A driver turns across a bike lane without looking. A parked motorist opens a door into a cyclist’s path. An e-scooter rider enters an intersection and gets struck by a car. These collisions happen quickly, but the injuries can follow someone for months, years, or a lifetime.
At Joumana Law, we represent injured people who need answers, accountability, and a path forward. We handle bicycle and micromobility accidents throughout Michigan, including e-bike, e-scooter, moped, dooring, and bike-lane crashes. If someone else’s actions caused your injuries, you may have legal options.
What Are Bicycle & Micromobility Accidents?
Micromobility describes smaller transportation options used for shorter trips. It can include bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, and similar devices. Michigan law does not necessarily treat every device the same way. That distinction can become important after an accident. The applicable traffic rules and insurance issues can depend on the device involved and how the collision occurred.
Our bicycle and micromobility accident practice includes:
- Bicycle accidents
- E-bike accidents
- E-scooter accidents
- Moped accidents
- Dooring accidents
- Bike-lane accidents
- Intersection collisions
- Crashes involving commercial vehicles
- Accidents involving dangerous road conditions
- Accidents involving potentially defective products or components
Michigan law specifically defines electric bicycles and separates them into three classes. An e-bike generally must have operable pedals and a motor no greater than 750 watts. Different classes have different assisted-speed characteristics. Michigan generally subjects e-bike riders to the same requirements as bicycle riders, with specific exceptions.
Michigan also separately defines a moped. Under the Michigan Vehicle Code, a qualifying moped has two or three wheels and meets specific motor and speed requirements. The statute expressly excludes electric bicycles from the moped definition.
These distinctions are one reason an investigation should begin with a simple question: What exactly were you riding when you were hurt?
What exactly were you riding when you were hurt?
Bicycle Accidents Can Change a Life in Seconds
People riding bicycles have very little protection when a vehicle hits them. There is no steel frame surrounding the rider. There is no seat belt or airbag between the cyclist and the pavement. Even a collision at a relatively low speed can result in significant injuries. A rider may be thrown onto the roadway, into another vehicle, or against a fixed object.
Common Bicycle Accident Scenarios
Many bicycle crashes involve drivers who simply fail to account for cyclists around them. A motorist may look for another car while overlooking someone traveling on two wheels. Common crash scenarios include:
Michigan law gives bicycle riders important rights on public roads. It also imposes responsibilities on cyclists. For example, Michigan law generally addresses where cyclists should ride while recognizing exceptions for hazards, narrow lanes, parked vehicles, pedestrians, and other unsafe conditions.
Fault should not be decided from assumptions about cyclists. It should be determined from evidence and the law.
E-Bike, E-Scooter & Moped Accidents Bring Different Questions
Electric transportation has changed how people move through Michigan communities. It has also created new questions after serious crashes. An e-bike is not automatically treated like a moped. A moped is not necessarily treated like a conventional bicycle. Even devices commonly called “electric scooters” may fall within different legal definitions based on their design.
E-Bike Accidents
Michigan recognizes three classes of electric bicycles. State law generally permits an e-bike on parts of a highway open to bicycles, including bicycle lanes and shoulders. Certain trail restrictions and local regulations can also apply.
An e-bike accident may involve:
E-bikes can also travel faster than conventional bicycles. That can increase the force involved when a rider crashes or is struck.
E-Scooter Accidents
Many people use the term “e-scooter” broadly. Michigan’s legal classification may depend on the device’s actual specifications. The Michigan Vehicle Code, for example, defines an “electric skateboard” in a way that can include devices with handlebars.
That classification can affect the rules governing where and how the device may be operated. Local ordinances may also matter. E-scooter accidents can involve motorists, road hazards, pedestrians, or defective equipment. Determining what happened may require examining the scooter itself, photographs, video, and location data.
Moped Accidents
Michigan defines a moped separately from an electric bicycle. A moped generally has two or three wheels, meets specific engine and speed limits, and does not require gear shifting. That classification matters because Michigan has specific rules addressing moped operation and licensing.
After a moped collision, the insurance analysis can also differ from a traditional bicycle accident. The facts of the crash and vehicles involved should be reviewed carefully.
