Car Accident Lawyer
in Atlanta, GA

Car Accidents2019-06-28T15:59:00-04:00

Car accidents can change your life and your loved ones lives forever. The physical injuries, emotional trauma, and financial hardships caused by an accident can be difficult to deal with, and many people and their families suffer greatly as a result.

What to Do After a Car Accident in Atlanta

  1. Assess any injuries and go to your doctor: many times, people do not know or realize they are injured until well after a car accident. If you realize you were injured and are feeling pain as a result, go to your doctor immediately and receive treatment. Your doctor will write down everything you say about how you feel and what you think the cause of the injury was, so be precise with your language when you speak to your doctor.
  2. Do what your doctor says. Follow your doctor’s instructions, including getting necessary tests, completing treatment, and seeing specialists. If you are not feeling better, go back to your doctor and explain how you feel.
  3. Take pictures of your injuries.
  4. Contact Mike Rafi at 404-948-3311 before you speak to any insurance companies, give any statements, or go to traffic court.
  5. Contact your insurance company: you are responsible for reporting an accident to your insurance company. Importantly, all you must do is report the accident and provide the basic details—where the accident occurred and who was involved. You should not and do not need to provide your insurance company a statement or detailed account of the accident or your injuries right after the wreck.
  6. Do not write on social about the collision, the other driver, your injuries, your doctors, or anything else that could be used against you.

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Insurance & Investigations

insurance and investigationsBoth the other driver’s insurance company and your insurance company will immediately launch an investigation. Insurance companies make money by paying less on auto accident claims, so their goal is to pay you as little as possible.

The insurance companies will ask you to provide a written or recorded statement explaining how the accident occurred, who was at fault, and how you were injured—do not do it! The insurance companies will twist your words and take parts of your statement out of context, and they will not give you enough time to properly assess your injuries and receive treatment. They may also make low-ball offers and try to rush you into accepting, which will not be in your best interest. Learn about common myths about car accidents insurance companies tell people on our blog.

Mike Rafi will conduct his own initial investigation and navigate you through the insurance company gauntlet

  • Meeting with you
  • Inspecting your vehicle for any defects
  • Traveling to the scene to evaluate the crash
  • Speaking to police and first-responders
  • Finding witnesses and interviewing them
  • Researching the other driver and his employer, if he was working
  • Learning about your injuries and treatment

Each case is different, and Mike will adapt his investigation to fit your case.

Evaluating Your Damages

Determining the amount of damages you have suffered is as important as analyzing the circumstances leading to the crash. Common car wreck injuries are back and neck injuries, brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries. Damages that you may have suffered, include:

  • Past medical expenses
  • Future medical expenses
  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost wages
  • Lost future wages
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of intimacy and support
  • Punitive damages

There is no magic formula for determining how much your case is worth—the short answer is that your case is worth whatever a jury will award you. Juries are instructed to make fair and just awards under the laws. Accordingly, you should be fairly compensated for all of your injuries, whether you settle your case or take it to trial.

Mike Rafi has seen first-hand how car accidents can affect people’s lives, and Mike is a dedicated car accident lawyer in Atlanta helping those people and their loved ones. Mike will help his clients and fight to increase their recoveries before and at trial.  Mike Rafi, your Atlanta auto accident attorney, believes in maximizing the value of every case he works on, not quick settlements that do not get you the money that you deserve.

Atlanta Car Accident Statistics

Personal Injury Law

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$2,000,000
Settlement for client who injured hand in defective machine
$1,850,000
Recovery for client shot at gas station $1,700,000.00 jury verdict against gas station operator (highest pre-trial offer was less than $100,000.00) and $150,000.00 settlement against landowner
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Types of Car Accidents in Atlanta

Drunk Driving Accidents

Drivers who operate motor vehicles under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, and medication pose a danger to the safety of others on the road. Georgia law provides for criminal penalties for drivers who drive while impaired, but those penalties do nothing to directly help the person injured by the impaired drivers.

Under Georgia civil law, juries may be told about any and all times when an impaired driver drove while impaired. Further, impaired drivers make a conscious decision to drive even though impaired, and accordingly, punitive damages should be levied against impaired drivers.

Punitive damages are a sum of money that is required to pay in order to punish and deter the driver and deter the community as a whole from driving while impaired. A jury will decide how much money is appropriate.

If you’ve been involved in an accident involving an impaired driver, contact an Atlanta drunk driving accident lawyer today at 404-948-3311.

