A driver opens a door, turns across the bike lane, or rolls a stop sign — and a ride home becomes an ambulance ride. If a car hit you while you were on your bike, you have rights under Florida law, and you may have insurance money waiting that you do not know about.
When a car hits a cyclist, the rider takes the full force. There is no steel frame, no airbag, no seatbelt — just a helmet and the road. So even a "minor" crash often means a broken collarbone, a wrist fracture, road rash that needs surgery, a concussion, or worse. The driver walks away. You do not.
Here is the part most riders get wrong: you do not need a special "bicycle policy" to be covered. If you own a car, your own auto insurance can pay your first medical bills even though you were on a bike when you were hit — and the at-fault driver's insurance is still on the hook for the rest. Most people leave that money on the table because no one told them it was there. We make sure you collect everything you are owed.
The other thing that matters: evidence disappears fast. Paint marks fade, the bike gets thrown out, the driver's story changes, and traffic-camera footage gets overwritten in days. The sooner Robert DiStefano gets on your case, the more proof we lock down — the police report, the 911 audio, the camera footage near the intersection, and the witnesses who saw what really happened.
If a driver hit you, this is not "an accident you have to eat." Florida law puts the cost on the person who caused it — and that means their insurance, not yours.
Bicycle claims follow special rules — and a few of them changed in 2023. Here is the law that actually controls what you can recover and how long you have to act.
Fla. Stat. § 627.736
Florida's Personal Injury Protection (PIP) law follows the person, not just the car. If you own a vehicle with PIP, that coverage can pay 80% of your medical bills and part of your lost wages after a bike crash — up to your policy limit. There is a catch: you must get treated within 14 days of the crash, or the coverage can be denied. Do not wait.
Fla. Stat. § 627.737
To recover for pain, suffering, and the full value of your injuries from the at-fault driver, Florida requires a permanent injury — significant scarring, a permanent loss of a bodily function, or, in the worst cases, death. Serious bicycle injuries frequently clear this bar. We document yours so the insurer cannot wave it away.
Fla. Stat. § 316.2065
Under Florida's traffic code, a cyclist has the same rights and duties as the driver of a vehicle. You are allowed in the lane, drivers must yield to you when the law requires, and a driver who fails to yield, doors you, or turns across your path is at fault — even though they were the one in the car.
Fla. Stat. § 768.81 amended 2023
An insurer will try to blame you — "no helmet," "no lights," "wrong side." Florida now uses a modified comparative negligence rule: if you are found more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing. At 50% or less, your recovery is reduced by your share. Fighting that fault percentage is often where a case is won or lost.
Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4)(a) amended 2023
Since the 2023 reform, the deadline to file a negligence lawsuit in Florida is two years from the date of the crash — cut down from the old four-year window. Miss it and your claim is gone, no matter how strong it was. Claims against a city or government may have far shorter notice deadlines.
This page provides general information about Florida law and is not legal advice. Statutes and case law change; your specific case requires a consultation.
Fort Lauderdale is a great cycling town and a dangerous one. Tourists in rentals, distracted drivers, and intersections that were never built for bikes put riders at risk every day. Here is where we see riders get hurt.
Knowing the exact corner matters. The camera on a nearby building, the business with a doorbell cam, the city's signal-timing data, the way drivers actually behave at that light — these are the details that prove fault. A firm that knows Broward roads knows where to look.
You will not be handed off to a case manager you never met. Robert DiStefano has practiced Florida personal-injury law for more than 40 years, and he works your file personally — from the first call through the settlement or the courtroom. When an insurance adjuster tries to pin the crash on you, you want someone who has been doing this since 1982 answering them.
We take bicycle injury cases on contingency: no fee unless we recover for you. The first case review is free, confidential, and same-day. You can focus on healing; we will handle the insurers, the bills, and the deadlines.
Call or send the short form. Same-day, confidential, free. We listen first.
We lock down the report, camera footage, and witnesses, and pull the right insurance — including your own PIP.
We push the at-fault driver's insurer for everything you are owed and go to court if they will not pay fairly.
Want to see the kinds of outcomes we have won for injured clients? See related case results → Or read more about Robert DiStefano and the way he works each case.
Hurt a different way on the road? We also help people injured as pedestrians struck by a vehicle and riders hurt in motorcycle crashes across Broward County.
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“The best lawyer in South Florida. Thank you DiStefano for all the hard work that you and your team have done to get me amazing results.”
Taravia Google
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“I had a wonderful experience with Robert! He fought hard for me and kept me in the loop the whole time. The whole office is just great!”
Paulavia Google
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“Mr. DiStefano is the best! Kept me up to date with everything, and his paralegal Michelle also kept us informed. Happy with my settlement — I highly recommend him.”
Stacy Leevia Google
Tell Robert what happened. The call is free, your information stays private, and you owe nothing unless we recover for you. Reach our Fort Lauderdale office →
(954) 572-8000