BIKE ACCIDENTS 

EXPERIENCED BICYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYERS

If you were injured in a bicycle accident in Georgia or South Carolina, contact our Bicycle Accident Lawyers who understand what you are going through and are motivated to help.

We have three Georgia offices in Atlanta, Savannah, and Athens and one in Okatie, South Carolina to serve you.

A collision between a bike and a motor vehicle often ends in life-threatening or fatal injuries. These types of accidents usually have a devastating impact on bicyclists because bicyclists lack the same type of steel protection provided to automobiles.

Often drivers are not paying attention or are distracted by things they should not be, like their cell phones or other passengers. 

They are not paying attention to cyclists, making bike riders an easily overlooked object on Georgia and South Carolina roads and highways. It only takes 20 to 30 mph of impact to create a devastating crash resulting in a rider suffering catastrophic injuries

Common Bike Accident Claims We Handle

• Hit by a motor vehicle on a bike
• Bicycles and road rage 
• Dog chase/bite bicycle accident 
• Hit and run bicycle crashes
• Defective roadways, etc.   

Cyclists need a competent lawyer who understands the dangers of cycling in Georgia or South Carolina and who is well-versed with the laws. 

The Brown Firm will work tirelessly to settle your dispute through settlement negotiations, arbitration or mediation, and aggressive trial advocacy.  

Contact our Top Bike Accident Lawyers; we are passionate and committed to protecting injured cyclists' rights and obtaining the compensation needed to recover from your bike injury accident fully.

How We Can Help Your Case 

Bikers are often hit by someone making a turn without looking or making an illegal turn, struck by a rear-view mirror, backed into, or even grazed by an open door in their pathway by an unmindful driver or passenger. 

If you or a beloved family member was injured in a biking accident, you have got a lot on your plate, starting with recovering both emotionally and physically.

At The Brown Firm, we will handle all administrative and legal complications of your case so you can focus on reclaiming your life and health.

The Brown Firm has Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers will manage all legal case procedures including:

• Pursuing a Property Damage Claim
• Filing a Personal Injury Claim
• Sorting out Insurance payments
• Reversing improper traffic citations from police officers confused by the rules of the road for bicycles
• Negotiations in achieving a favorable settlement, evaluating the proper value of your damaged bike
• Appellate advocacy if a judgment is appealed
• Recovering deserved damages
•  Handling all communications with insurance companies and medical providers, and more

From the time we are retained by an injured bicyclist, our Bike Accident Attorneys begin a thorough investigation into the circumstances that may have caused or contributed to the accident.

The Brown Firm has a team of specialists and experts, who are experienced in retrieving evidence from the scene and securing witness statements to build a strong case in recovering the highest settlement possible and a favorable outcome for our clients. 

Common Injuries Suffered 

 As the popularity of using bicycles to navigate in congested cities and busy business, areas continues to grow so does the number of bike wrecks.

Thousands of bicyclists suffer injuries every year such as bone fractures, concussions, punctured wounds, road rash, total or partial paralysis, spinal cord injuries, eye damage, lost or broken teeth, severe brain damage, and death.  

To increase bike safety, many cities have implemented more bicycle paths, those located off major roadways, as well as more bicycle lanes on the roadways. Although they reduce the risk of automobile wrecks, they present their risks.

These paths are not always well designed, maintained, or supervised, creating hazards and possible serious accidents.

Common wrecks apt on bike paths include Bicycle/Pedestrian Accidents, Bicycle/Bicycle Accidents, and Bike Path Defects.   

While there are a variety of possible injuries that can be suffered in a bicycle-motor vehicle crash, the most severe is a head injury. 

Brain injuries are the leading cause of death in bicycle accidents and can leave survivors with permanent disabilities. It is due to the complexities and severity of traumatic brain injuries that it is imperative cyclists obtain legal representation to help them recover financial compensation in a bicycle accident case.

The Brown Firm will use all necessary resources to prove and demonstrate to the jury the implications of the injury. For example, exerting expert testimony such as physicians in the field of neurophysiology demonstrating the personal and financial obstructions our clients endured due to the seriousness of the injury. 

