Decatur Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Nothing beats taking to the streets on your bicycle; you feel in charge of your destiny, however, when an accident happens it can be devastating. With aggressive and distracted drivers on the road, the chances of being involved in a bicycle accident are high. No matter how careful you’re when riding your bicycle, you can’t control the action of drivers. 

If you have been involved in a bicycle crash in the Decatur area, let our experienced bicycle accident lawyers help you with your lawsuit. You may recover compensation if you’re injured by a negligent driver when you’re riding your bike. The bicycle accident attorneys at Marks Law Group can help you understand your legal rights, and we can advise you on what legal options you have. Our experienced Decatur bicycle accident lawyer will guide you through the legal process and help you receive compensation to cover your injuries and property damage.  

Call us today at (678) 251-9309, or chat with us online to schedule a free initial consultation.

What Injuries are Most Common From Bicycle Accidents?

The injuries you suffer from a bicycle accident could be visible right away, or it might take days, weeks, or even months for the symptoms to manifest. When you fall off your bicycle while riding it on the road, you suffer injuries throughout your body. Bicycle accident injuries range from minor trauma to severe trauma in these parts of the body:

  • Head. After a bicycle accident, you may sustain a skull fracture, brain contusion, concussion, intracranial hemorrhage, or other traumatic brain injuries.
  • Face/eye: Facial fractures, dental fractures, corneal foreign bodies, and contusions.
  •  Musculoskeletal: dislocations, strains, and fractures.
  • Chest: parenchymal lung injury, and rib fractures.
  • Abdomen: hepatic laceration, splenic rupture, renal contusion, traumatic hernia, vascular perforation, and pancreatic trauma.
  • Skin and soft tissues: abrasion, lacerations, and contusions.

However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ride your bicycle; it means you need to be more aware of traffic rules and regulations regarding bicycles.

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What Damages Can Be Recovered in a Bicycle Accident?

At Marks Law Group, our Decatur bicycle accident lawyers can help you recover compensation from liable parties after a bicycle accident. We have recovered multimillion-dollar settlements for bicycle accident victims whose lives have been shattered completely following bicycle crashes, and we can do the same for you and your family.

There’s no successful formula to determine how much a person should recover in their bicycle accident claim, however, if successful, you may recover the following damages:

  • Medical expenses.
  • Physical therapy and medication costs.
  • Pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and disfigurement.
  • Lost income
  • Property damage.

Typically, damages for bicycle accidents fall into two categories: economic and non-economic. Economic damages include expenses related to medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. These damages are fairly easy to calculate because all you need to do is total all your medical expenses, value your damaged property, and calculate how much income you lost since the accident, and then the court will award you an amount based on the total.

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Non-economic damages include compensation for pain and suffering and emotional distress; these are difficult to calculate because the court is forced to determine how much your life before the accident was worth. The court will consider everything from your fear of getting into a bicycle after the accident to your loss of enjoyment of life. 

An experienced personal injury attorney can help you assess your damages, value them, and fight to make sure to maximize compensation you recover from the at-fault party to cover your expenses. 

Who Can I Recover Damages from in a Bicycle Crash?

If you were involved in a bicycle accident in Decatur, Georgia, you may recover compensation from any negligent party. This includes anyone who didn’t exercise reasonable care to not cause your injuries. You could recover damages from:

  • A driver of a vehicle, including cars, trucks, commercial. and commuter vehicles.
  • A city, county, or any other public entity that failed to design or maintain a safe roadway.
  • A bicycle manufacturer or retailer if the bicycle part’s failed and caused your accident.
  • A private property owner, if the safety conditions of the property caused your accident.
  • A repair shop that didn’t repair your bicycle properly.

As you can see, bicycle crashes are often complicated and can involve more than one at-fault parties. To ensure that you pursue any, and all negligent parties, contact one of the skilled Decatur bicycle accident lawyers at Marks Law Group.

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Bicycle riders must adhere to the same traffic rules and regulations other motorists follow. This means, for instance, a bicycle rider must stop at a stop sign and stop at a red traffic light. 

Bicycle riders must also stay on the right side of the roadway unless when turning left or if the lane is too narrow to share safely with vehicles. According to O. C. G. A 40-6-292, you can’t transport a child under the age of one on a bicycle unless the child is in an infant sling or a bicycle trailer, the child must be carried in the sling, or the child must be seated in the trailer as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Besides, the trailer must be connected properly to the bicycle, and you must wear the sling properly according to the sling manufacturer's instructions.

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Decatur Bike Rack Donation

To ride at night, you must make sure your bicycle has the right safety lights. Your bike must have a light on the front that emits white light visible from at least 300 feet. Also, it must emit light at the back, which emits a red light that’s visible from at least 300 feet to the rear (O. C. G. A 40-6-296). 

Also, according to O. C. G. A 40-6-144, bicycle rides can’t ride on sidewalks, as sidewalks are reserved for pedestrians.

Get Help from Our Experienced Decatur Bicycle Accident Lawyers!

When a motor vehicle hits a bicycle rider, the consequences can be devastating. In addition to severe injuries, the victim may have to deal with several insurance companies blaming him or her for their accident.

If you sustained injuries in a bicycle accident caused by someone else’s negligence, schedule an appointment and discuss your legal options with one of our knowledgeable Decatur bicycle accident lawyer today. If liability is clear, our legal team will coordinate bicycle repairs on your behalf at no extra charge. For a free case review, contact Marks Law Group today at (678) 251-9309, or chat with us online.