A Bradenton bicycle accident lawyer represents cyclists and e-bike riders hurt by drivers, dangerous roads, or defective equipment in Manatee County. Florida treats bicycles as vehicles with the same right to the road, and drivers must give cyclists at least three feet when passing. When a driver ignores those rules, the injured rider can pursue a claim.
Heintz Law represents cyclists and their families throughout Bradenton, Palmetto, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Lakewood Ranch, and the rest of Manatee County and the Suncoast. Founding Partner Steven E. Heintz and our Bradenton bicycle accident attorneys handle crashes involving road bikes, commuter bikes, children's bikes, and e-bikes. This page is part of the firm's personal injury lawyer practice.
After being hit by a car while riding a bike, get to safety, call 911, and accept medical care. Get the driver's name, insurance, and plate number, photograph the scene and your bike, and collect witness names. Keep your damaged bike, helmet, and clothing exactly as they are, and see a doctor within 14 days.
The steps below protect both your health and your claim:
For e-bike crashes, our article on what to do after an e-bike accident in Manatee County covers additional steps.
Personal injury protection, called PIP, often pays first after a cyclist is hit by a car in Florida. A cyclist's own PIP, or a household member's, usually applies. A Florida resident without PIP may be covered by the PIP on the vehicle that struck them. PIP pays 80 percent of reasonable medical bills and 60 percent of lost income, up to its limits.
Florida requires at least $10,000 in PIP coverage, and the injured person must get initial care within 14 days of the crash. The full amount is available for medical care only if a qualified provider determines there was an emergency medical condition. Otherwise, medical benefits are limited to $2,500.
After PIP, health insurance, medical payments coverage, and a claim against the at-fault driver cover the rest. Uninsured motorist coverage on a cyclist's own auto policy can also apply when the driver has little or no bodily injury coverage, even though the cyclist was on a bike.
The driver is usually at fault when a car hits a bicycle, because Florida drivers must give cyclists at least three feet when passing, yield when turning, and watch for bikes in bike lanes and crosswalks. Fault can be shared if the cyclist also broke a traffic rule, such as riding against traffic or without lights at night.
Florida's rules for drivers around cyclists include:
Florida's rules for cyclists include riding in the same direction as traffic, obeying signals and signs, using a white front light and a red rear light and reflector at night, and wearing a helmet if under 16. Breaking a cyclist rule does not automatically bar a claim, but insurers will raise it.
Florida uses modified comparative fault. A cyclist who is 50 percent or less at fault can recover damages reduced by their share of fault. A cyclist found more than 50 percent at fault recovers nothing from the driver. Insurers often try to shift blame to cyclists, so early evidence matters.
Common insurer arguments include that the cyclist was riding too fast, was not visible, was riding against traffic, or darted out from a sidewalk. Video from businesses and traffic cameras, bike computer data, and accident reconstruction can answer those claims.
Florida does not require riders 16 and older to wear helmets. An insurer may still argue that a missing helmet made a head injury worse, but that argument goes to the amount of damages for that injury, not whether the driver caused the crash.
Common causes of bicycle accidents in Bradenton include distracted drivers, right-hook and left-cross turns, unsafe passing, drivers opening car doors into bike lanes, failure to yield at intersections and driveways, impaired driving, and poor road conditions. Crashes are common on busy corridors such as US 41, Manatee Avenue, and Cortez Road.
The driver who hit the cyclist is usually responsible, along with the vehicle's owner under Florida law. Employers of on-the-job drivers, rideshare insurers, government agencies responsible for dangerous roads, road contractors, bicycle and parts manufacturers, and other drivers or cyclists may also share responsibility.
Parties our Bradenton bicycle accident attorneys commonly investigate include:
An injured cyclist may seek medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and property damage, and, when the serious injury threshold applies and is met, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life. A spouse may have a separate claim, and punitive damages may be available in limited cases.
The categories of damages that may be available include:
In most claims against a driver, Florida's no-fault rules require meeting the serious injury threshold, most often a permanent injury, to recover pain and suffering. Many serious bicycle injuries, such as fractures requiring surgery and brain injuries, are evaluated under that standard.
Common bicycle accident injuries include traumatic brain injuries and concussions, fractures of the collarbone, wrist, arm, leg, and pelvis, spinal injuries, road rash, facial and dental injuries, shoulder and knee injuries, internal injuries, and nerve damage. Many cyclists also experience anxiety or post-traumatic stress after a crash.
Our article on common injuries from e-bike accidents covers injuries at higher e-bike speeds.
Florida generally treats e-bikes like bicycles. Riders have the same rights and duties as cyclists, and no driver's license or registration is required. Florida follows a three-class system based on whether the motor assists only while pedaling and the top assisted speed. A 2026 bill that would have added new e-bike rules was vetoed.
Florida e-bikes are limited to motors under 750 watts and sorted into three classes. Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes provide assistance up to 20 miles per hour, and Class 3 e-bikes provide pedal assistance up to 28 miles per hour. The Legislature passed a bill in 2026 that would have set speed rules for e-bikes near pedestrians and required more crash data, but the Governor vetoed it on June 25, 2026.
E-bike crashes raise added questions, including whether the vehicle was truly an e-bike or an electric motorcycle, and whether a battery or motor defect contributed. Related articles include why more kids are getting hurt in e-bike crashes near Bradenton, whether children must wear helmets on e-bikes, and who is liable for an e-bike battery fire.
Children are especially vulnerable in bicycle crashes because drivers often do not expect them and they are harder to see. A child's claim works much like an adult's, but settlements for minors often require court approval, and the damages must account for growth, schooling, and future care.
Florida requires riders and passengers under 16 to wear a properly fitted helmet. Back-to-school season, school zones, and neighborhood streets around Bradenton bring more child cyclists onto the road. Our children's injuries page explains how claims for injured children are handled.
For most negligence claims arising from crashes on or after March 24, 2023, Florida's statute of limitations is two years from the date of the crash. Claims against government agencies require written notice first. Wrongful death claims generally must be filed within two years of the death.
Older guidance that gives four years is out of date for most current crashes. Evidence also disappears quickly, including business security video, traffic camera footage, and the vehicle's condition. When a crash is fatal, our wrongful death page explains how families pursue a claim.
The value of a bicycle accident claim depends on the severity and permanence of the injuries, medical bills, lost income, the strength of the evidence on fault, the available insurance, and how a jury is likely to see the case. No formula or online calculator can answer this honestly.
Factors that tend to affect value include objective imaging and surgical findings, the consistency of the medical record, gaps in treatment, the impact on work and daily life, the driver's conduct, witness and video evidence, the driver's coverage and the cyclist's own uninsured motorist coverage, how the carrier handles the claim, the venue, and trial readiness.
Our Bradenton bicycle accident attorneys handle each case in stages, from first contact through investigation, pre-suit negotiation, discovery, mediation, trial, and appeal. Every file is prepared from the start as if a jury will hear it, because that preparation shapes how insurance carriers value the claim.
Steven E. Heintz is the Founding Partner of Heintz Law, a Bradenton firm that represents only injured people and their families. His approach is careful preparation, aggressive advocacy where the facts call for it, and trial readiness from the first conference. Settlement on the right number is welcome. Settlement that shortchanges a client is not.
Bicycle accident cases are handled on a contingency fee, so there is no fee unless there is a recovery. For crashes involving cars more generally, see our Bradenton car accident lawyer page, and for people hit while walking, see our pedestrian accident lawyer page.
If you or a family member was hurt while riding a bicycle or e-bike in Bradenton, Palmetto, or anywhere in Manatee County, Heintz Law can review the crash and explain your options under Florida law.
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