In 1994 in Rosemead, CA, I was riding on the sidewalk, going against traffic (this is in front of a community center where kids play around all the time). A truck was exiting a bank parking lot to my left, where a bunch of bushes grew and neither of us saw each other. It was a low speed collision, but it managed to total the bike. I was not injured too severely.
The cop told me afterwards that because I was riding on the sidewalk, I was lucky not to get a ticket. Since then, I've made it a point to ride on the street/road, unless otherwise mandated. It seems to me that bicycles get the least amount of rights when it comes to road usage.
Be attentive out there.