No Fee Unless We Win Your Case
(206) 800-8000
No Fee Unless We Win Your Case
(206) 800-8000Spokane has become one of Washington’s most active cycling communities, with the Centennial Trail drawing commuters, recreational riders, and weekend cyclists year-round. That growth is a sign of a healthy, connected city, and it also means more cyclists sharing roads with drivers who are not always paying attention. When a collision happens, the physical consequences can be severe. Cyclists have no structural protection between themselves and an oncoming vehicle, and the injuries that follow often require months of treatment, time away from work, and lasting changes to daily life.
Dubin Law Group represents injured cyclists across Spokane, bringing more than 25 years of personal injury experience and a track record of holding negligent drivers and insurers accountable. A Spokane bicycle accident lawyer from our team can review your situation at no cost and walk you through your legal options. We take cases on contingency, meaning no fees unless we recover for you.
At the Dubin Law Group, our Seattle lawyers fight to get the best possible result in personal injury cases of all types. Our team of attorneys brings over 180 years of combined experience to these cases.
A bicycle accident claim is not simply a matter of filing paperwork and waiting. The decisions made in the first days and weeks after a collision shape everything that follows: what evidence is preserved, how injuries are documented, and how strongly a claim holds up under scrutiny. Our approach is built around doing that early work thoroughly. We begin every case with a complete investigation covering crash reports, medical records, witness statements, and scene documentation. When liability is disputed, we bring in reconstruction professionals who can analyze vehicle speeds, impact angles, and road conditions to establish what actually happened. Insurance carriers rarely accept a cyclist’s account at face value, particularly when a driver claims they simply did not see the bicycle. Our team challenges those accounts with physical evidence and professional analysis, building a factual record that holds up under the scrutiny insurers apply to Spokane bicycle accident claims.
Beyond the collision itself, we track how injuries affect a client’s life over time. Lost income, reduced earning capacity, long-term care needs, and limitations on mobility all factor into what a fair recovery looks like. We work with medical professionals and financial specialists to document those impacts clearly. Throughout the process, we maintain direct communication with every client, with no unexplained gaps and no insurance jargon left unaddressed.
Dubin Law Group operates offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Redmond, and Everett, meaning Spokane clients benefit from both local presence and statewide litigation experience. Our multi-office reach also means that when a case involves a commercial carrier or out-of-state insurer, we have the resources and experience to pursue it effectively.
Understanding the legal framework that governs cycling in Washington is an important part of building a strong claim. The rules that apply to cyclists, and to the drivers who share the road with them, directly influence how liability is evaluated after a collision. Under RCW 46.61.755, every person riding a bicycle on a roadway has the same rights and responsibilities as the driver of a motor vehicle, with limited exceptions. Cyclists who follow traffic laws are entitled to the same legal protection as any other road user, and drivers who fail to treat them accordingly can be held liable.
Washington does not have a statewide helmet law for adult cyclists, but local requirements apply in parts of Spokane County. According to WSDOT’s bicyclist laws and safety guidance, some cities and counties require helmet use, and Spokane County is among them. The county ordinance requires helmet use for riders in unincorporated areas, and state law separately requires anyone operating an electric-assisted bicycle or motorized scooter to comply with all applicable helmet regulations under RCW 46.37.530. Cyclists are also required to use available bike lanes, ride in the direction of traffic, and equip bicycles with proper lighting after dark. A cyclist who follows these rules is in a stronger legal position; a driver who disregards them is more clearly negligent.
Washington follows a pure comparative fault system under RCW 4.22.005, which means a cyclist who bears some responsibility for a collision can still recover damages, proportionally reduced by their percentage of fault. A rider found 20 percent responsible in a case can still recover 80 percent. This rule benefits cyclists who are often unfairly assigned blame by insurers looking to reduce payouts. Claims must be filed within three years of the accident date under RCW 4.16.080, and speaking with a Spokane bicycle accident lawyer early preserves options that disappear once that deadline passes.
Bicycle collisions in Spokane rarely happen in a vacuum. Most involve a combination of driver behavior, road conditions, and environmental factors that converge in seconds. Driver inattention is the most consistent thread: distracted driving, including phone use, in-vehicle navigation, and reaching for something inside the car, frequently plays a role at busy intersections downtown and along high-traffic corridors like Division Street and Sprague Avenue. Drivers who fail to check mirrors before opening doors cause dooring incidents that throw cyclists directly into traffic, and those who follow too closely or brake suddenly in congested areas create dangerous conditions with little warning.
