Bicyclists have the same right to be on Douglasville roads as everyone else—but a lot of car and truck drivers don’t understand or recognize this. If you were hurt on your bike, there’s a good chance someone else is to blame. You’ll need to protect yourself from paying the costs of injuries you didn’t cause—and a Douglasville bicycle accident lawyer can help.
Many injured bicycle riders feel like they’re out of options after an accident. However, you have the same rights as any motorist. If you did not cause the accident or your injuries, you should be able to seek compensation for your damages with help from John Foy & Associates.
Our Douglasville personal injury lawyers can assist you—starting with a FREE consultation. We’ve been representing Douglasville bicycle accident victims since 1999.
What to Do if You Were Hurt in a Bicycle Accident in Douglasville
A lot of injured bicyclists don’t realize they can begin legally protecting themselves as soon as an accident happens. You can begin compiling information for your claim immediately. This is good because, in order to file a claim for compensation, you will need evidence that:
- The bicycle accident happened.
- The other driver was negligent (at fault) in the accident.
- Your injuries and other damages resulted from the accident.
To prove these claims, you will need to gather as much information as you can. But first, make sure you are well enough to stay at the scene after the crash. If you have injuries that are immediately threatening your life, get medical attention right away.
If you can stay at the scene after the accident, do the following things.
Report the Douglasville Bicycle Accident to Police
Always report an accident with injuries to the police. Officers will come to the scene and take down information from you and others involved in the bicycle accident. Tell them exactly what happened, and mention if you had injuries.
If you aren’t sure yet whether you’re injured or not and officers ask, simply say you “aren’t sure.” Some injuries can take time to show up, and you don’t want that answer on record in case you start feeling pain later. If you initially said you weren’t hurt, the insurance company can try to claim you weren’t injured in the collision.
When you are filing a bicycle accident claim for damages, you’ll need to obtain a copy of this police report too, so reporting the accident is very important to your case.
Stay Safe if the Other Driver Is Aggressive
Also, keep yourself safe. Many drivers don’t understand cyclists follow the same traffic laws as motorists. They can become very angry if they think you caused the accident—even if you were simply sharing the road as you were supposed to. Protect yourself first and stay out of harm’s way. If you can, write down or take a picture of the driver’s license plate in case the irate driver tries to hit and run.
Take Pictures
Use your phone or a camera to take pictures of:
- The accident scene
- Your injuries
- Damages to your bicycle
- Anything else you think could be helpful to your case
If the driver is being belligerent, violent, or seems drunk, you might also take a video of their behavior (if you can do it safely). The more pictures or video evidence you can compile for your claim, the better. Accident scenes can be cleaned up or moved quickly, so pictures will preserve the scene forever.
See a Doctor
If you did not get immediate medical treatment after your bicycle accident, you should see a doctor as soon as you can afterward. The insurance company will want evidence that you were actually injured in the crash. Seeing a doctor creates a record of you getting treatment right away.
Your doctor can also check you for underlying additional injuries and create a treatment plan for you going forward. You’ll want to include these current and future medical costs in your bicycle accident claim.
Be Wary of the Insurance Company
If another driver was responsible for causing your accident, they will be legally liable for your damages. That means their auto insurance company will ultimately foot the bill. Insurance adjusters do not like to pay out very much for personal injury insurance claims. They will look for ways to blame you for the accident and deny or offer less for your claim.
It’s best to contact a lawyer before you communicate with the other driver’s insurance company. If you do have any contact with them, be very careful what you say. Don’t sign anything or accept any amount of money from them until you know the full extent of your damages.
If you accept a settlement, it means you probably have no chance of getting more money. This is risky because the damages from a bicycle accident are almost always more than you expect.
Contact a Douglasville Bicycle Accident Lawyer ASAP
Don’t delay getting an experienced lawyer on your side. Most injury lawyers (like our Douglasville car accident lawyer and bicycle accident lawyers) offer free consultations and don’t get paid unless they win you money—so there’s no risk to call them.
How a Douglasville Bicycle Accident Lawyer Can Help
During the free consultation, you can tell the lawyer about your case and get their opinion on your options. If it’s a good fit and you start working with them, they will help you:
- Gather all relevant evidence from the accident.
- Build a strong insurance claim.
- Negotiate with the insurance company.
- Make the best decisions each step of the way.
Experienced bicycle accident lawyers are skilled in personal injury law and know how to best advocate for injury victims. They will also understand Georgia bicycle laws so they can help you stand up for your rights to be on the road. The goal should be full compensation of all damages from your accident.
Talk to a Douglasville Bicycle Accident Lawyer for Free
Bicycles rarely get the respect they deserve on Douglasville roads. Don’t let unfair biases or beliefs keep you from recovering the money you need and deserve to pay for the costs of your accident. Our team of bicycle accident lawyers can help you build a strong claim and hold the at-fault driver responsible for their negligence.
With over 350 years of combined legal experience helping injury victims and their families, John Foy & Associates knows what it takes to win cases. Plus, we don’t charge a thing unless we win you money. That means working with The Strong Arm™ is risk-free.
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