Bicycle Accident Attorney in Columbia

Did you suffer an injury in a bicycle accident in Columbia? Perhaps you got hit by a car while riding to class at the University of South Carolina? No matter where your bicycle accident occurred, you deserve to have Columbia bicycle accident lawyer on your side who will fight for your rights.

If someone else caused your Columbia bike accident, contact the experienced Columbia bicycle accident lawyers at Strom Law Firm. Our bike accident attorneys will work diligently towards securing compensation from the people who caused your cycling accident.

Strom Law Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Why Choose Us?

At Strom Law Firm, we understand that our clients are coming to our offices during their most vulnerable and painful moments. Our firm team awaits each client with an open door, and we remain ready to fight for justice, accountability, and compensation on behalf of those harmed by another in a Columbia bike crash.

From the moment you choose Strom Law Firm, our lawyers will get to work investigating your accident and building a case that is designed to collect maximum compensation. To better serve you, our Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawyer offers free initial consultations so you can review your legal options and choose the best option.

We can assist you immediately with an office located at Barrister Hall at 6923 N. Trenholm Rd in Columbia. We can meet with you in our firm office, in your hospital room, or even in your home. We also offer virtual appointments during this time.

Please get in touch with our office at 803.252.4800 or toll-free at 888.490.2847 to set up your free consultation today!

Filing a Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawsuit

The rules of the road govern bicyclists and motorists, and everyone must always use care when traveling.

A driver’s failure to act responsibly can take many forms, such as speeding, running a stop sign, or even driving under the influence. Our attorneys must establish who is to at fault for your accident to win your case. Multiple parties can often share the blame, including government entities responsible for maintaining the roads.

Drivers often have a legal duty to exercise caution and share the road responsibly when bicyclists are involved. If a driver fails to notice a bicyclist or is speeding at the time of the crash, they are responsible for the injuries and harm they cause.

How Much Is My Bicycle Accident Case Worth?

Seeking Compensation After a Bicycle Accident using a Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawyer

If you have sustained injuries in a bicycle accident in Columbia, South Carolina, depending upon the facts and circumstances, you may be able to recover both economic and non-economic compensation with the help of a Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Economic damages are primarily financial losses, such as medical bills and lost wages. Non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, are harder to value but no less important. After a catastrophic injury, some of the greatest losses are often non-economic because such injuries change the way that victims must live their lives.

Potential damages resulting from a bicycle traffic accident in SC include:

• The cost of all medical bills and expenses related to the accident, such as doctor and hospital bills, rehabilitation, or other long-term medical costs
• Compensation for lost wages from time missed from work for attending medical appointments (and during the recovery period)
• Past, present, and future pain, suffering, and inconvenience
• Past, present, and future mental anguish and emotional distress
• Loss of earning capacity in cases of permanent physical or mental impairment
• Compensation for permanent injuries and damages
• Payment of all causally related bills for psychological or psychiatric treatment
• Loss of consortium, companionship, or spousal support
• Compensation for future medical treatment or procedures (including future surgeries and hospital stays)
• Wrongful death

At Strom Law Firm, our Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawyer has extensive experience representing victims of bicycle accidents. We know that your injuries may require considerable time to heal. In some cases, you may struggle with permanent disabilities as a result of your crash.

From the moment you choose our law firm, you can rest assured knowing that you have a Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawyer who will fight for maximum compensation. We work with your medical team to truly understand how your injuries will affect your life and your future. We are not afraid to take cases to court to obtain the money our clients deserve.

What Causes Columbia Bicycle Accidents?

Under South Carolina law, a bicyclist is treated the same as a driver of any vehicle. The SC Bike Law puts it as follows:

“A person riding a bicycle upon a roadway must be granted all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter, except as to special provisions in this article and except as to those provisions of this chapter which by their nature can have no application.”

Likewise, motorists have an obligation to treat bicyclists as equal counterparts on the roads.

Regrettably, motorists often treat road cyclists as afterthoughts on Columbia roads, which leads to catastrophic bicycling accidents that are sometimes fatal.

Some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents in Columbia include:

• Aggressive drivers. Rushed drivers tend to become irritated with cyclists on the road. This behavior risks causing cyclists to lose their balance, or worse, leading to terrible accidents.
• Failure to yield a right-of-way is a common cause of cycling collisions. This involves a vehicle altering its route or shifting lanes into a bicyclist’s path. Drivers should always be on alert for all types of shapes and objects while driving.
• “Dooring.” Anybody who rides bikes on a parallel parking Columbia street probably realizes the threat of being “doored.” This action occurs when a driver or passenger opens their car door directly in the path of a riding bicyclist. Cyclists can suffer catastrophic injuries from this seemingly minor occurrence.
• Malfunctioning equipment. Some bicycle equipment can have misleading claims that would lead to an accident or the equipment could just be faulty or defective. This may result in a bicycle recall. If a defective bicycle component caused your accident, the manufacturer could be responsible for the harm their product caused.
• Impairment. This may go without saying, but impaired drivers, those who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, are far more likely than unimpaired drivers to get in a car accident, including an accident with a bicyclist.
• Passing accidents. These frequently happen when the passing car does not allow enough room for the bicyclist.
• Rear-ending. A rear-end collision happens when a car or a bicycle is following too closely or is not paying attention and cannot stop. These accidents often happen at stop signs or on slippery roads. Studies show that 40 percent of bike crashes involve a car rear-ending the bicyclist.
• Crossing in front. These accidents happen at intersections, driveways, and alleys when a vehicle crosses the bicyclist’s path. The car driver may not be paying attention or may fail to see the bicyclist.
• Right turns. Many drivers fail to check their mirrors and their blind spots before making a right turn. If a bicyclist travels on the right side of the car, the car may hit the bicyclist.

Common Cyclist Injuries in Columbia

Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawyer-Helping Injured Columbia Bicycle Accident Victims Is What We Do

According to a study of the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) data, from 2009 to 2017, South Carolina had 4570 reported bicycle accidents. These accidents resulted in 4147 injuries and 146 deaths.

Bicyclists are at major risk on Columbia roads. Unfortunately, a helmet is a cyclist’s only real line of defense against serious injury in an accident.

A cyclist involved in a Columbia bicycle accident could suffer from a multitude of injuries. Unfortunately, in any bicycle accident, whether bike versus car or bike versus bike, severe, life-changing injuries are all too common.

At Strom Law Firm, our Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawyer has handled claims involving a wide array of injuries, including:

• Severe road rash occurs when the cyclist’s momentum causes friction between the skin and the road’s asphalt or concrete. Such an injury causes significant burn-like wounds to the body and can ultimately lead to infection and disfiguration. Road rash causes cuts and scrapes, bruises, and even burns, which can take weeks, months, or years to heal.
• Spinal cord damage. A spinal cord injury can change a cyclist’s life forever. Such an injury can result in numbness, weakness, or even permanent paralysis.  These injuries are often caused by cyclist being thrown over their handlebars in a crash or colliding with the road, trees, or vehicles. A cyclist who suffers such an injury will likely take on tremendous expenses while seeking medical care.
• Breaks, fractures, and tears. Often the best-case scenario for a bicyclist in an accident is a series of breaks, tears, and other orthopedic injuries.  As anybody knows who has suffered such an injury, the medical bills for treating this type of harm can be incredibly high. Many times, surgery is necessary to fix the issues.
• Traumatic brain injury. A TBI can occur when the brain suffers damage from a collision or shock to the head. A TBI can cause a victim to suffer long-term cognitive, physical, and mental impairments. Often, a TBI can cause temporary or permanent unconsciousness. A concussion is a form of TBI, and can cause a cyclist to suffer life-long headaches, confusion, and tiredness well into the future.

No matter the extent of harm a bicycle crash causes you or a loved one, the Columbia bicycle accident lawyers at Strom Law Firm have the passion, experience, and most importantly the resources to assist you in recovering the compensation owed to you.

Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawyer FAQs

Bicycling is a popular activity for transportation, exercise, and pleasure. South Carolina is exceptionally bicycle-friendly, with its warm weather and beautiful scenery.

In Columbia, bicyclists can explore approximately 31 miles of trails, including the Sumter Cypress Trail or the Three Rivers Greenway. The University of South Carolina is nationally ranked as a “Bicycle Friendly University” due to its free bike repair shop and bicycle recycling program.

Unfortunately, in South Carolina, like anywhere, bicyclists face risks. If you get hit by a car, the force of the impact may cause serious injuries to the bicyclist. If a bicycle accident injured you, the dedicated attorneys of Strom Law Firm, LLC have helped bicyclists recover the compensation they deserve after being injured by someone else’s negligence.

How many bicycle accidents take place here in Columbia, South Carolina?

In recent years, the number of bicyclists in the U.S. increased to an estimated 47.5 million. An increase in bike accident injuries across the country and Columbia has accompanied this increase in bicyclists.

According to the South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book, one bicyclist died every 16.6 days in the state due to injuries sustained in a bike accident.

What bike law applies in Columbia?

As a vulnerable road user, you need to know your rights when bicycling in Columbia. Bicyclists generally have the same rights and duties as drivers of motor vehicles.

In Columbia, SC, bicyclists may not:

• Bike while clinging to motor vehicles
• Carry more individuals than the number for which the bike’s design permits
• Carry any items that may prevent the biker from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars

While helmets are proven to help prevent injuries in bike accidents, helmet laws vary throughout the country.

• South Carolina does not have a state-wide requirement for helmet use; however, cyclists should understand that properly fitted helmets reduce the risk of traumatic brain injuries for bicyclists of all ages by 66 to 88 percent.

