Greenville Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Bicycle crashes often leave people with severe injuries and potential long-lasting consequences. If you were riding your bike around downtown or Greenville County and were suddenly struck by a negligent driver, you need someone who can guide you through the process of filing a bicycle accident claim.
It can be unclear who is responsible for paying your medical bills, any damage to your bicycle, and any time lost from work. Our Greenville bicycle accident lawyers can help identify who is responsible, what insurance coverage is available to you, and help you get your life back on track. Give Armada Law Injury Attorneys a call at 833-332-3128 when you’re ready.
Whose Insurance Pays When a Driver Hits You on a Bike in Greenville?
South Carolina requires the driver’s auto policy to carry at least $25,000 for one person’s injuries. Although that may sound like plenty, it’s rarely enough after one ambulance ride and a hospital stay. Some drivers carry higher limits, but others carry only the minimum.
If the driver who hit you was uninsured, or drove away and can’t be identified, your own uninsured motorist coverage may step in. Every South Carolina auto policy is required to include it, and it follows the insured person, not the vehicle. This means the auto policy may cover you even though you were on a bike, including under a spouse’s or relative’s policy if you live in the same household.
If the driver’s insurance doesn’t cover everything you’re going through, underinsured motorist coverage may help close that gap. This coverage is optional, so it’s important that you check the details of your insurance policy to determine if it applies to your case. You don’t have to figure all of this out on your own; our Greenville bicycle accident attorneys can help you find every policy that may apply.
Not sure what kind
of claim you have?
A Greenville personal injury lawyer can help sort out what type of claim fits your situation, who may be responsible, and what you can do next.
Money You May Recover After a Greenville Bicycle Accident
You should not be responsible for all the bills associated with your injury when someone else’s actions caused your accident. After a Greenville bicycle accident, you may be able to recover money for:
- Medical bills. Emergency care, surgery, physical therapy, and the care you’ll need down the road.
- Lost wages. The time you’ve missed from work, plus work you can no longer do because of your injury.
- Pain and suffering. The physical pain, stress, and disruption the crash has brought into your daily life.
- Scarring and disfigurement. Lasting marks or changes to your body left by the crash.
- Your bike and gear. The bicycle, helmet, and other equipment damaged in the crash.
Once we fully understand the impact of your injury, we can help you pursue the money you deserve to get your life back on track. If you lost a loved one in a bicycle crash, we can guide you through a wrongful death claim instead.
Who Is at Fault When a Driver Hits a Cyclist in Greenville?
South Carolina law gives a person riding a bicycle on the road the same rights and duties as someone driving a car, along with a few rules written just for bikes:
- Drivers must keep a safe distance from a bicycle at all times.
- Where there’s a bike lane next to the road, drivers can’t block it, and they must yield to a cyclist in the lane before they enter or cross it.
We often see the same patterns when a driver hits a bike rider: turning across a bike lane, passing too close, or opening a car door without looking. A driver who breaks one of these rules may be held responsible for the injuries they cause. Our Greenville bicycle accident attorneys can help you show how the driver’s negligence led to your injuries.
As Greenville continues to grow its bike lanes and expand access to the Swamp Rabbit Trail, drivers are sharing more of our roads with cyclists. In a city where so much of our daily life revolves around driving, it's easy for people to overlook cyclists or forget that they have just as much right to be on the road. Keeping our community safe means looking out for one another, and I believe every cyclist deserves to feel safe when they ride.
How Do You Prove the Driver Was at Fault in a Bicycle Accident?
Proving fault comes down to the evidence that is available: where the driver was, how close they passed, and whether they yielded. We’ll help you gather any photos or recordings from the scene, the police report, security camera video from nearby businesses and homes, and statements from people who witnessed the crash. If you were using a fitness app or GPS at the time, that can help show your route and what took place before the crash.
Our Greenville bicycle accident lawyers use that evidence to show what really happened and build a strong claim in your behalf.
What If the Insurance Company Says You Were Partly at Fault?
Don’t let the insurance company intimidate you by trying to shift the blame onto you. The adjuster may point out the following rules:
- Where there’s a bike lane, cyclists are required to ride in it, except to pass another rider or to get around something blocking the lane.
- On a road with no bike lane, cyclists ride as near to the right side as practicable, unless only one lane leads where they’re going. A recreational path beside the road doesn’t count as a bike lane, so you’re allowed to ride on the road.
Being partly at fault doesn’t end your claim. You may still recover money as long as your share of what happened is not greater than the other side’s. We can walk you through what this means for your bicycle accident claim in Greenville.
