The beautiful Garden City is a great place for outdoor pursuits, but if you’ve been injured by a driver’s negligence in a bike accident, your losses are likely to be immense. When you’re on your bike, there’s nothing to protect you from the dangerous impact of a traffic accident, which leaves you especially vulnerable to serious damage.
Safe Roads USA reports that Augusta sees its fair share of bike accidents and that the city takes the matter seriously. This includes having a Transportation Improvement Program that addresses improving cyclist safety through a range of initiatives. If you ride your bike in Augusta, safety should always be your top priority.
At Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys, we focus on victims of serious injuries, including those associated with bike accidents. The accident lawyers on our team have the experience, drive, and resources to help you obtain compensation that covers your losses in their entirety. Contact Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys for a free consultation on a bicycle accident at (912) 737-6146.
How We Can Help
Our seasoned Augusta personal injury lawyers at Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys have been successfully taking on insurance companies – in pursuit of our clients’ rights and rightful compensation – since 2006, and we have earned a reputation for our zealous advocacy.
When you’re out and about on your bike, there’s no denying that you’re more vulnerable to being seriously injured by driver negligence, but there are also motorists who have already parked to worry about. Dooring accidents happen when parked motorists fling their doors open into traffic without first ensuring that it’s safe to do so, and cyclists can be seriously injured in the process.
Regardless of the kind of bike accident that leaves you injured, however, we will leave no stone unturned in our quest to help you recover on your full range of damages:
- Property damage to your bike and anything you were carrying on it
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Your physical and psychological pain and suffering
Georgia Laws on Bicycle Accidents
If you’re a bike accident victim, there are a few Georgia laws you should know about, and there are several steps that you should take to help protect both your health and your bicycle accident claim.
To begin, the State of Georgia classifies bikes as vehicles, which means that most of the laws that apply to motorists also apply to cyclists. The fact that bikes aren’t classified as motor vehicles, however, leads to several important distinctions:
- Cyclists must ride as close to the right side of the roadway as practicable – other than when turning left to avoid safety hazards.
- Cyclists can claim an entire lane when it is too narrow to share safely with another vehicle.
- Cyclists can’t ride more than two abreast on roadways.
In the aftermath of a serious bicycle accident, taking the following steps is always advised:
- Seek immediate medical care – even if you don’t think you were seriously injured.
- Consult with a practiced bicycle accident lawyer in Augusta as soon as you’re able to do so.
- Follow your medical team’s instructions and advice carefully.
- Keep in mind that the insurance company isn’t on your side, and leave the back-and-forth with them to your legal team.
- Stay off social media while your claim is pending – the insurance company is watching, and they’re skilled at misinterpreting posts in ways that benefit them.
Deadlines
The Georgia statute of limitations refers to the time limit that bicycle accident victims have to file lawsuits against the negligent parties who caused them to be injured. With this in mind, you currently have two years from the date of your accident or the discovery of your injuries to file your claim.
Assessing your complete losses and navigating the challenging claims process can be time-consuming, which makes reaching out for the professional legal guidance of a personal injury attorney early in the process an important step.
Gathering Evidence
The success of your bicycle accident case will hinge on evidence, and while your personal injury case is unique to the circumstances involved, the kinds of evidence that tend to be most important include:
- Photos and videos captured by bystanders, the police, and any dashcams or security cameras in the area
- Police reports – along with any additional documentation recorded
- Eyewitness testimonies
- Expert witness statements
- Related medical bills and records – along with your doctor’s report regarding the severity of your injuries and the course of your expected recovery
- Your description of how seriously your life has been affected by the accident – as well as reports on the matter from those who know you best.
Even if you’re too injured to participate in the evidence-gathering process, you can trust your lawyer and others at the scene to help on your behalf.
What Can I Expect to Pay
Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about the cost of hiring a focused bicycle accident attorney from our firm. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means we don’t get paid until your claim is successfully resolved – at which point we receive a pre-arranged percentage. If your claim isn’t successful, however, you won’t owe a thing.
Why Choose Us Over Other Augusta Bicycle Accident Attorneys?
When you reach out to the well-established Augusta law firm of Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys, you can rest assured that you’re in capable legal hands. We are well prepared to harness the full force of our considerable experience in the fierce pursuit of your case’s most favorable resolution, and we welcome the opportunity to serve you.
Mistakes Motorists Make That Cause Bike Accidents
According to Axios Atlanta, bike accidents in Atlanta increased by a full 85 percent in a recent four-year stretch. The rate of bike accidents in the Atlanta region, however, was even higher. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that, in a recent year, alcohol played a primary role in bike fatalities. Other important factors include:
- Speeding drivers
- Distracted drivers
- Drowsy drivers
- Aggressive drivers
- Drivers who fail to follow the rules of the road
Contact The Augusta Bicycle Accident Lawyers at Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys Today
At Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys, we are committed to standing by victims of serious injuries, including those caused by bicycle accidents. With the experience, determination, and resources needed to pursue full and fair compensation, our team is ready to fight for the recovery you deserve. Don’t wait to get the support you need. Contact Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys today for a free consultation and take the first step toward protecting your future.
