Understand the insurer’s request
We review who is asking for information and what the policy requires. A request from your own carrier may call for a different response than a request from the driver’s insurer.
Miller & Jacobs · Serving Hollywood
Hollywood Bicycle Accident Lawyer
The driver’s insurer has questions. You have injuries, a damaged bike, and a day that no longer works.
Cycling may be how you get to work, run errands, or enjoy Hollywood Beach. When a driver interrupts that ride, replacing the bicycle is only one part of the problem.
Miller & Jacobs helps injured cyclists review coverage, investigate the driver’s actions, and pursue claims supported by the evidence. Our Pompano Beach office serves Hollywood residents and visitors. Tell us what happened in a free consultation.
Free consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover compensation.
50+ years
Combined legal experience
230+ trials
Combined reported jury trials
Free
Initial consultation
Pompano Beach
Our office serving Hollywood
Help with the claim
What can we take off your list?
If we represent you, we can handle insurer communications, investigate responsibility, and document the losses the crash caused. Bring the request that is bothering you now, whether it is a statement, a medical authorization, or a settlement release.
Reconstruct the rider’s path
We compare witness accounts, footage, damage, and the road layout. The turning car, an opened door, or a close pass each raises different questions.
Document the interruption to your life
Treatment records and work records show part of the loss. We also ask what help you need with errands, household tasks, and getting to appointments.
Review the offer and the release
We examine what is being paid and which claims you would give up. When settlement is not appropriate, we discuss the available legal steps based on the facts.
A few details are enough to begin.
Give us the crash date, the nearest cross street, and the names of any insurers. You can send records after the call. We will discuss representation and the written fee terms before you decide.
The exact route matters
Did the car pass, turn, or open a door?
Florida’s
safe-passing law
requires at least three feet in the passing situations it covers. A door opening into a rider’s path or a vehicle turning across that path calls for its own review of the movements and duties involved.
Tell us whether you were on a Hollywood street, a bike lane, a sidewalk, or coming from the Beach Broadwalk. At an A1A driveway or a Hollywood Boulevard intersection, the approach, signs, and driver’s view can matter more than the street name on the report.
Our
Hollywood personal injury team
can also assess another possible cause, such as debris, a delivery vehicle, or a mechanical failure. A fall does not establish who, if anyone, is legally responsible.
The effects beyond the bicycle
An injured hand can change your whole day.
Holding a shopping bag. Typing at work. Getting a child ready for school. A task you once did without thinking may now take help.
Explain those changes in concrete terms. We can use them alongside the medical record when evaluating the effect of the injury on daily life.
Treatment and recovery. Save bills and your clinicians’ plans for care. Future needs require medical support.
Time away from work. Keep schedules, pay records, used leave, and details of work you cannot perform.
Home and personal life. Note help with routine tasks, sleep problems, pain, and activities you have had to stop.
When a driver hit you, our
Hollywood car accident page
explains related vehicle and insurance questions. The cyclist’s coverage still needs a separate review.
When an offer arrives early
Has the adjuster offered to close the whole claim?
Bring the offer and every page of the release. A check for the bicycle and a settlement of your injuries may have different consequences. We can discuss what the wording means before you agree.
Call 954-465-8733
A free consultation can begin with that paperwork.
Finding applicable insurance
Can a cyclist use auto insurance benefits?
Possibly. A cyclist struck by a covered motor vehicle may have access to PIP or other applicable coverage. The vehicles, policies, household relationships, and crash facts determine which route should be reviewed.
Benefits for an eligible injured cyclist
Bring your auto insurance information even though you were riding a bicycle. An applicable household policy or the striking vehicle’s policy may be relevant in some circumstances. Eligibility and policy conditions must be checked.
A timing question to raise early:
Florida PIP medical benefits generally require qualifying initial services and care within 14 days of the motor vehicle crash. Other limits and conditions apply. Get needed care for your health and ask promptly about the insurance requirements.
