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Compensation for your Damaged Bike

Compensation for your Damaged Bike 
after an Accident

At McGee, Lerer & Associates, we demand that insurance companies compensate our clients in full for their property damage after a bike accident.

Carbon fiber bike? Demand cost of replacement, not repair.

After a bike accident, the insurance company will attempt to pay you as little as possible for your property damage. If the cost to repair your bike is less than the cost to replace it, they will always elect to pay for repairs. This is especially true for carbon fiber bikes, which can be very expensive.

But special circumstances arise with carbon fiber bikes. Carbon fiber bikes, valued by cyclists because they are light and strong, are also very fragile. After an accident, you may not be able to see the damage, but hidden cracks may exist. The slightest crack in a carbon fiber frame can compromise the entire frame. A carbon fiber bike's invisible subsurface damage can cause the bike to suddenly fail. This could have catastrophic consequences if you are on a 40 mph descent.

Bottom Line: Carbon fiber bikes should not be repaired. If your carbon fiber bike was in a bike crash, demand that the insurance carrier pay to replace it, not repair it.


Contact McGee, Lerer & Associates today for legal representation as you file a claim for your damaged bike.


Getting full compensation for your carbon fiber bike.

Insurance adjusters do not specialize in high-end bikes. You are a better expert on the value of your carbon fiber bike than the insurance adjuster. In order to get full compensation, you should provide the adjuster with as much documentation as possible as to the value of your bike.

Be aggressive in papering the adjuster's file. What documentation should you provide?

  • The purchase receipt for the bike and its components
  • If you don't have the purchase receipt, obtain a bike shop invoice which itemizes the bike and its components, and estimates the cost to replace the bike
  • Online ads showing the sales price of a new comparable bike

Demand compensation for the cost of your bike.

For our car accident clients, we routinely demand "loss of use" compensation. Loss of use means compensation for the inconvenience of not having the use of your damaged vehicle. Bicycle accident victims are also entitled to loss of use, and we demand that insurance companies pay it. There is value in a bike being ridden. If you can't ride your bike because it was damaged in an accident, the insurance company must pay you for this loss. It does not matter if your injuries in the bike accident prevent you from being able to ride your bike; you are still entitled to loss of use. The insurance adjuster won’t disclose to you that you have a right to be paid for loss of use of a bicycle. But you do, and you should demand it. Don’t walk away from money you are entitled to.

How is this type of loss calculated? The insurance company must pay you for the cost of a comparable rental bike from the date of the accident through the date you receive a check for your damaged bike. We obtain a quote from a local bike shop that rents a bike like yours, and provide this quote to the insurance company. If bike shops don’t rent bikes similar to yours, we provide the closest comp we can find. If it costs $100/day to rent a comparable bike, we demand that the carrier pay you $100/day, from the date of the accident through the date you are paid for the repair or replacement of your bike. If it takes 30 days for the carrier to pay you for your bike, we demand $100/day x 30 days = $3,000.

When a bicyclist is hit by a car, the car’s insurance carrier often disputes liability. The adjuster may chose to wait until the police report is ready (if one was taken), before they finalize their liability determination. If LAPD did the report, that could take several months. Meanwhile, your loss of use claim is growing by the day. The longer they wait to accept fault and pay you for your bike, the more they must pay you on your bike loss of use claim.

Demand compensation for your damaged personal property 
after a bike accident.

After a bike crash, you are not only entitled to compensation for your damaged bike, but also for all personal property damaged in the accident.

Damaged personal property after a bike accident can include:

  • Helmet
  • Cycling shoes
  • Biking jersey
  • Bike shorts
  • Cell phone
  • Sunglasses
  • Watch
  • Wedding ring
  • Contents in a backpack

The mindset of the insurance adjuster is to deny payment. The burden is on you to prove you had these items on you at the time of the crash, that they were damaged, and the value of the items. Keep the damaged items after a bike crash in case the insurance adjuster wants to inspect them. The larger the value of your personal property claim, the more proof the insurance adjuster will require. Provide the adjuster with photos documenting damage to each of the items. Provide the adjuster with receipts or online ads for the items.

