South Carolina Bicycle Accident Attorney
No matter where you live in South Carolina, biking is an activity that benefits your health, well-being, and the environment. Whether biking to work, for exercise, or as a social activity, you have the right to be safe on the road. However, motorists that share the road with bicyclists often forget this fact causing far too many accidents and injuries every year.
Sadly, suffering an injury in a bicycle accident can change your life forever. If this happened to you or someone you love, an experienced South Carolina bicycle accident attorney can fight for your financial recovery.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents
Multiple factors can contribute to a bicycle accident. For example, bicycles are smaller than motorized vehicles, and drivers’ brains aren’t trained to look out for them like other cars. Both of these factors make them hard to see. When it comes to bicycle accidents that may arise from the negligence of another driver, the most common causes are as follows.
Distracted Driving
If drivers pay attention to something else, like their phones, instead of their driving, the crash risk increases. Common distractions include text messaging, talking on the phone, using social media, paying attention to passengers or pets inside the vehicle, or eating and drinking.
Impaired Driving
Whether impaired by drugs or alcohol, these drivers have decreased judgment, slowed reaction times, and decreased visual perception. They are much less likely to see bicyclists and be able to react with enough time and sense to be able to avoid a collision.
Drowsy Driving
Drivers who are out early or late or trying to go home after working their shift can have a markedly increased risk of causing severe collisions. In fact, recent studies show that drowsy driving can be just as risky as drunk driving.
Failure to Leave a Suitable Buffer
Drivers who follow behind bicyclists too closely and pass them within three feet or less unnecessarily create hazardous conditions. Not only are these drivers more likely to collide with cyclists, but they are also leaving themselves and bicyclists with few options to prevent an accident.
Do You Have a Bicycle Accident Injury Claim?
Suppose you were recently involved in a South Carolina bicycle accident. In that case, you might wonder if you have an injury claim. Most injury claims are rooted in negligence. Negligence is the failure to act in a way that a reasonably prudent individual would under the same circumstances.
For a bicycle injury claim to be valid, it must have the four elements of negligence:
- Duty: The person who hit you, or in some cases another party, had a duty to conduct themselves in a manner that would keep you safe. For instance, they shouldn’t be weaving between traffic lanes.
- Breach of duty: The person who hit you violated that duty in some way.
- Injuries: The breach of duty was the cause of your injuries.
- Damages: You incurred compensable damages because of the accident.
Meet with a Knowledgeable South Carolina Bicycle Accident Attorney Today
There’s no need to rely on your own judgment to determine how or why your bicycle accident occurred, who is liable for it, or if you have a valid claim. Contact The Law Office of D. Craig Brown, LLC, to schedule a complimentary case review today with a knowledgeable South Carolina bicycle accident attorney. Let us determine if you have a claim. We have the resources, skills, and experience to obtain the best outcome in your case.