Kaine Law can help you recover fair compensation for your losses if you were hurt in a bicycle accident. We can help you take legal action if you were harmed due to the negligence of a motorist, bicycle manufacturer, or government department in Atlanta.
An Atlanta personal injury lawyer from our firm can advocate for your legal rights as a bicycle rider. We offer a free initial consultation where you can talk about your situation with our legal team. Our bicycle accident lawyers can handle your case from start to finish while you rest. Call now and get the legal representation you and your family deserve.
Our Atlanta Lawyers Can Determine Who Should Pay for Your Losses
First, we start your case by determining who or what caused your accident. This step is important because this information will give us an idea of how long you have to file a lawsuit (if necessary). Thankfully, most cases do settle out of court, but we want to retain that right in case it becomes necessary to exercise.
Based on the evidence we discover, we could hold one or more of the following parties responsible for your losses:
A Negligent Motorist
Whether you were riding near Grant Park or around your home in Buckhead, in most cases, a bicycle accident is the result of a negligent driver. If distracted driving, road rage, failing to obey traffic signals, or another traffic law infraction caused your bike accident, then the at-fault motorist could be responsible. Be aware, though, that you could have as little as two years to file a personal injury lawsuit against them, as described in O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33.
All motorists in the state of Georgia must carry liability insurance, according to the Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI). Therefore, we can seek to recover the maximum compensation possible for your losses through an insurance claim.
If a negligent motorist caused your accident, it is best to seek advice from an Atlanta car accident lawyer. One of our personal injury attorneys with experience in motor vehicle accidents can be there by your side every step of the way. Besides getting all the information you need to understand your case and rights, you would also benefit from the proper assistance in any legal action to obtain compensation.
The Bicycle’s Manufacturer
Faulty brakes and cables are just two of the things that can keep a bicycle from operating properly. If your injuries were due to a defective product, you could hold the product’s manufacturer responsible for your damages.
We can prove that you were injured due to the defective bicycle in question. How long you have to take action against the liable party will depend on the circumstances of your situation, such as when you were hurt and when you purchased the bicycle.
A Government Department
Your accident may have been the result of poor roadway conditions. Uneven pavement, unclear marks denoting bike lanes, and other roadway defects could cause road users to get hurt. In this situation, you could have as little as six months to pursue a lawsuit. It all depends on whether you are suing a county, state, or city.
We have experience pursuing cases against government entities. We once recovered $5.75 million for a person who was injured due to a defective roadway condition. No case is typical, but we can do everything possible to get fair compensation from the responsible party.
An Employer of a Commercial Driver
In some cases, professional drivers, such as truck drivers, can cause or contribute to accidents. If this is the case, their employer may be liable due to vicarious liability.
Insurers may use circumstances like these to deny claims and argue back and forth about liability. Our Atlanta bicycle accident attorneys can help establish the negligence of the driver and the liability of their employer.
Sometimes, large transportation companies have teams of lawyers at their disposal. We can deal with the insurance companies and defense attorneys on your behalf, leaving you to heal from your injuries stress-free.
For a free legal consultation with a bicycle accident lawyer serving Atlanta, call 404-214-2001
We Can Help You Recover Compensation for Your Losses After a Bicycle Accident in Atlanta
A bicycle accident can cause both economic and non-economic damages for an injured claimant. We understand the hardships you and your family are facing after a bicycle accident. The bills continue to come in even when you’re out of work recovering from your injuries. We want you to recover compensation for all of your losses, both past and future.
We can help you seek financial recovery for the following losses:
- Pain and suffering. While it is good to recover your out-of-pocket losses like medical expenses and lost income, those items do not compensate you for having to endure physical pain and emotional distress because of someone else’s negligence. This category honors what you went through because of the accident.
- Scar tissue. The collision might leave you with extensive physical scars from your injuries, surgical intervention, skin grafts, and other injury-related consequences of the bike crash. You deserve compensation for the effect these scars have on your quality of life.
- Disfigurement. In addition to large, visible scars, you might experience disfigurement from facial trauma or dismemberment.
- Reduced quality of life. Getting injured in a bike accident could change your way of life forever. You might not be able to support yourself by working for a living. If you suffered devastating injuries like spinal cord damage or a traumatic brain injury, you might not be able to live independently. You might need to move into a long-term care center, which would be expensive.
- Medical bills. These damages include all costs for the treatment you need for your wounds. These medical costs could include things like the ambulance or life flight, the emergency room visit, hospital stays, surgeries, doctors’ visits, imaging studies like X-rays and MRIs, blood transfusions, lab tests, medical assistive devices like crutches and wheelchairs, physical therapy, and prescription drugs.
- Lost wages. Many people miss out on paychecks after getting hurt in a bicycle accident, when recuperating, and when attending follow-up medical appointments and physical therapy sessions. The person whose carelessness caused you to get hurt should bear this financial loss instead of you.
- Loss of future earning ability. After severe injuries, you might not be able to make as much income as before. You might have weakness or chronic pain that limits the number of hours you can work and the tasks you can perform on the job.