Demand compensation for the loss of use of your bike.

For our car accident clients, we routinely demand "loss of use" compensation. Loss of use means compensation for the inconvenience of not having the use of your damaged vehicle. Bicycle accident victims are also entitled to loss of use, and we demand that insurance companies pay it. There is value in a bike being ridden. If you can't ride your bike because it was damaged in an accident, the insurance company must pay you for this loss. It does not matter if your injuries in the bike accident prevent you from being able to ride your bike; you are still entitled to loss of use. The insurance adjuster won’t disclose to you that you have a right to be paid for loss of use of a bicycle. But you do, and you should demand it. Don’t walk away from money you are entitled to.

How is this type of loss calculated? The insurance company must pay you for the cost of a comparable rental bike from the date of the accident through the date you receive a check for your damaged bike. We obtain a quote from a local bike shop that rents a bike like yours, and provide this quote to the insurance company. If bike shops don’t rent bikes similar to yours, we provide the closest comp we can find. If it costs $100/day to rent a comparable bike, we demand that the carrier pay you $100/day, from the date of the accident through the date you are paid for the repair or replacement of your bike. If it takes 30 days for the carrier to pay you for your bike, we demand $100/day x 30 days = $3,000.

When a bicyclist is hit by a car, the car’s insurance carrier often disputes liability. The adjuster may chose to wait until the police report is ready (if one was taken), before they finalize their liability determination. If LAPD did the report, that could take several months. Meanwhile, your loss of use claim is growing by the day. The longer they wait to accept fault and pay you for your bike, the more they must pay you on your bike loss of use claim.


The bike accident lawyers at McGee, Lerer & Associates aggressively demand full compensation for our clients. Don't leave money on the table. Contact our firm for a free consultation about your rights after a bike accident.


Why Choose McGee, Lerer & Associates?

What Makes Us Different
  • Five Convenient Locations
    We have 5 offices in Southern California - Los Angeles, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Long Beach & Valencia
  • 24/7 Availability
    We can be available nights and weekends and come to you at the hospital or at home.
  • No Fees Unless We Win
    If we are unsuccessful in our efforts to recover your compensation, you owe nothing. Learn more here.
  • Individual Attention
    We take the time to understand all the unique factors of your case to achieve the best results.

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At McGee, Lerer & Associates, your satisfaction is our priority! See for yourself what our clients have to say about working with us.

    "This law firm is very professional"

    After my car accident, I didn't know what to do. I tried to fix the problem myself, and my insurance ignored me. After speaking with Catherine and her working group Maria and Nick, I have actually been able to achieve what my insurance said would not be po

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    They were always available to answer my messages and questions. I am very grateful to them. I recommend them.

    "Thank you so much, my family and I are very grateful."

    Thank you McGee Lerer & Associates! Your services went beyond expected. You always kept me updated with calls and emails. I am very satisfied with the facility you sent me to. They were excellent!! Doctors and staff were friendly. Thank you so much, my fam

    - L.J.
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    McGee, Lerer and Associates’s, thank you for your help. I highly recommend this firm. Catherine was our lawyer who helped my wife and I out during the whole process of a car accident we were. Denise as well helped us through out the process. Any questions

    - R.A.
    "hey helped me get the medical treatment I needed. I recommend this firm for personal injury cases!"

    After a bad car accident I was referred to McGee, Lerer and Associates. I closely worked wih Catherine and Rachael, who always had time to answer my questions and were concerned with my wellbeing and healing after the accident. They helped me get the medic

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    "I want to thank Catherine and her team for making this process fast and easy for me and my husband. Any questions we had they answered right away."

    I want to thank Catherine and her team for making this process fast and easy for me and my husband. Any questions we had they answered right away.

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    I'm 24 years old and barley understand my car insurance to be honest. When i got into my accident I was easily discouraged and willing to just accept what happened and not do anything. Luckily a close friend of Catherine's is a customer at my restaurant an

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    "very professional customer service and excellent staff."

    Excelllent team of attorneys. Changed the bad experience of getting into a accident to a positive outcome. I got all the medical help I needed to recover. very professional customer service and excellent staff.

    - N.G.