A bike accident often leaves riders with devastating injuries, especially if the accident involves a moving vehicle. The driver who hit you should be held accountable in a court of law, and they should pay for your damages.
Various causes of crashes include dooring incidents, biking at night, and vehicles making tight turns next to bicycle lanes. You can sue the driver who hit you and, in certain cases, the driver’s employer if the driver was on duty at the time of the crash. Your lawsuit should account for your economic and non-economic losses and injuries. Punitive damages might also be on the table under specific circumstances. Your lawyer can help you prepare your initial complaint, gather powerful evidence, and develop effective legal strategies.
People sometimes assume bike accidents are not serious because victims are not inside speeding vehicles, but this could not be farther from the truth. Contact our bicycle accident attorneys for a free review of your case. Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
Ways Bicycle Accidents Can Happen in Warner Robins, GA
Collisions between bikes and vehicles are incredibly dangerous and, unfortunately, common. Bikes and cars often share the road, and driver negligence could easily cause a crash. One common example is dooring accidents. A dooring accident occurs when a driver in a stopped or parked car opens their door without checking for oncoming bike riders. A bike rider might be too close to stop safely, and they end up violently crashing into the open door. Dooring accidents are common in areas where parking lanes and bike lanes run side by side.
Another common cause of bike collisions is driving at night. Driving at night is riskier because the road is less visible, and drivers rely on headlights and street lamps to navigate the road. If drivers do not use their headlights or are not mindful of their surroundings, they could cause a serious accident with a bike rider. While bike riders often wear holographic reflectors at night, these safety measures only work if drivers have their headlights on.
Since bike lanes run alongside lanes of vehicle traffic, it is not uncommon for accidents to happen when drivers drift into bike lanes. One way this could happen is when drivers make tight turns without signaling. If the turn is too tight, the driver might clip a bike rider in their blind spot. Our bicycle accident lawyers can help you prove the driver negligently crashed into you and caused your injuries.
Holding Someone Liable for a Warner Robins, GA Bicycle Accident
Making sure you hold the right person or people liable can be tricky. Drivers do not always stick around or exchange information after an accident; identifying them might be hard without help from law enforcement. Our bicycle accident lawyers can help you determine who caused your accident and how to hold them liable in a lawsuit.
The driver who hit you will likely be named in your lawsuit, as their actions are often the direct and proximate cause of your injuries. If the driver fled the scene before police could arrive and speak to them, it might be hard to identify them for your lawsuit. In that case, we can work with the police to track down the driver, as they might be wanted for a hit and run.
In some bike accidents, the negligent driver was on the job. Taxi or delivery drivers are common, and they might injure bike riders in their haste to get their work done. In such an instance, the driver’s employer might be vicariously liable for the driver’s negligence. You can sue the employer even if they were not directly involved in the accident.
Damages Available in Warner Robins, GA Bicycle Accident Lawsuits
Your damages are more than just the injuries you suffered in the accident, although they are certainly part of your damages. Damages encompass the losses, expenses, and injuries you endured as a direct result of your bike collision. Our bicycle accident lawyers can help you review and calculate your damages.
Economic and non-economic damages are coupled together under the broader category of compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are designed to make up for the plaintiff’s losses. Economic damages relate to money and often include medical bills, the cost of repairing damaged property, lost income, and various other financial costs. Non-economic damages are often unrelated to money and consist of negative personal experiences. Physical and emotional pain and suffering, humiliation, and damage to your reputation are possible non-economic damages.
Punitive damages are a separate category designed to punish defendants rather than make up for the plaintiff’s losses. According to O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1, punitive damages must be specifically requested in your initial complaint to be considered. Punitive damages might be warded if we prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant’s actions arose to willful misconduct, fraud, wantonness, malice, oppression, or a lack of care that leads one to presume conscious indifference to consequences.
Generally, punitive damages are capped at $250,000, and 75% of punitive damages awards are paid to the state treasury.
What Your Attorney Can Do to Help Your Warner Robins, GA Bicycle Accident Case
You should not try to take your case to court on your own. The judicial system is complicated at the best of times, and even seasoned attorneys are sometimes frustrated. Our bicycle accident lawyers have the skills and experience to help you navigate the complex legal procedures involved in your lawsuit.
Your attorney can assist you in preparing the complaint for your case. The complaint is the initial filing that kicks off your case. Having a qualified lawyer help you with this is important because the complaint is far more than an allegation against the defendant. It is a formal legal document containing very specific details about the case, your damages, and what kind of compensation you want. Your entire lawsuit could be in jeopardy if vital information is missing from the initial complaint.
Your lawyer can also help you identify and gather evidence to prove your claims. The search for evidence should start immediately, as evidence tends to be fleeting and might be lost if not found fast enough. For example, witnesses might move away, or physical evidence might be destroyed if we cannot gather it quickly.
Contact Our Warner Robins, GA Bicycle Accident Lawyers for Assistance
It is not uncommon for people to ride their bikes in and around Warner Robins, GA, and negligent drivers have caused accidents before. Our bicycle accident lawyers are ready to assist you if you are hurt. For a free case review, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
