College Park Georgia Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Do You Need An Experienced Injury Attorney for a Bicycle Accident Case in or Near College Park, Georgia? Call Us – We Are Riders!

Injured while riding in or near College Park, Georgia or anywhere else in the Atlanta area? Located near College Park, GA in Clayton County, The Millar Law Firm can help. Not only are we sponsors of one of South Atlanta’s largest cycling clubs, our senior attorney Bruce R. Millar, Esq. is an avid road rider, and regularly teaches cycling safety and bike law at events across Atlanta.

We have over three decades of experience handling car, truck and bicycle collision cases. Additionally, we have succesfully recovered from negligent homeowners for incidents involving loose dogs causing bicycle accidents and even injury-collisions caused by negligent or inexperienced riders.

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What Expenses and Damages Can Be Recoverd in a College Park Bike Accident Claim 

After a bike accident, medical bills and recovery costs add up. You may be entitled to recover and receive compensation for the following items of damages. In some cases these damages may be covered by motor-vehicle insurance and in other cases, by homeowners insurance or even medical payments coverage:

• Hospital bills 
• Ambulance bills 
• Surgical Bills
• The cost of the bike or repairs
• Damaged valuables  
• Physical therapy/Chiropractor 
• Pain and suffering 
• Missed work
• Lifestyle changes because of disability 
• In the case of a fatal accident, the full value of life including any pain and suffering experienced

Starting Your Bike Injury Case with The Millar Law Firm 

Starting the process is easy. You can call or chat with us, and we will arrange a meeting with you, either over the phone or in person, to talk about your bike accident. All consultations are free.

Our team will explain the legal choices that are available to you, and you can decide if you want to work with us.  We’re here to support you during this challenging time.

We Do Not Charge Up-Front to Accept and Investigate Your Case 

Our Atlanta law firm works on a contingent fee basis. This means that we do not charge you to accept and work on your case. You only pay if we recover money for you. We do this because we understand that bike accidents often result in serious injuries and you have enough to worry about instead of being concerned about paying legal fees when you first become hurt.

The Millar Law Firm Handles Fatal and Catastrophic Bicycle Accidents

Because bicycles offer little protection to riders hit by cars and trucks, we investigate and handle fatal bike accidents. Our firm will take on the responsibility of proving negligence and seeking full justice. In wrongful death cases the family or heirs of a loved one are entitled to recover the full value of the life of the victim, and the Estate may recover damages for pain and suffering and economic losses, such as the value of future lost earnings. Such damages can be invaluable for the survivors of these tragic accidents.

Do You Handle Other Bike Accident Injury Claims?

Yes. Our Firm will and does handle bicycling accidents where the injuries are road rash, broken arms and legs, broken hips and vertebrae, traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and lacerations and contusions. It is an unfortunate reality that many bike accidents are serious and painful. Many bicycle crashes take place at 20 miles per hour or faster. Even a 10 MPH fall can, and often will, result in serious injuries. We can help recover the money you need or spent on medical care (your economic damages) as well as fair compensation for your pain and suffering (general or non-economic losses and damages).

Bicycle Accident Cases We Have Handled in College Park and Across Georgia

Bike accidents are unfortunately a common occurrence, often resulting from various instances of carelessness. Some of the cases we have handled for bike accident victims have included accidents caused by the following:

• Drivers Not Paying Attention: Sometimes drivers don’t see bikers because they’re not looking out for them or they’re too busy with other things like their phone. The biker would likely not be at-fault if the driver was not focused on the road. 
• Cars Passing Too Closely: A huge number of car and bicycle collisions happen because a driver overtakes a biker and gets too close, causing a crash with the front or side or mirror of the car or truck or by making the biker swerve to avoid being hit.  Careless, reckless or overconfident driving are the most common causes.
• Dog Chases and Knock Down: The Millar Law Firm has handled a surprising number of incidents where loose dogs chased and knocked down riders. Dogs may think they are playing, but often run underneath a bicycle’s tire, causing a serious accident. We have seen injuries ranging from severe road rash to fractured hips.
• Speeding, Crowding and Road Rage: Some drivers are, unfortunately, unwilling to safely share the road with riders, even if we are doing everything right. We take pride in helping bicyclists who have been harmed by angry or unreasonable drivers.
• Bikers Not Paying Attention: We have seen cases where biker and riders also negligently cause accidents if they’re not following the rules of the road, biking unpredictably, or if they’re not focusing on what is ahead of them. 
• Car Doors Opening: These accidents happen when someone in a parked car opens their door and a biker doesn’t have enough time to stop.
• Cars Failing to Yield: Accidents happen when a driver doesn’t properly yield to an oncoming cyclist when they’re turning. Some drivers feel like they own the road and turn in front of oncoming riders.
• Hit and Run: Some drivers refuse to stop after hitting a bicycle riders. A driver may fear the consequences, might be intoxicated, or not even realize they hit someone. We investigate these incidents and help recover from the at-fault driver or from un-insured motorist insurance coverage.

Caution: If you are a rider, an accident could be your fault for:

• Biking the Wrong Way: Biking against traffic is illegal and dangerous and increases the chance of a head-on crash and it’s harder for drivers to see and predict what the biker will do. 
• Biking on Sidewalks: Biking on sidewalks can seem safer, but it is actually illegal in Georgia and is dangerous because drivers aren’t expecting to see fast-moving bikes as they cross driveways or business entrances.

