Every day, people are hurt or killed in car accidents all over Georgia. Being involved in a car crash can be the most traumatizing experience for victims and their loved ones. It may lead to pain and suffering, disability, lost wages, and expensive medical bills.
If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a car accident in Atlanta, you may be eligible for compensation. A skilled Atlanta car accident lawyer at 1Georgia Injury Lawyers can help you get the justice you deserve. Our law firm will guide you through the legal process and work to secure the best settlement.
Contact us today by calling to schedule a free initial consultation. Our personal injury lawyers in Atlanta will talk to you about your legal options. Get started now before it’s too late to seek compensation.
Car Accident Statistics in Georgia
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 36,096 motor vehicle fatalities occurred in 2019. This is a 2 percent decline from the 36,835 fatalities recorded in 2018. In Georgia, the number of passenger car fatalities recorded in 2018 and 2019 were 541 and 549, respectively.
How Much Does an Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer Cost?
Atlanta car accident lawyers have various fee arrangements. Some law firms charge hourly fees, flat fees, or retainers for different types of cases.
At 1Georgia Injury Lawyers, we operate on a contingency fee basis. We only get paid a percentage of your compensation if we win your car accident case. In the event we don’t win your personal injury case in Atlanta, we won’t require you to pay any fees.
Our contingency fee arrangement ensures you get sound legal counsel and representation, paying no upfront fees. This risk-free arrangement allows you to save money for more pressing needs like your immediate medical care expenses.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Atlanta, GA?
Auto accidents can be chaotic. While it can be difficult to stay calm, what you do after a car accident can make or break your car accident claim in Atlanta.
Here’s what our experienced car accident attorneys recommend.
Contact Police
If you have been involved in a car accident in Atlanta, always call 911 to report the wreck. Inform the 911 operator if anyone is severely hurt and requires medical aid. Never let the other parties involved in the crash convince you otherwise.
Remember to report any suspicions like drunk driving to the police. Police reports play a vital role in car accident cases. The insurance company will use the police report when investigating who is at fault.
Check on Other Involved Parties
Are the other car occupants okay? Is the other driver stuck or bleeding out? Always check on other involved parties to make sure they are okay. If someone is in imminent danger, help them.
It’s important to wait for the police to arrive at the accident. Never leave an accident scene before the police arrive.
Exchange Information
Once a car wreck happens, make sure you collect relevant information from the other parties. Eyewitnesses may provide valuable insights into what happened and help you with your car accident claim. Get their names, phone numbers, and addresses.
You should also exchange information with other parties involved in the crash. You can note down their names, phone numbers, insurance information, license plate details, as well as car make and model.
Record the Scene
Evidence from the scene of the accident can help your Atlanta car accident lawyer establish fault and prove negligence. You can use your smartphone to take pictures or videos of the accident to help build a strong case. Make sure you photograph any visible injuries, car damage, road signs, and skid marks.
Never Admit Fault
One of the biggest mistakes car accident victims make is admitting fault. Never admit fault to any other party after the accident. Your case may be in jeopardy if you make any statements that can be used against you.
Stick to the facts and avoid speculation when talking to police. Be careful about what you say to the other drivers or their insurance adjusters. It’s best to let a car accident attorney communicate with the other driver’s insurance company.
Seek Medical Attention
After a car crash, always seek medical help. Never assume you are okay. You aren’t a medical professional who can make that assessment on your own after an accident.
Remember, some injuries may not be obvious right away after a crash. Symptoms of neck injuries and concussions may develop after several days. Visiting the emergency room after a crash can help you avoid serious health complications.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Contact your insurance company as soon as possible after an Atlanta car accident. Provide them with the documentation you’ve collected. Your insurance company will also want a copy of the police report.
Call a Car Accident Lawyer!
It’s important to hire a seasoned Atlanta car accident lawyer. At 1Georgia Injury Lawyers, our attorneys are prepared to deal with all aspects of your case. We will handle communication with the other driver’s insurance company on your behalf, giving you ample time to rest and recover.
The legal team at 1Georgia Injury Lawyers won’t rest until we get to the bottom of your car accident case. Let us help you recover the maximum compensation for your damages. Contact our experienced lawyers today for a free consultation.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident?
After a car accident, victims always wonder how much they’d recover. All negligent parties deserve to pay for their reckless actions. They should be held accountable for leaving you bedridden and destroying your vehicle.
