Macon Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Bicycles are no match for larger, heavier vehicles. As a cyclist, the lack of physical protection you have on the road means you’re at a much greater risk of serious injury or death in the event of an accident.

A Macon bicycle accident lawyer commonly sees clients who have sustained spinal injuries, brain injuries, broken bones, damage to internal organs, and road rash. Injuries like these lead to large medical and rehabilitation expenses and leave victims unable to work. People in this situation often face financial ruin if they cannot secure compensation.

If you were in a bicycle accident that happened due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. However, you’ll likely need professional legal help to pursue it.

Fortunately, a Macon bicycle accident attorney from the Mann Law Firm is ready to provide the assistance you need. We have over 50 years of experience with personal injury claims, and we take bike accidents very seriously.

We’ve represented clients across Georgia, and we welcome the chance to fight for the compensation you deserve. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss the circumstances of your bike accident and determine the best way to help.

A Bicycle Accident Attorney Will Start Working for You Immediately

Your bicycle accident lawyer will do their best to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible following your accident. Your Mann Law bicycle accident attorney will:

• Meet with you to discuss how the accident happened and who might have been at fault
• Evaluate your case to determine what type of compensation you might be entitled to, and how to pursue it
• Investigate the accident scene and gather evidence from surveillance cameras, eyewitnesses, first responders, and medical, accident, and police reports
• File all necessary paperwork in a timely manner
• Reconstruct the accident, using input from expert consultants, to determine how exactly it happened
• Consult with medical and occupational experts about the impact your injuries have had on your life
• Attempt to negotiate for a fair settlement with the insurance companies involved
• Take your case to court, if necessary.

Whose Insurance Should Pay?

Georgia is an at-fault state. When a fault is determined, the responsible party and their insurance company will be liable to pay the resulting damages.

Georgia requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage of:

• $25,000 for bodily injury per person
• $50,000 for bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 for property damage per accident.

Personal injury protection (PIP) insurance, also known as “no-fault” insurance, is available in Georgia as an optional form of coverage. It is not mandated by the state, as it is elsewhere.

If a cyclist also owns a car and has PIP, their own insurance would be responsible for compensation for medical costs arising from an accident, up to the amount of the policy. If the cyclist in this scenario does not have PIP, the other party’s insurance should pay.

However, in cases involving severe injuries, high medical bills, and lengthy or indefinite absences from work, both PIP coverage and minimum liability motor insurance are unlikely to cover all the costs. That’s where we come in.

Our attorneys can help you fight for an amount of compensation that will cover all your expenses by filing a lawsuit against the negligent parties. Depending on the severity of your cycling accident, you may be entitled to compensation from the driver of the car that hit you or the company that insures the vehicle.

You could be entitled to damages even if there was no physical contact between your bike and the defendant’s vehicle; if you were injured while taking evasive action to avoid a crash, you may be able to hold the motorist responsible for negligently causing the accident.

It’s also possible to file a claim against a retailer who may have negligently assembled your bike, or a manufacturer who could have used a defective part in its production. Additionally, you may have a claim against a municipal body responsible for road maintenance if a defect in the road caused your accident.

In the tragic event of a fatal accident, the cyclist’s family or dependents may have grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit.

Two broad categories of damages are usually available in Georgia bicycle accident cases; these are general and special damages.

Special damages compensate for monetary losses that have a specific dollar value, such as:

• Medical and rehabilitation bills, past and future
• Property damage
• Lost income from work.

General damages are damages that do not have a specific dollar value, such as physical pain and mental health issues resulting from the accident.

In Georgia, bicycles are legally defined as vehicles on the road, along with cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles. Bicyclists share the same rights and duties as motorists, such as yielding to pedestrians, staying off the sidewalk, and riding in the same direction as traffic.

As well as requiring drivers to give bicycles at least three feet of clearance when passing, Georgia’s laws now require drivers to slow down and give cyclists more room (O.C.G.A. §40-6-56) and to change lanes if traffic conditions permit.

To win bicycle accident cases, our lawyers need to show that another party (the defendant) was negligent in some way and that this negligence caused the accident and harmed the plaintiff.

This means showing the existence of the following four elements:

• Duty: The defendant owed a duty of care not to cause harm.
• Breach: The defendant breached this duty by a wrongful act (or wrongful failure to act).
• Cause: The breach of duty caused an accident.
• Damages: The plaintiff suffered real damages as a result.

Negligent actions by drivers that commonly lead to bicycle accidents include:

• Turning directly in front of a moving bicycle
• Failing to allow the mandated three feet of space when passing a bicycle
• Pulling onto the roadway without looking in both directions
• Failing to yield the right of way
• Failing to check for cyclists when opening their door.

Possible At-Fault Parties in Bicycle Accidents

Bicyclists, like drivers, have a responsibility to follow the rules of the road. However, even if you had an accident on your bike that was partially your fault, you may still be entitled to compensation.

Georgia law uses a rule known as “modified comparative fault” to deal with situations like this. Under this rule, you can still recover damages even if you were partially to blame for your accident.

However, you can only recover damages in line with your percentage of fault for what happened. So, for example, if a court rules that you were 20% at fault for your accident, your entitlement to damages will be capped at 80% of what it would be if the defendant was fully liable.

It’s important to note that this only applies if you’re less than 50% at fault for what happened. If the court decides you were at least 50% responsible for the incident, you will not be entitled to any damages at all.

If you’ve been in a bike accident that came about due to the negligent actions of another person or because of equipment failure, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible. The bicycle accident lawyers at the Mann Law Firm can help you through every stage of the process following a collision.

Our office in Macon serves all of Middle Georgia, including Dublin, Warner Robins, and Milledgeville. Don’t delay. Georgia has a statute of limitations and a deadline to file a case that is generally two years from the time of the crash (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33).

Call us today at (478) 742-3381 to get started. Your initial consultation is free, and you won’t owe us any fees unless and until we win your case.