Bike Accidents
Hundreds of South Carolina bicyclists are in collisions with cars every year, with dozens of those bike accidents resulting in serious injuries or death. In fact, being hit by a car is by far the most common cause of bicycle accidents, happening far more often than crashes involving rider error or poor roads.
By law, bike riders have just as much right to the roadway as motor vehicles. Too many drivers fail to realize that or to even notice bikes. When a crash results from such negligence, the bike rider is always going to suffer the worst of it.
At Lourie Law Firm, our bicycle accident attorneys have the skills and experience cyclists need to help them recover. If bicyclists are lucky, they’ll escape with only a damaged bike and road rash – cuts, scrapes and bruises that result from being dragged. Even those injuries, though, can mean time off work during recovery.
Many bicycle riders fare far worse, though. Broken bones are common. Spinal damage and traumatic brain injury also are possible. Medical expenses, from surgeries to rehabilitation, can mount quickly and extend over years.
The bike accident lawyers at Lourie Law Firm have helped bike riders injured in a wide range of crashes, including those who were the victims of:
- Dooring: when a parked driver doesn’t notice a bicyclist approaching and opens a vehicle door
- Left cross: when a driver turns left, directly into the path of an oncoming bike
- Right hook: when a driver passes a bike and then turns right, crossing the bike path and colliding
- Side swipe: when a driver is distracted or a wide vehicle crosses the lane slightly and brushes a bicyclist
- Forced off the road: when a driver passes too closely to a bike and forces the rider off the road
- Potholes: when problems with pavement cause a bike to crash
Bike riders injured in car crashes should contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. The insurance company likely will contact the victim quickly, offering a settlement. The skilled bicycle accident lawyers at Lourie Law Firm can help cyclists make sure that settlement is the fair one they deserve.