Dooring Accidents: When a Car Door Becomes a Serious Hazard
You are riding beside parked vehicles. Without warning, a door swings directly into your path. There may be no room and no time to escape. This is commonly called a dooring accident. The cyclist may hit the door directly or swerve into traffic while trying to avoid it.
Michigan’s Uniform Traffic Code prohibits opening a vehicle door in a way that interferes with or impedes traffic. Some Michigan communities also have local rules addressing doors opened into the path of bicycles.
Evidence Can Disappear Quickly
Dooring cases often depend on exactly where everyone was positioned before impact. Evidence from the scene can become extremely important. Useful evidence may include:
Do not assume a dooring accident was unavoidable. The circumstances surrounding the opened door should be investigated.
Bike-Lane Accidents: A Painted Line Does Not Guarantee Safety
A bike lane can provide dedicated space for riders. It cannot prevent every driver from crossing, blocking, or turning through that space. Some of the most dangerous conflicts happen where bike lanes meet intersections, driveways, parking areas, and turning lanes. Drivers may focus on surrounding cars while failing to check for an approaching cyclist.
How Bike-Lane Crashes Happen
A bike-lane accident may happen when a driver:
Michigan law generally allows electric bicycles to operate on parts of highways open to bicycles. That includes lanes designated for bicycle use, subject to statutory exceptions and local rules. Local traffic rules may also affect a bike-lane case. That makes the exact location of the collision important.
What Causes Bicycle & Micromobility Crashes?
A driver may say, “I didn’t see the cyclist.” For the injured person, that explanation does not undo a broken leg or brain injury. Many crashes result from preventable conduct. Others involve unsafe roads, defective products, or several contributing factors.
Driver Negligence
Potential causes involving motorists include:
Negligence generally involves failing to exercise legally required care under the circumstances. Whether someone was negligent depends on the evidence surrounding the crash.
Road and Infrastructure Problems
Not every crash begins with another driver. Potholes, broken pavement, construction conditions, debris, and unsafe roadway designs may contribute to an accident. Claims involving governmental agencies can involve special legal rules, immunity issues, and notice requirements. These cases should be evaluated promptly.
Defective Bikes, Scooters, or Components
Sometimes the equipment itself may be part of the problem. A brake can fail. A component can fracture. A battery or electrical system can malfunction. Potentially defective products may include:
If equipment failure may have contributed to a crash, preserve the device. Do not repair, modify, or discard it before getting legal guidance.
Who May Be Responsible for Your Injuries?
The person who struck you may not be the only party worth investigating. Serious injury cases can involve several people, businesses, insurers, or other entities. Identifying every potentially responsible party matters. It can affect both accountability and the sources of compensation available.
Potentially Responsible Parties
Depending on the circumstances, responsibility could involve:
- A negligent driver
- A vehicle owner
- A commercial driver
- An employer
- A delivery or transportation company
- A bicycle or scooter manufacturer
- A component manufacturer
- A distributor or seller
- A maintenance provider
- A governmental entity in limited circumstances
- Another person whose conduct contributed to the collision
A commercial vehicle case can be particularly complex. The driver’s conduct may be only one part of the investigation. Employment relationships, company policies, training, maintenance, and other evidence may also become relevant. The goal is to understand the entire chain of events, not just the moment of impact.
Common Injuries After Bicycle, E-Bike & Scooter Crashes
A cyclist can suffer serious trauma without significant visible damage to the vehicle that struck them. The human body absorbs forces that a passenger vehicle would normally absorb for its occupants. Some injuries are immediately obvious. Others become clearer after swelling, pain, headaches, or neurological symptoms develop.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A rider’s head can strike pavement, a windshield, a vehicle, or another object. Helmets can reduce certain risks, but they cannot prevent every brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries can affect memory, concentration, mood, sleep, speech, and physical abilities. A concussion should not automatically be dismissed as a minor injury.
Spinal Cord, Neck & Back Injuries
A sudden impact can place enormous force on the spine. Riders may suffer disc injuries, fractures, nerve damage, or spinal cord trauma. Severe spinal injuries can affect mobility and independence. They may also require extensive rehabilitation and future medical care.