- Property damage expenses. This category can include repairs or replacement of your bike and other personal items that were damaged or destroyed in the crash.
We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. We are determined to resolve your personal injury claim in a way that allows your family to recover fair compensation without having to do all of the tough legal work yourself.
Atlanta Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near Me 404-214-2001
There Is No Average Settlement for a Bicycle Accident Case
As you do your research, you may be looking for an estimate of how much your case will settle for. You will likely find that because every case is so different, there is no information regarding exactly how much you can receive for your bicycle accident-related losses.
The value of your case will depend on:
- Whether you suffered a life-altering disability
- Your quality of life
- Your diagnosis
- The medical care needed to treat your condition
- The circumstances that resulted in your losses
- The involved insurance options
Georgia does not place a damage cap on economic and non-economic damages in bike accident cases. That means there could be no limit to the amount of money you can request from the liable party.
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Fatal Bicycle Accidents in Atlanta and Your Rights
Since bike riders, even those wearing helmets, have much less protection than people riding inside a car, it is often the bicyclist who suffers most when bicycle accidents turn deadly.
If your family is grieving the loss of a loved one, please accept our condolences for your loss. Kaine Law can help you file a wrongful death lawsuit after a fatal bicycle accident injury. This legal action would ensure you:
- Get a chance to recover compensation for the loss of your loved one
- Have more time to spend on processing your grief and mourning with friends and family
- Can hold the negligent party accountable for the harm they have caused
Call us as soon as you can, and our wrongful death lawyers serving the Atlanta community can get started building your case, helping your family find peace after such a tragic loss.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Your Own Actions Could Influence the Case’s Outcome
As we build your case, there are some things you can do to help us. The following are not mandatory; however, in our experience, we have seen what a single misstep could do to a case’s outcome.
Following your bicycle accident, if you are able to do so, you should consider:
Deactivating Your Social Media Accounts
Even if you have set your social media pages to private, the insurance adjusters may still be able to see them. They could use anything they find—such as a photo of you smiling and looking happy rather than injured or incapacitated—to discredit your case.
You should consider deactivating your social media accounts while your case unfolds. If you are not comfortable with this, then take a break from posting for a while. Photos, statuses, and even shared images could be used against you later on.
Seeking Medical Care
After getting hit while on your bicycle, you may have been able to walk away from the scene with minor injuries. However, in the days following the event, you may start feeling symptoms. You could be suffering from head injuries, spinal cord injuries, or internal organ damage and be unaware.
You should consider visiting the emergency room, your primary care physician, or another healthcare provider as soon as possible. Be sure to keep copies of your lab test results, imaging scans, and prescription names. Our bike accident lawyer can use this information to establish the severity of your injuries, the cost of your medical care, and the connection between the accident and your injuries. If you wait to see a doctor, the insurers could argue that your injuries were pre-existing or caused by something else.
Additionally, follow through on the treatments prescribed to you and do not miss any appointments. Any deviation from them could be used by the insurance company to argue that you were not as injured as you claimed to be.
Letting Us Talk to the Insurer
The insurance company may not want to pay for your losses. It may try to argue that you caused the accident due to your own negligence, or it may contest the cost of your damages.
By allowing us to talk to the insurer, our Atlanta bicycle accident lawyer can hold them accountable for your losses. We can even protect you against bad faith insurance practices, which are illegal under O.C.G.A. § 33-6-34.
Watch for These Traps After Getting Injured in a Atlanta Bicycle Accident
As if getting hurt because of someone else’s negligence was not bad enough, some people might try to “add insult to injury” by using these tactics:
- Asking you to give a recorded statement. The claims adjuster might ask you to give a recorded statement in which the adjuster would ask you a list of questions and record everything you say in response. They do not give you a copy of the transcript. Instead, they look for ways to take your words and use them against you to blame you for the crash or pay you less money than they should.
- Talk you into not working with an Atlanta bike accident attorney. The adjuster might try to sweet-talk you into dealing only with them instead of protecting your legal rights by working with a lawyer. Since it does not cost you anything upfront to get our help, you can level the playing field by having our personal injury lawyer handle your bicycle accident claim.
- Settling your injury claim too early. You do need to be mindful of the filing deadline, but if you settle your claim before you finish your medical treatment, the at-fault party does not have to pay your remaining hospital bills. You can work with our law firm to determine the right time to settle—and the right amount to settle for.
These are just a few examples of pitfalls that could cost you a lot of money after getting hurt in a bicycle accident. To protect your right to financial compensation, let the legal team at Kaine Law guide you through the legal system. With our legal representation, you would only have to worry about recovering from your injuries.
Call Kaine Law for More Information on Your Atlanta Bike Accident
You can learn more about our services by contacting Kaine Law today. During your free case review, you can ask us about:
- How much it costs to work with an Atlanta bicycle accident lawyer
- How we can manage your case
- How Georgia’s statute of limitations pertains to your situation
You can also ask us how we have used our experience to advocate for bicycle accident victims just like you. Reach out to our law firm today for legal assistance.
Call or text 404-214-2001 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
