Have you been injured in a bicycle accident in Sandy Springs, GA? If your injuries were caused by the negligent act of someone else, you could be entitled to seek compensation. Costs, including medical bills, lost income, therapy, pain and suffering, and other losses, can become part of a personal injury claim in Georgia. A Sandy Springs bicycle accident lawyer can help you understand your legal rights and pursue financial recovery in a bicycle accident claim.
Injuries from a bicycle accident can be serious and long-lasting. As a result, you could struggle with your physical and mental well-being–in addition to financial stress. The personal injury lawyers at Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers will focus on your financial recovery as you work on your personal health. Contact our law office to review your options at (678) 605-9838.
How Hammers Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After a Bicycle Accident in Sandy Springs, GA
Victims of bicycle accidents will face pain and uncertainty, wondering what the next steps involve. An experienced bicycle accident lawyer can help you understand what comes next and how to pursue fair compensation for your injuries.
A Sandy Springs bicycle accident attorney will carefully review your accident and take action, including any of the following steps:
- Meeting for a free consultation to learn about your case;
- Investigating the facts and identifying the responsible individual;
- Collecting evidence for your personal injury claim. Police reports, photographs, video footage, medical records, physical evidence, and expert analysis can all be used as evidence to build your case;
- Negotiating with insurance companies to get a fair settlement;
- Proceeding with a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf;
- Handling all phases of your personal injury case, including settlement talks;
- Taking a case to trial whenever necessary.
At Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, our Sandy Springs personal injury attorneys will work hard to pursue your financial recovery as you recover from your injuries.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Lawyer in a Sandy Springs Bicycle Accident Case?
Personal injury lawyers usually work on contingency. This means you would only pay attorney’s fees if your case succeeds, and that there is no obligation to pay upfront. Meanwhile, you owe nothing if your case does not result in a financial payout.
Any costs involved with submitting documents to insurance companies, hiring experts, obtaining evidence, and paying court costs would be covered by the law firm. Our Sandy Springs bicycle accident lawyers are here to answer questions you might have about how contingent fees work. Remember, you risk nothing financially when you schedule a meeting with a bicycle accident attorney and when you retain an experienced lawyer to pursue your bicycle accident claim.
How Common Are Bicycle Accidents In Sandy Springs, Georgia?
Bicycle accidents happen every day in Georgia. The bicyclist crash rate is highest in Atlanta and its surrounding region, which includes Sandy Springs. Bicycle accidents lead to an estimated $67 million in medical bills for victims each year, according to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
Even bicyclists using proper gear and observing all safety rules can fall victim to a negligent motorist, bicyclist, or other type of danger. When negligent drivers fail to drive safely and watch the road, their actions can cause severe harm. The brutal force involved when heavy vehicles hit vulnerable bicyclists can have catastrophic results. If you or a loved one were injured in a bicycle accident, you can trust an experienced Sandy Springs personal injury lawyer to help you.
What Causes Bicycle Accidents in Sandy Springs, Georgia?
Distracted driving, along with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, is frequently involved when motorists strike bicyclists. Other common causes of bicycle accidents in Georgia include:
- Failing to yield
- Opening car doors without looking for others
- Driving in bike-only lanes
- Failing to check blind spots
- Speeding
- Failing to follow traffic rules and signals.
If negligence was involved in causing your bicycle accident, you could have a valid personal injury claim for your damages. An experienced Sandy Springs car accident attorney at Hammers Law Firm can help you get the compensation you deserve.
What Injuries are Common In Bicycle Accidents?
Injuries suffered in a bicycle accident frequently include:
- Bone fractures
- Concussions
- Severe head injuries
- Skull fractures
- Knee injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Paralysis
- Nerve damage
- Loss of hearing or vision
- Loss of limbs
- Internal bleeding
- Soft tissue injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one.
Any injury in a bicycle accident can cause pain, emotional distress, reduced life quality, career impacts, and other serious outcomes for you and your family. Your bicycle accident lawyer’s goal will be to address all aspects of your injuries and losses.
What Is My Bicycle Accident Case Worth in Sandy Springs?
Every bicycle accident case is unique. The overall value of a personal injury claim can vary depending on how the accident happened and the injuries involved. Your bicycle accident claim’s value depends on two types of damages: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are the actual financial impacts from the accident, including:
- Medical expenses
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Lost income due to the accident
- Reduced future income due to your injuries.
Your Georgia bicycle accident attorney will document lost wages, loss of expected income, medical expenses, out-of-pocket expenses, expected costs of future medical care, and any other items that have a financial impact on you or your family.
Non-economic damages are the “intangible” losses you suffered or will continue to suffer. These might include:
- Emotional trauma
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship
- Disability
- Disfigurement
Punitive damages do not apply in most bicycle accident cases but could be included if the negligent party was reckless or did something they knew to be dangerous. Punitive damages can sometimes be much higher than economic damages in personal injury cases.
Your lawyer can evaluate your bicycle accident claim and give you an estimate of your claim’s worth based on the facts involved.
What Is Negligence in a Bicycle Accident Case, and How Do I Prove It?
Bicycle accident claims normally involve the legal theory of negligence. Negligence is when a person does not apply the reasonable care and caution that most others would in a given situation. Negligence is proven using a preponderance of the evidence (in other words, more than 50% likelihood) that the other person’s acts or failure to act caused your injuries.
Four elements of negligence would need to be established by a plaintiff in a Georgia personal injury case:
- Duty of care: Whether the other person had some responsibility to you and others to act in a certain way;
- Breach of duty: The defendant did not act with the care and caution expected of them;
- Causation: There must have been a cause-and-effect relationship between the breach of duty and your injuries;
- Damages: You must have suffered damages such as medical expenses, lost pay, and other effects of the accident.
Personal injury lawyers use evidence to build a claim, which can include:
- Medical bills
- Medical reports
- Photos
- Video surveillance
- Laws and ordinances that were not followed
- Eyewitnesses
- Expert witnesses
- Police reports
- Accident reconstruction experts.
The Sandy Springs bicycle accident lawyers at Hammers Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers will use all available evidence to prove your claim.
Can I Still File a Claim if I Was Partly Responsible For the Accident?
Yes, you can pursue a personal injury claim in Georgia even if you shared blame for the accident. Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence rule, allowing accident victims to collect damages as long as they were less than 50% at fault in the accident. However, compensation would be lowered in proportion to your percentage of responsibility. For example, if you were 30% at fault for an accident that involves $100,000 as potential compensation, you would collect only $70,000.
If you are determined to be 50% or more to blame for a bicycle accident, Georgia law would not allow you to collect damages in a claim.
Experienced bicycle accident lawyers understand how comparative negligence works and will seek to maximize your potential recovery. The important thing to remember is that you should still consult a lawyer even if you think you were partially at fault in a bicycle accident.
How Long Do I Have to File A Bicycle Accident Lawsuit In Georgia?
Georgia’s statute of limitations for a bicycle accident case is generally two years from the date of the accident. The deadline usually starts from the date of the accident. Often, there are advantages to filing sooner and not waiting until the two-year deadline approaches.
A Sandy Springs bicycle accident lawyer will make sure your case is strong and is filed within Georgia’s deadline for personal injury lawsuits.
Contact a Sandy Springs, GA, Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today
After a bicycle accident in Sandy Springs, GA, you could have important legal rights–including the right to seek financial compensation. The dedicated Sandy Springs bicycle accident lawyers at Hammers Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can answer your questions and help you take the next steps toward receiving the financial help you deserve. Call our law office to set up your free consultation today.