Bicycle Accidents
Preventing Bike Accidents, Representing Injured Cyclists
At Gary Martin Hays & Associates, we would far rather prevent accidents than file lawsuits for people with catastrophic injuries. Too many times, we have seen the terrible physical damage bicycle accidents can cause.
A Focus on Prevention
To encourage bicycle riders to protect themselves, we have given away 1000 bicycle helmets and sponsored public service announcements about bike safety. We take every opportunity to prevent the tragedies we see every day in our work. Our bicycle accident law firm encourages building and using bike trails designed and maintained for safety.
The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute reports:
- Seven hundred bicyclists died in crashes with motor vehicles in the U.S. in 2007.
- About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries, and 27,000 have injuries serious enough to be hospitalized.
- It is estimated that anywhere from 45 to 88 percent of cyclists' brain injuries could have been prevented by a helmet.
Experienced Representation in Bicycle Injuries
Our firm handles bicycle accidents resulting from the negligence of others:
- Cyclists struck by car and truck drivers who failed to see the rider
- Bike riders struck by cars failing to yield the right of way
- Injuries suffered due to design or manufacturing defect of the bicycle
- Vehicles sideswiping or cutting off a bicycle rider
Bike Accident Injuries
A bicyclist is at a major disadvantage in a collision with a motor vehicle. Even with protective gear such as helmets and pads, the tremendous weight and force of a car can result in bodily harm ranging from relatively minor to catastrophic injury, including:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Paralysis
- Eye injury
- Amputation
- Head, neck and face injuries when the cyclist strikes the car or lands hard on pavement
- Broken bones and fractures of arms, legs, hands and feet
- Knee, ankle, shoulder and other injuries to soft tissues
- Internal injuries (bleeding, organ damage) from the blunt force trauma
- "Road rash" — multiple abrasions than can cause substantial pain, scarring and/or infection
Insurance Companies Will Likely Challenge Your Claim
In any accident, the more serious the injuries, the more an insurance company will have to pay in claims. Therefore, in any serious accident, the insurance company will closely examine the medical records and challenge their responsibility to pay. You need to focus on helping your injured loved one recover as well as possible. Let the experienced Atlanta bike accident lawyers at Gary Martin Hays & Associates take over your discussions with the insurance company. This is what we do every day – and we are good at it.
If you or your child has suffered injury in a bicycle accident, contact lawyers of Gary Martin Hays & Associates. We will seek compensation through an insurance settlement or at trial. Call toll free 866.710.4116 to arrange a free consultation at our office in Atlanta (Duluth) or Athens, Georgia.