Bicycle Traffic Laws Determine Liability 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over 600 cyclists perish each year and over 52,000 are hurt in bicycle-motor vehicle crashes. While on the roadways bike riders are treated like other motor vehicles and bicyclists are expected to obey Georgia and South Carolina Traffic Laws.

With that being said, drivers of cars, trucks, and SUVs are obligated to follow specific guidelines and undertake certain safety precautions that are outlined for the protection of bike riders due to their increased level of vulnerability on Georgia roadways.

A few statewide precautions constructed to protect bicyclists include:

1. Drivers of motorized passenger vehicles must yield to cyclists in bike lanes.
2. Drivers of motorized passenger vehicles must yield to bicyclists on a sidewalk.
3. Prohibitions on reckless vehicular assault of bicyclists.
4. Drivers must stay to the left of a bicyclist when they pass, at a safe distance, and only come back to their original lane a safe distance away.

Helpful Tips After A Bike Accident Injury  

1. Always carry a cell phone to take pictures of the accident scene, get license plate numbers, and contact the authorities.
2. Try to obtain any witnesses and record their contact information. 
3. Have a copy of your insurance information, emergency contact, and personal information.
4. Call the authorities and make an accident report, this provides documentation of the accident and provides proof of the witnesses.
5. Photograph your bike, and if possible the vehicle involved, and the state it was in after the accident. Don't move it until the police arrived on the scene and inspected it.
6. DO NOT negotiate with the drivers.
7. DO NOT make any statements, written or recorded, without consulting an attorney. 

As a means of helping to avoid accident-related injuries, it is important to wear the proper protective gear while cycling including; helmets, shoulder pads, and knee pads. Also properly equip your bike with safety paraphernalia such as headlights, bells, and horns.

Always bike defensively and beware of your surroundings be cautious of distracted drivers and try to make yourself known or slow down if they can't see you.

Most importantly, never ride against traffic this is a highly dangerous bike riding practice that should always be averted. Year after year, bike riders are injured, and even worse killed because they choose to ride down the wrong side of the road.  

How We Handle Your Property/Bike Damage Claim

First off, always contact an experienced Bike Accident Lawyer before speaking to an insurance company.

Be very cautious if you get the pleasure of interacting with an adjuster, agent, or anyone from the insurance company; remember they are not your ally and they have been thoroughly trained to pay out as little as possible on injury claims.

 It's customary for insurance companies to record all of their calls and your statements to them will certainly be used against you.  Any innocuous statements you make to them may very well be harmful to your case later on. 

By law, cyclists have rights and are entitled to compensation for the cost of repairs or even replacement of your damaged bicycle. If your bike wreck was significant enough to total your bike, then you are entitled to be compensated for the replacement value of your bike.

Don’t let insurance companies trick you into settling for a depreciated value of your bike. There is no standard procedure for determining bike values—before you have any repairs done to your damaged bike schedule for an adjuster from the insurance company to inspect it themselves.

In most circumstances, the insurance company will send an adjuster to inspect the bike and try to value it as low as possible. Keep in mind, the adjuster will probably have no clue about bike values as they are used to looking at cars. They will take plenty of pictures so be prepared to point out the damage, the parts that are expensive and what they sell for, etc., It can only help your claim.

If you or a loved one were injured in a bike-related accident in Georgia or South Carolina, you may need immediate assistance in obtaining medical care and dealing with insurance company hassles and legal issues.

The dedicated personal injury lawyers at The Brown Firm can recover damages including medical expenses, rehabilitative therapy, loss of income, disability or disfigurement compensation, a decline of earning potential due to a permanent injury/disability, pain and suffering awards, and payments for other physical and mental injuries. 

The Brown Firm has over 30 years of personal injury litigation experience and the skill and knowledge to provide powerful and respected legal representation throughout the duration of your bike accident case.

Our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, so our clients don't pay a dime until a settlement is reached or a judgment in your lawsuit.

This is just one of the many ways we put our client's needs first to try and ease their distress during such difficult times.

Contact our top Bike Accident Injury Attorneys today to get the compensation and justice you deserve. We have Law offices in Atlanta, Savannah, and Athens, GA as well as in Okatie, SC to assist you with your Bike Accident Injury Lawsuit.