You Don’t Have to Handle a Bicycle Accident Claim Alone
If you were hit by a car while riding your bicycle in North Charleston, you’re likely dealing with more than just physical injuries. Medical bills, time away from work, and pressure from insurance companies can quickly become overwhelming.
Frank Hartman represents injured bicyclists who need someone in their corner — someone who knows how to hold negligent drivers accountable and fight for the full compensation they deserve.
Insurance companies move fast to protect themselves. Frank moves faster to protect you.
Why Choose Frank Hartman
Not every personal injury attorney understands the unique challenges bicycle accident victims face. Frank Hartman approaches these cases with a clear strategy focused on results.
- Focused Representation for Injury Victims
Frank handles serious injury cases and understands how to build strong claims against negligent drivers and their insurers. - Knows How to Prove Driver Fault
Bicycle accident cases often come down to visibility, right-of-way, and driver behavior. Frank knows how to investigate these details and use them to your advantage. - Prepared to Push Back Against Insurance Companies
Insurance adjusters often try to shift blame onto cyclists. Frank anticipates these tactics and works to shut them down with evidence. - Direct, Honest Guidance
You won’t get vague answers or false promises. You’ll get straightforward advice so you can make informed decisions about your case.
How Frank Hartman Can Help You Recover After a Bicycle Accident
After a bicycle accident, what you do next matters. Immediate steps will be taken to protect your claim and position your case for the strongest possible outcome.
- Investigate the accident thoroughly
This includes reviewing police reports, gathering witness statements, and identifying any available video footage. - Handle all communication with insurance companies
So you don’t have to deal with adjusters trying to minimize your claim. - Identify all sources of compensation
Including other drivers, employers, or third parties who may share responsibility. - Work with medical and financial experts when needed
To fully understand the long-term impact of your injuries. - Build a case designed for maximum recovery
Whether through settlement or litigation, Frank focuses on securing the compensation you actually need.
Success Stories from Our Clients
What Can You Recover From a Bicycle Accident
Bicycle accident injuries are often severe, and the financial impact can be long-lasting. Frank works to recover compensation that reflects the full extent of your losses.
Depending on your case, this may include:
- Medical expenses (current and future)
- Lost income during recovery
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Long-term care or rehabilitation costs
- Home or lifestyle modifications due to injury
How Frank Hartman Pursues Full Compensation for Bicycle Accident Victims
The value of a bicycle accident claim depends on more than just immediate medical bills. Frank Hartman evaluates the full scope of your losses to pursue compensation that reflects both your current and future needs.
Considerations when building your case:
- The severity and long-term impact of your injuries
- Whether your condition is temporary or permanent
- All medical expenses, including future treatment needs
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- The broader impact on your daily life
In more complex cases:
- Medical experts to project long-term treatment costs
- Financial experts to calculate lost earning potential
- Life care planners to assess future needs like in-home assistance or modifications
Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts by downplaying injuries or future costs. While no attorney can guarantee a specific outcome, Frank is committed to building the strongest case possible and advocating for the best result based on the facts of your situation.
Understanding Liability in Bicycle Accident Cases
As with other types of motor vehicle accidents, anyone whose negligence causes or contributes to a bicycle crash can usually be held responsible. The most common responsible parties are the driver involved in the crash and/or the bicyclist involved in the crash. For example, a driver who is speeding and so cannot stop in time to avoid a collision may be liable for the crash. Similarly, a bicyclist who suddenly cuts into the lane of traffic in front of a car may be at least partly responsible.
What if Both Parties are Negligent in a North Charleston Bicycle Accident?
In South Carolina, a bicyclist who was partly responsible for the collision may still be entitled to compensation for their injuries. However, there are some limitations. First, if the bike rider is found to be more than half responsible for the crash, they can’t recover any damages. If they were not more than half at fault, they may still be entitled to compensation. However, the compensation will be reduced based on their percentage of fault. For example, if the injured bicyclist is found to have been 20% responsible, they will only be able to recover 80% of their damages.
