Car accidents often change the lives of victims in ways you might not even imagine. The consequences of a serious collision may include catastrophic injuries such as paralysis, brain injuries, severe burns, and sometimes even death.
If you or a loved one was hurt in an Atlanta car accident, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more. An Atlanta car accident lawyer at H Groves Law can help you recover financial compensation if a negligent driver is responsible for your crash.
At H Groves Law, we have many years of experience with personal injury claims and regularly help the victims of car accidents. We can help you identify the liable party or parties, gather evidence to prove fault, and recover the compensation you deserve.
Call us today at (770) 329-1868 to schedule your free case evaluation.
Car Accident Statistics
The most recent car accident statistics in Georgia come from 2020. In that year, 1,664 people died on Georgia state highways. That’s compared to 1,492 in 2018, and 1,505 in 2018. The state enacted a hands-free law forbidding the use of mobile devices while driving in mid-2018, which is what likely led to a reduction in accidents in 2019. Unfortunately, the trend didn’t hold and numbers rose in 2020.
How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost?
Car accident lawyers in Atlanta work on a contingency fee basis. This means that you are not required to pay anything for our services unless we win your case. If we do not think you have a chance of winning your case, we will tell you that during the FREE consultation.
If we don’t win your case, you owe us nothing, no lawyer’s fees, and no advance expenses. We explain our fees to you before we start working with you. The fees are contained in a written fee agreement that outlines our obligations to you and the specific services we will offer you.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident?
If you are involved in a car accident in Atlanta, you need to do a few things to ensure the safety of everyone and protect your legal rights:
Contact Police
Call the police to report your accident. The police will in turn create a report of the accident, which can be incredibly helpful when it comes to establishing fault and liability when it comes to filing an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
Check on Other Involved Parties
Never drive away from an accident scene without reporting the accident no matter how minor the accident was. Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious offense with serious penalties. If anyone involved in the crash was injured or seems unconscious, make every effort to get them to medical treatment without delay.
Exchange Information
If you have been involved in a car crash, it is also important to exchange the following information with the other driver or drivers and any passengers involved in the accident:
- Full Names
- Phone Numbers
- Driver’s License Information
- Make, Model, and Vehicle Colors
- Car Insurance Information
- License Plate Number
Record the Scene
If you have a camera or smartphone, use it to capture photos of the scene of the accident, which includes any damage to your vehicle and any injuries that you and/or your passengers have suffered. Photographic or video evidence can be incredibly helpful when it comes to filing an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit.
Never Admit Fault
Never apologize or say anything that could be inferred to mean that you take responsibility for the accident. The only way to truly know why an accident occurred and who is actually at fault is through an investigation. If you admit fault, that investigation will likely never take place. Other parties and insurance companies can twist your words and use them against you.
Seek Medical Attention
You might not think you are badly hurt, but injuries from a car accident such as a concussion or whiplash can often surface later. Never take chances with your health. You should get thoroughly checked out right away after any sort of car accident injury. Don’t forget to keep records of all medical care you receive. If you decide to pursue a lawsuit, it will improve your chances of being compensated should you decide to go to court for damages.
Call a Car Accident Lawyer!
If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, you need an experienced car accident lawyer on your side. Fortunately, the legal team at H Groves Law in Atlanta, GA has been helping accident victims recover the compensation they deserve for many years. We know exactly how to deal with insurance companies and aren’t afraid to take your case to court if necessary. Call us at (770) 329-1868 to set up your free, no-obligation consultation and case evaluation.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident?
A settlement is an agreement between the parties involved to settle the matter for an agreed-upon sum of money. Once the case is settled, the accident lawsuit will be dismissed and both parties move on. Settlement, however, isn’t required in Georgia.
It isn’t easy to give an average settlement amount for an Atlanta car accident. Each case varies significantly and it can also be challenging to give an exact number since many personal injury settlements are private.
Your settlement amount will be based on your physical injuries, emotional trauma, property damage, and much more. To find out what the average settlement is for a car accident, you should get in touch with our car accident lawyers at H Groves Law in Atlanta via phone at (770) 329-1868.
When Should I Get a Lawyer for My Auto Accident?
Not everyone that has been involved in an auto accident will need to seek legal representation. If the accident was complex or severe, however, then it is necessary to call a lawyer as soon as possible so that they can start building your case. Call a lawyer right away if any of the following apply to your situation:
- Any accident where the fault isn’t clearly established
- Any accident involving an uninsured or underinsured driver
- Any accident in a work zone or construction zone
- Any accident in a school zone
- Any accident involving another motorist, such as other cars, a truck, cyclist, or pedestrian
- Any accident that causes serious injury to you or another person like a brain injury or spinal cord injury
- Any time insurance companies offer confusing answers or send mixed messages regarding liability concerns.
Why Do I Need a Lawyer?
If you have been involved in an auto accident in Atlanta, GA, you should consider hiring our car accident lawyers at H Groves Law to help with the following:
Case Preparation/Filing a Lawsuit
Filing a car accident claim and/or a personal injury lawsuit involves a lot of paperwork and forms. The paperwork and forms must be filled properly and submitted on-time so that your case proceeds accordingly. Our lawyers file the required paperwork and forms correctly and on time since improperly filled forms or failure to file the necessary paperwork only adds unnecessary delays to your case.
Settlement Negotiation
Settling may mean taking less of an award than may be offered by a jury, but a pre-trial settlement comes without the high legal fees of a trial. Our experienced Atlanta car accident lawyers can negotiate with insurance companies to get you the biggest settlement possible. We will do proper research to ensure that you go into the negotiation with the best bargaining position possible.
