More than 2,300 businesses have offices in Peachtree Corners, a planned community known for its industrial and tech presence. Major highways like I-85 and I-285 bring traffic to Peachtree Corners from other cities in the Atlanta metro area.
Inside the city, collector roads connect different areas, and the Western Gwinnett Bikeway provides an alternative for those who want to bike parallel to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. But if you experience a car accident while traveling in Peachtree Corners, you could suffer serious injuries. How can you get the compensation you need for your recovery?
Consult a Peachtree Corners Car Accident Attorney Today
A car accident can leave you spinning your wheels, literally and figuratively. When you’re injured, you may be unable to work for days, weeks, or months, but hospitals and doctor’s offices just keep sending you bills.
Not to mention, you could be in a lot of pain and struggling to think clearly.
Should you expect the at-fault driver’s car insurance adjuster to help? The adjuster will work to keep their company’s costs as low as possible, which could mean more expenses for you.
Fortunately, a knowledgeable car accident lawyer will know all the insurance company’s tricks and can fight for your right to compensation.
The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm provides a free consultation about any car accident or personal injury case. Whether you’ve received a claim denial, are considering a settlement offer, or haven’t yet filed a claim, we can review the details of your collision and answer your questions.
If the insurance company hasn’t offered you all the compensation you deserve, we’ll negotiate with them for a better deal.
Car and Bicycle Accidents in Peachtree Corners
Peachtree Corners has taken steps to make cycling both more accessible and safer for residents. The Western Gwinnett Bikeway was built after residents expressed an interest in dedicated paths for biking and walking.
Additionally, the city plans to provide both bikers and vehicle drivers with technology that alerts users of approaching vehicles or vulnerable road users (such as cyclists or pedestrians).
But when cyclists must use or cross roadways, there is always a possibility of a car collision. Although bicyclists should ride carefully and observe all the same traffic laws as cars, motorists are responsible for driving carefully around bikers and other vulnerable road users.
Here are some Georgia laws to keep in mind regarding cars, bicycles, and sharing the road:
- Pass safely when driving a car. Under Georgia law, drivers must maintain a three-foot distance between their vehicle and a nearby bicycle while passing the bike. They should also slow down to 10 MPH below the speed limit or 25 MPH while passing. If possible, motorists should move to another lane (not adjacent to the bike) before passing so they will have a wider distance from the bicycle.
- Don’t drive aggressively. Georgia statutes also allow for drivers to be charged with a misdemeanor for aggressive driving around a bicyclist. However, you should not drive aggressively around other vehicles, either.
- Bicyclists may ride two abreast, but no more than two. Also, ride as close to the right side of the road as is practical. You don’t need to keep right if you are turning left or avoiding hazards in the road.
- Check your bike lights, especially if you don’t ride at nighttime often, because they could fail without your knowledge. The front of the bike should have a white light and the back a red light, and both should be visible from 300 feet away. Use your lights on gray and cloudy days so you can be seen more easily.
- The law requires bicyclists younger than 16 to wear a bike helmet, but everyone is safer wearing one, regardless of age. You can have a bike accident at 16 or 66, and wearing a helmet drastically reduces your risk of severe head injuries.
Who Is at Fault in a Bicycle or Pedestrian Accident?
The at-fault driver and their insurance company might be convinced the vulnerable road user is at fault. However, this isn’t always the case. In many situations, we find the vehicle driver was negligent and caused the accident.
Georgia law also allows for both parties to share some of the responsibility. If you are less than 50 percent at fault, you can still seek damages, but they will be reduced by your own percentage of fault.
It’s essential that you have help from an experienced car accident lawyer to ensure the insurance adjuster doesn’t overestimate any fault you might have.
Your attorney will work to answer the question of who is at fault by gathering evidence and analyzing the details. If we find evidence the driver was at fault, we’ll build a solid case to prove it so you can get a favorable settlement.
Can You Be at Fault if You Are Hit in a Crosswalk?
Yes. Drivers should yield to vulnerable road users in a crosswalk and always approach crosswalks with caution and reduced speed.
However, a pedestrian or biker could be at fault, at least partially, if they pop out in front of a car, leaving it no time to stop. In other words, if you made it impossible for the driver to yield effectively, they probably won’t be held responsible.
There may also be disagreement about who had the light in an intersection, a common place for bicycle accidents. A driver might say they had a green light, but the bicyclist rode out in front of their car.
Often, we will work to find evidence as quickly as possible in the hopes of recovering video from a nearby security, traffic, or doorbell camera. If no video is available, we’ll consider electronic evidence, like data from the car’s event data recorder or EDR.
We may also seek witnesses or anyone with photos or video from the accident scene.
