Fifteen people were injured on Saturday in a Midtown accident involving a “Pedal Pub”which is an electric vehicle that resembles a large bike that is steered by a driver while passengers help pedal it, often while drinking alcohol. The accident occurred at about 6:30 PM, at the intersection of West Peachtree Street and 14th Street, when riders were attempting to negotiate a turn and toppled over. The Pedal Pub was carrying the maximum amount of passengers with 15 people riding at the time of the accident. 10 of those people suffered minor injuries, while 5 were more seriously injured, including 2 who were listed as critical. The driver of the apparatus — referred to as a “pilot” — was later arrested for DUI.
Referred to as “the original party bike,” the Pedal Pubs in Atlanta allow passengers to have their own alcoholic beverages in plastic cups while riding the vehicle, with the exception of hard liquor. In other areas throughout the country where Pedal Pubs operate, the operators are permitted to serve beer onboard.
The accident could have even wider consequences, according to some legal analysts, as Georgia does not allow open containers in vehicles operating on public roadways, and a Pedal Pub is considered a vehicle that was operating on a public roadway. The accident may lead to tighter enforcement of city open container ordinances, and perhaps even a question as to whether businesses like Atlanta Pedal Pubs should be allowed to operate. The company’s corporate office issued a statement earlier this week in which sadness over the accident that involved one of the company’s “independently owned and operated franchises” in Atlanta.
If you’ve been injured in an Atlanta accident that was the result of an alcohol-impaired driver, you could be eligible to seek compensation for the financial and psychological costs of your injury. Contact the legal team at Cambre & Associates LLC to learn more about your legal options.
