Can I File a Claim if a Road-Sidewalk Hazard, Like a Pothole or Debris, Caused My Bicycle Accident?

If a road or sidewalk hazard causes an accident on a bicycle, you can file a claim. A road hazard like a pothole will require you to go to the state’s board of claims and file a claim against the state, which generally results in capped damages and much more difficult liability. However, a claim on a sidewalk might go against a city, and if it goes against a city or municipality, you have a much, much better chance of recovering, and you’re much more likely to get full damages. But there’s a twist. In Kentucky only, there’s a law that says you must give the municipality notice of whatever defect in the sidewalk caused your injury within 90 days of the injury occurring. And that notice must have very specific things in it. If you don’t call a lawyer within the first 90 days, your option to file a claim against that city is forever barred.