Clayton County Bicycle Accident Lawyers
Bicycle accidents happen frequently on Clayton County roads and highways, often due to careless or aggressive motorists. If you sustained serious injuries while riding your bicycle, a Clayton County bicycle accident lawyer could help you pursue compensatory damages from the responsible driver.
While a severe bicycle collision can result in tremendous financial hardship, pain, and suffering, there is still hope to recover. A personal injury attorney could fight hard to get the best courtroom or settlement results possible for cycling accident victims like yourself.
Compensation in Bicycle Collision Claims
When cyclists suffer severe injuries in a roadway collision, they may be entitled to several different types of compensation. Because of how vulnerable cyclists are, bicycle crashes are more likely to cause catastrophic and life-changing injuries such as broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and paralysis. Fortunately, a lawyer in Clayton County could help bicycle wreck victims recover their economic damages and non-economic losses incurred due to their injuries.
What Are Economic and Non-Economic Losses?
Economic damages refer to measurable losses such as doctor visits, hospital bills, ambulance expenses, physical therapy bills, property damage, and lost income. Unlike economic damages, non-economic damages do not have an exact value assigned to them. Non-economic damages include pain, suffering, emotional anguish, loss of consortium, mental distress, scarring, and disfigurement.
Are There Other Forms of Damages that Can Be Awarded to Victims?
Depending on the nature of the accident, the court may review the facts of a bicycle crash and determine that the actions of the defendant warrant further legal punishment. In such cases, a judge may grant victims punitive damages in addition to their other forms of financial recovery.
Assessing Liability in a Bicycle Crash
Bicycle crash liability is inherently complex to prove. An attorney in Clayton County must establish four individual factors on behalf of the injured plaintiff in a bicycle collision case.
The first factor is a legal duty. The defendant must have owed a legal duty of care to the injured cyclist. For example, drivers have a duty to others on the roadway, including motorists and cyclists, to drive with care to avoid causing injury. Likewise, local government entities have a duty to keep the roads in safe condition and fix hazards that could foreseeably cause a collision.
The second factor is a breach of duty. Drivers who operate their vehicle in a reckless manner or drive drunk may be found to have violated their legal duty of care.
The third factor that must be proven is causation. Even if the defendant breached a duty of care, that wrongdoer can only be held legally responsible for damages if their actions were the direct cause of the cyclist’s injuries.
The fourth and final factor that must be proven is the existence of damages. The cyclist’s injuries must have resulted in compensable losses, such as income loss and medical bills. A Clayton County attorney could fully investigate a cyclist’s crash to determine liability and build a well-grounded case for recovery of their damages.
Call a Clayton County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
If you have been involved in a bicycle crash, it is essential that you retain qualified legal representation to handle your case. A Clayton County bicycle accident lawyer could provide comprehensive guidance concerning your legal rights and explain your options for recovery.
An attorney could help you pursue justice against the party whose negligence caused your accident and fight hard for every penny you deserve. Contact the office now to book your attorney consultation.