Traveling by bicycle has surged in popularity. After all, it’s a green mode of transportation and great exercise. While bicycles and automobiles are supposed to share the road, too often they collide, resulting in catastrophic results for the bicyclists.
Nationwide in 2010, bike/motor vehicle crashes resulted in 618 fatalities and 52,000 injuries, according to the most recent figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The total cost of bicyclist injury and death is over $4 billion per year, the National Safety Council reports.
In South Carolina, 13 people were killed and 478 injured in more than 500 bicycle crashes in 2009, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Although the SCDPS determined that cyclists were at fault in 61.2 percent of those accidents, other research from across the country found motorists at fault in bicycle crashes between 56 and 83 percent of the time.
At Joye Law Firm, we know that most bicyclists are safe, cautious, and follow the law. Our South Carolina bicycle accident attorneys are on your side, and we fight for the rights of our clients.
Contact Our Bicycle Accident Lawyers Today
Our South Carolina personal injury attorneys at Joye Law Firm can help you through the confusion and strain that follow a bicycle accident. Respect and compassion are what you will get from our lawyers and staff.
Since 1968 we have helped injured people like you recover not just the money and benefits they deserve, but also their lives.
Let us help you too. Call Joye Law Firm. You can reach us at (888) 324-3100 or fill out an online form for a free case review.
Joye Law Firm has offices in Myrtle Beach, Clinton, Summerville, Columbia, and Charleston, but our bicycle accident attorneys are ready to handle your case anywhere in South Carolina.
We represent clients all over our state, including Florence, Richland County, Orangeburg, Horry County (including Conway and North Myrtle Beach), North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant.
Causes of Bicycle Accidents
The most common causes of bicycle accidents, according to Bicycling magazine, happen when:
- A motorist fails to see a cyclist and makes a left turn immediately in front of the bike. This accounts for almost half of all bike/car crashes, according to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.
- A motorist passes a cyclist on the left and makes a right-hand turn into the bicycle’s path.
- A cyclist traveling next to parked cars lined up on the street strikes a car door opened by the driver or backseat passenger.
- A motorist pulls out of a driveway or parking lot directly into the path of a bicyclist.
- A motorist hits a cyclist from behind.
That’s why it’s important to use common sense and follow the South Carolina traffic laws, including riding as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable and using proper signals.
In turn, motorists, under South Carolina law, must at all times maintain a safe operating distance between their motor vehicle and a bicycle, keeping a proper lookout.
If you’ve been in a South Carolina bicycle accident, your first priority is to make sure you and others involved get medical treatment for any injuries. Even if you don’t feel hurt, you should still see your doctor and describe what happened. Sometimes injuries are not immediately evident.
You should keep track of all receipts and documents related to the accident and your treatment. It is also a good idea to keep a simple journal about your recovery and how your injuries have affected your life. Details could be hard to recall later.
