New Crash Data Shows Where Riders Are Getting Hurt and Who Pays After a Driver Hits One
San Antonio has become one of the deadliest large Texas cities for people on bikes. A San Antonio Express-News analysis of Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) crash data tracked bicycle accidents citywide. Drivers killed 13 cyclists from January 2024 through September 2026. Another 70 riders suffered severe injuries.
One survivor, Samantha Flores, was hit while riding home. She has gone through eight reconstructive surgeries and walks with a cane. "I felt what it was like to bleed to death in the street," she told the newspaper. Since 2021, a cyclist has died about every two months.
Our San Antonio bicycle accident lawyers at The Herrera Law Firm see what these crashes do to riders and families. So why are so many San Antonio cyclists getting hurt? And what happens after a driver hits one? The answers can shape every part of an injured rider's recovery.
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Key Findings
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Why Are So Many Cyclists Getting Hurt on San Antonio Streets?
City Council District 5 had more severe cyclist injuries and deaths than any other district. That area covers the West Side and parts of Southtown. City transportation director Catherine Hernandez told the newspaper that part of the reason may be fewer residents owning cars there.
The numbers back that up. About 7.5% of San Antonio households don't have a car. In one Avenida Guadalupe census tract, that share hit 40%. A city report found that heavily car-free areas see five times as many severe or fatal bike and pedestrian crashes.
Infrastructure plays a role too. San Antonio had just 3.5 miles of protected bike lanes in July 2023. A few new protected lanes have opened since then. Still, most riders share the road with cars, whether they're downtown or on a quiet neighborhood street far from any bike path.
What Driver Mistakes Often Cause Serious Bike Crashes?
Police reported a driver-related factor in just under half of the crashes that killed or seriously injured cyclists. The breakdown shows how ordinary driving habits can turn deadly for someone on a bike.
- Driver Inattention – Distracted drivers killed two cyclists and severely injured 19 others. That made inattention the most common driver factor in the data.
- Failure to Yield – Drivers who didn't give cyclists the right of way severely injured six riders. Many of these crashes happen when a driver turns across a rider's path.
- Speeding – Speeding was linked to one death and three severe injuries. Even a few extra miles per hour can make a crash far more violent for an unprotected rider.
- Drunk or Drugged Driving – Impaired drivers caused three severe injuries. Tito Bradshaw, a well-known local bike shop owner, was killed by a drunk driver in 2019.
Location matters as much as behavior. About half of the crashes happened at or near intersections. More than half occurred on roads with speed limits under 35 mph. So a slower neighborhood street isn't automatically safe for a cyclist. That's especially true where drivers expect to see only other cars.
What Does Texas Law Require Drivers to Do Around Cyclists?
Texas treats a bicycle as a vehicle. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 551.101, a cyclist has the same rights on the road as a driver. That means drivers can't treat a rider as an obstacle to squeeze past or ignore at a turn. A driver who does may be held responsible (liable) for the harm.
State law also tells drivers to pass at a safe distance. But Texas Transportation Code Section 545.053 doesn't set an exact number of feet. That leaves a lot of room for drivers to misjudge how close is too close. San Antonio fills that gap with its own Safe Passing Ordinance.
The ordinance requires drivers to give cyclists at least 3 feet of space when road conditions allow. Commercial vehicles and large trucks must give 6 feet. A violation carries a fine of up to $200. It can also serve as strong evidence that the driver was careless.
Can an Insurance Company Blame a Rider Who Wasn't Wearing a Helmet?
Most of the cyclists killed or hurt in the data weren't wearing helmets. Texas has no statewide law requiring adult cyclists to wear one. Even so, insurers may point to a missing helmet. They can argue a rider's head injury was partly the rider's own fault.
That argument matters because of how Texas splits blame. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 33.001, an injured person who is more than 50% at fault can't recover anything. Anyone found 50% or less at fault can still recover, though the award shrinks by their share of the blame.
A missing helmet never caused a driver to run a red light or turn without looking. The driver's choices, not the rider's gear, caused the crash itself. Injured riders shouldn't accept an insurer's attempt to shift fault. Even a small change in percentages can cost thousands of dollars in compensation on a serious claim.
Insurers often lean on a handful of familiar arguments after a bike crash. The table below compares what an adjuster may claim with what Texas law and San Antonio's ordinance actually say. Each point can affect how fault is divided and how much an injured rider recovers.
| What an Insurer May Argue | What the Law Says |
|---|---|
| "The rider wasn't wearing a helmet." | Texas has no statewide law requiring adult cyclists to wear helmets, and a helmet has nothing to do with what caused the crash. |
| "Cyclists don't belong in the road." | Texas gives a person riding a bicycle the same rights and duties as a driver operating a vehicle. |
| "The driver gave the rider enough room." | San Antonio requires at least 3 feet of passing space, or 6 feet for commercial vehicles and large trucks, when road conditions allow. |
| "The rider was partly at fault, so there's no claim." | A rider who is 50% or less at fault can still recover, with the award reduced by that share. |
Who Pays When the Injured Cyclist Doesn't Own a Car?
Many riders in the hardest-hit parts of San Antonio don't carry their own auto insurance. That can leave a family wondering, who's going to pay my medical bills now?
- The At-Fault Driver's Insurance – The driver's liability policy is usually the first place to look. Liability coverage pays for harm the driver causes to other people.
- Uninsured Motorist Coverage – A relative's auto policy in the same home may cover a rider hit by a driver with little or no insurance.
- An Employer's Policy – A driver who was working during the crash may be covered by a company policy with higher limits.
Hit-and-run crashes make this even harder, since there may be no driver to pursue at all. Every possible source of coverage needs a close look early. Insurance companies rarely point out extra coverage on their own. Policy terms can also be hard to read without help from someone who knows them.
Fighting for San Antonio Riders Hurt by Careless Drivers
If a driver hit you while you were riding a bike in San Antonio, you may need surgery and face lost paychecks and months of recovery. You'll also likely deal with an insurance company focused on its own bottom line. Many insurers look for any reason to blame the rider instead of their driver. That way, they can avoid paying injured cyclists.
The Herrera Law Firm's San Antonio bike accident attorneys know what's at stake. That's why we take such cases so seriously. We can investigate your crash and find every source of compensation. And we push back when an insurer tries to shift blame onto you. Our case results include multiple policy limit settlements for injured Texans.
Winning isn't luck. It's knowing how to fight. We bring that mindset to every injured rider we represent across Bexar County. You don't pay us anything unless we win your case. Contact us for a free consultation. We can answer your questions, explain your options, and get right to work on your case.