Every car accident is unique. There isn’t a fixed amount that victims receive. The specifics of your crash have to be considered when determining the payout. For instance, a wrongful death compensation involving a drunk driver will have a larger payout than an accident where the victim suffered flesh wounds.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average settlement in 2019 was $18,417 for bodily injury claims and $4,525 for property damage claims.
How Can Our Atlanta Car Accident Attorneys Help?
It’s best to reach out to a reputable Atlanta car accident lawyer after your accident for legal advice. Remember, other involved parties may have already contacted their attorneys. They may already be building a case against you.
Gathering Evidence
An experienced car accident lawyer will go through the facts of your case to build a strong personal injury claim. We will gather and analyze relevant evidence, including dashcam footage, medical records, incident reports, and eyewitness statements, to prove fault.
1Georgia Injury Lawyers is also prepared to consult experts, including surgeons and accident reconstruction professionals, for insight into car crashes.
Settlement Negotiation
Our reputable personal injury law firm is ready to handle settlement negotiations on your behalf. We know how insurance companies operate and are prepared to counter their tactics.
Our Atlanta car accident lawyers will aggressively negotiate with the opposing party’s insurance company to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. 1Georgia Injury Lawyers won’t accept any mediocre lowball settlement from the other driver’s insurance provider.
Personal Injury Lawsuit
If we can’t reach an agreement with the insurance carrier, our Atlanta car accident attorneys are prepared to represent you in court. Our law firm will prepare a strong case to prove the other party’s fault and secure the compensation you rightfully deserve.
We will also summon expert witnesses to the stand, like police officers and medical professionals, to shed some light on the details of the case. These parties can be extremely helpful when determining who was liable for your car accident, convincing the judge and jury that you deserve maximum compensation.
Our team has helped countless Georgia clients hurt in car accidents get the compensation they deserve.
What Compensation Can I Get in a Car Accident Case?
In a car accident case, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. Our Atlanta car accident attorneys can help you seek the maximum compensation.
Economic Damages
These damages are simple to calculate in a car accident case. They are directly related to the crash and can be found in receipts and bills. Economic damages include medical expenses, rehab expenses, lost income, car damage, and lost earning capacity.
- Medical Expenses: Immediate and ongoing medical bills, including doctor visits, hospital stays, surgeries, and prescription medications.
- Rehabilitation: Expenses for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other rehabilitation services needed to recover from injuries.
- Lost Wages: Compensation for income lost due to time off work while recovering from car accident injuries.
- Lost Earning Capacity: Compensation if your ability to earn income in the future is reduced due to permanent or long-term injuries.
- Property Damage: Costs related to the repair or replacement of the vehicle and other damaged property.
Non-Economic Damages
These are intangible losses that are typically subjective. They are harder to compute since they don’t have fixed monetary values. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, loss of consortium, disability, trauma, loss of reputation, and emotional distress.
Interestingly, the Georgia Supreme Court deemed caps on non-economic damages unconstitutional. There is no cap on these damages in the state of Georgia.
Punitive Damages
You have the right to seek punitive damages in Georgia if the actions or inactions of the accused amount to willful misconduct, malice, fraud, wantonness, or oppression. Car accident lawsuits involving drunk or drugged driving could warrant punitive damages in Georgia.
The state of Georgia caps punitive damages at $250,000. However, this limit does not apply in drunk driving accident cases.
How Is Fault Determined in Georgia?
Georgia is a modified comparative fault state, meaning that you can only recover compensation if your fault for an accident is less than 50%. If your fault exceeds 50%, the courts will bar you from recovering any damages in your personal injury case.
Your share of blame will reduce your compensation, so your compensation would be reduced by 20% if you are 20% at fault.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim?
Every state has a statute of limitations for personal injury cases. In Georgia, you have two years to file your personal injury claim after a car accident. For property damage claims, you have four years from the date of the crash to file a claim.
If you delay filing your claim within these periods, Georgia courts will bar you from receiving any compensation for your auto accident claim.
Reach out to an Atlanta car accident lawyer as soon as possible to begin building a strong case. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Car Accident FAQS
How Can a Lawyer Help Me File My Insurance Claim?
1Georgia Injury Lawyers is ready to help you throughout the claims process. Our Atlanta car accident lawyers will accurately fill out all paperwork and file your claim before the deadline. We will guide you throughout the claims process to make sure you don’t ruin your chances of securing the best compensation.
What Can I Do If Insurance Denied My Claim?
Insurance adjusters aren’t your friends. They are in business, and their primary aim is to deny or limit your claim.