Why Is It Difficult to Get a Fair Settlement After a Car Accident?
The insurance company has a number of strategies they employ to reduce your settlement and save the insurance company money. Here are a few of the issues you might run into with an insurance claim:
- Disputes over fault. This is not just an issue in car/bicycle crashes but also in many collisions involving two or more vehicles. Surprisingly, you can run into a fault disagreement even when the at-fault driver takes responsibility. Their insurance adjuster might still argue that you were partly to blame under modified comparative negligence laws, which allow the insurer to reduce your settlement by your percentage of fault. If you don’t have an attorney, the adjuster could assign you a percentage that is too high or claim you had some fault when you didn’t contribute at all. A seasoned lawyer will fight for a fair evaluation of both drivers’ contributions.
- Undervaluing your damages. Valuing a car accident claim is more complex than it seems, and most laypeople don’t know all the damages they may be entitled to after an accident. Insurance adjusters might only address some of these damages or offer less than they are worth. An experienced attorney will discuss your losses thoroughly and calculate a value for your total claim so you can then confer about whether the insurance company’s first offer is fair.
Does That Mean the Insurance Company’s Initial Offer Is Not Sufficient?
It depends on the offer and your damages, but we’ve seen many situations where the initial proposal failed to cover all the client’s losses. A recommended way to respond to an insurance company’s offer is to review it with a car accident lawyer.
If the insurance adjuster pushes you to accept right away, you should be even more wary. Tell the adjuster you will review it and get back to them as soon as possible, then contact a Peachtree City personal injury lawyer right away.
We’ll spend some time valuing your claim, then go over the offer to determine if it meets all your needs. If not, we can negotiate with the insurance company and fight for the settlement you deserve.
What if the Insurance Company Denied Your Claim?
Speak to an attorney immediately. In some cases, we may be able to appeal the decision.
Here are a few common reasons why a car accident claim may be denied:
- The insurance adjuster blames you for the accident. If they can make a case that you were at least 50 percent at fault, they have the justification to deny the claim completely instead of reducing it. We’ll review the details and investigate further if needed. Should we find evidence that you were actually less than 50 percent responsible, we may have grounds for an appeal.
- The insurance company is rejecting your claim due to something in the “fine print.” For example, let’s say that the policyholder agreed to “exclude” a family member from driving their car due to high-risk behavior (such as DUIs). This person drives the car anyway and hits your vehicle, causing you injuries and property damage. The insurance company can refuse to pay the claim because the driver was specifically excluded from the policy. In these situations, we will consider other options to recover your damages, like suing the driver or using your own insurance (if you have the right coverage).
- The insurance company doesn’t think your injuries were caused by the accident. This occasionally happens in situations where the injured person didn’t pursue medical attention right away, especially if they waited more than a few days to see a healthcare provider. We understand why this happens—sometimes, injuries don’t cause symptoms immediately, or the injured person may assume the injuries are minor and will resolve on their own. However the insurance adjuster only sees a claim for a doctor’s visit a week or two after the accident and questions the connection. If this occurs, we may work to provide additional documentation from medical records or expert witnesses to show that your injuries were caused by the collision.
What Happens When Someone Has an Accident While Driving for Work?
These situations can be complicated, and it’s essential to establish who was at fault before we consider the ramifications. In general, personal car insurance doesn’t cover accidents in which the person was driving for business purposes.
However, if you were driving for work and were not at fault, you would most likely have a claim on the other person’s liability insurance. But, if the other driver is at fault, has personal insurance, and was driving for work, you might have a personal injury claim against your employer.
If the at-fault party is driving for a rideshare, you could have a claim on their personal insurance or the rideshare company’s liability insurance, depending on several factors.
What if you are driving for work, have an accident, and the other driver is uninsured, or you can’t prove they were at fault? If you were on the clock or specifically driving somewhere as directed by your employer, you may have a Worker’s Compensation claim.
As you can probably see, there are a number of considerations in these cases, but your attorney can help you identify the most effective options for recovering compensation.
How Can You Learn More From a Peachtree Corners Car Accident Law Firm?
Our experienced legal team at the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm is always happy to provide you with a free consultation about your car accident. We’ll review the police report, identify the liable parties and relevant insurance policies, and explain your options.
There is no obligation, and if we represent you, we won’t charge you anything until we win or settle your case.
Attorney Ali Awad established the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, which is now one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country. With the help of his experienced legal team, Mr. Awad has secured millions of dollars in compensation for injured people and their families.
When he’s not working on a case, you can find him on social media, delivering no-nonsense legal advice to more than a million followers. Work with him and his team of professionals when you call (470) 323-8779.
