Shreveport Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Bicycle Accident Injuries in Shreveport

A car absorbs crash energy through steel, crumple zones, and airbags. A cyclist absorbs it through their body. That physics gap explains why bicycle accident injuries are severe even at relatively low vehicle speeds.

TBI

Common injuries in Shreveport bicycle accidents include traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, clavicle and wrist fractures, pelvic fractures, severe road rash, and internal bleeding. Helmet use reduces TBI risk. It does not prevent it. Helmets are engineered for solo falls, not for collisions with a two-ton vehicle.

Fatalities occur even at low vehicle speeds. The force differential between a motor vehicle and an unprotected cyclist is extreme regardless of speed. Medical costs for serious bicycle injuries routinely exceed $100,000. Spinal cord and brain trauma cases can reach into the millions in lifetime care costs.

If you sustained a head injury, you may want to review how brain trauma claims work in Louisiana. For bone fractures, see broken bone injury claims. For spinal injuries, see spine trauma claims.

When you speak with an attorney, ask specifically how many bicycle accident cases they have handled and whether any involved the injury type you sustained. A lawyer who handles primarily soft-tissue car accident cases may not be the right fit for a spinal cord injury claim. Morris & Dewett has handled catastrophic injury cases across all of these categories for more than 25 years.

How Bicycle Accidents Happen in Shreveport

Under La. R.S. 32:194, Louisiana law gives cyclists the same road rights as motor vehicle operators. A cyclist in the travel lane is a lawful road user, not an obstruction. Most crashes occur because a motorist failed to see the cyclist, failed to yield, or made a deliberate choice that ignored a cyclist's legal right to the road.

Common causes in Caddo Parish include distracted driving (texting, phone use, in-car displays), failure to yield at intersections on Market Street, Kings Highway, and Line Avenue. Unsafe lane changes and operating in marked bike lanes are also documented patterns. Impaired drivers are disproportionately involved in cyclist fatality cases. Speeding reduces motorist reaction time to a point where a cyclist in view has no chance to avoid the collision.

Ask any attorney you consult how they investigate the cause of a crash. Cause matters for liability. A distracted driving case requires cell phone records. An impaired driving case requires toxicology and breathalyzer data. An attorney without a specific investigation plan for your crash type is not prepared to build your case.

Common Crash Types by Mechanism

Rear-end collisions occur when a motorist traveling too fast strikes a cyclist from behind. These happen at dusk or night on roads without adequate lighting. The cyclist typically has no opportunity to react.

Dooring accidents occur when a parked vehicle occupant opens a door into the path of an oncoming cyclist without checking mirrors or blind spots. The cyclist has no reaction time. Dooring injuries are frequently severe for that reason. Liability falls on the door opener under Louisiana law.

Right-hook collisions happen when a driver turns right across a cyclist's path at an intersection or driveway. It is one of the most common urban crash patterns. Left-cross accidents occur when an oncoming driver turns left through an intersection, cutting across a cyclist traveling straight, usually at a higher-speed crossing. Sideswipe accidents happen when a passing motorist clips a cyclist while changing lanes or passing too closely. Louisiana law requires a minimum safe lateral clearance distance. Intersection crashes from failure to yield at four-way stops and signalized intersections account for a substantial share of urban cyclist injuries.

Louisiana Bicycle Laws and How They Affect Your Claim

Louisiana law creates specific rights and obligations for cyclists. Understanding them matters because insurance companies use violations of these rules to reduce your payout.

Adult cyclists who were not wearing a helmet at the time of a crash cannot be found automatically negligent. Louisiana requires helmet use only for cyclists under age 12 under La. R.S. 32:199.1. Helmet non-use is not prima facie evidence of negligence for adults. This is a point insurers will raise. Your attorney needs to know how to address it directly.

Comparative Fault

Louisiana follows comparative fault rules under La. C.C. Art. 2323. As of January 1, 2026, a plaintiff found more than 51% at fault is barred from any recovery. A motorist found 90% at fault still owes 90% of your damages even if you share partial fault. Insurance companies build their defense around pushing your fault percentage above that threshold. Ask any attorney you interview how they specifically counter comparative fault arguments in bicycle cases.

