After a bicycle crash in Los Angeles, time can feel warped. The first days are a blur of soreness, bike repairs, missed work, and calls you didn’t ask for. Then, weeks later, you realize there’s a legal clock running in the background.
That clock is the statute of limitations, a law that sets the deadline to file a lawsuit. If we miss it, the court can refuse the case, even when the facts are on our side.
In this guide, we’ll lay out the main filing deadlines for Los Angeles bike accident claims (injury versus property damage), the biggest exceptions (delayed injuries, minors, and government-related crashes), and what we should do right now to protect the claim. We’ll also explain why insurance talks don’t pause the deadline, even if the adjuster sounds friendly.
Our main deadlines for a bike accident claim in Los Angeles
In most Los Angeles bicycle accident cases, the deadline problem isn’t complicated, it’s unforgiving. Courts expect lawsuits to be filed on time. Insurance companies know this, and they plan around it.
Here are the time limits we generally watch first in California bike crash cases:
| Claim type | Typical deadline (California) | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury lawsuit | 2 years from the crash date | Medical bills, lost pay, pain, future care |
| Property damage lawsuit | 3 years from the crash date | Bike repair or replacement, damaged gear, phone |
| Claim against a government entity | Often about 6 months to file a government claim | Public road hazards, city maintenance issues |
These are general rules, not guarantees. The facts can change the timeline, and some cases have more than one deadline at once (for example, you’re hurt and your bike is totaled, plus a dangerous street design played a role).
The biggest mistake we see is waiting because we think “we’re still negotiating.” Negotiation is not a lawsuit. If the deadline hits, the other side can stop negotiating and walk away.
Personal injury is usually two years, but property damage can have a different clock
For most bicycle injury lawsuits in California, we typically have two years from the date of the crash to file in court. That deadline usually ties to the harm to your body and your life, not the bike itself.
Personal injury damages often include medical treatment, future care needs, lost income, reduced earning ability, and the human costs like pain, anxiety, and sleep problems. If you’re dealing with a concussion, a broken wrist, road rash with scarring, or a back injury that won’t calm down, this is the timeline that usually matters most.
Property damage is different. California commonly allows three years to file a lawsuit for damage to property. In bike cases, that can include the bicycle, helmet, lights, cycling computer, glasses, and even a cracked phone.
A quick timeline example helps:
- March 10, 2026: Crash happens in Los Angeles.
- March 10, 2028: Typical deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit.
- March 10, 2029: Typical deadline to file a property damage lawsuit.
Even with extra time on property damage, we don’t treat it as “later.” Bike condition, repair invoices, and photos tend to disappear fast.
Claims involving a city, county, or state agency can have a much shorter deadline
If a public agency may share blame, the timeline can tighten hard. In California, claims against a city, county, or state agency often require a government claim to be filed within about six months.
This comes up more than most riders expect in Los Angeles. We see it when a crash ties to things like:
- Potholes and broken pavement in a bike lane
- Missing or confusing signage near an intersection
- A hazardous construction zone with poor barriers
- Drain grates, uneven utility cuts, or failing lane separators
This process is not the same as suing a private driver. It’s an administrative step with its own forms and rules, and missing it can wipe out a strong case before it starts. When public property or a public employee is involved, we treat the deadline like an emergency until we confirm it.
When the deadline can change, and how we spot it early
Deadlines sound simple until real life hits. Some riders don’t feel the worst symptoms on day one. Some crashes involve a teenage cyclist. Some involve a hit-and-run that takes time to sort out. That’s why we look for deadline “triggers” early, before we rely on a date that turns out to be wrong.
When we review a case, we’re not just asking “what happened?” We’re also asking “what deadline applies, and what proof do we need before it fades?”
Delayed injuries and the discovery rule, when symptoms show up later
A bike crash can scramble the body in ways that don’t show up at the scene. Adrenaline masks pain. Some injuries build over days.
Common examples we see after Los Angeles bicycle crashes include concussion symptoms that start later (headaches, light sensitivity, brain fog), soft-tissue injuries that stiffen up after a few sleeps, and nerve symptoms that creep in (tingling, burning, weakness).
California can apply a “discovery” concept in certain cases. In plain terms, the filing clock may be argued to start when an injury was discovered, or when it should have been discovered with reasonable care. The exact facts matter a lot, and it’s rarely something we want to gamble on.
Even when a later start date might apply, we still move fast. The longer we wait, the harder it is to prove what caused what. Video gets overwritten. Witnesses forget. Road conditions get repaired. Medical notes get messy if there’s a long gap in care.
Minors and other special situations that can pause or complicate the timeline
When the injured cyclist is under 18, the law can sometimes pause parts of the filing timeline until adulthood. That can create extra time in some injury lawsuits, but it doesn’t mean we should wait. Evidence doesn’t pause.