How to Deal With The Insurance Company When You Are a Bike Accident Victim

When bike accidents occur, victims can suffer serious injuries that require extensive medical treatment. Insurance companies may try to get you to settle quickly, sometimes without even viewing a medical bill, and will send out a check hoping you’ll accept it because cashing it may create a contract or settlement agreement that will protect them from paying what your claim may actually be worth. 

Insurance adjusters may also ask you to give a recorded statement “so they can open a claim.” We recommend NOT giving a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster without first consulting a personal injury attorney. The recorded statement you give can and will be used against you.

How Long Do You Have to Bring a Bicycle Accident Injury Claim in Georgia?

The statute of limitations in Georgia for personal injury lawsuits to be filed is two years, per O.C.G.A. 9-3-33. This means that if your claim is not settled within that time frame, suit must be filed or you may lose the right to bring a claim and recover damages. There are some limited exceptions, such as if a driver hit you and received a traffic citation, the statutory time may be extended until the ticket is disposed of. Another exception is for injured children, who have until two years from the date of majority to bring a claim, meaning two years beyond their 18th birthday to file lawsuit.

What if I was Hit by a Government Owned Vehicle or a Government employee? Does that Change Anything?

If the car or truck that hit a bicyclist (or anyone else) was owned by a city government or driven by an on-the-job city government employee, a special notice known as an ante-litem notice must be filed withing 6 months of the date of injury. If the vehicle was driven or owned by a County or State Employee, an ante-litem notice must be submitted within 12 months of the date of injury. The Rules for what must be included in an ante-litem notice and who it must be served on are complex and unforgiving. If you attempt to submit an ante-litem notice on your own, careful research is recommended. The Millar Law Firm is very familiar with ante-litem notices and we recommend consulting an attorney well-versed in state or local government claims if you think your injury incident may involve a government entity or employee.

Do You Handle Claims For Bicycle Riders Hit by Drunk Drivers?

Yes, if a drunk driver hits a bike rider, this is as bad or worse than the intoxicated driver hitting another vehicle. In such cases an award of punitive damages can be recovered due to drunk driving being considered reckless and wanton behavior.

Do You Meet Bicycle Accident Clients at the Hospital or At Home?

Yes, we meet with clients and their families at the hospital or at home. We also offer video and telephone conferences. We understand that travel after a serious accident with injuries can be difficult or painful, if not virtually impossible. We will come to you whenever necessary.

How Our College Park Bike Accident Lawyers Can Help You Prove Negligence 

If you get into a bike accident in College Park, filing a legal claim can be tough. Car and truck drivers often try to blame cyclists for “darting” in front of them or “weaving” away from the fog line as they try to pass. It may not always be easy to gather the evidence by yourself to support your claim, especially if you need witness statements or surveillance footage and you are hurt. Identifying which laws were broken can also be hard if you’re not familiar with Georgia’s bike accident laws. 

To help prove that an at-fault driver was negligent in hitting you, it can be important obtain police incident reports, take photos, obtain surveillance videos, interview eyewitnesses, download Event Data Recorder information (“the car’s black box“) and research the appropriate laws.

Additionally, it can be difficult to communicate with insurance companies to negotiate for a fair compensation especially if you don’t have any legal experience. Figuring out whether and for how much you should settle is unfamiliar territory for many people. 

Our skilled bike accident attorneys will guide you through this process and take over to the work and investigation to ensure a detailed and thorough investigation, and explain to you the value of your bike injury case. 

Our Lawyers Have a Track Record of Success  

We have received remarkable results in personal injury cases across the state of Georgia. We invite you to review our case results and online reviews. The Millar Law Firm has helped many Georgia residents recover full value for their injury claim.

Growing Popularity of Bicycling in College Park 

Over the last few years, College Park has seen a rise in bike riding due, in part, to investments in bike infrastructure, including the Phoenix Trail, which connects to the Atlanta BeltLine and offers a dedicated bike path. Another trend that has emerged is the growth of bike share programs, like the Relay Bike Share program in Atlanta, which has set up stations in College Park. 

Also, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in biking and other outdoor activities as people look for safe and socially distanced ways to exercise and commute. 

Thanks to the great weather we see all year long, it’s easy for our neighbors to head out for a ride with friends for the evening. Or simply use their bikes as a more economic and environmentally friendly way to commute in the morning. Residents in College Park are out and about on bicycles. 

Even with these healthy modes of transportation, area residents still worry about their safety when out riding their bikes thanks to heavy airport traffic and drive time commutes. 

Because College Park is located to the south of Atlanta, we see heavy commutes from nearby counties who travel through our area to reach the city or the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Between that and a significant rise in population, College Park, inevitably leads to a higher number of  bike accidents.

Suggestions for Those Involved in Bike Accidents 

Hire a lawyer as soon as possible.

It’s important to get a lawyer quickly. Waiting too long could result in important evidence being lost or destroyed, which could harm your case. It’s also crucial to choose a lawyer with experience handling bike accident cases, like those at The Millar Law Firm. Our attorneys can guide you through the legal process and negotiate with insurance companies to make sure you receive fair compensation. 

Seek medical help quickly

Getting medical treatment quickly is critical, even if you don’t think you’re badly hurt. Seeking treatment early helps establish a record of your injuries, which can strengthen your case. Our lawyers may recommend that you see a doctor or specialist to ensure you receive the best possible care. 

Finally, it’s important to not settle for less than you deserve. Our skilled attorneys will work hard to help you understand the value of your case and fight for the compensation you’re entitled to. Medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering can quickly add up, so it’s important to be aggressive with your claim. 

Experience and Focus: The Personal Injury Cases Handled by Our College Park Attorneys