Where Cyclists Get Hurt Around Greenville
The City of Greenville reports that in the past five years, 41% of all injury and fatal crashes in the city happened on less than 5% of its road miles, which it calls its High Injury Network. The three stretches with the most crashes that injured or killed someone walking or biking are Laurens Road from I-385 to Woodruff Road, North Pleasantburg Drive from Lowndes Hill Road to Wade Hampton Boulevard, and Augusta Street from I-85 to West Faris Road.
On roads like these, a driver turning across traffic can miss a cyclist. Across Greenville County in 2024, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety counted 41 cyclists hurt or killed in crashes, including four who died and five who were seriously injured. No matter where your crash happened, our Greenville bicycle accident lawyers can help you understand your options.
Why Injured Cyclists in Greenville Turn to Armada Law Injury Attorneys
At Armada Law Injury Attorneys, we believe in showing up for our neighbors when they need us the most. Our office is in Downtown Greenville, and we live and work in the Upstate. Here’s what you can expect when working with our team after your bike crash:
- We give you honest advice. We’ll guide you through your legal options in plain words and be transparent about whether you need a lawyer.
- We help you take care of your health. We help you get the resources you need to heal and move forward, with support documenting your injury along the way.
- We speak your language. Our bilingual team, including a Spanish-speaking attorney, paralegals, and intake team members, can talk with you in whichever language feels most comfortable.
- You don’t pay a dime upfront. There’s no fee unless money is recovered for you.
Attorney Anslee Woznick brings an academic background in public health and years of research into brain injuries and concussion protocols, which matters when a crash leaves you with a head injury.
Having experienced concussions myself and having a younger brother who sustained and recovered from a severe traumatic brain injury, I understand firsthand how profoundly these injuries can impact both individuals and their families. Following a bicycle crash, it is critical to seek medical evaluation promptly, even when symptoms initially seem minor, and to ensure that any symptoms and treatment are thoroughly documented. Brain injuries are not always immediately apparent, like a broken bone or bruises may be, which makes early evaluation and appropriate care especially important.
What Past Clients Say About Working with Armada Law Injury Attorneys
Don’t simply take our word for it; here’s what past clients have to say about working with our team:
Frequently Asked Questions About Bicycle Accidents in Greenville
What Should I Do After a Bicycle Accident in Greenville?
A few simple steps can protect your health and your claim. Call 911 and stay at the scene until a police officer arrives and takes a report, unless you need to leave for medical care. If you can, take photos and get witnesses’ names and phone numbers, then get checked by a doctor and keep every record. Keep your bike, helmet, and gear just as they are. When the insurance company calls, let the adjuster know you’ll follow up once you’ve talked to a lawyer.
How Long Do I Have to File a Bicycle Accident Claim in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, you generally have three years from the date of your injury to file a bicycle accident claim. The deadline can be shorter, as little as two years, when the claim is against a city, county, or state agency. To get a clear picture of the deadline in your own case, talk with one of our Greenville bicycle accident attorneys.
What If the Driver Who Hit Me Drove Away?
If the driver who hit you drove away, your own uninsured motorist coverage may still apply when three things are true: First, the crash was reported to the police within a reasonable time. Second, there was physical contact with the vehicle, a witness who gives a sworn account, or a recording showing the vehicle caused your injury. Third, you weren’t careless in trying to find out who hit you.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Bicycle Accident?
You don’t always need a lawyer after a bicycle accident. If you weren’t hurt, the other driver and their insurance company are working with you, and insurance covers what you need, you may be able to handle it yourself. If you were injured, someone disputes who was at fault, or more than one policy is involved, talking with one of our Greenville bike accident lawyers can help.
Talk to Our Greenville Bicycle Accident Lawyers About Your Injury
Insurance calls and paperwork are the last thing you want to deal with while you’re trying to heal from an injury. Our Greenville bicycle accident lawyers can take that weight off your shoulders. We’ll track down every policy that may apply and handle the adjuster’s calls, so you can focus on getting better. You don’t have to figure this out alone. This is your story, and you decide how you want to move forward from it. When you’re ready, call us at 833-332-3128 or fill out our online contact form.
Get a Free
Case Review
You don’t have to face insurance companies alone. Tell us what happened and start your recovery.Contact Armada Law today for a free case review and let us help you get your life back on track.
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833-332-3128By submitting your information, you consent to receive communications from our firm by phone, text, email, or mail. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of retainer or representation. You may opt out of communications at any time.
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