Also, if a government entity might be involved, the short government-claim deadline can still create early action items, even when the rider is a minor. That’s one reason we review these cases quickly instead of assuming the “minor rule” solves everything.
Other timing traps we flag early include:
- Multiple at-fault parties (a driver plus a rideshare driver, or a driver plus a business that created a roadway hazard)
- Hit-and-run cases, where identifying the driver can take time, but the lawsuit clock still runs
- Fatal crashes, where the family may have a wrongful death claim with its own time limit (commonly two years from the date of death in California), plus added legal steps
In short, special situations can help, but they can also create new deadlines we can’t ignore.
What to do right after a Los Angeles bicycle crash so we do not lose time or evidence
After a crash, we’re usually balancing two battles at once: healing and protecting the claim. The steps below aren’t about acting “legal.” They’re about making sure we don’t lose proof, miss deadlines, or get pushed into a low settlement before we understand the injuries.
Los Angeles is a tough place to crash on a bike. Busy arterials, fast turns, door zones, and distracted driving are part of daily traffic. So we treat the first week like a proof-gathering window, because that’s when the story is easiest to document.
A simple checklist for the first day and first week
- Get medical care: If we’re hurt, we get checked out, even if it feels “minor.” Medical records link the crash to the injury.
- Call police when it makes sense: Serious injuries, aggressive drivers, suspected DUI, or hit-and-run usually call for a report. If it’s minor, we still document everything ourselves.
- Take photos and video: Street view, skid marks, debris, the car’s plate, damage to the bike, and any injuries (bruising changes fast).
- Get witness info: Names, numbers, and a quick note on what they saw. In LA, witnesses vanish in seconds.
- Save the bike and helmet: Don’t repair, throw away, or “clean it up” right away. A cracked helmet can be powerful evidence.
- Keep receipts and estimates: Bike shop quotes, Uber rides to appointments, medications, co-pays, and medical devices.
- Track missed work: Days missed, reduced hours, and sick time used.
- Write down symptoms daily: Pain levels, dizziness, sleep issues, and limits on normal life.
One more California-specific detail: under California Vehicle Code 16000, drivers generally must report an accident to the DMV within 10 days when there’s injury or death, or when property damage is over $1,000. Cyclists aren’t “drivers” of a motor vehicle, but the rule still matters because it affects how the crash gets documented. We can also advise on what reporting fits your situation.
How insurance companies use delay, and why quick legal help can protect our settlement value
Insurance companies often win by slowing things down. Not with one big lie, but with a hundred small pushes.
We commonly see adjusters ask for a recorded statement early, request broad medical authorizations, or float a fast settlement before the rider knows the long-term outlook. We also see blame tactics, like claiming the cyclist “came out of nowhere,” or focusing on lane position instead of the driver’s duty to use reasonable care.
California uses comparative negligence, which means we can still recover money even if we share some fault, but the amount can drop by the percentage assigned to us. That’s why we don’t guess about fault, and we don’t casually accept blame in a call.
When we get involved early, we can handle communications, gather key proof (reports, videos, witness statements, medical records, and when needed, experts), and build a damage picture that includes both financial loss and the real-life impact. In rare cases with extreme misconduct, punitive damages may be a topic, but most bike cases focus on economic and non-economic losses.
FAQs about the statute of limitations and LA bike accident claims
How long do we have to file after a Los Angeles bicycle accident?
Most personal injury lawsuits in California are typically due within two years of the crash date. Property damage lawsuits commonly allow three years. If a public entity may be at fault, we may have about six months to file a government claim.
If the insurance company is negotiating, are we safe on time?
No. Negotiations don’t stop the court deadline. We treat the filing date like it’s fixed unless a lawyer confirms an exception.
Can we handle a minor bike crash claim ourselves?
Sometimes, especially if it’s truly low damage, no injury, and fault is clear. Red flags that signal we should get help include head injuries, broken bones, surgery recommendations, missed work, a blame dispute, a low early offer, or any possible government involvement.
What affects bike accident settlement value in Los Angeles?
Medical severity, time off work, future care needs, scars, pain impact, proof quality (photos, witnesses, video), and fault arguments all matter. Online calculators miss the real details and often ignore comparative negligence issues.
How long does a typical bike accident case take?
It depends. Some claims settle in months, while others take longer when treatment is ongoing, fault is disputed, or a lawsuit is needed. Trials take the longest because court schedules, discovery, and expert work add time.
Conclusion
A bicycle crash can change our life in an instant, but the legal deadline keeps moving in the background. In Los Angeles, we usually have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit, and property damage often has a different window (commonly three years). If a city, county, or state agency may share blame, the timeline can shrink to about six months to start the government claim process. Add in exceptions like delayed injury discovery or an injured minor, and the “right” deadline can take real analysis.
Our best next step is simple: get a case review quickly, confirm the correct deadline, preserve proof, and avoid settlement choices that cost us real money later.