There’s really no activity that’s more associated with children in California than riding a bicycle. Even though it’s a great way for kids to stay active and enjoy the outdoors, it also brings the risk of an accident. And in recent years, those have been on the rise. Our team of California bicycle accident lawyers at Maison Law can help you and your family through a claim. Set up a free consultation today.
Bicycle Accidents Involving Children in California
There’s no denying that bicycle accidents involving children in California is incredibly unfortunate. But it’s also an ongoing problem, and as such, there’s a lot of data on the topic. According to data from UC Berkeley’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) over the last five years, there’s been an average of:
- 111. 6 bicycle accidents involving children being injured or killed per year.
This is obviously a stark number, but when you break it down by year, you really see how the number has increased in recent years:
- 2021 – 81 accidents
- 2022 – 106 accidents
- 2023 – 100 accidents
- 2024 – 127 accidents
- 2025 – 144 accidents
Any bike accident involving your child is something no adult wants to think about. Yet, with these numbers, you can see just how often it’s been happening throughout California. So, it’s more about understanding the details and how these accidents usually happen:
- Not wearing a helmet or other protective gear.
- Riding without enough adult supervision.
- Inexperience or limited bicycle-riding skills.
- Not following traffic signs, signals, or other rules of the road.
- Getting distracted while riding.
- Dangerous road, sidewalk, or bike lane conditions.
- Drivers who fail to watch for cyclists or give them enough space.
No matter how an accident happens, it’s easy to see why a child is even more vulnerable to serious injuries. They simply lack the same size and knowledge that an adult rider has. But one thing that doesn’t change is what options you and your child have.
How the Claims Process Works With Child Bicycle Accidents
When a child is hurt in a bicycle accident, the stakes are obviously much higher. It’s just different than when an adult is injured. Children face bigger challenges with the injuries that come from bicycle accidents—and despite how resilient children are, these challenges don’t always go away as they grow and heal.
With that said, a bicycle accident involving a child is still a potential legal claim if negligence is involved, like:
- Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
- Failing to yield to the bike rider
- Running stop signs or traffic signals
- Distracted driving
- Aggressive or reckless driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Failing to watch for children riding near roads, intersections, neighborhoods, parks, or schools
While it’s true that California has comparative negligence rules, that doesn’t necessarily apply when there’s a child involved. Drivers are generally expected to use extra caution when children are around for obvious reasons. So when there’s negligence, there’s the injury claims process.
The idea is the same: getting financial help for what you and your child are left dealing with. While the idea is the same, it works a bit differently with a child because they’re a minor. They have the same rights, but they can’t file the claim. So that’s where you or some other adult guardian has to step in and file the claim on their behalf.
With that sorted out, though, the claims process works the same way, happening through either:
- An insurance claim out of court.
- A personal injury lawsuit.
And with the claim filed, the focus turns to damages. In a bicycle accident with serious injuries or a fatality, damages can include things like:
- Medical bills and future treatment costs.
- Rehabilitation and therapy expenses.
- Pain and suffering.
- Emotional trauma and mental anguish.
- Permanent disabilities or scarring.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Wrongful death damages in fatal bicycle accidents.
It’s hard to think about the long-term impact of a bicycle accident involving your child. But with the above data, it’s an unfortunate byproduct of living here in California. And again, it’s something no family wants to go through. But when it does happen, you don’t have to go through it alone.
Talk With Our California Youth Bicycle Accident Lawyers
A bicycle accident involving your child can leave your whole family dealing with the aftermath. Medical bills, uncertainty, and a lot of difficult questions are all part of your new normal. While no legal claim can undo what happened, there’s practical reasons to go through that process.
But again, you never want your child to get hurt, let alone lose them completely. That’s why the stakes are so high in these kinds of bicycle accidents, and usually the point where you and the rest of your family start thinking about reaching out to a lawyer. When you reach out to our team, we’ll help you all by:
- Clearly explaining your legal rights and options.
- Fully investigating how the accident happened.
- Gathering evidence, medical records, and witness statements.
- Working with experts when necessary.
- Handling communications and negotiations with insurance companies.
- Calculating the full impact of your child’s injuries, both now and in the future.
The goal is to put your family in the strongest position possible while allowing you to focus on your child’s recovery or moving forward after such an unspeakable loss. If your child has been injured or killed in a bicycle accident in California, set up a free consultation today.
