Georgia Injury Lawyers / Georgia Car Accident Lawyers
Some people love driving, some people tolerate it. Having a car is a great thing, but it is also a huge responsibility. Sometimes, the responsibility of driving a car can lead to terrible accidents. If you have found your way to this page, it is likely that you have been seriously hurt in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence. We want to express our deepest sympathy that you had to deal with this. It is a scary and stressful situation to be injured, especially when it was not your fault and could have been avoided. After you read about your car accident claim, please do not hesitate to call our office to schedule a free initial consultation. Get Our FREE Car Accident Guide

Common Car Accident Injuries

We have all seen images of car accidents in ads, at school, and on TV. Car accidents are ugly and can be fatal at times. When people are fortunate enough to survive, they may suffer from their injuries permanently, which can be terrible to deal with. The most common types of injuries which can have a permanent affect on someone includes traumatic brain injury, broken bones, internal organ damage, and paralysis. There are some injuries, too, which people can often heal from, including cuts and lacerations, bruising, neck or back injuries, and fractures. We strongly encourage you to seek immediate medical attention for any type of injury that may result from a car accident. Make sure to tell your doctor of any and all pain that you are in, so that they have note of it. We can show that to the insurance company when they ask why you deserve compensation and how much. Your health is the most important thing about your case. We cannot stress enough how necessary it is to see a doctor, go to the emergency room, or visit an urgent care center. Tending to your injuries is the primary goal, but there is the secondary advantage of having evidence to strengthen your case against the liable party. Typically speaking, the worse your injuries are and the more treatment you need, the bigger your compensation award will be.

Georgia Car Accident Statute of Limitations

A successful car accident claim is one that is filed on time. Georgia allows for victims of car accidents two years from the date of their accident to bring their claim or to settle in civil court. These two years have the potential to absolutely fly by, and we highly encourage you to talk to a lawyer about your case as soon as possible. It is very important that you get your case ready and filed before the deadline or else you will no longer be eligible for compensation. It is unfortunate when people wait right up until the deadline, as car accident cases cannot be thrown together overnight. If you wait too long, we might not be able to help you. It is highly recommended that you hire a lawyer right away to represent you in your car accident claim. With ample time, they can talk to your witnesses, collect your evidence, deal with the insurance, and negotiate terms for a settlement. If you wait, you are putting that lawyer under a tight deadline, which does not always yield the best results.

Avoid Making a Huge Case-Ruining Case

When learning about a car accident claim, it is important that you learn what not to do. When you are hurt, there is typically someone who is at fault for the accident. If, in your case, you are not at fault and another driver is, you can expect that their insurance company will be reaching out to you to try to pin the blame on you, which would reduce or eliminate the compensation that they would owe you. They do this by attempting to get a recorded statement. They try to convince you that it will help them help you if you talk to them. You should never give them any statement without first talking to a lawyer. Often the best option would be to have your lawyer take over communication with the insurance company so they can protect you. Get Our FREE Car Accident Guide

Frequently Asked Car Accident Questions

How much is my car accident claim worthHow much is my car accident claim worth?

When somebody is injured in a serious accident and they’re dealing with pain, medical care issues, employment issues, and possibly family issues, one of the things they may be wondering when looking for an attorney is how much their case is worth. In a major injury case, that is not something that you can typically determine right away. There are a number of factors that can affect what you actually win at the end of the case.

One factor is that hospitals now routinely file liens and are becoming increasingly aggressive about trying to enforce their liens to get reimbursements. We involve ourselves in this part of the process and try to get you the best result we can. If you have health insurance, you may not have to worry about paying your medical provider out of your recovery at the end of the case. Even with health insurance, however, you may have your health insurer trying to collect for what they have paid for your medical expenses. This issue can also factor into auto injury cases, especially a serious injury case. Third-parties such as big businesses, major corporations, and especially hospitals can file liens. Intervening on issues such as these is a major part of how we handle an auto injury car crash and get you the most money that’s possible to put in your pocket.

Who will pay for my medical bills after a car accident?

Dealing with health insurers and Medicare reimbursement rights is a significant part of what we do as personal injury attorneys to put as much money in your pocket at the end of the case as we possibly can. When people are injured in Georgia, especially if they have serious injuries, one issue that often comes up is who’s paying for what. When you’re injured by somebody’s negligence in a car crash in Georgia, you look to the liability insurer of the at-fault driver or the owner of the vehicle first. That liability insurance, however, is not going to pay your medical bills as you receive treatment.

While your medical expenses are part of the value of your liability claim, you have to look for other sources of insurance to pay your bills as you go, including your own health insurance. You can also pay for some of your medical bills with what is known as medical payments coverage, which you might have under your own insurance policy. Oftentimes, people will have medical payments coverage and not even know they have it. Part of our job is to make sure you have medical payments insurance, especially if you don’t have health insurance to cover your medical expenses. Insurance companies will seek reimbursement and entities such as Medicare are slow and take time; part of our job is to get going with them right away so that you are able to recover everything you’re entitled to in your case, as soon as possible.