Failure to yield is a recurring factor, particularly in the right-hook scenario where a driver turns right across a cyclist’s path. Impaired driving significantly increases crash severity when it occurs. Road hazards such as potholes, uneven pavement, and debris present particular risks along portions of the Centennial Trail and older city streets. Data from the WSDOT collision data portal shows that in 2025, the City of Spokane recorded 11 bicyclist-involved crashes resulting in 11 suspected serious injuries, nine of them intersection-related. Local data indicates that the majority of bicycle accidents in the area occur within Spokane city limits, with a smaller share in Spokane Valley, and collisions tend to peak during the late afternoon commute hours when traffic on the Centennial Trail and city streets is at its heaviest.
Liability in a bicycle accident case is rarely settled by the driver’s first account of events. A thorough investigation frequently reveals that a cyclist was exactly where they were supposed to be, following traffic laws, visible, and given no chance to react. A Spokane bicycle accident lawyer from our team reviews physical evidence from the scene, including skid marks, point of impact, and vehicle damage patterns, speaks with witnesses, and requests available camera footage before it is overwritten. When facts are contested, reconstruction professionals translate that evidence into a clear account of what occurred.
Common negligence factors include a driver’s failure to yield at an intersection, misjudging a cyclist’s speed while turning, distracted driving, following too closely, and making an unsafe lane change. Liability does not always rest with the driver alone. Defective bicycle components, such as a failed brake or a faulty quick-release mechanism, can shift responsibility to a manufacturer. Municipal negligence is a separate avenue when poor trail maintenance, unmarked hazards, or inadequate road design contributed to the crash. Portions of the Centennial Trail and several Spokane intersections have documented infrastructure issues that have factored into prior claims. Driver bias against cyclists is also a factor our team accounts for, building a record that replaces assumption with documented evidence of how and why the collision occurred. Each of these liability avenues requires prompt investigation and careful documentation to pursue effectively.
A bicycle accident claim should account for the financial and personal toll a collision creates, not just the initial medical bills. Compensatory damages address the actual losses a person suffers, both economic and non-economic. Economic losses include emergency care, follow-up treatment, physical therapy, specialist consultations, prescription costs, medical equipment, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity when injuries affect long-term employment. Non-economic losses, including pain, discomfort, anxiety about riding again, and the loss of a daily routine that provided exercise and independence, do not appear on a medical invoice but significantly affect quality of life.
Building a strong damages picture requires detailed medical records linking treatment to the crash, specialist evaluations projecting future care needs, and an accident reconstruction establishing how the collision occurred. Pay stubs, employment records, and provider notes frequently play a central role in demonstrating how a collision has affected financial stability and earning capacity over time. We also identify every available compensation source, including the at-fault driver’s liability insurance, underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage, and municipal liability channels when road conditions contributed. Leaving any of those sources unexamined is how recoveries fall short of what actual losses require.
Insurance companies routinely attempt to assign fault to cyclists even when evidence does not support it. A driver’s insurer has a financial incentive to reduce or deny a payout, and cyclists are frequently targeted with claims that they were riding unsafely or without proper lights. When a Spokane bicycle accident victim is blamed despite riding legally and safely, the answer is not to accept that characterization. It is to investigate and disprove it. Reconstruction professionals can establish that a cyclist was within a designated lane on the Centennial Trail when a distracted driver crossed into their path. In a right-hook scenario at a downtown Spokane intersection, surveillance footage frequently shows the driver never signaled and never yielded.
Washington’s comparative fault rule means recovery is still available even when a cyclist bears some responsibility, reduced proportionally rather than eliminated. Additional claims may extend beyond the driver’s insurer: a product liability claim may apply when a bicycle component failed, and a municipal liability claim warrants evaluation when poor trail maintenance or an unmarked hazard contributed. Washington’s insurance regulations under WAC 284-30-330 set enforceable standards for how insurers must investigate and respond to claims, and our Spokane bicycle accident lawyer holds carriers to those standards when they cut corners.
The physical vulnerability of a cyclist in a collision with a motor vehicle is the defining characteristic of these cases. According to the NHTSA 2023 pedalcyclist fatality report, 1,166 cyclists were killed in crashes nationwide that year, with nearly 50,000 more injured. The absence of structural protection means that collisions producing minor vehicle-to-vehicle damage routinely produce catastrophic results for cyclists. Injuries we handle in Spokane bicycle accident cases include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, road rash requiring surgical debridement, amputations, severe orthopedic fractures, and wrongful death arising from fatal collisions. Spokane has a younger working population, including university students and tech-sector employees, whose earning capacity is directly affected by serious injuries. Our Spokane bicycle accident lawyer team accounts for that potential when building a damages picture, weighing present losses alongside the future consequences that permanent injuries create.