If your claim has been denied, our law firm will investigate the insurance company’s decision to determine if they acted in bad faith. We will thoroughly analyze all aspects to find legal loopholes and appeal the decision. Our attorneys are prepared to go to the highest court in Georgia to secure your compensation.
Do I Have a Case?
Our Atlanta auto accident lawyers are ready to advise you regarding your personal injury case. You may have a case if the actions or inactions of the defendant were negligent or reckless and if their actions led to your injuries. Reach out to our law firm today for a free case review.
What If the Other Driver Doesn’t Have Insurance?
Many people ask our Atlanta accident lawyers at 1Georgia Injury Lawyers what happens if the driver doesn’t have insurance coverage. You can sue the driver directly, but uninsured drivers usually don’t have sufficient assets to pay for your damages.
If you’ve been hit by an uninsured driver, uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance can help cover your costs. Your collision coverage can also come in handy during such times, paying for your car repair or replacement expenses. Med Pay coverage may cover your medical and funeral expenses after a car crash.
How Much Is My Atlanta Car Accident Case Worth?
Many factors come into play when determining compensation in Atlanta car accident claims. Our attorneys can provide an estimate of how much your case may be worth.
Our Atlanta car accident lawyers consider these factors when determining the value of your claim:
- The extent of your injuries: Did you suffer minor or severe injuries?
- Medical expenses: Did you undergo surgery or require home-based care?
- Vehicle damage: Was your car completely totaled?
- Insurance coverage: Do you have comprehensive insurance coverage?
Serious injuries like spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries generally lead to higher settlements. An assessment of your claim’s value will help us in the negotiation phase since it gives us an estimate of how much the insurance company should pay for your injuries and damages.
Contact an auto accident attorney at 1Georgia Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation.
Will I Have to Go to Court?
Most car accident cases are resolved outside of court with a settlement. If the insurance company won’t offer a fair settlement, an experienced car accident attorney may recommend filing a personal injury lawsuit.
The threat of a court battle often prompts insurance companies to agree to a fair settlement. However, your Atlanta car accident lawyer will be prepared to take your case to court if necessary.
How Can I Obtain an Accident Report?
You can get a police accident or accident report in Georgia at the Georgia State Highway Patrol (GSP) or your local police department. This report is usually available several days after a crash.
Alternatively, you can get your accident report online at Buycrash.com. Here, you can choose to receive this report electronically or have it mailed to you.
Remember to have these details with you when trying to obtain your incident report:
- The location of the crash
- The date of the crash
- The case number
- Details of the involved parties
When Should I Get an Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer?
After an auto accident in Atlanta, it’s advisable to get a car accident lawyer immediately. The earlier, the better! Reach out to an Atlanta car accident attorney after your crash and inform them about what has happened. Your lawyer will advise you regarding what you should and should not do.
If you are unable to contact a lawyer immediately after your crash, make sure you contact them the next day after you have received medical attention.
Never wait too long before seeking legal help. The other party’s insurance adjusters may approach you and try to get you to admit fault. Alternatively, they may present you with a lowball offer for your car accident.
Call our Atlanta car accident attorneys today if you’ve been involved in an accident. Don’t wait until video evidence from nearby CCTV cameras is deleted or bystanders forget the details of the crash.
Types of Car Accidents We Handle
At 1Georgia Injury Lawyers, our lawyers are prepared to handle any type of car accident case in North Atlanta. Our experienced legal team can help you with any of these car accident claims:
- Driving under the influence
- Distracted driving
- Head-on collisions
- Hit & run accidents
- Rear-end accidents
- Reckless driving
- Rideshare accidents
- Rollover accidents
- Speeding accidents
- Uninsured motorist
We also represent clients injured in motorcycle accidents and truck accidents.
Schedule Your Risk-Free Case Evaluation Today
People are hurt in auto accidents every day all over Georgia and the US. Most Atlanta car accidents happen because of negligence, like speeding or drunk driving. Auto accidents frequently leave people struggling with serious injuries, medical bills, and lost wages.
If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a car crash, you need a skilled Atlanta car accident lawyer to help you navigate the legal process and get the compensation you deserve. 1Georgia Injury Lawyers is ready to guide you and protect your rights after a car accident. Our lawyers will handle your case while you regain strength after the crash.
Call 678-635-9939 to speak to our seasoned attorneys.
Let us help you get a full and fair settlement for your Atlanta car accident claim. Get started now to build a strong car accident claim against the at-fault party. Remember, you pay nothing unless we win!
