Macon Bicycle Accident Lawyer

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Macon Bicycle Accident Lawyer

If you were injured in a bicycle accident in Macon, GA, you may be coping with serious injuries, lost wages, and other consequences. These losses could have far-reaching impacts on your life, and you deserve to be compensated in full.

If someone else’s negligent actions caused the bicycle accident, you can seek compensation from the at-fault party. A skilled Macon bicycle accident attorney with The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help you pursue full compensation for your injuries.

Contact our law offices today to schedule a free consultation at (478) 292-7272.

How The King Firm Can Help After a Bicycle Accident in Macon

How The King Firm Can Help After a Bicycle Accident in Macon

At The King Firm, we have over 17 years of legal experience and have recovered tens of millions of dollars in compensation for our clients. We are led by one of the most experienced civil trial lawyers in South Georgia and will do everything in our power to put as much money into your pocket as possible.

You can count on us to do the following while pursuing full compensation in your case:

  • Investigate the accident and identify the at-fault parties
  • Gather police reports, surveillance footage, and other evidence
  • Hire expert witnesses if necessary
  • Contact the insurance company on your behalf
  • Negotiate a favorable settlement
  • Represent you in court, if necessary

In addition, one of our skilled personal injury attorneys is a former insurance lawyer, so we know how to protect you from any bad-faith tactics by the insurance company.

To learn more about how we can help your bicycle accident case in Macon, Georgia, contact our office to schedule a free consultation. 

How Common Are Bicycle Accidents?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 41,615 bicyclists were injured in the United States in 2021. In Georgia, there were 32 bicyclist fatalities in 2020.

What Is My Macon Bicycle Accident Case Worth? 

Every bicycle accident is unique, and the value of each bicycle accident case depends on several factors:

  • The extent of your physical injuries
  • The extent of your property damage
  • The extent of any other injuries you suffered, such as pain and suffering
  • Whether you were partly to blame for the accident
  • The circumstances of the accident
  • The relevant insurance policy limits

There’s no simple equation to calculate the value of your bicycle accident case, but a skilled personal injury attorney can review your case and estimate the value of your claim.

What Kind of Damages Are Available to Bicycle Accident Victims in Georgia? 

If you were injured in a bicycle accident in Georgia, you may be able to recover two types of compensatory damages: economic damages and non-economic damages. Punitive damages may also be awarded in rare cases involving extraordinary conduct from the responsible party.

Economic Damages

Economic damages, sometimes called special or tangible damages, include the financial costs of an accident or injury. More specifically, they include:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Property damage
  • Lost wages
  • Loss of earning potential
  • Transportation costs

To calculate economic damages, your attorney will total the costs you’ve already incurred and those you’re expected to incur in the future. This is usually straightforward, as most economic damages relate to specific transactions that are easily documented.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages, sometimes called general damages or intangible damages, include the remaining effects of an accident or injury. The following are examples of non-economic damages:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional anguish
  • Loss of quality of life
  • Loss of companionship
  • Disfigurement or disability

There’s no exact way to calculate the monetary value of non-economic damages, as they relate to a victim’s subjective experience. However, an experienced bicycle accident attorney can determine a fair value of your damages.

How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Macon? 

In Georgia and elsewhere, personal injury lawyers typically charge a contingency fee. Unlike an hourly or flat fee, contingency fees are only earned if the attorney recovers compensation for their client. If your case is successful, the attorney will take a percentage of your settlement award. 

Contingency fees usually fall between 33% and 40%, depending on things like the complexity of the case and the attorney’s experience. For example, cases that settle early may warrant a lower rate, while those that go to trial will often require a higher rate.

Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for a Bicycle Accident in Macon? 

Defendants in personal injury cases often argue that the plaintiff was partly responsible for the accident. If you’re being blamed for your bicycle accident, you may still be able to recover compensation, though it could decrease the amount of your recovery.

Georgia has a modified comparative negligence law that prohibits a personal injury plaintiff from recovering compensation if they were 50% or more at fault. If you are found to be less than 50% at fault, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your degree of responsibility.

To illustrate, imagine you incurred $10,000 in damages in a bicycle accident. If you are found to be 60% at fault, you can’t recover any damages. If you are found to be 25% at fault, you can recover $7,500—or 75% of your damages. Our attorneys will work to minimize the level of fault you are assessed so that you can recover the full value of your bicycle accident claim.

What Causes Most Bicycle Accidents in Macon?

Bicycles are vulnerable to accidents for many reasons, including that they are more difficult for drivers to see than motor vehicles. Other common causes of bicycle accidents include:

  • Distracted driving
  • Failure to yield
  • Failure to obey traffic signals and signs
  • Decreased visibility
  • Driving or biking under the influence of drugs and alcohol
  • Aggressive driving
  • Poorly marked bicycle lanes 

Further, the severity of injuries in a bicycle accident can be exacerbated by not wearing a helmet. 

How Do I Prove Negligence After a Bicycle Accident in Macon, GA? 

Most personal injury cases are based on negligence, so you must essentially prove that the other party was careless to recover compensation for your injuries. To act negligently means failing to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances.

To prove the at-fault party was negligent, you must establish the following four elements:

Duty of Care

You must prove the defendant owed you a duty of care, which is a legal obligation to act with a certain degree of care and concern for others. The default standard of care is to act the way a reasonable person would under the same scenario.

Breach

You must show that the defendant breached the duty of care. Ordinarily, this requires showing that they acted unreasonably.

Damages

You must show that you suffered damages as a result of the defendant’s actions. 

Causation

You must show that the defendant’s actions were the actual and legal cause of your actions. 

Actual cause means that the accident would not have happened without the defendant’s actions. Being the legal cause means that your injuries were a reasonably foreseeable outcome of the defendant’s actions.

You must prove each of these elements “by a preponderance of the evidence” to succeed in your claim. 

How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit After a Bicycle Accident in Georgia?

In Georgia, you must file your bicycle accident lawsuit within two years of the accident. You cannot file your lawsuit after two years unless an exception applies.

While most bicycle accident cases will end in a settlement before a lawsuit is filed, the ability to file a lawsuit when negotiating with the insurance company. It’s important to understand the filing deadline in your case and make sure your case is filed on time, if necessary.

Contact our lawyers as soon as you can after a bicycle accident to preserve your right to take legal action.

Contact Our Macon Bicycle Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation

Bicycle accidents can cause severe injuries. If you were injured in a bicycle accident in Macon, GA, you can pursue compensation to help with medical injuries, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. 

You can count on The King Firm to fight for justice in your case. Contact our experienced Macon bicycle accident attorneys today to set up your free case review, or visit our law office in Macon, GA.

Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Macon, GA


The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
886 Mulberry Street, Macon, GA, 31201
(478) 292-7272

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