An interesting question came up on Monday, when someone asked me who to contact if a pothole on a city street damages a rim on your bike, or worse.
Fortunately, KNBC-4 answered that question earlier this year, if from an auto-centric perspective. And yes, it’s the same process if you were injured, as well.
Step No. 1 is to fill out a claim form. Click here to begin the process, then mail the document to:
Office of the City Clerk 200 North Spring St. Room 395, City Hall Los Angeles, CA 90012
The office will accept originals only. Don’t try to fax it or mail in a copy.
You can also deliver it in person to that same address anytime between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is 213-978-1133.
Be sure to document the damage to your bike, along with any resulting injuries, as well as possible. That means photos and receipts for repair work, parts and/or medical care, or at the very least, a signed estimate for the cost of repair if you can’t afford to have it done.
As the story implies, it can be a long and complicated process, and one that can often end in a rejection of your claim.
But by going through the process and documenting your claim, you at least set the stage for filing a case in small claims court if it’s denied.
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Sad news, as a La Habra cyclist is in a medically induced coma after suffering a major head injury when he somehow crashed into a street sign while riding on the sidewalk.
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Nice to see new bike racks in front of my favorite Mexican restaurant; evidently, they recognize bikes are good for business.
Or maybe they just like bikes.
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LocalNice piece on life lessons learned on a bike from an undocumented perspective.
A new petition calls on CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo to allow bike lanes on North Figueroa.
Culver City Walk & Rollers hosts a family bike ride to the Ballona Wetlands on Saturday.
A look at track racing at the Encino Velodrome.
State
The Daily Breeze offers a detailed look at the state’s new three-foot passing law, even if they can’t quite manage to get all the facts straight. It was one governor who vetoed the law twice, not the other way around. And while the first version of the law would have allowed drivers to cross the center line to pass a cyclist, no version of the law ever required them to do so.
A memorial was held for Chula Vista randonneur Matthew O’Neill, who was killed while riding in Santa Maria by a son of former Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado.
The Voice of San Diego looks at the city’s new Bicycle Advisory Committee, while the city’s planned bike share program hits the skids once again.
San Bernardino County gets $13.7 million for transportation projects, including Safe Routes to School and bike/ped improvements at train stations.
National
Injured cycling scion Taylor Phinney hasn’t lost his sense of humor, referring to his surgically repaired limb as his Frankenleg.
Nashville cyclists get their first bike box.
Downtown Mobile AL gets its first bike lane.
International
Interesting column in the London Telegraph, as a writer says motorists have ruined England, and it’s time they paid the price.
A British family files a lawsuit against their local bike shop after their 14-year old son crashed into a van when his brakes failed just hours after his bike was repaired.
Riding the green glens of Scotland, as I hope to do some day.
A truck driver gets eight-and-a-half years for killing two cyclists who had just begun a cross-country tour of the UK when he fell asleep at the wheel. In the US, that would probably be written off as an “oops.” Thanks to Jim Pettipher for the heads-up.
Six Norwegian cyclists are hospitalized after failing to read the label on a sample bottle, and mistaking laundry detergent for a sports drink.
A new Ikea in Hamburg, Germany invites you to bike your purchase home with the free loan of a cargo bike.
An urgently needed New Zealand bikeway still hasn’t been built six years later.
Finally…
A drunken Indian constable steals a police car and crashes into a bicyclist, pedestrian and an auto-rickshaw before he’s arrested. A reminder not to text and drive, as a Colorado motorist slams into a guard rail, which penetrates the car’s headlight and impales her butt cheek before jamming into the back seat.
And no, you can’t inject yourself with noble gasses any more. Although in my experience, ignoble gas emissions are more of a problem for most cyclists.
