Does Florida PIP Insurance Cover Cyclists Hit by a Car?

Yes. Bicyclists hit by cars can use the driver's Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. But you need to know a very important rule: you must have serious injuries to ask for more money for pain and suffering. Knowing this stops you from accepting a low offer too early.

Under Florida's no-fault system, a bicyclist hit by a vehicle is treated analogously to a pedestrian: you are entitled to claim PIP benefits from the at-fault driver's policy covering 80% of medical expenses and 60% of lost wages up to the $10,000 limit. In serious Miami bicycle crashes, that $10,000 is exhausted by emergency treatment alone. If the crash involves a car accident or a commercial vehicle, additional insurance layers may apply.

Once that first $10,000 is gone, you can go after the other driver's insurance to pay for your pain, future medical care, and lost future income, if your injuries are serious.

CHG Lawyers looks at all insurance policies at once to make sure you get everything you deserve: the driver's insurance, your own auto insurance, commercial policies, Lyft or Uber coverage, and Citi Bike insurance.

Citi Bike and E-Bike Accidents — Who Is Liable in Miami?

Miami's Citi Bike network — operated by Lyft with 100+ stations across Brickell, Wynwood, the Design District, Edgewater, and South Beach — and the proliferating e-bike and scooter rental ecosystem create liability scenarios that most Miami law firms are unprepared to handle. When a Citi Bike's brakes fail, a handlebar loosens, or a mechanical defect throws a rider into traffic, there may be multiple parties responsible beyond any vehicle driver involved. In cases involving catastrophic outcomes, a wrongful death claim may also apply.

• The rental company (like Lyft, Citi Bike, Bird, or Lime) is responsible for keeping their bikes in safe working condition. We can sue them if they failed to maintain the bike.
• If a broken part caused the crash, the manufacturer of that part can be held responsible.
• The driver who hit you is also responsible for paying for your injuries.

Florida's Shared-Fault Rule and the 51% Rule for Miami Cyclists

Comparative Fault Arguments Insurers Now Use Against Miami Cyclists

Under Florida's modified comparative fault standard (HB 837, effective March 24, 2023), if you are found more than 50% at fault for your crash, you recover nothing. Insurance adjusters now systematically pursue cyclist-fault arguments specifically designed to push fault above that bar: no-helmet arguments for head and brain injury claims; night lighting violations under Florida Statute 316.2065 requiring a white front light and red rear reflector after dark; failure to use hand signals for turns; riding outside an available designated bike lane; and sidewalk cycling in areas where it is locally prohibited.

The Brickell Lane Defense — Why 'Outside the Bike Lane' Is Not Automatic Fault

Riding Outside the Bike Lane is Legal: In Miami, delivery trucks, Uber/Lyft drivers, and construction equipment often block the bike lanes, especially on busy streets like Brickell Avenue. Under Florida law, you do not have to ride in a bike lane if it is blocked or unsafe. Moving into the main road to go around a truck is legal, and it is not your fault if a car hits you while you are doing it. We use security videos, traffic analyses, and driver statements to prove you had no other safe choice.

Under Florida law, the insurance company cannot just make assumptions. They must show how much your actions actually caused the crash. CHG Lawyers starts building your defense on day one.

Miami's Most Dangerous Cycling Corridors

Brickell Avenue's expanding protected lane network creates new hazard types alongside new infrastructure: rideshare drivers stopping in bike lanes for pickups, delivery vehicles blocking protected lanes, and door-zone crashes as parked vehicles open into cyclist paths. The Rickenbacker Causeway forces riders to share high-speed lanes with cars, with no safe alternative path. Biscayne Boulevard through Wynwood and the Design District has heavy cyclist volume meeting aggressive northbound commuter traffic at inadequately protected crossings. SW 8th Street in Little Havana has bike lanes that start and stop suddenly, forcing you to ride with traffic. NW 7th Avenue has almost no bike lanes at all, even though many people walk and ride there.

Florida Bicycle Laws Every Miami Cyclist Must Know — F.S. 316.2065

Florida law says cyclists have the same rights and duties as car drivers. You must ride as close to the right side of the road as possible, use lights at night, signal your turns, and yield to pedestrians on sidewalks. Insurance companies look for any minor rule you might have broken so they can blame you for the crash.

Why CHG Lawyers for Your Miami Bicycle Accident Case

• Multi-party liability from day one — driver negligence, Citi Bike and e-bike operator liability, product liability for defective components, and Lyft/rideshare or third-party commercial vehicle liability. Every source identified and pursued simultaneously.

• Citi Bike and e-bike operator expertise — litigation hold letters to operators, equipment maintenance record subpoenas, manufacturer product liability alongside standard vehicle claims. Most Miami firms handle driver negligence only.

• Brickell lane defense and blocked bike lane documentation — traffic engineering analysis and surveillance footage establishing why the cyclist was in the traffic lane, defeating the most common Miami bicycle fault argument.

• Bilingual English and Spanish. Contingency fee — no fees unless we win. Explore all our practice areas.