Most car accidents are not truly “accidents.” They occur because someone was acting carelessly. The other driver was speeding, texting, or not watching the road signs carefully. When someone else is responsible for a serious car accident, a victim may spend months or years recovering. Some people may never recover.
The team at Nelson & Smith specializes in all types of car accidents and resulting injuries. We know the difficulties that arise after a car accident. You may face time after work, exorbitant medical expenses, and a loss of quality of life. All of these factors are incredibly overwhelming when combined with the physical pain and suffering of an injury, and finding qualified legal support can help.
GEORGIA CAR ACCIDENT LAWS
In Georgia, you have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit after a car accident. Our state operates under a comparative fault rule. The court may reduce a plaintiff’s compensation by any amount under 50%. Any party that is 50% or more at fault for the accident loses the ability to collect any damages. For instance, if you are 30% at fault and the court awards a maximum amount of $10,000 for economic and noneconomic losses, you can only walk away with $7,000.
The tricky part in any comparative negligence case lies in assigning percentages of fault. Your attorney will play an instrumental role in investigating the accident and helping the court or an insurance agency see the facts of the case.
WHAT TO DO AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
Until you go through a car accident, you may not know exactly what you should do in the aftermath. If doing anything would compromise your health, do not move until medical assistance arrives! If you can move around easily, do the following:
- Snap some pictures of the accident site – If you have your smartphone available, take a few pictures from every angle. This will help the insurance company and a potential future personal injury case.
- Always seek medical attention – You may experience some level of shock after an accident, and some symptoms may not manifest until hours or days after the accident. Go to see a physician, and inform him or her you were in an accident.
- Insist upon an accident report – File an accident report with the proper law enforcement agency so you have a formal record of the incident.
- Do not mention your accident on social media – Social media evidence may be contorted to hurt your case, so avoid posting anything about your accident.
- Talk to witnesses – See if witnesses will provide you with a name and phone number for reference later.
- Do not agree to or sign anything from an insurer – Insurance companies want you to settle quickly so they can move on. Avoid signing any documents from your own insurer or another insurer until you speak with an attorney.
It does not cost anything to contact an attorney to talk about your case. During a free initial consultation, our team will help you decide if moving forward with a claim is the best option.
THE TEAM AT NELSON & SMITH IS HERE TO HELP
We prepare every case as though it will go to trial, and we aren’t afraid to go there if needed. If you have trouble finding good medical care or face actions from bill collectors, we will represent you in every way we can.
Our work does not stop when we secure a fair settlement. We will continue to advocate on our clients’ behalf to reduce expenses associated with the injury. Our team also handles wrongful deaths that arise out of car accidents. Contact our office in Macon today to learn more.