Prescriptive Period

The Prescriptive Period for personal injury claims in Louisiana is two years from the date of injury under La. C.C. Art. 3493.11, which took effect July 1, 2024. Missing that deadline eliminates your right to recover anything. Do not let settlement negotiations distract from the calendar. If you are unsure where you stand on timing, that is one of the first questions to raise with an attorney.

Road Sharing Rules

Motorists must treat cyclists as lawful road users at all times. A cyclist in the lane has the legal right to be there. Louisiana law prohibits vehicles from driving in a marked bicycle lane except to cross at an intersection or access a driveway, under La. R.S. 32:197. Violation of that prohibition is evidence of negligence.

When passing, Louisiana law requires motorists to maintain a safe lateral clearance distance when overtaking a bicycle. Failure to maintain that clearance is a statutory violation. If the driver who struck you was in a bike lane or passed too closely, those are statutory violations. Running a marked lane while you were riding lawfully is direct evidence that supports your liability claim.

Dooring Law

Louisiana statute prohibits opening a vehicle door into active traffic. The occupant who opens the door bears liability for collisions caused by the act. The legal question centers on whether the motorist exercised due care before opening the door. In practice, few people check their mirrors carefully before exiting.

If you were doored, preserve the door, the car, and any physical evidence at the scene. Photographs of the door position and your bike's impact point are critical. Dooring cases turn on whether the occupant knew or should have known a cyclist was approaching.

Lighting and Visibility Requirements

Louisiana law requires a white front light visible from 500 feet and a red rear reflector or light when riding at night, under La. R.S. 32:329. Defense attorneys will raise lighting violations as comparative fault if you were riding at night without required equipment. An experienced attorney can contextualize whether the lighting violation was actually a proximate cause of the crash. Cause is the key word. A missing rear reflector does not cause a crash where the driver ran a red light.

Louisiana's status as one of the most dangerous states for cyclists nationally reflects poor road conditions and limited protected bike infrastructure. That context matters when a defendant argues you assumed the risk by riding on a particular road.

What to Do After a Bicycle Accident in Shreveport

The actions you take in the hours after a bicycle accident affect your claim directly. Here is the sequence that matters most.

Call 911 and ensure law enforcement responds. A police report is foundational evidence in any claim. It documents the crash scene, collects driver information, and sometimes records the officer's at-fault assessment. Do not skip this step, even if the driver asks you not to.

Seek medical attention the same day, even if injuries seem minor. Internal injuries and concussions may not produce immediate symptoms. A gap in medical treatment gives the defense a window to argue your injuries were pre-existing or unrelated to the crash. Your first medical record ties the injury to the incident.

Do not move the bicycle or debris if you can safely leave it in place. The accident scene is evidence. Photograph vehicle positions, road conditions, skid marks, signage, any bike lane markings, the vehicle that struck you, and your injuries. Get the driver's name, license plate, insurance carrier, and policy number at the scene. Collect witness names and contact information before they leave.

Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver's insurance company without an attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to collect statements that reduce the payout. You have no obligation to provide one. Preserve your bicycle and gear. Do not repair or discard them before your attorney reviews them. Physical evidence from your bike, your helmet, and your clothing can establish impact geometry.

Before accepting any settlement offer, speak with an attorney. Early offers are typically far below what the claim is worth, and accepting one may eliminate your right to pursue additional compensation.

Establishing Motorist Negligence

Negligence requires four elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Louisiana motorists owe a duty of care to all road users, including cyclists. The analysis then turns to what the driver did or failed to do.

Police reports, traffic camera footage, dashcam video, and eyewitness accounts are primary evidence. Accident reconstruction experts establish pre-impact speed, angle of impact, and pre-crash driver behavior. Cell phone records can confirm distracted driving at the time of the crash. Breathalyzer and toxicology results are discoverable if impaired driving is suspected.

Failure to yield at a marked crosswalk or intersection is per se negligence under Louisiana traffic statutes. That means the statutory violation establishes negligence without additional proof of unreasonable conduct.

Ask any attorney you consult how quickly they move to preserve evidence. Traffic camera and business surveillance footage is frequently overwritten within 24 to 72 hours. An attorney who waits a week to send preservation demands may have already lost critical evidence. Morris & Dewett sends evidence preservation demands within 24 hours of engagement. For more on case investigation, see how we investigate injury cases.