Third-Party Liability in Bicycle Accidents
In some circumstances, someone who wasn’t actually involved in the accident may be partly responsible. Identifying additional possible responsible parties can be complicated, and the best way to make sure you don’t leave anyone out is to consult a bicycle accident lawyer in North Charleston, SC as soon as possible after your accident.
Some possible examples include:
- Another driver who forced the driver or bicyclist involved in the crash to take evasive action
- An entity responsible for debris in the road, such as another driver or the party responsible for road maintenance
- The manufacturer of a defective part or product that contributed to the accident, such as faulty brakes on the vehicle
The best source of information about who may be legally responsible for your injuries and what types of damages you may be entitled to is an experienced North Charleston personal injury lawyer.
Types of Bicycle Accidents Frank Handles
Bicycle accidents happen in many ways, but certain scenarios come up again and again. Frank has experience handling cases involving:
- Vehicles passing too closely and sideswiping cyclists
- Drivers turning into a cyclist’s path
- Left-turn collisions at intersections
- “Dooring” accidents involving parked vehicles
- Failure to yield at intersections
- Collisions caused by distracted or impaired drivers
Common Injuries in Bicycle Accident Cases
Bicycle accidents often result in serious injuries because riders have little protection against the force of a collision. Frank Hartman represents injured cyclists facing everything from painful short-term injuries to permanent, life-altering conditions — and he understands how to build cases that reflect the true impact of those injuries.
Some of the most common injuries include:
- Broken bones
Fractures to the shoulders, arms, wrists, ribs, hips, legs, and ankles are common. While some heal with time, others require surgery and may never fully recover. - Road rash
More than just a scrape, road rash can involve deep skin damage and embedded debris, often requiring extensive treatment. - Muscle and tendon injuries
Soft tissue injuries can limit mobility, cause ongoing pain, and require physical therapy. - Eye injuries
Debris from the crash can cause significant eye damage. Frank considers both immediate treatment needs and any lasting vision impairment when evaluating your case. - Concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Head injuries are common in bicycle accidents and can have lasting cognitive and neurological effects. Frank works with medical professionals to fully understand and document the long-term consequences. - Spinal cord injuries
Injuries to the back or spine can result in chronic pain, limited mobility, or permanent disability. Frank builds cases that reflect the seriousness of these life-altering conditions. - Traumatic amputation
In severe accidents, limbs may be crushed or trapped, leading to amputation. These catastrophic injuries are pursued with the level of compensation they demand.
Safety Measures for North Charleston Bicyclists
Cars and other motor vehicles are much larger, heavier, and faster than bicycles. That not only increases the risk of serious injury or death to a bicyclist hit by an automobile, but also means that the driver often has the best opportunity to avoid a collision. Still, there are steps a bicyclist can take to reduce the risk on the road.
- Wear clothing that makes you visible to drivers, including reflective clothing when riding at night
- Avoid bicycling while under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances
- Don’t ride wearing headphones or otherwise obstructing your ability to hear the traffic around you
- Wear a helmet when riding in traffic
- Wear goggles to prevent debris from impairing your vision or injuring eyes
- Use the bicycle lane when one is available
- Never assume that nearby drivers are aware of you
- Don’t assume a vehicle will properly yield the right of way
- Make sure your bicycle is well-maintained and, particularly, that your brakes are in good working order
- Use a headlight and reflectors when riding at night
Bicycle helmets aren’t required in South Carolina, but studies have shown that they significantly reduce the risk of serious head injury, including fatal injuries, in a bicycling accident.
Speak With a North Charleston Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today
The sooner you take action, the better your chances of building a strong case. Evidence can disappear quickly, and insurance companies may already be working to limit what they pay you.
Frank Hartman is ready to step in, protect your rights, and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Call The Hartman Law Firm at 843-300-7600 today or fill out the contact form to schedule your free, confidential consultation.
Bicycle Accident Lawyer FAQs
For many purposes, a bicycle is considered a vehicle under South Carolina law. Bicyclists must follow certain laws when they are occupying a lane in traffic. At the same time, the bicyclist is entitled to their lane in traffic.
