Chicago Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Chicago has hundreds of miles of bike lanes and a driving culture that has not entirely caught up with them. Riders get hit by right-hooking drivers, by cars crossing a protected lane to reach a parking space, and — constantly — by a door swung open into their path.
Cyclists Have the Rights of a Vehicle
Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1502, a person riding a bicycle on a roadway has all the rights and duties of a driver. You are not a guest on the road, and a claim brought by a cyclist is an ordinary negligence claim, not a lesser one.
Dooring Is Its Own Offence
625 ILCS 5/11-1407 makes it unlawful to open a vehicle door on the side of moving traffic unless it is reasonably safe to do so and can be done without interfering with traffic. A dooring case is therefore usually a strong liability case: the statute puts the duty squarely on the person opening the door. Chicago also requires drivers to leave adequate passing distance when overtaking a cyclist.
Dooring liability and evidence · Hit by a car while cycling in Illinois.
If the Driver Left the Scene
Hit-and-run is common in cycling crashes and it does not end the claim. Your own uninsured motorist coverage generally responds even though you were on a bicycle rather than in the insured car — a point many riders do not realise they are paying for. Hit-and-run bicycle claims in Illinois.
E-Bikes and Scooters
Electric bikes and rented scooters sit in a more complicated category, with rental-operator terms, app data and sometimes a defective-equipment argument in play alongside ordinary negligence. E-scooter and bicycle crashes in Chicago.
Deadlines
A crash involving a CTA bus, a City vehicle or a dangerous roadway condition carries a one-year deadline to file suit rather than two:
| Who you are claiming against | Deadline to file suit | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Another private driver | Two years from the crash | 735 ILCS 5/13-202 |
| Vehicle damage only | Five years | 735 ILCS 5/13-205 |
| A city, county, the CTA or other local public body | One year from the crash | 745 ILCS 10/8-101 |
| The State of Illinois (IDOT and state agencies) | Two years, in the Court of Claims | 705 ILCS 505/22 |
| A wrongful death claim | Two years from the date of death | 740 ILCS 180/2 |
| An injured child | Generally two years after their 18th birthday | 735 ILCS 5/13-211 |
Talk to Us Before You Talk to the Insurance Company
The consultation is free, there is no obligation, and there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover for you. We will explain how case costs are handled before you sign anything.
Call (312) 346-4262 or send us the details below.
Phillips Law Offices
161 N Clark St, Suite 4925, Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 346-4262
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome; every case is decided on its own facts. This page is general information about Illinois law, not legal advice, and reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship — that relationship is formed only by a signed written agreement. Illinois law changes; confirm anything you intend to rely on with a licensed Illinois attorney.