Reviews

I was on the fence about getting a lawyer after I was hit by a car on my way to work... While I suffered a concussion and a big scare, overall I felt like I could handle the insurance company on my own. After waiting for some time to pass to fully heal, I began to get incessant calls from the insurance company, pushing me to settle the case before I was ready. At the same time my medical insurance was not following up with bills related to the accident. At that point I decided maybe getting a lawyer was not such a bad idea. I really did not want to deal with insurance companies anymore. I am SO HAPPY I made this decision. Kyle was super easy to work with. Always responsive and just has a no nonsense attitude. Not only did he settle the case with me taking home more than 4x the amount I was initially offered, but his involvement meant that the insurance companies stopped calling me, and that was a relief. If you are like me and not sure if you should get a lawyer- take my advice and give Kyle a call. You will not regret it.

During a very difficult time, Kyle Smith really made a difference in our lives. My granddaughter had just died from a bike accident, Kyle was understanding, kind and professional. Kyle is very knowledgable about insurance coverage for bike accidents. He clearly explained what he will do and referred us to another law firm to investigate possible malpractice claims. Within a short period of time, Kyle presented us with the insurance proceeds. He kindly reduced his fee and donated generously to a Bike advocacy group in honor of my 4-year old granddaugher. My family and I are forever grateful to Kyle and his kindness. I highly recommend Kyle Smith for anyone needing a very smart, knowlegeable, trustworthy and kind attorney.

After being struck by a motorist running a Stop sign and then finding his insurance company intentionally difficult, I was in need of a good bicycle collision lawyer. Fortunately, someone recommended Paceline Law. Kyle proved to be not only a skilled and experienced attorney in the field, but also a genuinely good guy - and that definitely matters too! There are other law firms in the Bay Area who claim to care about the cycling community, but Paceline was the only one who backed up that claim. Injuries were minor so he and I both understood from the outset that mine would not be a large settlement. Nonetheless, Kyle took the time to fully explain what to expect and why. He then settled the matter where he said it would, relatively quickly – and kept me posted along the way. That he did such an excellent job for such a relatively small client says a great deal about the man and the way he runs his practice. He's every bit as experienced as the other attorneys in the field, probably more so, plus he really does care about you; both as a person and as a cyclist. I could not offer a higher recommendation. And as you look through the other posts here, you'll see I'm far from alone.

Excellent legal team! Service and responsiveness top notch!

After being injured in a bicycle accident, I retained Kyle Smith of Paceline Law to represent me. Kyle patiently guided me through the complexities of insurance claims, health care, and the legal system as it pertains to cycling incidents. He took time to explain unfamiliar processes and terminology while keeping me informed of progress on my case. Kyle was an invaluable intermediary with insurers and he advocated effectively on my behalf. Thanks to his perseverance and legal expertise, we secured a fair settlement that covered my injuries and losses. I highly recommend Kyle Smith and Paceline Law to anyone seeking an attorney who will fight tirelessly for their interests. Kyle's commitment to open communication and compassionate counsel provided me invaluable support during a challenging time.

After years of cycling, racing, and working in the bicycle industry, I unfortunately was involved in my first (and hopefully last) collision with a car while riding through a crosswalk in the Walnut Creek / East Bay Area. Navigating this myself initially, I was left defeated after the police report came back, falsely pointing the finger directly at me. Recovering from clavicle surgery, I was eventually introduced to Kyle at Paceline Law by Michael at Bay Area Bicycle Law. Michael had only good things to say about his previous colleague, Kyle, and his law firm—I’m now happy to say the same. It was apparent from the get-go that Kyle not only has empathy as a through-and-through cyclist himself, but knows the Bay Area well. It cannot be understated how Kyle’s follow up and explanations lift the weight off his clients and how smooth the transition from collecting information to taking over correspondence was. Kyle would check in during this time period at least once a week to see how I was doing on a personal level and would be quick to reply to any emails, texts, or phone calls. Kyle is extremely professional, yet approachable, and never during this process did I have any doubt that Kyle, a fellow cyclist, would leave anything off the table in representing me. Kyle was a pleasure to work with on this personal injury case. Following my full recovery at the one-year mark, Kyle had everything in place to settle this case swiftly within the following week. What initially was a “you’re out of luck” situation, Kyle was able to leverage his knowledge as a cyclist and lawyer to completely flip things around. Thank you so much, Kyle!

My lawyer, Kyle Smith, of Paceline Law was the single most competent, ethical professional I interacted throughout my entire time with my collision. I was very clear, that everything we proposed to do, I wanted to vet first for any undue psychological effect it may have had on my driver, and how we could structure the case presentation to maximize the driver's growth opportunities. Both of these are well outside of the bounds of his financial interest and normal client instructions, which is to maximize the monetary value of the case. He always kept me from violating professional norms in the law, while ensuring my particular objectives and constraints were advocated for. He provided sound advice, but whenever I gave final instructions that did not align with that advice due to my distinct values, he took them as final, and never tried to argue with me after my decision was made, provided it was legal and ethical. He allowed me to do as much of the casework myself as I wanted, and at the end of the day we reduced his paid engagement to nothing, so I was able to keep the entirety of the settlement that I had not negotiated with my health insurance. Kyle took an upfront loss on my case to support my empowerment: to give me all the tools I needed to reassert my values in the world, which were threatened to be cut off along with my body. A professional, by definition, will have more experience in their particular practice area than you, so you have to trust them to not use that information asymmetry against you. Most of the time, if that trust is misplaced, you'll never have definitive proof of it, just a bunch of all scattered clues and a gut feeling. I have lost ethical confidence in many, mostly medical, professionals in the past three years. Kyle is happily an exception: my confidence in his ethical conduct does not rest on the mere absence of evidence: it rests on demonstrated proof. He is simply the best bicycle personal injury lawyer in Alameda county who was active in 2020, and his ethics never need to be checked, and I recommend his firm to any cyclist collision victim in the Bay Area without reservation.

Kyle was friendly, professional, and, most importantly, helped me land a great settlement. Handling my case was something best left in the hands of a professional. Looking back at what he's done for me, and what I'm walking away with, I'd recommend his work.

Paceline Law took the stress and hassle out of the post-crash insurance claim process. The last thing I wanted to do after being hit by a car on my bike was deal with an insurance claim. After reaching out to Paceline at the direction of another cyclist, I was promptly met with an email reply and shortly after, an in-person meeting. I was updated every step of the way, and always felt like I was in good hands. If you’re looking for an East Bay bike lawyer, look no further!

Kyle is a consummate professional who is equal parts intelligent, compassionate, and zealous advocate. Could not recommend him highly enough.

Kyle is amazing! Several months ago, I was hit by a car while biking. I was referred to Kyle and he helped me to navigate the legal landscape in a way that made sense to me (someone with no experience in this realm). He worked and responded quickly, gave me regular updates and provided realistic expectations. Throughout the process, he was very patient, up-front and expressed concern and empathy (being a fellow bay area bicyclist himself). At one point, he made it clear that if he was in this profession for the money, he would be practicing corporate law, and not law for us bike peoples. If you are in need of a bike injury lawyer, I highly recommend Kyle.

This is a review about Kyle, not necessarily Paceline. In 2019 I was involved in a hit-n-run accident that messed up my ability to work for a few months, and throughout the length of 2020(even with the pandemic making just about anything tedious as hell), Kyle was communicative, consistent, and has always been extremely kind every time I’ve seen him, whether it’s for professional purposes or otherwise. Good job, Kyle!