need proof of the driver’s fault, as well as evidence that connects the crash to your injuries and associated losses. Available damages could cover your medical bills, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, and other losses allowed under the law.
A: Ohio law does not prohibit riding a bicycle on a sidewalk statewide, but local governments can restrict cyclists. For example, Cincinnati law generally prohibits riding a bike on sidewalks except where allowed by ordinance. Exceptions may exist for younger riders. Check local ordinances where you plan to ride to be sure.
A: Yes, a police officer can pull you over on a bicycle. Cyclists generally have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers of vehicles on public roads, though there are additional rules specific to bicyclists. This means that a police officer can pull you over for a suspected traffic violation, such as failing to stop at a traffic signal or violating any other rule of the road. Additionally, cyclists must follow bicycle equipment and operation laws.
A bicycle accident can cause significant injury to a cyclist. If you were injured in a bicycle accident, Spangenberg Shibley & Liber can inform you of your rights. Contact us today to get the guidance you need.
We have been helping individuals since 1946 and have secured over a billion dollars on behalf of our clients.
We take our clients’ struggles personally. We fight tirelessly for those we represent and never back down when justice is on the line.
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