Distracted Driver Accidents

When operating a motor vehicle, a driver’s primary job is to drive safely and pay attention to the road. Georgia’s distracted driving law is very broad, and states in part that “a driver… shall not engage in any actions which shall distract such driver from the safe operation of such vehicle….”

While texting while driving gets most of the media attention, many other activities can distract a driver and cause crashes, including putting on makeup, reaching for an object, or eating and drinking.

A distracted driving accident lawyer in Atlanta can help you assess the damages, collect evidence, and determine the best course of action in your case.

Hit & Run Accidents

Georgia has a “Hit and Run” law: O.C.G.A. § 40-6-270. Under this law, a driver must do certain things after an accident:

(1) Stop.
(2) Render help to anyone who is injured.
(3) If necessary, contact emergency medical services and local law enforcement.
(4) Provide information (name, address, vehicle registration number, and driver’s license).

If a driver breaks the “Hit and Run” law, they can face fines, loss of license, and up to 5 years in prison.

If you’ve been injured in an accident and the other driver fled the scene, contact Mike Rafi, an Atlanta hit and run attorney, today at 404-948-3311.

Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians generally have rights to be in certain locations at certain times. For example, pedestrians have the right-of-way in crosswalks. Pedestrians also have the right-of-way on public and private sidewalks.

On the other hand, pedestrians have certain duties. Pedestrians must follow traffic lights, do-not-walk signs, or wait-signs, and other pedestrian safety warnings and devices. If there is a sidewalk next to a roadway, pedestrians must walk on it.

When there is not a sidewalk on a public road, pedestrians should walk along towards traffic on the shoulder. Even when pedestrians have the right-of-way, they must keep a proper lookout for vehicles and other pedestrian traffic.

Most Dangerous intersections in Atlanta

Studies have shown that Atlanta has some of the deadliest roads in the country. The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Rafi Law Firm travel these roads every single day. When traveling through Atlanta, it is best to avoid the most dangerous intersections below to reduce your risk of a car accident:

Memorial Drive and N Hairston Road, Stone Mountain

*Average of 22 accidents per month

This road has all the makings for a dangerous intersection. Less than a mile from I-285, and several blocks over form Stone Mountain High School, this intersection has been consistently flagged as a car accident disaster waiting to happen. Both factors create a propensity to drive fast and exit the road quickly – making car wrecks that much more probable.

North Druid Hills Road and Briarcliff Road, Atlanta

*Average of 13 accidents per month

An unusual amount of volume can help explain this intersection’s high-risk factors. Emory University residential and student traffic flood these streets, creating a constant stop-and-go mentality. Just about every hour of the day, this spot is backed up with traffic as people work their way to or from metro Atlanta. Be sure to stay alert as you maneuver through this intersection.

Butner Road and Camp Creek Parkway, College Park

*Average of 13 accidents per month

How could anyone expect not to have accidents at an intersection this big? One of the most heavily-trafficked in Atlanta, this intersection is the perfect storm of bad drivers, road ragers, and lanes without definitive boundaries. Stay focused on the road, as well as the traffic, to avoid a potential auto accident.

State Bridge Road and Medlock Bridge Road, Johns Creek

*Average of 14 accidents per month

One of the main thorough fairs for Atlanta suburbs, this intersection boasts a lot of commercial developments that people must have – grocery stores, shopping centers, movie theaters, and a Whole Foods! The dangers for this road lie in the fact that, compared to city streets, these allow for more open-road driving with less stops. That gives people more time to zone out or get distracted, even with an intersection coming up. The lack of traffic signals, driver attitudes and high speeds create a recipe for an accident to occur.

Monroe Drive at Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta

*Average of 12 accidents per month

One of the more inauspicious intersections on this list, Monroe and Piedmont are tied together by their constant in-town traffic and proximity to the Belt Line. Add in bicyclists, pedestrians and constant road congestion. You can easily see how anything less than full attention can turn disastrous.

Jimmy Carter Boulevard at Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Norcross

*Average of 17 accidents per month

Jimmy Carter Boulevard’s intersection with Peachtree Industrial is a treacherous spot. The Jimmy Carter/Peachtree Industrial Intersection can be very confusing. In conjunction with unmarked exits and several traffic lights, high speed traffic on Jimmy Carter merges with fast traveling traffic exiting Peachtree Industrial. Always slow down when crossing under the Peachtree Industrial Bridge to ensure that no driver inadvertently enters your path.

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