Bicycle Accident Lawyers in Macon

The two-year deadline to bring a Georgia bicycle claim

Georgia allows two years from the date of the collision to file a lawsuit under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, but a bicycle case is often won or lost long before then. The physical evidence is fragile: paint transfer on the vehicle, the position of the bike, and marks on the road are cleared quickly, and a driver who struck a cyclist tends to minimize what happened. We investigate immediately to lock down the proof.

Georgia's three-foot passing law

Georgia law requires a driver overtaking a cyclist to give at least three feet of space, and under the law as updated in 2021, the driver must change lanes to pass when it is safe, or slow to ten miles per hour below the speed limit if they cannot. This rule, O.C.G.A. § 40-6-56, is a safety statute, and a driver who violates it and strikes a rider has broken a law meant to protect cyclists. Many Macon crashes are exactly this: a driver squeezing past a rider instead of waiting for a safe gap. We build the case around that violation.

The fifty percent bar and the blame drivers shift to cyclists

Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, a cyclist who is fifty percent or more at fault recovers nothing, and below that line the recovery is reduced by their share. Drivers almost always claim the cyclist swerved, ran a sign, or came out of nowhere, trying to push the rider over that line. We use the physical evidence and any available video to show the driver failed to share the road safely, and the most seriously injured cyclists are treated at Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center, the region's Level I trauma center.

Georgia's bicycle helmet law

In Georgia, only cyclists under sixteen are required to wear a helmet. Adult riders are not, and a driver's insurer cannot use an adult's choice not to wear one to defeat the claim. If an adjuster tries to blame your injuries on the absence of a helmet, we keep the focus on the driver who caused the crash.

Serving injured cyclists across Middle Georgia

Our Macon team at 544 Mulberry St, Suite 314 represents injured cyclists across Bibb, Houston, Monroe, Jones, Crawford, Peach, and Twiggs counties. We handle claims for riders hurt in Macon, Warner Robins, Centerville, Perry, Forsyth, Gray, Milledgeville, Fort Valley, Byron, Gordon, and Thomaston.

Reports, treatment, and filing your case

Because Macon and Bibb County share a consolidated government, a bicycle crash in the city is investigated by the Macon-Bibb County Sheriff's Office rather than a city police department, while one on a highway is handled by the Georgia State Patrol. We help you obtain your report and your records from Atrium Health Navicent, and we file in Bibb County State Court, with high-value claims heard in Bibb County Superior Court.

Contact a Macon bicycle accident attorney

If a careless driver left you injured on your bike, you deserve dedicated legal help. Call (478) 449-0037 for a free, confidential case review. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Speak with a Macon bicycle accident attorney

Common questions

A driver passed too close and clipped me. Is that against the law in Georgia?

Yes. Georgia's three-foot passing law requires drivers to give cyclists at least three feet and to change lanes when they can, and a driver who fails to do so and strikes a rider has violated a safety statute. We use the point of contact, the damage, and any witnesses or video to show the driver did not give you the room the law requires.

I was hit where the Ocmulgee trail crosses a street. Does being on a trail affect my claim?

No. A crossing is still a place where a driver has to watch for and yield to a cyclist, and being on a designated trail does not shift the blame to you. We show where the trail meets the road and how the driver failed to yield at that crossing.

Can I recover for damage to my bike and gear along with my injuries?

Yes. The full replacement cost of your bicycle, along with a damaged helmet, cycling computer, and other gear destroyed in the crash, is part of your claim alongside your medical care and other losses.