Injured on a bicycle by a reckless driver?
Bicyclists can be seriously hurt in a collision with a vehicle – we can help you seek compensation.
This page refers to Bicycle Accident Lawyers in South Carolina law in South Carolina.
Since laws differ between states, if you are located in North Carolina, please click here.
A South Carolina Bicycle Accident Attorney Who Fights for You
The good news: South Carolina continues to incorporate bike paths and bike lanes for cyclists throughout the state.
The bad news: The vast majority of bike travel still occurs on streets and roadways that cyclists share with motorists. In 2020, one bicyclist was killed every 24.4 days in a collision with a vehicle on South Carolina roadways.
Sharing the road with automobiles and trucks is often dangerous for bicyclists. If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident with a negligent driver, you can increase your odds of getting compensation. Call the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin today at 1-866-900-7078, and we will help you fight for everything you may deserve.
South Carolina Bicycle Laws: Requirements for Bicyclists
While bicyclists are not generally required to wear helmets or protective gear, South Carolina state law (Article 27, Section 56-5-3410-3490) requires bicyclists to:
- use bicycle lanes when provided, unless passing or avoiding an obstruction
- ride as near to the right side of the road as possible (in most cases)
- exercise due care when passing a standing car or one moving in the same direction
- not ride more than two side-by-side on roadways shared with cars
- not carry more passengers than the bike was intended for
- not attach the bike to a vehicle on the road
- not carry anything that prevents them from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars
- signal turns
- equip the bike with working brakes
If you were injured in an accident with a motor vehicle while riding your bicycle but you weren’t following all of the laws listed above, can you still seek financial compensation from the at-fault driver? Yes. The following section outlines how South Carolina addresses fault in personal injury claims.
Determining Fault in South Carolina Bicycle Accident Injury Claims
South Carolina follows the doctrine of comparative negligence to determine the amount of damages you may be eligible to recover in a bicycle accident claim. According to this doctrine, your potential recovery can be reduced by the percentage of negligence, or fault, assigned to you.
In South Carolina, you may be entitled to recover damages – even if you share fault for the accident – as long as you are no more than 50% at fault. If you are found to be 51% or more at fault for the accident, you are generally not entitled to recover any damages.
Because an attorney can be instrumental in helping you try to hold the at-fault driver accountable for your bike wreck, we encourage injured victims in South Carolina to consult with an experienced attorney before making a personal injury claim.
South Carolina Bicycle Laws: Requirements for Motorists
While much of South Carolina bicycle law focuses on the responsibilities of the cyclist, there are a few provisions that seek to regulate the behavior of others towards bicyclists. Motorists are:
1) prohibited from blocking a bike lane to oncoming bike traffic
2) should yield to a bicyclist in the bike lane before entering or crossing it
3) required to maintain a safe operating distance between their motor vehicles and bicycles
In addition, people are prohibited from harassing or throwing things at cyclists.
One of the most common complaints of cyclists is that motorists often do not respect the cyclists’ right to share the same roadway. When this happened to Gladys A., resulting in serious injuries, we fought for her.
Common Bike Accident Causes and Injuries
Since bicyclists are exposed and not enclosed in a protective steel frame like occupants of a car, their injuries can often be very serious. Common injuries that bike accident victims suffer include:
- broken bones, fractures, and dislocations
- muscle strains and contusions
- facial injuries involving the eyes, dental fractures, and cuts and bruises
- head injuries, including skull fractures
- neck injuries
- spinal cord injuries
- traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- road rash and skin abrasions
Injuries such as these can require significant medical attention and time to heal. And they won’t be inexpensive, either.
Seeking Compensation After Bicycle Accidents: What Am I Owed?
If the bicycle accident that you were injured in was caused by someone else’s negligence, you can seek compensation from the at-fault motorist. Your attorney can help you identify as many damages as possible in order to calculate your potential case value.
Common damages from bicycle crashes may include:
- medical bills
- lost wages
- pain and suffering
- property damage
Learn More: South Carolina Personal Injury Law Guide
Bicycle accident attorneys also help victims identify possible sources of compensation, such as various types of insurance coverage that could come into play and personal assets.
Do You Need a Lawyer to Make a Bicycle Accident Injury Claim in South Carolina?
While you do not need a lawyer to make a personal injury claim in South Carolina, it is advisable to get a free consultation from one prior to filing your claim. At our law firm, the case evaluation is always free. We will let you know if we think we can help you recover compensation.
We fight for you to try to get as much as possible, as quickly as possible. And we keep our clients in the loop every step of the way.
Can You Afford to Hire a Bicycle Accident Attorney?
Yes, we work on a contingency fee basis to ensure that you can. With a contingency fee, there is no hourly or flat fee charged, and it doesn’t cost you any extra to hire us immediately. That way, we can start working on your case as soon as possible.2
We bear the burden of investigating and pursuing your claim so that you can focus on your recovery. And we only collect a percentage of the total amount recovered for you, so our attorney’s fee is contingent on if we recover for you. Put another way, if we do not recover compensation for your claim, you pay no attorney’s fee.2 Guaranteed.
How Do You Know if You Have a Case? We’ll Evaluate It for Free
We know South Carolina law, and we fight hard to protect the rights of people who have been hurt by the negligence of others. Let us put you first, starting with a free case evaluation. If we don’t think we can put you in a better financial position, we won’t waste your time.
Why You Should Contact the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin
Since 1997, our firm has recovered more than $1.8 billion in total for more than 65,000 injured people.1 U.S. News – Best Lawyers named us to the “Best Law Firms” list for 2024.4
Need more reasons? Check out these South Carolina client reviews.
Call us at 1-866-900-7078 or contact us online today for a free case evaluation.
Text Us