Read Florida’s PIP statute.
The driver and the vehicle owner
A claim against the responsible driver may involve liability coverage, vehicle ownership, and an employer if the driver was working. Our
Hollywood truck accident page
explains additional business and equipment questions for commercial vehicles.
A missing driver or limited coverage
Keep the report number, plate details if available, witness contacts, and any original footage. We can review uninsured motorist coverage and policy notice requirements. A hit-and-run does not automatically create coverage or prove fault.
When the rider is blamed
What rules applied where you were riding?
A rider’s duties depend on the roadway, lane, sidewalk, or crossing involved. We review those facts along with the driver’s duties and the available evidence.
Moving away from the edge
Florida’s bicycle law has exceptions to the usual lane or right-edge rule, including certain hazards, left turns, and lanes too narrow to share safely. Describe the specific obstruction or movement that affected your position.
Helmet questions
Florida’s bicycle regulations
require helmets for riders and passengers under 16 and state that helmet nonuse may not be treated as evidence of negligence or contributory negligence. Do not treat an adjuster’s question as the legal answer.
A claim of shared fault
For negligence actions covered by
Florida’s shared-fault rule
, your share of fault can reduce damages, and being more than 50 percent at fault bars recovery. Have the actual evidence reviewed instead of relying on a first estimate of fault.
The people behind the firm
Read about the partners before deciding.
Mark Miller and Rick Jacobs have been Florida Bar members since 1995. Their backgrounds include prosecution, insurance defense, and jury trials. Their biographies give you the details behind the firm’s experience.
Partner
Mark J. Miller
Mark is a former prosecutor and insurance-defense lawyer. Read about his experience reviewing claims from both sides.
About Mark Miller →
Partner
Rick S. Jacobs
Rick is a former Miami-Dade prosecutor with substantial jury-trial experience. His biography describes that background.
About Rick Jacobs →Questions about your next step
Bike repairs, rentals, and claim paperwork
The repair shop is ready to replace parts. What should I keep?
The repair shop is ready to replace parts. What should I keep?
Keep the estimate, repair schedule, photographs, and the location of the bicycle. Ask the shop to retain damaged parts and discuss an inspection before work changes the evidence. You do not have to ignore repair needs, but coordination may help protect the claim.
The rental company wants the bicycle returned. What information matters?
The rental company wants the bicycle returned. What information matters?
Save the agreement, receipt, bicycle identification, return instructions, and messages. Tell us if the shop has already taken the bike back. A rental does not decide responsibility; a claimed equipment problem may require an inspection and review of maintenance information.
I fell avoiding a car that never touched me. What do you need?
I fell avoiding a car that never touched me. What do you need?
Describe what prompted the fall and identify any vehicle, hazard, or witness. A no-contact event can be investigated, but proof of another party’s responsibility remains necessary. Also keep notices from any insurer because coverage and reporting terms may affect the next steps.
The insurer offered to pay for the bike. Can a release affect my injuries?
The insurer offered to pay for the bike. Can a release affect my injuries?
Check the release before signing. A property payment may be separate from the injury claim, but broad wording can affect more than the bicycle. Keep every page, email, and check notation so the agreement can be reviewed.
Can I start from home after a cycling crash while visiting Hollywood?
Can I start from home after a cycling crash while visiting Hollywood?
Yes, an initial conversation can take place by phone. Give us the Hollywood crash location and keep the report, rental records if any, and follow-up care documents. Tell us where you live because policies and later participation may require separate review.
I use my bicycle to reach work. Should I wait until I know my losses?
I use my bicycle to reach work. Should I wait until I know my losses?
Raise the missed work, including the extra cost of getting there, during the consultation. For a current negligence lawsuit, Florida generally provides two years, but the crash date, claim type, exceptions, and notice requirements need review. Evidence and insurance deadlines can arise earlier.
Florida’s filing-deadline statute.