Bicycle accident in Woodland Hills?Talk to a lawyer for free.

On Woodland Hills streets, the LAPD takes the report, and its Valley Traffic Division investigates crashes and hit-and-runs. If you were injured, call 911 so an officer comes out, and ask for the report number. If you had only pain or minor injuries, the LAPD takes that report online. Reports can be bought online at least 45 days after the crash, or by mail for $19. In Calabasas and Malibu, it's the Sheriff's Lost Hills station.

The uninsured motorist coverage on your own car insurance, or on the policy of a family member you live with, can apply even though you were on a bike. If the driver drove off, report it to police within 24 hours; the coverage generally also requires that the car actually hit you. A driver who hits and injures a rider must stop, give their information and help them get medical care, and leaving can be a crime.

Drivers must stay out of bike lanes except to park where parking is allowed, to enter or leave the road, or to prepare for a turn within 200 feet of the intersection. Opening a car door on the traffic side is against the law unless it's reasonably safe. And since 2024, the "WALK" signal applies to riders too: a rider facing it goes that way, yielding to vehicles and people already in the intersection, unless a bike signal says otherwise. Write down what the driver did while you remember it, and photograph the car, its plate and where it ended up.

Ventura Boulevard has buffered bike lanes in western Woodland Hills, from Sale Avenue west to Woodlake Avenue, added in 2023; east of Sale, past our office, the City's map shows no bike lane. The path beside the Metro G Line busway runs east from Canoga Avenue, and Metro is rebuilding it: between Canoga and Winnetka, riders have been detoured to the LA River Greenway, and Metro expects work on the path to run into early 2027; check Metro's current detour notice. If you crashed on a detour or in a work zone, photograph the signs.

Don't repair or throw away the bike, your helmet or your clothes yet: photograph them, the scene and your injuries, and keep the receipts. If a pothole or broken pavement on a City street played a part, photograph it, then report it to MyLA311 (dial 311 or use the app). A 311 report isn't a legal claim; a claim against the City goes to the City Clerk within six months.

Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years. If a public vehicle or a dangerous condition of a street, bike lane or path played a part, a written claim is usually due within six months: to the City of Los Angeles for its streets and bike lanes, Caltrans for Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and the City or Metro for the G Line path, depending on who owns that stretch; a lawyer can confirm which.