Find a bicycle accident lawyer in Scottsdale: what to do after a crash on a street or path

A bike crash on a Scottsdale street is handled by Scottsdale Police, and the report is sold through CARFAX CRASHDOCS. A lawsuit against the driver who hit you generally must be filed within 2 years. If a city vehicle or a broken city path played a part, a claim is due within 180 days.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (38)

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Road map of Scottsdale highlighting the Indian Bend Wash multiuse path and the streets that cross it
2.0% of Scottsdale bike crashes were fatal, vs. 0.3% of all crashes. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How common are bike crashes in Scottsdale?

They are less common than car crashes, but far more likely to end badly. Of 7,341 collisions at major intersections and road segments in 2023 and 2024, 150 involved someone on a bike. About 0.3% of all collisions in the city were fatal. For bicycle crashes the figure was 2.0%. Three of the 22 people killed on Scottsdale streets in those two years died in bicycle collisions.

The most common bike crash was an angle collision with a non-incapacitating injury, which usually means a driver and a rider crossing paths. Rider crashes bunched in three windows: noon to 2 p.m., 3 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Across Maricopa County in 2024, ADOT counted 991 bicycle crashes, with 27 people killed and 973 hurt.

Who pays when a car hits a cyclist in Scottsdale?

Who could payWhenWhat to know
The driver's auto insurerThe driver caused the crashArizona's minimum is $25,000 per person, which a hospital stay can use up fast
Your own uninsured or underinsured coverageThe driver had too little insurance, none, or drove offIt covers all persons insured under the policy, so check your car policy even though you were on a bike
City of ScottsdaleA city vehicle hit you or a city defect caused the crashNotice of claim within 180 days
The property owner next to the pathA sidewalk or path the owner had to maintain was brokenCity code puts that duty on the adjacent owner unless the city agreed otherwise in writing

Insurers often argue about where you were riding. On the road you have the rights and duties of a driver. You may move away from the right edge to get around surface hazards. Being partly at fault does not end your case, because Arizona only lowers your money by your share of the blame.

What are the rules on the Indian Bend Wash path in Scottsdale?

The greenbelt path runs 11 miles, with more than 24 underpass and bridge crossings. The city asks users to stay in the right lane and keep the left lane for two-way traffic and passing. Its path guidelines say bikes yield to people on foot and on horseback, and riders should call out or ring a bell before passing. If someone ignored those rules and hit you, write down what happened while it is fresh.

E-bikes add a wrinkle. Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed on multiuse paths and sidewalks, but Class 3 models are not. Since Ordinance 4680, nobody under 16 may ride a Class 3 e-bike or a similar 21 mph device on city property. A rider breaking one of those rules is useful to point out, though it does not prove fault by itself.

A crash with another rider or a walker usually has no auto policy behind it, so ask whether that person has homeowners or renters insurance. If the path itself hurt you, know that Arizona limits what a landowner owes a recreational user. Whether that applies to your ride is a good early question for a lawyer.

What if a bad road or path caused your bike crash in Scottsdale?

  1. Photograph the crack, pothole or gap with something next to it for size, and note the exact spot.
  2. Report it on Scottsdale EZ. A pothole request creates a work order within 48 hours, and it gives you a dated record.
  3. Work out who maintains it. Street Operations lists 80 miles of multiuse paths and unpaved trails, but an adjacent owner or occupant can be responsible for a sidewalk or path.
  4. If the city may be responsible, ask Safety and Risk Management for its Notice of Claim form. For Scottsdale, the City Clerk's office is at 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd., 480-312-2412, but confirm where to deliver it first.
  5. File within 180 days. Any lawsuit against the city must follow within one year of the injury.

How do I get the police report for a bicycle crash in Scottsdale?

The online request asks for the last name of someone involved, the collision date, the DR number and a credit card. Scottsdale publishes no wait time for records, so ask early. For help, call the records office at 480-312-1999 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or visit the counter at 8401 E. Indian School Road.

Serious injuries often go to HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn, the Level I trauma center inside the city. Ask HonorHealth for your chart through its records request form, and expect possible copy fees. Keep the bike, the helmet and your torn clothes as they are. Do not repair anything until someone has photographed it.

What should you ask a bicycle accident lawyer in Scottsdale?

  • Have you handled claims from crashes on city paths, not only on streets?
  • Is there any chance the city or a property owner shares the blame, and who files by day 180?
  • How do you handle an insurer that blames my lane position?
  • Will my car insurance help even though I was on a bike?

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a bike accident in Scottsdale?

Generally 2 years. If a city path or vehicle was involved, the claim is due in 180 days. A rider under 18 may have a different deadline.

Can I ride an e-bike on the paths in Scottsdale?

Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed on multiuse paths and sidewalks. Class 3 e-bikes are not.

A car hit my bike and drove away. Who do I call?

Call Scottsdale Police at 480-312-5000 if it is not an emergency. Then ask your auto insurer about uninsured motorist coverage.

Can I get money if I was partly at fault?

Yes. Arizona reduces your award by your share of the fault but does not bar the claim.