Yes. Bicycles must have front and rear reflectors that make them visible from a certain distance at night. In addition, the bicycle must be equipped with a break that allows the wheels to stop on wet pavement. There is no statewide law that requires bicyclists to wear a helmet, although it makes sense from a safety standpoint.
The first thing you should do after any injury is to seek appropriate medical care. Once you’ve done that, you should talk to an experienced bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible. It’s easy to make honest mistakes that can seriously hurt your case, so it’s best to avoid discussing the accident with anyone except your medical providers until you consult an attorney. In particular, you should let your bicycle accident attorney handle interactions with the responsible party’s insurance company, since the insurer will be looking for ways to deny your claim or decrease your compensation.
Bike accident attorneys help with a wide range of aspects of an injury case, starting with investigating liability and determining the availability of insurance and other resources to compensate you for your losses. Your attorney can also take over interactions with the insurance company to help you avoid pitfalls, build a case on your behalf, submit a documented demand for compensation and negotiate with the responsible driver’s insurance company.
If the insurer won’t offer a fair settlement, the right bicycle injury attorney will prepare your case for trial and fight for you in court. Injury lawyers also manage a lot of other responsibilities that you may not be aware of, such as managing deadlines, filing pleadings and motions, attending pre-trial conferences, exchanging information with the other side and more.
The first step is understanding the relevant law: both what constitutes negligence in South Carolina and any relevant laws, such as traffic safety laws. The next step is gathering evidence, which may range from video footage and witness statements to hiring an expert to examine a vehicle or reconstruct the crash.
It’s important to remember that the driver’s insurance company makes money by taking more in premiums than they pay out in settlements and verdicts. That gives them a powerful incentive to find reasons not to pay your claim, or to quickly settle your claim for less than it’s worth. When you hire a bicycle accident lawyer in Charleston, SC, that lawyer is on your side. An experienced bicycle accident attorney will also be familiar with the tricks and traps insurance companies sometimes set and know how to avoid them.
The compensation available in your case will depend on a variety of factors, including the damages you suffered and the amount of resources–usually insurance coverage–available to pay that compensation.
In a bicycle accident case, some of the most common types of damages available include reimbursement for medical expenses associated with the injury, compensation for lost income due to the injury, and compensation for pain and suffering. Your bicycle injury lawyer can give you more specific information about the types of damages you may be entitled to.
For most bicycle injury cases and other negligence-based injury claims, you have three years to file a lawsuit. However, there are some exceptions, so it’s best to contact a bicycle injury attorney as soon as possible after your injury. Retaining your attorney as early as possible will also allow the attorney the best opportunity to gather evidence, and can help avoid mistakes that might hurt your case.
In South Carolina, a person who was partly responsible for the accident that caused their injuries may still be entitled to compensation. But there are limits. First, if the injured person is more than half responsible, they won’t be entitled to any compensation. Second, any compensation they receive will be reduced in proportion to their fault. For example, if the bicyclist is found to have been 30% responsible for their injuries, then they will also be responsible for 30% of the costs. They will only be entitled to compensation for 70% of their damages.
Most bicycle accident law firms, including The Hartman Law Firm, work on a contingency-fee basis. That means it won’t cost you anything up front to hire the lawyer. You’ll pay the attorney out of your settlement or verdict, based on a percentage you’ve agreed to in advance. You may also be responsible for some costs of litigation.
When you hire an injury lawyer on a contingency fee basis, you will enter into a written contract that clearly spells out how contingency fees and costs will work in your case.
A bicycle accident lawyer can pursue compensation for any injury that is caused by a negligent driver or someone else’s negligence. In some cases, that includes aggravation of pre-existing injuries or medical conditions. Injuries may range from sprains or broken bones to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injuries.
The amount of compensation available will depend in part on the severity of the injuries and the costs of medical care.
If you’ve lost a family member to a bicycle accident, you may have a wrongful death claim against the negligent driver. A bicycle accident wrongful death claim is similar in many ways to an injury case, but the procedures for pursuing compensation are somewhat different and the compensation available may differ. You should seek out an attorney who has experience with both wrongful death claims and bicycle accident injury cases to ensure that your lawyer has the full range of knowledge necessary to effectively pursue your claim.