Find a bicycle accident lawyer in San Antonio: who pays and how fast to act

If a driver hit you on a bike in San Antonio, you generally have 2 years to sue. The driver's insurer is usually the first to pay. If a city road or crew played a part, written notice is due within 90 days. Drivers must give you 3 feet, and large trucks 6, when the road allows.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (42)

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Road map of San Antonio showing Broadway and Fredericksburg Road, stretches named in the city's severe bicycle injury report
City claims after a bike crash need notice within 90 days. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Where do the worst bike crashes happen in San Antonio?

On a short list of streets. San Antonio recorded 1,528 crashes between cars and cyclists from 2014 to 2018. Of those, 121 caused a severe injury, and 16 of the 121 involved a death. The city then mapped 14 areas. They make up about 0.2% of its roadways but had 27% of the fatal and serious bike crashes.

Listed stretchFrom and toMiles
Broadway (Loop 368)Allensworth to Casa Blanca1.82
Fredericksburg RoadWilliamsburg to I-102.54
Commerce StreetCallaghan to Bonanza0.63

Timing stood out too. Almost 40% of those severe injuries came between noon and 5 p.m., 30% happened on a Sunday, and 67% fell from June through November.

The data is old, but it can help show that a road owner knew about a danger. In 2025 the city adopted a plan for more than 1,700 miles of new or better bike routes, so many streets still lack them.

Can a San Antonio driver blame me for riding in the road?

They can try, but Texas gives cyclists the same rights and duties as drivers. San Antonio's Safe Passing Ordinance sets the 3-foot and 6-foot gaps, and breaking it can bring a fine of up to $200. Since city code bars bikes from sidewalks, an insurer has a hard time saying you belonged there.

  • You may ride away from the right edge in a lane under 14 feet wide with no bike lane next to it.
  • A driver may open a door on the traffic side only when it is reasonably safe.
  • Texas cuts your money by your share of fault, and above 50 percent you get nothing.

If you were on a rented e-bike, write down the ID number on the frame and the company name.

Who pays after a bike crash in San Antonio?

SourceWhat it coversWatch out for
The driver's liability insuranceAt least $30,000 per personSerious injuries can pass that fast
Your own uninsured motorist coverageA driver with no insurance or too littleIt does not apply if it was rejected in writing
Your own personal injury protectionReasonable expenses for you and your householdRead how your policy treats bike crashes
A driver's employerWork driving, such as a delivery routeGet the company name at the scene

People walking and biking are under 6% of injury crashes here but about 28% of serious or fatal ones. Do not settle before you know what your injury will cost.

What if a bad road or Greenway trail caused my bike crash in San Antonio?

Move quickly, because the city charter requires written notice within 90 days after the injury. It must say when, where and how you were hurt, how bad it is and the amount of damages. All claims start at the City Clerk. Claims about CPS Energy or SAWS work go to those agencies.

  • On an ordinary road hazard, the government owes you less care than a private store owes a customer.
  • Special defects, such as excavations or obstructions in the road, carry a higher duty.
  • The city's report marks some listed areas as Public Works and TxDOT ownership. A state road claim has a 6-month notice period.
  • The city form says state law does not make it liable for property damage from street conditions, so your bike may not be paid for even if your injury is covered.

The Howard W. Peak Greenway covers about 105 miles and is open from sunrise to sunset. If you were hurt on a trail, Texas often limits what a landowner owes people using land for recreation. Those claims are harder, so get advice before the 90 days run out.

How do I get the crash report for a bike accident in San Antonio?

  1. Ask for a case number at the scene. If an officer did not come and you are hurt, call SAPD's non-emergency line at 210-207-7273.
  2. Request the report from SAPD online, by mail or in person. It costs $6.
  3. Wait up to 14 days if you use the TxDOT system.
  4. If the driver left, SAPD's Traffic Investigations Detail handles hit-and-run cases at 210-207-7385.
  5. Ask for the ambulance record. The Fire Department says EMS reports are typically ready within a week.

Questions

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

Generally 2 years. If the city is involved, written notice is due within 90 days.

Can I ride my bike on the sidewalk in San Antonio?

No. City code does not allow it, except for law enforcement and emergency personnel.

How much room must a driver give me on a bike in San Antonio?

3 feet for cars and 6 feet for commercial or large trucks, when road conditions allow.

What if the driver who hit me has no insurance?

Check your own auto policy for uninsured motorist coverage.