Broken Bones & Orthopedic Injuries
Cyclists instinctively use their arms or legs to protect themselves during a fall. That can result in fractures and significant joint injuries. Common orthopedic injuries can affect the:
Some fractures heal with limited intervention. Others require surgery, implanted hardware, rehabilitation, and significant time away from work.
Road Rash, Scarring & Disfigurement
Sliding across pavement can remove layers of skin and damage tissue. Serious road rash can lead to infection, nerve damage, permanent scarring, or reconstructive procedures. Facial injuries can be especially traumatic. They can affect appearance, confidence, speech, vision, and dental health.
Catastrophic & Fatal Injuries
Some bicycle and micromobility crashes result in permanent disability, amputation, severe brain damage, or death. Families can suddenly face medical decisions, lost income, and an uncertain future. When a crash is fatal, Michigan law may provide a path for eligible parties to pursue a wrongful death claim. The specific rights and damages depend on the circumstances.
What Should You Do After a Bicycle or Micromobility Accident?
The minutes and days after a collision can be confusing. Your health should come first, but several practical steps can also help protect important evidence. You do not need to investigate the entire case yourself. Focus on safety, treatment, and preserving what you reasonably can.
Steps to Consider After a Crash
- Get medical attention. Serious injuries are not always immediately obvious.
- Report the collision. Contact law enforcement when appropriate.
- Photograph the scene. Capture vehicles, road markings, signs, damage, and surrounding conditions.
- Get driver information. Obtain identifying and insurance information when possible.
- Identify witnesses. Get names and contact details before people leave.
- Preserve your equipment. Keep the bicycle, scooter, e-bike, moped, helmet, and damaged clothing.
- Save records. Keep medical bills, receipts, wage records, and related correspondence.
- Write down what happened. Memories can fade as time passes.
- Avoid disposing of evidence. Damaged equipment may help explain how the crash occurred.
- Consider speaking with an attorney. A lawyer can evaluate the applicable Michigan laws and insurance issues.
Be cautious about recorded statements or broad medical authorizations requested by insurers. What seems like a routine conversation may later become part of a disputed claim.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Michigan Crash?
There is no universal dollar amount for a bicycle or micromobility injury. Compensation depends on the facts, injuries, available insurance, fault, and applicable law. A serious case should examine both current losses and the ways an injury may affect the future.
Potential Damages and Benefits
Depending on the case, available compensation or insurance benefits may address:
Michigan’s No-Fault system can also become relevant when a bicyclist is injured in an accident involving a motor vehicle. Michigan law contains specific priority rules for people injured while they are not occupants of motor vehicles.
PIP benefits can potentially address categories such as medical care, wage loss, and replacement services. Eligibility, available coverage, limits, and priority depend on the circumstances. Do not assume you lack coverage because you were riding a bicycle. The insurance analysis should be based on the actual facts of your collision.
Why Injured Riders Turn to Joumana Law
An injury case is not paperwork to the person living through it. It is the medical appointment you never expected. It is the paycheck you missed and the pain that now follows ordinary movement. Joumana Law approaches personal injury cases with strategic thinking, creative solutions, and a commitment to results. We investigate what happened, identify responsible parties, and work to protect the client’s interests.
We Look Beyond the Crash Report
A police report can be useful, but it may not tell the entire story. A serious investigation can require evidence from several sources. Depending on the case, we may examine:
Evidence can tell a different story than an insurance company’s first version of events.
We Understand What Is Really at Stake
Compensation matters because injuries have consequences. Medical bills need to be paid. Lost income affects families. Serious disabilities can change someone’s independence and future. Accountability matters too. Joumana Kayrouz’s approach to personal injury law is rooted in standing up for injured people and holding responsible parties accountable.
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Legal Disclaimer
Every case is different. This page provides general educational information and is not legal advice. The existence, value and legal viability of any claim depend on the particular facts, applicable law, insurance coverage and jurisdiction. Listing a case type does not mean Joumana Law will accept or directly handle every matter. Depending on the circumstances, location and legal issues involved, the firm may work with qualified co-counsel or refer a matter to another attorney. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Speak with a lawyer about your individual rights and any deadlines that may apply.