Carolina Personal Injury News

Head Injury Survivor Dies In North Carolina Bicycle Accident

Twenty years ago, Albert Arnott was seriously injured in a fall from a tree during a landscaping job. But although he suffered a traumatic head injury and could not walk, the tenacious man biked thousands of miles on his recumbent bike. Most recently, the man who held a lifelong interest in history and politics biked from coast to coast on his recumbent bike to protest term limits for US Senate members and congressmen.

However, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol confirmed this week that the 60-year-old man was killed while riding his bike near Mocksville, NC, on Highway 601. The bicycle accident occurred as Arnott was riding north on 601 and a pickup truck, also heading north, struck him from behind. The fatal NC bicycle accident is still under investigation. Charges have not yet been filed against the driver.

Recumbent bikes ride lower to the ground than traditional bikes, making it more difficult for approaching driver to see the riders, especially drivers of pickup trucks, commercial trucks, and SUVs. Many recumbent bikers, including Arnott, add a brightly colored flag to their bike to alert drivers of their presence. Some recumbent bikes are two-wheeled, while others, like the one Arnott was riding, have three wheels to add balance. All of the bikes are wider than traditional bikes, making them somewhat more dangerous to ride on busy or narrow streets.

Arnott’s friends say that the man died doing what he loved and that he was an inspiration to anyone facing a traumatic head injury.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and closed head injuries. In fact, our firm in 2000 helped a brain-damaged client receive what was then the largest verdict for a brain injury case in Virginia history. 

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008 and and we have been named a North Carolina "Best Law Firm" for personal injury law since 2010 by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, Rick and Jim have been listed in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009 and our firm has the highest rating of AV from national lawyer ranking organization Martindale-Hubbell. That means we have a reputation for demonstrating preeminent legal skill.

We serve every area of North Carolina, including the Outer Banks, Nags Head and the western mountains, as well as all the cities and counties in between. In South Carolina, we cover the state from Myrtle Beach and Charleston to Orangeburg, Columbia, Florence, Rock Hill, Darlington, Aiken, Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg. While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer a free initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us toll-free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call promptly.