Find a bicycle accident lawyer in Dallas: passing rules, deadlines and who pays
After a car hits you on a bike in Dallas, the driver's liability insurance is usually the first place to claim, and Texas generally gives you 2 years to sue. If a City of Dallas street defect caused the crash, written notice is due within six months. Dallas City Code also protects cyclists when drivers pass.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (34)
Where do most serious bike crashes happen in Dallas?
Mostly where there is no bike lane. The 2025 Dallas Bike Plan looked at city crash data from 2014 through 2019 and found 661 collisions with people on bikes, including 14 deaths and 108 severe injuries. It says most of the worst ones happened on streets with no marked bike facility.
A small slice of the street grid carries much of the danger. A technical report for the plan says 1% of city streets account for 38% of fatal or severe bike crashes. Deaths off that network were all in southern Dallas planning areas.
For 2025, the city counted 2 bicyclist deaths on roads other than limited-access highways. The plan counts 89 miles of on-street bike facilities and 115 miles of off-street paths, so most riders share the road with cars for at least part of a trip.
What must Dallas drivers do around someone on a bike?
| Rule | What it means for your claim |
|---|---|
| A driver must entirely leave your lane to pass, and may not return too soon | A close pass that knocks you down can point to fault |
| A driver may not overtake you and then turn right in front of you unless safely clear | This is the classic right hook |
| Stopping or parking in a bike lane can bring a fine up to $200 | Take a photo of the car and the lane |
| Drivers in Texas may open a door only when it is safe | Applies to doorings on streets with parked cars |
Texas also gives you the same rights and duties as a driver. You generally keep right when slower than traffic, but state law has an exception for outside lanes under 14 feet wide. So taking the lane on a narrow Dallas street can be legal, even when a driver or adjuster says otherwise.
Can I be blamed for riding on the sidewalk in Dallas?
An insurer may try. Dallas says sidewalk riding is allowed outside the Central Business District. A city map marks the downtown zone where bikes cannot be ridden on sidewalks. If you were outside that zone, being on the sidewalk was not breaking that rule.
Helmets come up too. Dallas requires a helmet for anyone under 18. An adult without one has not broken that city rule, though an insurer can still argue about injuries. Any share of fault lowers what you can recover, and more than 50 percent ends the claim.
Who pays my bills after a bike crash in Dallas?
- The driver's liability policy. Texas requires at least $30,000 per person, which a hospital stay can use up fast.
- Your own uninsured motorist coverage, if you have it. It protects insured people from uninsured or underinsured drivers. It stays on your policy unless it was rejected in writing.
- Personal injury protection on a household auto policy, for reasonable expenses. Ask your insurer in writing whether it covers you while riding.
What if a pothole or trail hazard caused my Dallas bike crash?
Then the owner of the road matters, and the clock is much shorter. On a City of Dallas street, send written notice within six months. It must say when, where and how you were hurt, how badly, and how much you are claiming. It goes to the Office of Risk Management, 1500 Marilla 6A South, 75201. An adjuster should contact you within three working days.
Texas limits these claims. The duty is limited for ordinary premise defects, and stronger for special defects such as obstructions on a road. Trails bring their own problem.
The Park and Recreation Department manages the city's off-street system, and the state's recreational land rule can make a claim harder. State highways and frontage roads belong to TxDOT, not the city, so confirm who owns the spot before you mail anything.
What should I do the first week after a Dallas bike crash?
- Call 911 and ask for an officer, even if you feel fine. Crash reports are how insurers learn what happened.
- Photograph the bike, the car's plate, the street and any hazard. Do not repair or throw away the bike.
- Get seen by a doctor and tell them every place that hurts.
- Buy the Dallas Police report for $6 by mail or at 1400 Botham Jean Blvd. It is usually ready in 5 to 7 working days.
- Report a dangerous street to 311 and save the service request number.
- Before you give a recorded statement, talk to a bicycle accident lawyer about fault and the six-month notice.
Questions
How long do I have to sue after a bike crash in Dallas?
Generally 2 years. A claim against the City of Dallas needs written notice within six months first.
Is there a three-foot passing law in Dallas?
The city code does not use a set distance. It says a driver must entirely leave your lane and not return too soon.
Do adults need a bike helmet in Dallas?
The city's helmet rule covers people under 18.
