Car accidents happen nearly every day in Sandy Springs, causing major injuries. Those affected by a car accident due to the fault of another driver or company can find legal recourse through a personal injury claim.
You have legal rights after you have been in a car accident. One of those legal rights is to file a third-party liability insurance claim against the at-fault driver. If successful, your claim will provide compensation to cover the costs of treating your injuries. It can also provide money for other damages, including property damage, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
Filing a strong insurance claim is not always easy. The insurance company may send you a “lowball” offer or dispute whether their policyholder was at fault. In these instances, wreck victims can benefit from the guidance of an experienced Sandy Springs car accident lawyer.
Appointing a car accident attorney to handle your auto collision case can improve your chances of obtaining a fair settlement that covers all of your damages. If no settlement agreement can be reached, your attorney can file a lawsuit and fight for your compensation through the court system.
Rafi, Brown, and Stokes has a history of winning large settlements and awards for our accident victim clients. We inform you of your legal rights and the optimal legal strategies based on past successes.
Speak to one of our Sandy Springs car accident lawyers for free during your initial consultation. You will find out your options for obtaining compensation and the next best steps to take to begin making a strong case.
Schedule your free, no-obligation consultation now when you call us now at 404-800-1156 or contact us online.
Common Forms Of Compensation In A Sandy Springs Car Accident Claim
Tort laws stipulate that those who cause damages through negligence are responsible for all of the costs of those damages. These damages can include literal expenses, such as reimbursement of medical bills. They can also include non-monetary, or “general,” damages like pain and suffering.
Common types of monetary and non-monetary damages awarded in a car accident settlement include:
- Medical bills, past and future
- Lost wages, past and future
- Reimbursement for expenses related to treatment
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life, intimacy, or support
- Punitive damages
Not every car accident injury case will result in all of these forms of compensation.
Estimating expenses often comes down to the input of experts. An experienced car accident attorney in Sandy Springs will know that insurers often rely on the strength of a claim based upon its ability to convince a jury.
Accordingly, your attorney will build a case with the idea that it could illustrate strong evidence and legal justifications based on existing laws and prior case histories. They will obtain testimony from medical and economic experts to determine the full value of your claim. A former doctor, for example, will be able to predict how long your recovery will take and the total cost of procedures needed. These amounts all factor into the settlement requested in your claim.
Sandy Springs Car Accident Injury Claim Laws
Sandy Springs, like the rest of Georgia, has a few laws governing the ability for car accident victims to obtain compensation for their injuries.
The first law to know is that car accident claims must be built upon the legal theory of negligence. All negligence cases have four main components:
1. Someone has a duty to follow laws or exercise “ordinary care” in order to keep others safe
2. That person breached their duty by breaking the law or acting carelessly
3. The breach caused an injury that affected the claimant/plaintiff
4. The injury resulted in real damages that can be recovered through the legal process
Establishing that someone had a duty of care and breached that duty is not always easy. Some car accident cases involve situations where laws were clearly broken. A driver may be clearly at-fault because they ran a stop sign or were intoxicated. Other times, your Sandy Springs car accident lawyer will have to determine who was at fault based on technicalities of the law or prior case rulings.
The second law affecting car accident cases is referred to as Georgia’s comparative negligence law. Under this legal system, injury victims who were partially at fault for their accident can still recover damages as long as they didn’t contribute 50% or more of fault.
As an example, a negligent driver who hits you while you didn’t have your lights on could be assigned 80% of fault for an accident. If the total value of your damages was $500,000, then they will be required to pay 80%, or $400,000, of the total.
Finally, Georgia law puts a statute of limitations on personal injury claims. All claims must be filed within two years of the incident that caused the injury, with very few exceptions.
Talk To A Sandy Springs Car Accident Lawyer Before You Talk To Insurers
You are likely to hear from insurance adjusters representing the driver who hit you soon after your accident. They will ask you questions about the incident under the guise of assisting you with your claim.
In truth, you are only legally obligated to share the bare minimum of details with these insurance representatives. Talking too much can allow them to use your own words against you. For example, they may ask you if you are still in pain, and if you say “it’s not too bad today,” then they may use that fact to dispute the extent of your injury or avoid compensating for pain and suffering.
Potential missteps like these are why car accident victims benefit from having a lawyer represent them. A lawyer can provide you with sound legal advice and even negotiate with insurers on your behalf.
More importantly, experienced car accident lawyers in Sandy Springs know the sorts of factors insurers look at when trying to weigh the strength of a case. Without a lawyer, they may offer you an unacceptably low settlement or attempt to dispute your claim on a technicality.
Hire An Experienced Car Accident Attorney To Improve Your Chances Of Getting Compensation
After your car accident, you and your family may be worried about medical bills and other expenses piling up. You deserve to have someone with knowledge and experience serve as your ally and legal advisor during this trying time.
Rafi, Brown, and Stokes has fought for the rights of car accident victims since it was first formed. We want to provide the guidance and expert legal services that give your case the highest chances of obtaining the maximum amount of compensation available under the law.
Start the conversation and potentially start your case with a Sandy Springs car accident lawyer today when you contact us now or call 404-800-1156 to schedule your free consultation.