Types of Evidence We Gather

Surveillance and traffic camera footage from intersections and nearby businesses is often overwritten within days if not requested promptly. Dashcam footage from the at-fault vehicle or nearby vehicles can establish what happened in the seconds before impact.

EDR

EDR data from the vehicle shows pre-impact speed and braking inputs. Cell phone records and carrier data establish phone use at the time of the crash. Expert accident reconstruction establishes vehicle speed, sight lines, and impact geometry. Medical records and imaging link specific injuries to the crash mechanism. Establishing that connection is important because defense teams will challenge causation on severe injuries.

Damages You Can Recover After a Shreveport Bicycle Accident

Louisiana law divides recoverable damages into economic and non-economic categories.

Economic damages include emergency transport, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, lost wages, and future earning capacity. For injuries with permanent impairment, future medical care generates ongoing costs that must be calculated at present value. This requires economic expert analysis, not an estimate.

Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and disfigurement. These categories are harder to quantify and are often the subject of the most aggressive negotiation by insurers.

Louisiana's collateral source rule was modified by 2020 tort reform. Medical damages may be limited to amounts actually paid rather than billed in some circumstances. This change affects how damages are presented and how settlement calculations should be structured. An attorney unfamiliar with the reform may significantly under-calculate what your case is worth at the table.

Ask any attorney you consult how they calculate non-economic damages for a bicycle injury case with permanent impairment. Ask what documentation they require to establish future medical costs and whether they use a medical economist or life care planner. Morris & Dewett works with medical experts and economic analysts on cases involving long-term or permanent injury, because future losses that are not documented before settlement cannot be recovered after the fact.

Wrongful Death Action

If the bicycle accident resulted in a death, surviving family members may pursue a Wrongful Death Action under La. C.C. Art. 2315.2. For more on these claims, see wrongful death claims in Shreveport.

How Morris & Dewett Handles Your Bicycle Accident Claim

Morris & Dewett offers a free initial case evaluation. There is no cost to speak with an attorney about what happened and whether you have a claim. Attorney fees are handled on a Contingency Fee basis. You pay nothing unless there is a recovery.

After engagement, the team requests preservation of surveillance footage, police reports, and physical evidence. The investigation identifies all potentially liable parties. That includes the driver, their employer if they were operating a commercial vehicle, government entities if a road defect contributed, and vehicle manufacturers if a product defect played a role. Multiple defendants create multiple insurance coverage sources, and an attorney who stops at the driver's policy may leave significant compensation on the table.

Damage calculation involves working with medical experts and economists to quantify current and future losses before any settlement discussion. Once a settlement is accepted, there is no going back to account for future surgeries or ongoing care costs. Getting that number right before negotiating matters.

UM/UIM

Morris & Dewett handles all communication with the at-fault driver's insurer and your own UM/UIM carrier. You do not speak with adjusters. If the insurer refuses a fair settlement, Morris & Dewett files suit in Caddo Parish District Court and takes the case to trial. The firm is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for clients.

Morris & Dewett has secured verdicts and settlements across personal injury case types including motor vehicle collisions. For a summary of results, view our case results. For the full range of services in Shreveport, see Shreveport injury lawyers.

Why Bicycle Accident Claims Are Different From Car Accident Claims

Insurance companies and defense attorneys treat bicycle accident claims differently from car accident claims. Higher injury severity means more scrutiny from the insurer's side. Liability disputes are more common. Insurers routinely argue that the cyclist was at fault for being in the road.

Damages are harder to quantify when injuries are catastrophic and long-term. Medical lien resolution is more complex when multiple providers, including health insurers, hospitals, and emergency transport, have claims against the recovery. An attorney who handles primarily minor car accident claims may not have the experience to manage that complexity.

Ask any attorney you consult whether they have taken bicycle accident cases to trial and whether any involved the level of injury severity you sustained. Case experience at trial matters when an insurer knows the attorney will actually litigate if negotiations fail. Morris & Dewett has the trial record and the resources to take Caddo Parish bicycle accident cases the full distance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have a bicycle accident case if I was not wearing a helmet?

YES. Louisiana requires helmet use only for cyclists under age 12 under [La. R.S. 32:199.1](https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=88529). Helmet non-use by an adult is not prima facie evidence of negligence. An insurance adjuster may raise it, but your attorney can address the argument directly. The question is whether the absence of a helmet was a proximate cause of the specific injuries you sustained, which is a separate legal question from fault for the crash.

