If a driver hit you while you were riding a bicycle in Houston, you can claim against that driver’s insurance, and your own policy may also help. Houston’s safe passing ordinance requires drivers to give cyclists more than 3 feet, and more than 6 feet for commercial vehicles. Owsley Law Firm handles Houston bicycle cases and charges no fee unless it wins.
What does Houston’s safe passing ordinance require?
The City of Houston’s vulnerable road user ordinance (Code of Ordinances section 45-44) requires drivers passing a cyclist or other vulnerable road user to leave more than 3 feet, or more than 6 feet for trucks and commercial vehicles. Texas has no statewide passing distance, so in Houston this ordinance is a key piece of the fault argument.
A driver who clips a rider while passing too closely on Montrose Boulevard or Westheimer is breaking a city rule written to prevent exactly that crash.
Where are cyclists hit in Houston?
Houston riders share space with fast traffic on many routes.
Night riding adds risk on streets with uneven lighting. Texas law requires a bicycle ridden at night to have a white front lamp and a red rear reflector, and insurers check for them. A rider with lights and reflective gear, and a driver who still did not see them, is a strong fault case.
- Inner Loop streets in Montrose, Midtown, and the Heights
- Arterials like Westheimer, Richmond, and Shepherd
- Trail crossings where bayou trails meet streets
- Right turns across bike lanes and shoulders
- Car doors opened into a rider’s path
Does it hurt my case if I was not wearing a helmet?
Texas does not have a statewide helmet law for adult cyclists, and not wearing one is not a reason to deny a claim. An insurer may argue a helmet would have reduced a head injury, but that argument goes to the specific injury, not to who caused the crash.
Who pays after a Houston bike crash?
The at-fault driver’s liability insurance pays first. Texas requires at least $30,000 per person, which a serious injury quickly exceeds. Your own auto policy’s uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection may apply even though you were on a bike. If a city vehicle or a road defect caused the crash, the Texas Tort Claims Act applies, and claims against the City of Houston require written notice within 90 days under the city charter.
If a commercial vehicle was involved, such as a delivery van or a work truck, the company’s commercial policy may apply, and the commercial vehicle passing distance of more than 6 feet in the Houston ordinance applies to it. The firm identifies the vehicle’s owner and every policy before talking numbers.
What evidence matters in a Houston bicycle case?
Many riders use helmet or handlebar cameras and fitness apps that record speed and route. That data, plus video from homes and businesses, can prove where the driver was and how close they passed. The firm preserves the bike itself, because damage patterns show the angle of impact.
What are the most common Houston bike crashes?
Many Houston bicycle crashes follow a few patterns. A driver turns right across a cyclist riding straight, or turns left into a rider coming the other way. A driver passes too closely on a narrow Inner Loop street. A parked driver opens a door into the bike lane on a busy Montrose or Midtown block. And on bayou trail crossings, drivers fail to yield where trails meet streets.
Each pattern has a matching rule of the road. The safe passing ordinance covers close passes, Transportation Code 545.418 covers opening doors, and right-of-way rules govern turns. Matching the crash to the rule is how fault is proven.
How is a Houston bicycle claim valued?
Cyclists often suffer fractures, shoulder and collarbone injuries, and head injuries. Value depends on medical care, lost work, physical impairment, and future care. The at-fault driver’s coverage may be small, so your own underinsured motorist coverage matters. If the bike, helmet, or gear was destroyed, those losses are part of the property claim.
Proportionate responsibility applies, and insurers sometimes argue that a rider was outside the bike lane or riding at night without lights. Ride data, video, and the condition of the bike answer those arguments.
What should you do after a bike crash in Houston?
Get medical care and keep the bike, helmet, and clothing as they are. Save your ride data. Photograph the scene and get witness names. Do not give a recorded statement to the driver’s insurer.
Call the firm for a free review, 24/7. No fee unless the firm wins.
Do not repair or throw away the bike. A damaged frame, wheel, or derailleur shows the direction and force of the impact. Bring it to the firm or keep it exactly as it is until it has been photographed and inspected.
Go deeper
More on bicycle accidents in Houston and Texas.
Common questions
Houston bicycle accidents questions
How much room must a Houston driver give a cyclist?
More than 3 feet, or more than 6 feet for commercial vehicles, under Houston Code section 45-44.
Is there a Texas helmet law for adult cyclists?
No statewide helmet law applies to adult cyclists.
Does my car insurance cover me on a bike?
Your uninsured motorist and personal injury protection coverage can often apply when you are hit while riding.
What if I was hit by a car door?
Texas law prohibits opening a door into traffic unless it is safe (Transportation Code 545.418), which supports a claim against the person who opened it.
How long do I have to file?
Generally two years, but claims against the City of Houston require notice within 90 days.