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Sources (42)

  1. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  2. San Antonio City Charter, Article XII, Sec. 150 (Municode), checked 2026-11-08. “notice in writing of such death, injury or destruction within ninety days after the injury has been sustained”
  3. City of San Antonio, Bike Laws & Ordinances, checked 2026-11-08. “Safe passing distance is defined as 3 feet for cars and 6 feet for commercial or large trucks”
  4. City of San Antonio, Bike Laws & Ordinances, checked 2026-11-08. “City Ordinance Sec. 19-286 does not allow bicycles to be ridden on sidewalks”
  5. Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.101(b)-(c), checked 2026-11-08. “unless the insurer provides uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage in the policy or supplemental to the policy. (c) The coverage required by this subchapter does not apply if any insured named in the insurance policy rejects the coverage in writing.”
  6. City of San Antonio, Vision Zero Severe Bicyclist Injury Areas report, checked 2026-11-08. “From 2014 to 2018, San Antonio recorded 1,528 motor vehicle-to bicyclist crashes citywide”
  7. City of San Antonio, Vision Zero Severe Bicyclist Injury Areas report, checked 2026-11-08. “16 (approximately 13%) consisted of a bicyclist fatality”
  8. City of San Antonio, Vision Zero Severe Bicyclist Injury Areas report, checked 2026-11-09. “These areas represent about two-tenths of a percent (0.2%) of San Antonio roadways but account for twenty-seven percent (27%) of all fatal and suspected serious bicyclist crashes over the five-year period.”
  9. City of San Antonio, Vision Zero Severe Bicyclist Injury Areas report, checked 2026-11-09. “BROADWAY (Loop 368) ALLENSWORTH CASA BLANCA 1.82”
  10. City of San Antonio, Vision Zero Severe Bicyclist Injury Areas report, checked 2026-11-09. “FREDERICKSBURG WILLIAMSBURG IH 10 2.54”
  11. City of San Antonio, Vision Zero Severe Bicyclist Injury Areas report, checked 2026-11-09. “COMMERCE CALLAGHAN BONANZA 0.63”
  12. City of San Antonio, Vision Zero Severe Bicyclist Injury Areas report, checked 2026-11-09. “Almost forty percent (40%) of the severe bicyclist injuries on the SBIAs occurred over a six-hour period from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.”
  13. City of San Antonio, Vision Zero Severe Bicyclist Injury Areas report, checked 2026-11-09. “Thirty percent (30%) of severe bicyclist crashes occurred on a Sunday.”
  14. City of San Antonio, Vision Zero Severe Bicyclist Injury Areas report, checked 2026-11-09. “Sixty-seven percent (67%) of the severe bicyclist injuries were recorded during the summer and fall months, June through November.”
  15. City of San Antonio, Bike Network Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “The plan recommends the construction of more than 1700 miles of new or upgraded bike infrastructure”
  16. Texas Transportation Code 551.101, checked 2026-11-09. “A person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle under this subtitle”
  17. City of San Antonio, Bike Laws & Ordinances, checked 2026-11-08. “punishable as a Class C misdemeanor and fine not to exceed $200”
  18. 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”
  19. 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”
  20. 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”
  21. Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072(a-1), checked 2026-11-08. “(1) $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision; (2) $60,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one collision, subject to the amount provided by Subdivision (1) for bodily injury to or death of one of the persons; and (3) $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision.”
  22. 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”
  23. 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”
  24. City of San Antonio, 2024 Vision Zero Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “Vulnerable road users make up under 6% of all injury crashes, but account for about 28% of serious or fatal crashes.”
  25. San Antonio City Charter, Article XII, Sec. 150 (Municode), checked 2026-11-08. “stating in such written notice when, where and how the death, injury or destruction occurred”
  26. City of San Antonio, Office of Risk Management FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “All claims against the City must originate from the City Clerk”
  27. City of San Antonio, Notice of Claim form, checked 2026-11-08. “No, you would need to file a claim with the corresponding entity.”
  28. 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”
  29. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.022, checked 2026-11-09. “special defects such as excavations or obstructions on highways, roads, or streets”
  30. City of San Antonio, Vision Zero Severe Bicyclist Injury Areas report, checked 2026-11-09. “*Denotes SBIA with Public Works and TxDOT ownership”
  31. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  32. City of San Antonio, Notice of Claim form, checked 2026-11-08. “the City is not liable for property damage caused by the condition of its streets”
  33. City of San Antonio, Greenway Trails, checked 2026-11-09. “They cover approximately 105 miles and consist of multi-use and accessible trails. They are open daily from sunrise to sunset.”
  34. 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;”
  35. SAPD, Contact & Connect, checked 2026-11-08. “Non-Emergency: 210-207-SAPD (210-207-7273”
  36. SAPD, File a Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “to report an incident that involves any of the following: - Injury or death to a person”
  37. City of San Antonio, Police Open Records Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “You may submit police records requests through San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), including crash reports.”
  38. City of San Antonio, Police Open Records Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident Reports | $6”
  39. City of San Antonio, Police Open Records Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Reports can take up to 14 days to appear in the system.”
  40. SAPD, Homicide & Assault, checked 2026-11-08. “Failure to Stop and Give Information (Hit and Run)”
  41. SAPD, Contact & Connect, checked 2026-11-08. “Traffic Investigations Detail (TID) : 210-207-7385”
  42. San Antonio Fire Department, EMS Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “typically available within a week after the incident”

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