Taking action after a bicycle collision protects your ability to recover, both medically and legally. The steps taken early shape how effectively injuries are documented, how evidence is preserved, and how a case develops over time. Delays create gaps that insurers use to dispute liability and reduce payouts. Our Spokane team of injury lawyers at Dubin Law Group is available 24 hours a day from our Spokane office and works on a contingency basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover on your behalf. Contact a Spokane bicycle accident lawyer today at (509) 800-8000 for a free consultation, and let us help you understand your rights and next steps.
Matthew D. Dubin has represented injured people throughout Washington since 1995. He is the founding attorney of Dubin Law Group and focuses his practice on personal injury claims involving motor vehicle accidents, dangerous products, premises liability, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death.
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According to the NHTSA 2023 pedalcyclist fatality report, 1,166 cyclists were killed in 2023, representing nearly 3 percent of all traffic fatalities, with an estimated 49,989 injured. Cyclists have no structural protection between themselves and an oncoming vehicle, which is why these collisions so frequently result in life-altering harm.
According to 2025 collision data for the City of Spokane, bicyclist-involved crashes were concentrated at intersections, with serious injuries recorded across all incidents. Local patterns indicate collisions are most common within Spokane city limits and tend to increase during late afternoon commute hours, particularly on the Centennial Trail and along major city corridors.
Yes. Insurance carriers begin building their defense immediately after a crash, and cyclists without legal representation are frequently pressured into low settlements or blamed for accidents they did not cause. A Spokane bicycle accident lawyer coordinates with healthcare providers, conducts a thorough investigation, documents injuries and financial losses, and ensures the claim reflects the full scope of what the collision cost you.
Washington’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims is three years from the accident date under RCW 4.16.080. Once that window closes, the right to pursue recovery is lost regardless of injury severity or the strength of the claim. Acting promptly protects that timeline and allows evidence to be preserved while it is still available.
Under RCW 4.22.005, damages are reduced proportionally by your share of fault, not eliminated. A cyclist found partially responsible still recovers a portion of the total damages, reduced only by their assigned percentage. This makes pursuing a claim worthwhile even when circumstances were not perfect.
Yes. Bicycle insurance is not required to file a claim against an at-fault driver. The claim proceeds against the driver’s automobile liability insurance, and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on your own auto policy may also apply, depending on your household coverage.
Not in every case, but professionals play a significant role in disputed situations. Accident reconstruction specialists establish vehicle speed, point of impact, and the sequence of events. Medical specialists connect injuries to the collision and project future care needs. Bicycle-safety analyzers provide testimony on lane usage standards and visibility expectations specific to cyclists.
Prompt investigation is essential because physical evidence deteriorates, footage gets overwritten, and witnesses become harder to locate. A proper investigation obtains the police report, photographs the scene, interviews witnesses, and analyzes road and vehicle conditions to establish the true sequence of events before an opposing insurer shapes the narrative.
The at-fault driver is the most common liable party, with claims typically covered by their automobile liability insurance. Responsibility can also extend to a bicycle manufacturer when a defective component contributed to the collision, and to a municipality when unsafe road conditions, poor signage, or inadequate trail maintenance played a role. Our team evaluates all potential sources of liability.
An injured cyclist can bring a personal injury claim directly. When a cyclist is killed, certain family members have the right to bring a wrongful death or survival action under Washington law. The parties authorized to file depend on the family relationship and the structure of the estate. A Spokane bicycle accident lawyer can clarify who holds standing in a particular situation.
Move to safety if possible, call 911, and request an officer at the scene. Obtain the police report number and officer’s name. Seek medical attention even if you feel uninjured, since some injuries do not become symptomatic for hours or days. Photograph the scene, vehicle damage, your bicycle, and any visible injuries, and gather witness contact information. Contact Dubin Law Group before speaking with the at-fault driver’s insurer, and do not admit fault at the scene, even in a general way.
To discuss your case with a dedicated personal injury attorney, call (509) 800-8000 or contact us using the form below.
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At the Dubin Law Group, we bring more than 40 years of experience to cases involving injuries to children and adults. We handle all accident cases on a contingent fee basis, meaning you will pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
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