New Orleans Bicycle Accident Lawyer

New Orleans Bicycle Accident Attorney

There are many bike-friendly areas in New Orleans, including St. Charles Avenue, Audubon Park, and Lafitte Greenway. While there are many opportunities for cyclists in New Orleans, they should be careful to avoid a collision when biking in areas that are more dangerous for cyclists. If you have been injured due to a collision on a bicycle, speak with a New Orleans bicycle accident lawyer.

Experienced New Orleans Bicycle Accident Attorneys

At the heart of Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C, are the stories of our clients. We take the time to listen to each person’s story and tailor their case accordingly. This allows us to create a strategy that maximizes the chance of an optimal outcome.

Relevant Bike Laws in New Orleans

• Sidewalks: In general, cyclists are not allowed to ride on sidewalks. They are supposed to be reserved for pedestrians, although there are some exceptions for children. However, most bicycle riders are supposed to share the road with cars. It is the responsibility of the driver of a vehicle to yield to cyclists and give them ample room when passing.
• Helmets: Only children under 12 are legally required to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle. However, every bicyclist should wear a helmet for safety reasons. A helmet can prevent injuries if a person falls off their bike. In addition, any injuries sustained due to a collision tend to be less severe if the cyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
• Speed limits: Most of Louisiana does not impose speed limits on cyclists. However, there are specific laws in New Orleans regulating this, especially at Audubon Park. Vehicle drivers should also pay attention to the speed limit while driving around cyclists. Violating the speed limit and causing a collision can cause more serious injuries to bicyclists.
• Traffic lights: Just because you are on a bicycle does not mean you are exempt from traffic laws. Cyclists also have to follow all traffic signs and lights, just like the drivers of other vehicles do. This includes obeying signs preventing U-turns and other signs dictating road traffic. In certain intersections like crosswalks, cyclists should get off their bicycles and walk them across the intersection.
• Lights: All bikes on the road have to have lights on them for other drivers to see them, especially at night and in other conditions with low lighting. There also have to be reflectors to make the bike and its rider more visible. Reflective jackets, tape, and additional lighting can help you be seen by drivers, which can lower the risk of a collision.

Fifty bicycle crashes led to serious injuries in Orleans Parish in 2024. These laws exist to protect cyclists from these injuries. If you were injured while riding a bicycle, a New Orleans personal injury attorney might be able to help you recover monetary damages.

Why Hire a Bicycle Accident Lawyer?

One of the most important things to do after a bicycle accident is to hire a teaaccident lawyer. They can gather and preserve evidence. A lot of evidence after a bicycle accident can get lost soon after the accident happens. The legwork of an attorney can prevent important details from being left out of the claim.

Once the evidence is recovered, an attorney can also work with other skilled professionals. Some experts are able to analyze the evidence to understand how the accident happened. By reconstructing the accident itself, they are able to determine who was at fault and what caused the accident. Expert testimony can be crucial in a personal injury accident.

Even if each party is insured, working with insurance companies can be very difficult. An attorney is experienced in working with insurance adjusters and can negotiate with them as needed for a settlement.

If negotiations fall through, the case is not over. Your bicycle accident lawyer can file the paperwork to move the case to court to make sure you have the optimal chance of recovering damages. Their preparation can convince the judge or jury that you are entitled to monetary damages to rebuild your life after a bicycle accident.

Why Choose Us?

At Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C., we have personally seen the toll that bicycle accidents have taken on New Orleans victims and their families. Our award-winning legal team has successfully secured settlements for victims of negligence in our community for decades. We are dedicated personal injury lawyers who want to recover as much as possible so that you can make an effective recovery.

FAQs About New Orleans, LA Bicycle Accident Law

Why Are Bicycle Accidents Serious?

Bicycle accidents are serious because the cyclist is more likely to be seriously hurt than if they were in a vehicle, as bicycles offer less protection than a car in the event of a collision. These accidents can cause severe injuries such as broken bones, paralysis, and even death. Injuries from a bicycle accident often require more in damages to fully recover from.

Why Do Most Bicycle Accidents Happen?

Bicycle accidents happen because of many different factors. If there is a collision with a driver, then the driver is usually at fault, especially if they are engaging in distracted driving, fail to see the cyclist, or fail to yield the right-of-way. Additionally, the faster a car is going, the more likely they are to get into an accident with a cyclist. Excessive speed also increases the severity of the injuries.

Is Louisiana a No-Fault State for Bicycle Accidents?

A: Louisiana is not a no-fault state for bicycle accidents. This means that the person who is considered to be most at fault is responsible for paying damages. However, the rules are changing in 2026. If the accident happens after January 1, 2026, victims can only recover damages if they are considered to be 50% or less at fault for the accident.

What Happens if You Accidentally Hit a Bicyclist?

If you accidentally hit a bicyclist, immediately stop and move your vehicle to safety. Check on the bicyclist and their injuries. Call 911 for a medical evaluation of the bicyclist. Make sure that the cyclist and their bicycle are out of the way of traffic to prevent further injuries. Finally, speak with an attorney to review what happened and what steps to take next.

Pursue Compensation After a Bicycle Accident

There was one cyclist fatality in Orleans Parish in 2024. Unfortunately, crashes with cyclists happen often. Schedule a consultation with Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C.,, to learn what your rights are after getting into a bicycle accident.

New Orleans Commercial Vehicle Accident Law Resources:

• Is a Doctor Visit Required After a Car Accident in Louisiana
• Tips for Avoiding Distracted Driving During Family Road Trips in Louisiana
• Why is My Car Accident Settlement Taking So Long in Louisiana
• Navigating Auto Collisions: Essential Steps and When to Seek a Personal Injury Lawyer in Louisiana
• Highway Car Accidents Are on the Rise: Tips for Driving Safely This Summer in Louisiana
• Car Accidents Involving Objects Falling from Vehicle: Who’s at Fault in Louisiana

Serving New Orleans and the Greater Louisiana Gulf Coast

When you’re facing complex litigation against powerful medical institutions, maritime corporations, or commercial entities in New Orleans or throughout the Louisiana Gulf Coast region, you need a law firm with the experience, resources, and courtroom prowess to level the playing field. Since 1949, Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C. has built an unshakable reputation for taking on the toughest cases and defeating well-funded opponents who thought they were untouchable.

Based in New Orleans with deep roots throughout Louisiana’s legal community, our firm brings over seven decades of trial experience to clients facing medical malpractice, maritime injury claims, products liability, toxic exposure cases, and complex commercial litigation. Our attorneys don’t just practice law—they shape it. With leadership positions in local, state, and federal bar associations, and three former partners who ascended to the federal, state, and appellate bench, we command respect in Louisiana courtrooms that translates directly into better outcomes for our clients.

Whether you’ve been injured by medical negligence at a New Orleans hospital, suffered a maritime accident in Louisiana’s crucial shipping industry, been harmed by defective products, or exposed to toxic substances through commercial operations, partnering with a New Orleans litigation firm that other attorneys trust with their own family’s cases—and that corporations and their insurers genuinely fear in the courtroom—can make the critical difference between inadequate settlement offers and the substantial compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses.