bicycle helmets

What Causes Bicycle Wrecks in Georgia?

December 23, 2022 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

Every year, serious bicycle crashes cost over $23 billion. Misinformation contributes to this high total. Bicycle helmets are a good example. When drivers see helmeted riders, drivers subconsciously think the riders could survive crashes. Therefore, many drivers take unnecessary chances. These unnecessary changes often mean severe or catastrophic injuries for bicyclists. These wounds usually include head injuries, broken bones, and serious internal injuries.

Only a Marietta personal injury attorney can obtain the financial compensation these victims need and deserve. Bicycle crash victims need money to pay medical bills and other accident-related expenses. They deserve this money because they must find some way to move on with their lives. Perhaps more importantly, damage awards send a strong message to motorists and encourage them to share the road with bicyclists.

Aggressive Driving

Bicycle Commuting is Down: Will it Rebound?

February 5, 2021 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

After years of rising steadily, the latest data indicates that the number of commuters opting to ride a bicycle to work is down slightly in recent years. While bicycle commuting rose slightly in popularity in 2016 over 2015, it declined slightly in 2017, the last year for which reliable data is available.

Of course, all of that historical data is B.C. – Before COVID-19. It remains to be seen what the pandemic has done to the number of bicycle commuters. Millions of Americans found themselves out of work as a result of lockdowns and layoffs in response to COVID-19 as many occupations were deemed “nonessential.” Many millions more found themselves working from home. Either way, for many months now, far fewer people are commuting to work by any means of transportation at all. It remains to be seen what happens with the number of bicycle commuters when life returns to normal – whenever that might be, and whatever a post-COVID “normal” looks like. It seems likely, though, that people on bicycles, whether commuting, exercising, or just enjoying a little recreation, will be back on the roads at some point. That means that bicyclists involved in traffic accidents are likely to become a more prominent issue once again.

Riding Bicycles is Popular and Dangerous

Atlanta Court Says Helmet Reseller Not Liable for Bicycle Accident Injuries

October 21, 2016 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

Georgia’s product liability law allows a consumer injured by a dangerous or defective product to sue the manufacturer for damages. George employs a “strict liability” standard, which means the manufacturer is responsible even if there was no evidence that it was negligent. This strict liability rule only applies to actual manufacturers, however, and not companies that merely sell or distribute a product created by a third party.

Williams v. Pacific Cycle, Inc.

A company may be considered a “seller” even if it played some role in a defective product’s design or packaging, as a recent decision by a federal appeals court in Atlanta illustrates. The plaintiff in this case suffered a severe brain injury following a bicycle accident. He accused the defendant of manufacturing the defective bicycle helmet he was wearing at the time of the accident.