Conyers Bicycle Accident Attorneys

As the county seat of Rockdale County and a suburb of Atlanta, Conyers offers a calmer pace to life than larger cities while still putting you within reach of everything you could need. Conyers’ relative tranquility also provides opportunities for cyclists to get out on the road. Unfortunately, bicycle accidents in the area aren’t rare.

Because bicycles don’t offer the same protections that the majority of motor vehicles do, getting into an accident while riding one can be catastrophic. You could suffer debilitating injuries that threaten your life and may be unable to live as you did before. In the worst instances, fatalities can occur.

If the accident you were involved in occurred because of another party’s wrongful or negligent conduct, it may be possible to file a personal injury claim and recover losses. To do so, however, you need assistance from Conyers bicycle accident attorneys.

At Kaufman Injury Law, our team offers experienced and dedicated representation so that you have a better chance of recovering damages. Learn more about Georgia personal injury claims and why bicycle accidents occur.

Who Can File a Claim After a Bicycle Accident in Georgia?

To be able to file a personal injury claim, you’ll have to demonstrate that negligence occurred. Negligence is a legal concept that focuses on holding people accountable for actions that lead others to suffer harm.

Proving negligence means meeting a few requirements, beginning with establishing that the at-fault person owed you a duty of care. Anyone operating a vehicle on a public road owes others the responsibility to drive safely. If they break the law by driving while intoxicated, speeding, or anything else that puts others at risk, they breach their duty.

Another aspect of negligence involves demonstrating that the defendant’s actions led you to suffer injuries for which you can be compensated. If you suffered a traumatic brain injury that sent you to Piedmont Rockdale because someone ran a red light, for example, you meet all of the requirements to file a personal injury claim.

Comparative Negligence Laws

Sometimes, people think they can’t get compensation because they were partly to blame for the accident. Georgia is an at-fault state, so those responsible for the accident have to pay damages, but being partly responsible doesn’t bar you from recovering losses.

Georgia follows modified comparative negligence laws. These laws state that as long as you weren’t more than 49% responsible for the crash, you can get damages.

Keep in mind that your winnings will be affected by the percentage of fault you have. For example, if you’re awarded $10,000 in damages but you have 5% of fault, you’ll get $9,500.

Is There a Time Limit to File a Claim?

A statute of limitations exists to prevent people from filing claims long after viable evidence is lost. For the most part, Georgia gives you two years to file a claim. These two years begin from the moment the accident occurs or from when you discover an injury.

If the shock and adrenaline coursing through you after the accident keep you from realizing you have a concussion until a few days after the collision, the statute of limitations will begin from the moment you get medical care.

You should never wait to hire a lawyer, however, because there may be exceptions to the two-year law.

Common Causes of Conyers Bicycle Accidents

Driver errors cause the majority of bicycle accidents, but there may be third parties involved in collisions, too.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving refers to drivers knowingly engaging in behaviors that put others at risk. They may run red lights or stop signs, speed excessively, rapidly change lanes, and even race other vehicles. A reckless driver is much more likely to not see a cyclist or perform a maneuver that causes the cyclist to lose their balance.

Distracted Driving

A driver doing anything besides driving is distracted, and that means they’re putting themselves and everyone else on the road at risk.

Most distracted driving involves cell phone use, but eating, changing the radio station, and checking the GPS are all distractions as well. Someone who doesn’t have their eyes on the road could miss seeing a cyclist.

Intoxicated Driving

Although the legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08%, having just one drink makes a driver less coordinated and more reckless. They may not react appropriately if a hazard appears or could lose control of the car and swerve into the next lane, putting vulnerable road users like cyclists in danger.

Speeding

A speeding driver may not have the time they need to fully stop to prevent a collision. Speeding can also result in much more severe injuries if an accident occurs, potentially putting the cyclist’s life in danger.

Defective Parts

Auto parts and bicycle parts can be defective, leading to a collision. If the bicycle chain slips and sends the cyclist crashing against a vehicle, or if a car’s brakes fail and it can’t come to a stop at an intersection, the manufacturer of the parts could be liable.

Road Conditions

Debris and potholes might be nothing more than nuisances to drivers, but to cyclists, they can be dangerous. Cyclists may lose their balance, and that could mean serious injuries, especially on busy roads. Most of the time, government entities are the ones responsible for these types of accidents.

Benefits of Hiring a Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Often, people who’ve been in a collision assume that filing a personal injury claim is simple. It’s not.

Because of Georgia’s fault-based system, the other party will do everything they can to pin the majority of the blame on you. They could claim that you swerved into traffic or weren’t paying attention as you rode your bicycle. You can’t risk being blamed for the accident and miss out on the compensation you deserve.

To hold the other party liable, you need to gather a substantial amount of evidence. If you’ve never been through a claim before, you will likely be unsure of what you need. You’ll be dealing with injuries, too, making the entire process more difficult.

By hiring our team of bicycle accident lawyers, you have the chance to focus on healing while we take care of the rest. We’ll negotiate with insurance companies, which is one of the most complex aspects of filing a personal injury claim, and take your claim to court if there are disputes or you’re not being offered a fair settlement.

Our team also provides the support you need during this difficult time. We can answer questions and help you navigate the aftermath of an accident.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Conyers Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Being in a bicycle accident can leave you facing significant medical bills, property damage, and a variety of other losses. When you file a personal injury claim, you give yourself the opportunity to recover economic and non-economic damage. To have the best chance of winning a fair settlement or jury award, you need to hire lawyers.

At Kaufman Injury Law, our bicycle accident lawyers provide the assistance you need throughout the claims process. We’ll fiercely advocate on your behalf.