Georgia Bicycle Accident Lawyer

How do I choose a bicycle accident lawyer in Georgia?

Choose a Georgia bicycle accident lawyer who knows the rules that protect cyclists, can explain how they will prove what the driver did, and prepares cases for trial. Then check reviews you can read yourself. The Scott Pryor Law Group will answer each of those questions in a free consultation, before you sign anything.

Bike cases turn on details a car case rarely does: how close the driver passed, which lane you were in, where your bike sat in the road. Ask any lawyer you meet how they will prove those details. Photos, the damage to your bike and helmet, witnesses and video all play a part.

Check the record as well. Look up each attorney in the State Bar of Georgia's member directory and read the firm's Google reviews. When a firm shows you a result, ask what kind of case it was and whether it was a verdict or a settlement. Here is what you can check about us.

• Trial readiness. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial. Scott Pryor is recognized by the Litigator Awards and named to Super Lawyers (Super Lawyer Magazine) from 2014 to present.
• Court admissions. Andrew is licensed in all state courts of Georgia and Tennessee. Zane Bradford is admitted to the Superior and Supreme Courts of Georgia and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
• Your own team. Each client has an attorney and a case manager who answer questions and give updates.
• Reviews. 3,200+ Google reviews across our two offices.
• Cost. You don't pay unless we win your case.

What are the bicycle laws in Georgia?

Drivers must leave at least three feet when passing a bicyclist. O.C.G.A. § 40-6-56 Cyclists have a legal right-of-way in a designated bike lane. O.C.G.A. § 40-6-55 The Scott Pryor Law Group uses these Georgia rules, and others written for cyclists, to show what a driver should have done before a bicycle accident.

A third rule covers where you may ride. Cyclists may ride on the shoulder of the road or in the road itself. O.C.G.A. § 40-6-291 An insurer will still look closely at where you were riding, which way you were headed and what the signal showed.

We compare what the driver did with what these rules require: how much room the driver left when passing, whether the driver yielded to you in the bike lane, and whether the driver checked for you before turning across your path. Photos, the damage to the bike and the car, the police report and witness accounts show where the driver fell short.

Fault can be shared. If you are less than 50% at fault, you can still recover damages, reduced by your percentage of fault. O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33 That gives an insurer a reason to say you were in the wrong spot or moving too fast. We answer with the evidence of what happened.

If a truck or delivery van hit you, the company behind it may share the blame. Our truck accident page explains why.

Who is at fault when a car hits a cyclist in Georgia?

Often the driver: one who passed too close, turned right across the bike, pulled out without yielding or opened a parked car's door into the rider. The Scott Pryor Law Group investigates each Georgia bicycle accident to show who caused it, and whether anyone besides the driver shares the blame.

The same few crashes come up again and again. A driver passes and clips the rider. A driver turns right across a cyclist going straight, the crash riders call a right hook. A driver at an intersection pulls out without yielding. Someone in a parked car opens a door without checking the mirror. A driver rear-ends a rider.

Other parties can share responsibility. A defective part on the bike or the car, or a driver working for a company, can bring another party and another insurer into the claim. We look for each of them early, before the evidence is lost.

The driver's insurer may say the driver never saw you. We answer with the evidence: the point of impact, the damage to the bike and the car, the police report, what witnesses saw and any video from nearby cameras. When the facts are disputed, an accident reconstruction expert can show how the crash unfolded.

What can I recover after a bicycle accident in Georgia?

After a Georgia bicycle accident caused by someone else, a claim can cover your medical care, lost income, pain and suffering, and the cost to repair or replace your bike and gear. The Scott Pryor Law Group values each loss once your injuries are understood, and does not promise a number before then.

A bike rarely comes through a crash with a car in working order, and the rider often does not either. Even a low-speed impact can break bones or injure the head, because the rider lands on the car, the pavement or both.

When we value a bicycle claim, we look at:

• Medical care. Emergency treatment, surgery, follow-up visits, prescriptions, rehabilitation and physical therapy, and the care you will need later.
• Lost income. The wages you missed, and lost earning ability if your injuries keep you from the work you did before.
• Pain and suffering. The physical pain, and the fear, stress and lost enjoyment the crash left behind.
• Long-term needs. In-home care, mobility devices or changes to your home if an injury leaves a lasting disability.
• Your bike and gear. Repair or replacement of the bike, helmet, clothing and anything else damaged in the crash.
• A family's loss. If a crash took the life of someone you love, the family's claim works differently. Our wrongful death page explains it.

If a car hits me on my bike, will the driver's insurance pay?

Usually, yes. When a driver's carelessness causes a Georgia bicycle accident, the driver's car insurance is the main source of payment for the rider's injuries. The Scott Pryor Law Group opens that claim, deals with the adjuster and looks for other coverage, including your own policy, when the driver has too little.

The adjuster works for the driver's insurer, and many of the questions will be about you: where you were riding, how fast you were going and what you were wearing. Do not give a recorded statement or sign a medical release before you talk to a lawyer. Once you hire us, those calls come to us.

If the driver has no insurance or too little, bring your own auto policy to the consultation, and we will check what it covers. Our page on uninsured and underinsured motorist claims explains how that coverage works.

If the driver did not stop, report the crash to the police right away. A hit-and-run makes the claim harder, because finding the driver takes time and help from law enforcement. Tell the officer and us everything you remember: the color and make of the car, any part of the plate and the direction it went. Witnesses, photos of the scene and video from nearby cameras matter a great deal in the first days.