JONES LAW GROUPYour Lawyers for Life! Personal Injury Law Firm in St. Petersburg
Reviewed by Bobby Jones, Personal Injury Attorney, Jones Law Group | Published | Updated
St. Petersburg is one of the best cycling cities in Florida. The Pinellas Trail runs right through it, Central Avenue has protected bike lanes, and thousands of people ride to work, to the beach, or for the joy of it every day. The problem is that all of that riding happens next to car traffic, and when a driver turns across a bike lane without looking, the cyclist takes the full force of it. A St. Petersburg bicycle accident lawyer makes sure the driver’s insurer treats you like what you are under Florida law: a vehicle operator with full rights to the road. At Jones Law Group, we have recovered more than $50 million for injured clients across Tampa Bay, and we take bicycle and E-Bike cases on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we win.
Here is something most injured cyclists do not know, and it changes everything about the first weeks after a crash: you likely have car insurance coverage even though you were on a bike.
A cyclist struck by a motor vehicle in Florida is generally entitled to PIP benefits, even though the cyclist was not in a car. If you own a car with a Florida policy, your own PIP pays your first $10,000 in medical bills and lost wages. If you do not own a car, coverage can come through a resident relative’s policy, and if there is none, the PIP of the driver who hit you applies.
This matters for two reasons. First, it means your early medical bills have a payment source, but only if you get initial treatment within 14 days of the crash. Miss that window and the benefit is gone. Second, PIP is only the floor. Serious injuries, which are the norm when a body meets a bumper, let you pursue the at-fault driver directly for the full measure of your damages, including pain and suffering. Sorting out which policies apply, in which order, is one of the first things we do in every bike case.
Under Florida Statute § 316.2065, a bicycle is a vehicle and a rider has all the rights to the roadway of any driver. You are allowed to take the lane when it is too narrow to share. Drivers must give you at least three feet of clearance when passing under Florida Statute § 316.083, and since a update, they may cross the center line to do it safely. Riding on the sidewalk is generally legal in Florida too, though local rules and pedestrian right-of-way still apply.
Why does this matter to your claim? Because the driver’s insurer will almost always argue you were somewhere you should not have been or riding in a way you should not have ridden. Most of the time, Florida law says otherwise, and we make the adjuster confront the statute instead of the stereotype.
Since , Florida Statute § 316.20655 has treated electric bicycles like traditional bicycles. E-Bike riders have the same rights and duties as other cyclists, and no driver’s license, registration, or insurance is required to ride one. The law sorts E-Bikes into three classes based on top assisted speed, up to 28 mph for a Class 3.
If an insurer suggests your E-Bike makes you something other than a cyclist, or hints you needed a license, that is wrong on the law. The one honest wrinkle is speed: a Class 3 E-Bike moves faster than a driver expects a bicycle to move, and comparative fault arguments sometimes follow. We deal with those on the facts, often with the bike’s own ride data.
Has the driver’s insurer already suggested the crash was your fault? Do not give a recorded statement until you have talked to a lawyer. Call (727) 571-1333 for a free consultation.
Most serious bike crashes are not exotic. A driver turns right across a bike lane at an intersection, the classic right hook. A driver turns left across an oncoming cyclist’s path, the left cross. A parked driver opens a door into the lane. A driver passes too close on a road with no shoulder. And at the dozens of points where the Pinellas Trail crosses city streets, drivers roll through the crossing looking for cars, not bikes.
The hot spots in St. Pete are predictable: trail crossings, the Central Avenue and 1st Avenue North and South corridors, 4th Street North, and the high-speed stretches of US-19 and 34th Street where riding is legal but unforgiving. We pull crash data from Forward Pinellas to show how a specific crossing or intersection behaves, which strengthens the fault case against a driver who claims you came out of nowhere.
A cyclist has no metal around them, so the injuries run serious: broken collarbones, wrists and hips, road rash needing grafts, facial injuries, and traumatic brain injuries even with a helmet. The worst cases in Pinellas County are treated at Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, the county’s only Level II trauma center.
One practical note: Florida only requires helmets for riders under 16, and adults riding without one are within the law. If an insurer tries to cut a head-injury claim over a missing helmet, that argument has limits, and it has nothing at all to do with your broken wrist. We keep it contained.
Value depends on your injuries, the fault evidence, and the insurance available, so no lawyer can promise a number. Florida splits damages into two categories. Economic damages cover medical bills, future care, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and the bike itself, which for many E-Bikes is a multi-thousand-dollar loss on its own. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, mental anguish, scarring, and loss of enjoyment of life, which weighs heavily for someone whose riding was their exercise, commute, or community.
Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule reduces your recovery by your share of fault and bars it entirely above 50%, which is exactly why insurers work so hard to shift blame onto the cyclist. If the driver fled or carried no bodily injury coverage, your own uninsured motorist coverage may pay the claim. For more on how value is calculated, see our guide on how much a Florida injury settlement is worth and our two-year deadline guide.
Not sure which insurance applies to your bike crash? That puzzle is our job, and solving it is often worth tens of thousands of dollars. Call (727) 571-1333 for a free case review.
Jones Law Group is led by attorney Bobby Jones, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Stetson Law graduate who has practiced personal injury law in Tampa Bay for more than 20 years. We have recovered over $50 million for injured clients and hold a 4.9 rating on Google. We know the statutes that protect riders, we know the local roads and trail crossings where these crashes happen, and we work on contingency, so we only get paid when you do. You can see the full range of cases we handle on our St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer page.
Generally yes. A cyclist struck by a motor vehicle in Florida can claim PIP benefits through their own auto policy, a resident relative’s policy, or, if neither exists, the at-fault driver’s PIP. You must get initial medical treatment within 14 days of the crash to keep the benefit.
Yes, and no license is needed. Under Florida Statute § 316.20655, E-Bikes are treated like bicycles, with the same rights and duties, and no driver’s license, registration, or insurance is required. Riders and passengers under 16 must wear helmets, the same rule as regular bicycles.
Often yes. Florida only requires helmets for riders under 16, so an adult riding without one has not broken any law. An insurer may argue a head injury would have been less severe with a helmet, but that argument does not touch your other injuries and does not automatically reduce your claim.
Generally yes. Florida law permits riding on sidewalks unless a local ordinance says otherwise, and cyclists on sidewalks have the rights and duties of pedestrians, including at crosswalks. Drivers still owe you a duty of care at driveways and intersections, which is where most sidewalk-cyclist crashes happen.
You may still have a claim. Hit-and-run crashes involving cyclists can be covered by your own uninsured motorist coverage, and PIP through your household policy can pay initial medical bills. Report the crash to police immediately, because the report is essential to both claims.
Jones Law Group works on a contingency fee, with no up-front cost and no hourly bill. We only collect a fee if we recover money for you, and the initial consultation is free.
If a driver hit you while you were riding, Florida law gives you more protection than the insurance company will ever volunteer. Tell us what happened in a free consultation, with no obligation and no fee unless we win.
Disclaimer: This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The $50 million figure reflects total amounts recovered for clients over time, not a promise about any individual case. If you have a specific legal question, contact a licensed Florida attorney.
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Jones Law Group is a dedicated personal injury lawyer in St. Petersburg, FL, serving the Tampa Bay area since 2006. Our experienced attorneys specialize in car accidents, slip and fall cases, employment law disputes, construction law issues, and overtime wage claims, fighting for maximum compensation on a contingency fee basis. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your case.
Call our personal injury law office at (727) 512-9847
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