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Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Even though many people in our city choose to ride their bikes for fun or for a more efficient and environmentally-friendly way to travel, accidents between vehicles and bicycles still occur. When these collisions happen, the bicyclist can suffer serious injuries. If you’ve been struck while riding your bike, you could use the help of a Bentonville bicycle accident lawyer. At McMath Woods, we understand how vulnerable you feel after a collision that hurt you, which is why we’re here to support you through a legal claim. You deserve to be compensated for the damages you suffered, and we’re here to help.

Arkansas Bike Laws    

When you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident, it’s essential to know the laws that surround bikes on the road so that you know you didn’t break laws and that the motorist is who was at fault for what happened. Here are some of the most important bicycle laws in Arkansas, according to Bike NWA, that determine whether or not you were in the wrong while riding your bike:

  • Bicycles are not considered vehicles, but still have all the duties and rights of motorists.
  • Helmets are not required except for children under 14 in Bentonville.
  • You must ride your bike on the right side of the road.
  • Cyclists should use hand signals to indicate where they intend to go at intersections unless it is unsafe to do so, and they need both hands on the handlebars.
  • State laws do not require bells.
  • Although state law does not prohibit riding on sidewalks, it is prohibited in Bentonville.
  • Bicyclists can treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs if nobody else is coming.
  • Riding under the influence is illegal.
  • Bikes cannot be ridden through crosswalks, so if a rider wants to use a crosswalk and be treated as a pedestrian, they must dismount and walk their bike across.
  • Most e-bikes are considered the same as regular bicycles, but if the bike is motorized and reaches 28 miles per hour, it could be considered a vehicle rather than a bicycle.

It’s important to understand that the motorists involved also followed the laws regarding bicyclists. The primary law requires that motorists traveling the same way as cyclists give at least three feet of distance when passing them. If you were following all of the laws pertaining to cyclists when you were hit, then it’s likely you weren’t at fault.

A Bentonville bicycle accident attorney can help you prove that you weren’t responsible for the accident and deserve justice for what you’ve suffered. Let’s take a look at how fault is determined in bicycle crashes in Arkansas.

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Fault in Bicycle Accidents

In bicycle accidents, you might think that the motorist is always the one at fault, but as we saw above, if the bicyclist violated any laws, they could also be partially at fault. This can get complicated because Arkansas is a modified comparative negligence state. In theory, this means that if both parties are found to be at fault, they can only recover damages based on the percentage they were at fault. However, in Arkansas, because the rule is modified, if a party is found to be 50 or more percent at fault, that individual cannot recover damages for their injuries.

The issue of fault can get complicated, which is why you could use the help of a bicycle accident lawyer—they’ll be able to determine your amount of fault and whether or not you can recover damages. When your lawyer investigates who was at fault, they’ll fight to prove key elements that show the other party was at fault for your collision. It’s important to have them on your side because you likely sustained severe injuries from the impact of the vehicle and then physical damage associated with being thrown onto the road. You shouldn’t have to deal with these issues on your own, which is why your lawyer will work hard to prove that:

  • The driver owed you a duty of care to you as a bicyclist;
  • The driver breached that duty of care;
  • That breach resulted in your injury; and
  • Your injuries resulted in damages.

As long as you followed the rules of the road as a cyclist, you likely weren’t at fault for the collision. Your attorney will investigate what happened to ensure the correct party is held accountable for what happened. You can trust your Bentonville bicycle accident lawyer to get to the bottom of your crash and determine who was responsible.

McMath Woods Is Here for You

When you’re unsure about your next steps after a bike wreck, you could use the help of an attorney to ensure that your rights are protected and that you get justice for your injuries and damages. At McMath Woods, our experienced Bentonville bicycle accident lawyer is here to support and guide you through the legal process. We provide personalized, one-on-one legal counsel, taking on a limited number of serious injury and wrongful death cases. We’ll investigate what happened to cause your accident, evaluate the full scope of the damages, and determine how much you’re owed in compensation. We’ll keep you from settling for less than you deserve. Contact our office today so we can start your claim as soon as possible.

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