How long do I have to file a bicycle accident claim in Louisiana?

You have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit under [La. C.C. Art. 3493.11](https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=1158505), which took effect July 1, 2024. This is the prescriptive period for personal injury claims. Missing it eliminates your right to recover any compensation, regardless of how strong your case is. Do not assume you have three years. That was the prior law. The current deadline is two years.

What if the driver who hit me does not have enough insurance to cover my injuries?

Your own auto insurance policy may include UM/UIM coverage, which pays when the at-fault driver's coverage is insufficient. Louisiana law requires insurers to offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, though policyholders may decline it in writing. If you have UM/UIM on any vehicle on your policy, it may be available for a bicycle accident. An attorney can review your policy and identify all available coverage sources.

Can I recover damages if I was riding on a road that does not have a bike lane?

YES. Under [La. R.S. 32:194](https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=88499), Louisiana law treats cyclists as lawful operators on any public road. You are not required to use a bike lane to have legal protection. Riding on a road without a dedicated lane does not reduce or eliminate your right to compensation if a motorist's negligence caused the crash.

What is comparative fault and how does it affect my bicycle accident settlement?

Comparative fault reduces your recovery by your percentage of responsibility for the accident. If you are 51% or more at fault under [La. C.C. Art. 2323](https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=109265) as amended effective January 1, 2026, you recover nothing. If you are 30% at fault on a valid claim, your recovery is reduced by 30%. Insurance adjusters build their entire defense strategy around pushing your fault percentage as high as possible. Your attorney needs a specific approach to establish the motorist's fault and counter the insurer's arguments.

How much does it cost to hire a bicycle accident lawyer in Shreveport?

Morris & Dewett handles bicycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney fees upfront and no attorney fees at all if there is no recovery. The contingency percentage is discussed at the initial consultation. There is no cost to call, no cost for the first meeting, and no obligation to hire the firm after speaking with an attorney.

What should I do immediately after a bicycle accident in Shreveport?

Call 911, ensure law enforcement responds, and seek medical attention the same day. Do not move the bicycle or debris. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, and your injuries. Get the driver's name, license plate, and insurance information. Collect witness contact information. Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver's insurer. Preserve your bicycle and gear. Contact an attorney before accepting any settlement offer.

Can I sue the city if a road defect contributed to my bicycle accident?

YES, but claims against government entities in Louisiana follow different rules. You must file a timely notice of claim before suing a municipal or state entity, and shorter deadlines may apply. Government liability for road defects depends on whether the entity had actual or constructive notice of the defect and failed to repair it. If a pothole, missing signage, broken pavement, or absent bike lane marking contributed to your crash, a government entity claim may run parallel to your claim against the driver.

Does the driver's car insurance cover bicycle accidents in Louisiana?

YES. Louisiana auto insurance liability coverage applies to any person the insured motorist injures through negligent driving, including cyclists. The driver's bodily injury liability limits are the starting point for your claim. If those limits are insufficient to cover your damages, your own UM/UIM coverage may provide additional recovery.

Will my bicycle accident case go to court or settle out of court?

Most personal injury cases settle before trial. Whether your case settles depends on the insurer's willingness to pay the actual value of the claim. Cases that settle early often do so for less than full value because the injured person accepted the first offer. Morris & Dewett negotiates based on full damage calculations, including future medical costs, before entering settlement discussions. If the insurer does not offer a fair number, the case goes to [Caddo Parish District Court](https://www.caddo.org/676/District-Court).

Who pays for my injuries if the driver who hit me is uninsured?

Your own UM/UIM coverage is the primary source of recovery when the at-fault driver carries no insurance. Louisiana law requires insurers to offer this coverage. If you carry it, it applies to bicycle accidents caused by an uninsured motorist. If you do not have UM/UIM coverage, other options may include claims against additional liable parties. That includes an employer if the driver was working, or a property owner if a premises defect contributed to the crash. An attorney reviews all potential coverage sources at the initial evaluation.

These answers reflect Louisiana law as of January 2026. For case specific advice, consult with a Louisiana personal injury attorney who can evaluate your particular circumstances.