Bicycle accident in Dallas? See if you are owed money.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (34)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- Dallas City Charter, Chapter XXIII, Section 1, checked 2026-11-08. “within six months after the injury was received”
- Dallas City Code § 28-58.2, checked 2026-11-09. “fails to entirely vacate the lane occupied by the vulnerable road user”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
- City of Dallas, 2025 Dallas Bike Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “Overall, this data showed 661 bike-involved collisions, including 14 fatalities and 108 severe injuries.”
- City of Dallas, 2025 Dallas Bike Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “Most severe or fatal bike collisions occur on streets without clearly marked or designated bike facilities.”
- City of Dallas, Dallas Bike Plan Update Technical Report, checked 2026-11-09. “just 1% of City streets account for 38% of fatal or severe injury collisions involving a person bicycling”
- City of Dallas, Dallas Bike Plan Update Technical Report, checked 2026-11-09. “The fatalities located outside of the Bike HIN were all located in south Dallas”
- City of Dallas, Vision Zero 2025 Annual Progress Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Bicyclists 3 5 4 0 2”
- City of Dallas, 2025 Dallas Bike Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “there are 89 miles of on-street bike facilities and 115 miles of off-street linear trails/shared-use paths”
- Dallas City Code § 28-58.2, checked 2026-11-09. “overtakes a vulnerable road user traveling in the same direction and subsequently makes a right- hand turn in front of the vulnerable road user”
- City of Dallas, Driving Etiquette, checked 2026-11-09. “Violators may fac e a fine up to $200.”
- Texas Transportation Code 545.418, checked 2026-11-09. “open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic, unless the door may be opened in reasonable safety”
- Tex. Transp. Code § 551.101(a), checked 2026-11-08. “A person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle under this subtitle”
- Tex. Transp. Code § 551.103(a), checked 2026-11-08. “a person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, unless:”
- Texas Transportation Code 551.103, checked 2026-11-09. “less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane”
- City of Dallas, Bicycle Safety, checked 2026-11-09. “Riding on sidewalks is permitted outside of the Central Business District.”
- City of Dallas, Sidewalk Riding Prohibition Area map, checked 2026-11-08. “Bicycles and Scooterscannot be ridden on sidewalkswithin this boundary”
- City of Dallas, Bicycle Safety, checked 2026-11-09. “Minors (persons under 18 years of age) are required to wear a bicycle helmet by law in the City of Dallas.”
- Texas Transportation Code 601.072, checked 2026-11-09. “$30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision”
- Texas Insurance Code 1952.101, checked 2026-11-09. “protects insureds who are legally entitled to recover from owners or operators of uninsured or underinsured motor vehicles”
- Texas Department of Insurance, checked 2026-11-09. “If you don't want it, you have to turn it down in writing.”
- Texas Insurance Code 1952.151, checked 2026-11-09. “provide for payment to the named insured in the policy, members of the insured's household”
- Dallas City Charter, Chapter XXIII, Section 1, checked 2026-11-08. “when, where, and how the exact injury occurred; (2) the full extent of the injury; and (3) the amount of damages claimed or asserted”
- City of Dallas, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “OFFICE OF RISK MANAGEMENT 1500 MARILLA 6A SOUTH DALLAS, TEXAS 75201 214-671-9458”
- City of Dallas, How to File a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Within three working days after receiving your claim , a claim adjuster will contact you”
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.022, checked 2026-11-09. “the governmental unit owes to the claimant only the duty that a private person owes to a licensee on private property”
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.022, checked 2026-11-09. “special defects such as excavations or obstructions on highways, roads, or streets”
- City of Dallas, Bikeway System, checked 2026-11-09. “Our partners in the Park and Recreation Department manage the trail system”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 75.002(c), checked 2026-11-08. “If an owner, lessee, or occupant of real property other than agricultural land gives permission to another to enter the premises for recreation, the owner, lessee, or occupant, by giving the permission, does not: (1) assure that the premises are safe for that purpose; (2) owe to the person to whom permission is granted a greater degree of care than is owed to a trespasser on the premises;”
- Dallas Police, Types of Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “There is a $6.00 fee for the accident report if requested through the mail or if picked up in person.”
- Dallas Police, Types of Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “you may request it through the mail or in person at our customer service window located at 1400 Botham Jean”
- Dallas Police, Types of Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Reports are usually available 5 to 7 working days after the accident.”
- City of Dallas Public Works, Service Request, checked 2026-11-08. “dial 3-1-1 when dialing from inside the city limits, and (214) 670-3111 when calling from outside the Dallas city limits”