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Sources (38)

  1. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “If the report you are requesting was the result of a collision that occurred on a town, city or county road, contact the law enforcement agency in that jurisdiction.”
  2. Scottsdale Police, Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “The Scottsdale Police Department has partnered with CARFAX CRASHDOCS.org to provide our collision reports online for convenience and secure access.”
  3. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  4. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  5. A.R.S. § 28-735(A), checked 2026-11-08. “When overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction, a person driving a motor vehicle shall exercise due care by leaving a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of not less than three feet until the motor vehicle is safely past the overtaken bicycle.”
  6. Arizona Revised Statutes 20-259.01, checked 2026-11-09. “uninsured motorist coverage that extends to and covers all persons insured under the policy”
  7. Scottsdale Police, Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “You will need the last name of an involved party, date of collision, the departmental report number (DR#) and a valid credit card”
  8. City of Scottsdale, 2024 Traffic Volume and Collision Report, checked 2026-11-08. “involved bicyclists and 141 involved pedestrians”
  9. City of Scottsdale, 2024 Traffic Volume and Collision Data, checked 2026-11-08. “Fatal traffic incidents represented approximately 0.3% of all traffic collisions – 2.0% and 5.7% of bicycle and pedestrian related crashes, respectively.”
  10. City of Scottsdale, 2024 Traffic Volume and Collision Report, checked 2026-11-08. “three (3) bicycle related collision and eight (8) crashes”
  11. City of Scottsdale, 2024 Traffic Volume and Collision Data, checked 2026-11-08. “The predominant bicycle crash type in 2023 and 2024 was an angle type collision resulting in a non-incapacitating injury”
  12. City of Scottsdale, 2024 Traffic Volume and Collision Data, checked 2026-11-08. “Bicycle collisions tended to occur most often from 12 – 2 PM, 3 – 4 PM, and 5 – 6 PM”
  13. ADOT, 2024 Arizona Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “Maricopa 991 27 964 27 973”
  14. A.R.S. § 28-4009(A)(2)(b), checked 2026-11-08. “(i) $25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident. (ii) Subject to the limit for one person, $50,000 because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident. (iii) $15,000 because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.”
  15. Scottsdale Revised Code, Chapter 47, checked 2026-11-08. “the owner of property adjacent to the right-of-way shall maintain the following”
  16. A.R.S. § 28-812(A), checked 2026-11-08. “A person riding a bicycle on a roadway or on a shoulder adjoining a roadway is granted all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle”
  17. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-815, checked 2026-11-09. “If reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals or surface hazards.”
  18. A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
  19. City of Scottsdale, Paths & Trails, checked 2026-11-08. “An 11-mile multiuse path runs through the greenbelt and features more than 24 underpass and bridge crossings”
  20. City of Scottsdale, Paths & Trails, checked 2026-11-08. “Path users should travel in the right lane and keep the left lane open for two-way traffic and passing.”
  21. City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “Bikes yield to pedestrians and equestrians.”
  22. City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “Announce “Passing on left” or sound a bike horn or bell.”
  23. City of Scottsdale, Electric Bikes, Scooters, checked 2026-11-08. “Class 1 and 2 electric bicycles are allowed on multiuse paths and sidewalks, but class 3 electric bicycles are not.”
  24. City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “Prohibits persons under the age of sixteen (16) from operating class three electric bicycles, similar devices that can meet or exceed twenty-one (21) miles per hour (MPH) on city property.”
  25. A.R.S. § 33-1551(A), checked 2026-11-08. “A public or private owner, easement holder, lessee, tenant, manager or occupant of premises is not liable to a recreational user or educational user except on a showing that the owner, easement holder, lessee, tenant, manager or occupant was guilty of wilful, malicious or grossly negligent conduct”
  26. City of Scottsdale, Pavement Preservation Program, checked 2026-11-08. “A repair work order will be created within 48 hours of your request.”
  27. City of Scottsdale, Street Operations, checked 2026-11-08. “80 miles of multiuse paths and unpaved trails”
  28. Scottsdale Revised Code, Chapter 47, checked 2026-11-08. “the owner of property adjacent to the right-of-way includes the occupant of the property”
  29. City of Scottsdale, Safety and Risk Management, checked 2026-11-08. “will provide a Notice of Claim form upon request”
  30. City of Scottsdale, City Clerk, checked 2026-11-08. “3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd Scottsdale, AZ 85251”
  31. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
  32. Scottsdale Police, Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “making us unable to estimate the fulfillment timeline”
  33. Scottsdale Police, Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Phone: 480-312-1999 - Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.”
  34. Scottsdale Police, Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “In Person: Police/Fire headquarters (Lou Witzeman Public Safety Building)”
  35. Arizona Department of Health Services, Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “7400 E. Osborn, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 10/27/24 10/27/27”
  36. HonorHealth, Request Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Copy fees may apply.”
  37. A.R.S. § 12-502, checked 2026-11-08. “the period of such disability shall not be deemed a portion of the period limited for commencement of the action”
  38. City of Scottsdale, Electric Bikes, Scooters, checked 2026-11-08. “please call the police non-emergency line at 480-312-5000”

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