Asheville Bicycle Accident Lawyer

A person rubs their injured ankle after a bicycle accident.

Bicycles are a popular and common way to get around Asheville. The warm climate, easy roads and various trails make biking around the city a fun experience. Unfortunately, with so many bicycles on Asheville’s roads, the risk of an accident is relatively high. It seems motorists often don’t know how to share the road safely with bicyclists — or they simply refuse to do so.

Bicycle accidents can often result in serious and, in some cases, fatal injuries. You may not be able to work due to your injury, and you might have medical bills piling up that you don’t know how you’ll pay. The good news is, you can seek compensation for your injuries if the accident was caused by someone else’s actions or negligence.

At Auger & Auger, our attorneys can help you get the compensation you deserve. We have been representing injury victims for over 25 years, and we know what it takes to fight the insurance companies and get you the money you deserve. To speak with an Asheville bicycle accident lawyer, call us at (828) 222-7649 or contact us online for a free, no obligation consultation.

How North Carolina Treats Bicycles

In Asheville and the rest of North Carolina, bicycles are treated as vehicles. That means bicycle riders are required to follow all traffic laws that drivers are. However, it also means bicycles are allowed to ride on any state-maintained road (outside of interstates). In addition, bikes can travel in the middle of the traffic lane if they can travel at the same speed as cars, or if the edges of the road aren’t safe to ride on.

Unlike pedestrians, bicycles can’t ride against traffic. That means you have to ride on the right side of the road. Your bike must also be equipped with a light that can be seen from at least 300 feet away, and a red reflector or light on the back that’s visible from at least 200 feet.

Like cars, bicyclists must signal when they’re stopping or making a turn. But while cars use blinkers and brake lights, bicyclists must use hand signals.

Establishing Negligence in Asheville Bicycle Accidents

In order to effectively seek compensation, you must be able to prove the person who caused your injury either intentionally hurt you, or they acted negligently. Legally speaking, a person acts negligently when they behave in such a way that a reasonable person wouldn’t, and therefore causes injury.

Generally, there are four elements of negligence:

  • Duty of Care: Drivers and others on the road have a legal duty of care to follow all traffic laws and operate their vehicles safely.
  • Breach of Duty of Care: If a person doesn’t follow the rules of the road or otherwise doesn’t act in the same way a “reasonably prudent person” would, and they injured another person, they have breached their duty of care.
  • Causation: Third, you have to prove the other person’s actions caused your injury. For instance, if a driver swerves while texting and driving, and causes you to swerve as well, and you run into a road sign, the driver caused your injury.
  • Real Damages: Finally, you must be able to show that you suffered real damages you can be financially compensated for. Medical bills, property damage and more are real damages.

Speak to an Asheville Bicycle Accident Attorney Today

If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident, you have legal options. At Auger & Auger Accident and Injury Lawyers, our attorneys have been helping injury victims get the compensation they deserve for over 25 years.  Call us at (828) 222-7649 or contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation with an Asheville bicycle accident lawyer today.