Trial Preparation and Representation
Court trials tend to be long, lengthy processes that are completely avoidable if you have a lawyer that understands settlement negotiations. Still, insurance companies will sometimes not offer you as much as you are rightfully entitled to. If that happens, you can count on us to defend your interest in court before a judge and/or jury.
What Type of Damages Can I Recover?
The types of damages you can pursue will largely depend on the facts of your case. Here are the different types of damages you can recover:
Economic Damages
Economic damages refer to the compensation awarded for objectively verifiable monetary losses. Examples include but aren’t limited to:
- Lost wages
- Personal property damage
- Medical expenses
- Inability to earn wages
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, refer to compensation for subjective, non-monetary losses. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
Punitive Damages
Unlike both economic and non-economic damages, punitive damages are typically awarded for the purpose of punishment as opposed to compensating any loss. Simply put, they aim to deter reckless or intentional behavior or actions motivated by malice.
How is Fault Determined?
For a person to be held at fault in a motor vehicle accident, there are 4 legal elements described in negligence law that must be satisfied:
- Duty of Care: All drivers have a duty of care to other road users; it is everyone’s duty to drive safely, follow traffic laws, and respect other road users.
- Breach of Duty of Care: To sue someone, you must provide proof that they violated their duty of care, which often means proving a traffic safety violation.
- Causation: You must then provide proof of the damages or injuries resulting from the crash; you should prove that the accident directly caused the injuries and/or damages.
- Damages: You must also prove that you have suffered quantifiable losses in the crash. The losses can be either economic or non-economic as described above.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
If you plan to file a claim for damages, there’s a deadline, which is known as the statute of limitations. In Georgia, the statute of limitations for injury claims is generally 2 years from the date of the injury. If you don’t file your claim before the expiry of this period, you will forever be barred from ever filing it. So, always ensure that you file your claim in time.
How Can a Lawyer Help Me File My Insurance Claim?
If you are filing a car accident insurance claim in Georgia, it is important to be knowledgeable of how the process works and how long you can expect each step to take. The details may vary slightly depending on the case, but the litigation process generally follows this path:
Accident Report
The first thing you should do after being involved in a car accident is to notify your insurance company of your plans to file for compensation under your policy. The insurance company will assign a claims adjuster to your case who will examine your policy and review the information you provided regarding the accident.
Investigation
The insurance company’s adjuster will need to investigate the circumstances surrounding your accident to determine the amount of loss or damages covered by your insurance policy. During this process, the adjuster is generally looking to avoid liability on the part of the insurance company to the greatest possible extent.
Initial Settlement Offer
Once the insurance adjuster believes they have a good understanding of what happened as well as the extent of your injuries, they will make an offer for compensation. If the settlement is sufficient to cover your losses, you can accept it and receive a check. However, that’s rarely the case, which is why you need a lawyer to review your settlement offer for advice on whether to accept it or not.
Negotiations
If the settlement amount was too low or your claim was denied, your lawyer can enter into negotiations with the insurance company for a more favorable amount. You can present proof of your injuries to convince the insurance company that your case is actually worth more than they believe. The assistance of a skilled lawyer is highly beneficial during the negotiations to ensure that you receive the payout you deserve.
Trial
If settlement negotiations fail and the insurance company is unwilling to offer a favorable amount, the matter will go to trial. At trial, each side will present its arguments and evidence to the jury/judge and it will be up to the judge/jury to decide which party should prevail.
What Can I Do If Insurance Denied My Claim?
The unfortunate reality is that insurance companies can and sometimes will deny car accident claims, and they do so for various reasons. If you have received a denial letter from your insurance provider, you should do the following:
- Determine why the insurance company denied the claim and use the reasoning to file your appeal.
- Talk to your lawyer about filing an appeal. If an insurance company has denied your claim, we can appeal its decision and provide them with additional evidence to consider.
Call us at (770) 329-1868 for assistance if your insurance company has denied your claim. The Atlanta car accident lawyers at H Groves Law are happy to discuss your case and let you know your options.
Do I Have a Case?
If you were injured in a car accident in Atlanta, GA where you were 50% or less at fault, then you may have a valid case for compensation. Get in touch with our legal team at H Groves Law in Atlanta, GA to help you determine whether you have a valid case.
What If the Other Driver Does Not Have Insurance?
If you have been involved in an accident caused by an uninsured driver, the first thing you should do is get in touch with your own insurance company. You may have to make a claim through your own policy. You should be able to do this if you have uninsured motorist coverage or standard collision coverage. The other option would be to sue the individual to get the compensation that you deserve.
Talk to our legal team at H Groves Law in Atlanta, GA to determine which option is best for you.
How Can I Obtain an Accident Report?
The City of Atlanta has partnered with www.buycrash.com to allow drivers to obtain accident reports. To access the report online, you will need to enter your name, date of the accident, the road of occurrence, and vehicle identification number. You will be charged a fee to access the report.
You can also get in touch with the Central Records Unit at the Atlanta Police Department directly if you prefer to pick up a copy of the accident report in person. Following the accident, the reporting process may take up to 5 business days before the accident report becomes available.
Talk to An Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer About Your Claim!
If you have been injured in a car accident in Atlanta, GA due to another person’s negligence or actions, you may be entitled to compensation. Call us today at (770) 329-1868 for your free, no-obligation consultation with our experienced car accident lawyers at H Groves Law.
During your free consultation, our team of experienced, passionate, and reputable lawyers will answer any questions that you might have regarding your claim, our tract record, our credentials, client testimonials, and our communication policy. We look forward to working with you!