What mistakes should I avoid after a car accident?

A lot of times when people are injured, they don’t know what to do. A common mistake that people make is not getting an attorney soon enough. In addition to statutes of limitations, you may also be dealing with time notice requirements under your own policy that require you to give notice to your insurer to preserve that claim. Another mistake people often make is getting the wrong attorney. Chances are this is the first time you have been through this process, and there’s not a lot of good information out there to help you determine how you should go about getting your attorney and who you should hire.

Finally, even if you hire the right attorney, don’t make the mistake of not following your attorney’s advice, which can hurt the value of your case. We are partners in your case. We’re here to stand by your side and get you through what can be a very difficult and trying process.

What should I consider when hiring a car accident attorneyWhat should I consider when hiring a car accident attorney?

Often, when people are injured in serious car accidents and have major injuries, it’s an extremely stressful situation. They may be in a lot of pain, dealing with medical care, handling an employment situation, or coping with any one of myriad issues that make the process stressful. One question that comes up during this stressful time is “What attorney should I choose?” The attorney you choose can depend on the extent of your injuries and the situation. If you’ve got major injuries from a case, the best rule is to stay away from the firms that do high-volume major advertising because those firms are designed more for minor injury cases. Those are firms that are designed to settle, and have high budgets and high marketing liabilities that they have to cover.

In the case of a car accident with major injuries, you want to get an attorney who is familiar with litigation. If you cannot settle the case without filing a lawsuit, you need an attorney who can handle the process after a lawsuit is filed. You need an attorney who can do that efficiently, and knows how to try a case. Don’t assume that every attorney out there is going to be a good trial lawyer at court or can handle multiple litigation issues. At our firm, we work as a team and have the ability to handle complex issues, try cases, and get you a good result. We want to handle major injury cases where we can really make a difference, and we won’t quickly settle and move on. We are your partner in this.

How long will a car accident case take?

If you’ve got a serious injury case, your case can take a while. The more serious your injuries, the longer the case, oftentimes. One thing that takes time in a personal injury case is determining what your damages are. Damages are everything from your pain and suffering to the reasonable value of your past and future medical expenses and the reasonable value of your wage loss.

At our firm, we work to get the case into litigation quickly, and we try to push it as hard as we can. Time is not always on your side when you’ve got responsibilities and the stress of injuries. We know that you need us to get the best result for you as quickly as possible, and we work to push your case forward.

What if the driver that hit me doesn’t have insurance?

Finding insurance is mission critical when you have serious injuries. Sometimes in accidents, an accident victim discovers that the at-fault driver that injured them does not have any insurance. In these cases, you need to see if you have uninsured motorist insurance, and you need to make sure you’ve put your own insurance carrier on notice of a bodily injury claim early in the case. You also need to ensure that there’s not another liability policy out there that will cover the at-fault driver. In some scenarios, the at-fault driver may have a commercial general liability policy through their employer, if they are driving a company vehicle when they injure you. The at-fault driver may also be covered by a family member’s liability insurance.

Your attorney can help you determine if you have found all of the insurance coverage that’s out there. Filing your lawsuit can give you access to the subpoenas and civil discovery you need to start uncovering this information.

Should I speak to an insurance adjuster after a car accidentShould I speak to an insurance adjuster after a car accident?

When people are injured in car crashes in Georgia, the insurance company often asks you for a recorded statement. While you will want to put the insurers on notice, you want to stay away from giving recorded statements unless you have an attorney who can participate in the statement. You don’t really know what can be particularly damaging about your case. The biggest fight in many car accident cases is over damages, and your damages are not always clear-cut. If the insurance carrier can get you on a recorded statement minimizing your injuries. Do not give a recorded statement until you’re represented by an attorney who can give you guidance and participate in any statement.

What should I do after being injured in a car accident?

A car accident can be a very stressful experience. One of the most important things you can do after a car crash is to consult with an experienced attorney. This should be someone’s advice and judgment that you can trust. Your attorney will keep you notified of the goings-on of your case. If not, you have hired the wrong attorney. At Princenthal, May & Wilson, LLC, we will always keep you notified of your case and are readily available to answer any of your questions.

Contact Our Georgia Car Accident Lawyers Today

A car accident is a terrible thing to have to experience. We want to ensure that you do not have to experience anything more unpleasant on your road to seeking compensation. We will make sure that you are protected from the liable party’s insurance company and that your rights to full and fair compensation are also protected. You are a priority to us, and we want you to feel that you are. Our Georgia car accident lawyers have handled many cases just like yours. There is a lot at stake here and you want to ensure that your case is handled correctly. Please do not hesitate to call our office today to set up a free initial case review and see exactly how we can help you to get the results you deserve.