Alcohol:

• In South Carolina, the law doesn’t permit the state to charge you with DUI for simply operating a bicycle under the influence, unlike in many other states. However, public intoxication is a misdemeanor offense.

Where to ride in SC:

• A bicyclist may, but is not required, to ride on the shoulder of the roadway.
• Bicyclists must ride with traffic flow as closely as reasonably possible to the right side of the road.
• Riding on the sidewalk is permitted unless local ordinances prohibit it. Bicyclists riding on a sidewalk must yield the right of way to pedestrians.
• Bicyclists must use bike lanes if available.
• If there is only an adjacent recreational bicycle path available instead of a bicycle lane, bicyclists may ride on the roadway.
• Bicyclists may not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

Traffic control signs and devices:

• Bicyclists are required to obey all traffic control signs, lights, and signals.
• Cyclists must signal when turning or stopping.
• A bicyclist must use due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction when on a roadway.

Equipment:

• South Carolina law states: “A bicycle, when in use at nighttime, must be equipped with a lamp on the front which must emit a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear that must be visible from all distances from fifty feet to three hundred feet to the rear when directly in front of the lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle. A lamp emitting a red light visible from five hundred feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector.”
• A bicycle must have properly operating brakes.

Electric-assist bikes:

• In South Carolina, electric-assist bikes (e-bikes) are considered vehicles and thus are subject to the rules of the road that apply to vehicles.
• A motor with a power output of fewer than 750 watts is exempt from the e-bike requirements for mopeds, such as licensing and registration.

In addition to the safety requirements for bicyclists, South Carolina has laws to ensure that motor vehicle drivers operate safely around bicycles. For instance, motor vehicle drivers must drive safely from bicyclists and maintain a safe operating distance when passing bicyclists. If there is a bicycle lane adjacent to the roadway, motor vehicles may not block the bicycle lane and must yield to a bicyclist before entering or crossing the lane. It is against the law to yell at or harass a person on a bicycle or throw anything in the bicyclist’s direction. Violations of bike accident law may result in fines or imprisonment.

What other factors place Columbia cyclists at risk?

Driving responsibly and paying close attention at all times can prevent many accidents. The following factors are a risk for everyone on the road:

• Distracted driving means driving while performing another activity that takes your focus away from driving. It has become a serious problem because people think they can multitask while driving. Every day, about eight people in the United States die in crashes involving a distracted driver.
• People think of speeding as driving above the posted speed limit, but it also refers to driving too fast for road conditions. A speeding driver may react slowly to a hazard or fail to stop in time to prevent a crash.
• Nobody likes to ride in bad weather, but bicyclists on the road in fog, snow, sleet, heavy rain, and blinding sun glare are often hard to see.
• Everyone knows that impaired driving can lead to catastrophic injuries and death. Drugs and alcohol cause, on average, one out of three motor vehicle-related fatalities. Bicyclists are especially vulnerable because of their lack of protection.

What can car drivers do to avoid crashing into me?

Nobody ever expects or wants an accident to happen on SC roads. Always stay alert for cars approaching from the rear or side when biking. Nationwide, 58 percent of bicyclist fatalities take place at non-intersections, and 45 percent occur in dark conditions, most often between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Approximately 75 percent of fatal accidents occur in urban areas. Poorly maintained roads are also a risk for bicyclists.

What should I do after a Columbia bicycle crash?

If you are injured in a bike accident in Columbia, you should:

• Move out of danger and seek medical care right away. It is important to obtain treatment promptly because some injuries do not show up until days or even weeks after the accident. Also, you may need medical records later to establish your injuries.
• Especially if you are riding alone, carrying a cell phone, personal identification, and emergency contact information.
• Call the police. Even if the accident is minor, an official police report may help identify witnesses as well as provide an initial analysis of how the accident occurred.
• If possible, leave your bike in its damaged state and where it fell. It is best if the police see the accident scene undisturbed.
• Get the driver’s name and his or her insurance information, along with the names of any passengers. Obtain the contact information of any witnesses.
• Take photos of injuries, your bicycle, and the accident scene.
• Make no statement to insurance representatives or any other people until you talk to a lawyer.

How can a Columbia bicycle accident lawyer help me?

As bicycle use becomes more popular, you need to stay safe on the roads. If you or a loved one was involved in a bicycle accident, you need to speak with an experienced, caring Columbia bicycle accident attorney. South Carolina has strict time limits for bike accident cases, so contact our Columbia bicycle accident lawyers without delay.

For more information or to schedule a free consultation, contact Strom Law Firm, LLC, today.

Columbia Bicycle Accident Lawyer at Strom Law Firm

Strom Law Firm is experienced in representing victims of bicycle accidents and other traffic accidents. Our Columbia bicycle accident lawyers are ready to meet with you in person at your convenience. You can also contact us online or by phone at (803) 252-4800 to schedule a time to talk with a member of our team.

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