Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer

Most personal injury lawyers in Atlanta work on a contingency fee basis. This means their fee is contingent upon the result in your case. Under this structure, if your attorney recovers a settlement or verdict for you, they will take a pre-agreed-upon percentage of your award as payment for the representation. This percentage usually ranges from 33-40%.

However, if your attorney fails to recover compensation, you will not owe them any attorney fees. Contingency fees give injured victims access to quality legal representation at a time when they may be struggling with unexpected accident expenses.

Most injury lawyers also offer free consultations. Contact Hammers Law Firm today to schedule yours.

The aftermath of an accident can be challenging to navigate. Understanding what to do can help make the accident scene less chaotic.

Take the following steps after an accident in Atlanta:

• Get medical help immediately: Don’t delay getting medical attention. You may think you’re fine, or it may take time for symptoms to develop. Calling 911 can help ensure you and anyone else get the medical help you need.
• Report the accident to law enforcement: Notify law enforcement of the accident and subsequently obtain a police report.

• Exchange insurance and contact information: Request the name, address, phone number, and insurance policy details of any other parties involved in the accident.

• Document what occurred at the accident scene: Take pictures and videos of property damage, the conditions that led to the accident, and any visible injuries.

• Gather witness information: Obtain contact information and statements from anyone who witnessed the accident.

• Notify the insurance company: Report the accident to the insurance company as soon as possible, but do not agree to provide a recorded statement until after speaking with an attorney.
• Consult a personal injury lawyer: Speak with an experienced attorney immediately following an accident for excellent legal guidance and support.

While every accident is different, following the above steps can help make the personal injury claims process more manageable.

It is crucial to understand the steps involved in filing a personal injury claim. A skilled personal injury attorney can help you navigate the entire process.

Consultation

If you were injured in an accident, it is important to schedule a free consultation as soon as possible. During this initial case evaluation, you can learn more about your legal options and whether you want to move forward with your case.

Investigation

Your legal team can conduct a thorough investigation into what occurred. This includes gathering evidence, speaking with witnesses, and helping determine who may be at fault for your injuries and losses.

Communicating With the Insurance Company

Your attorney can initiate a claim with the insurance company, describe your injuries, outline your damages, and demand full compensation.

Negotiations

The insurance company and your legal team will likely engage in negotiations to reach a settlement agreement. This can include multiple offers and counteroffers.

Filing a Lawsuit 

If a fair settlement agreement cannot be reached, you may need to file a lawsuit. Your case can still be settled even after a lawsuit is filed, as long as a verdict has not been reached.

A seasoned personal injury attorney can walk you through each step of the personal injury process, from the initial case evaluation to trial representation if necessary.

You won’t have unlimited time to file a lawsuit after an accident. Georgia’s statute of limitations gives you just two years to initiate legal proceedings. The clock typically starts ticking on the date of your accident. If you fail to file a claim within two years of your accident, you will be barred from recovering compensation.

Some cases may have shorter or longer time limits depending on the facts. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you identify and understand the deadlines in your case.

Injured victims in Georgia are typically entitled to two main forms of compensation. Economic damages cover financial losses. Non-economic damages compensate for personal, non-financial losses.

Economic damages can typically be proven with receipts, invoices, and other documentation. They include:

• Medical expenses (past and future)
• Lost wages
• Diminished earning capacity
• Out-of-pocket expenses
• Rehabilitation and/or physical therapy
• Property damage

Non-economic damages are personal in nature and do not have a direct financial value. They include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Anxiety and PTSD
• Reduced quality of life
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of consortium

Rare cases may qualify for punitive damages, which punish the at-fault party (rather than compensate the victim for losses). Specifically, cases involving intentional misconduct, malice, fraud, or extreme negligence may trigger punitives. Drunk driving cases offer one example.

Georgia is a modified comparative negligence state. This rule allows you to still recover compensation even if you’re partly at fault for the accident. However, if you are 50% or more to blame, you cannot recover any compensation. If you are less than 50% at fault, you can recover damages in proportion to your share of the fault.

Claims of comparative fault can significantly impact the compensation you’re able to recover. A dedicated attorney can help you combat allegations that you were partly to blame for your injuries.

During a free consultation, a personal injury lawyer may ask critical questions, including the following:

What injuries did you sustain?
What type of accident led to your injuries?
Who caused your accident?
Were there any witnesses?
Was there property damage?
Did you miss time from work?
Are you receiving ongoing medical treatment?
Where did the accident occur?

We work to address any concerns you may have and help you understand the next steps involved in the aftermath of an accident.

The value of your personal injury case will depend on many different factors unique to your injuries and accident. No other case, no matter how similar, can serve as a perfect predictor of your claim’s value.

The following factors will determine how much your case is worth:

• The severity of your injuries
• The extent of your medical expenses and whether you’ll need care in the future
• The wages you lost while you recovered and whether you’re earning capacity has been diminished
• The pain and suffering you experienced
• Whether you share fault for the accident
• Available insurance coverages
• The strength of your evidence

The best way to determine the value of your case is to contact an experienced personal injury attorney in Atlanta.

Hammers Law Firm can help you track and calculate your damages. We can even bring in experts in finance and medicine to help us assess your more complex losses. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Negligence is the foundation of most personal injury claims. It means that a party failed to act reasonably in the lead-up to an accident and caused an injury.

To win your negligence case, you will have to prove four elements:

• Duty – You must show the defendant owed you a legal duty to avoid injuring you. Duties come from the law and/or legal relationships. For example, every Georgia driver has a duty to follow traffic laws and drive reasonably safely.

• Breach – You must prove the at-fault party violated their duty to you. You will put forth evidence showing they failed to act like a reasonable person in the time leading up to the accident.

• Causation – You must show that the defendant caused your injury – meaning it would not have happened but for the person’s conduct. You will also have to show that your injuries were foreseeable.
• Damages – You must prove that you suffered financial losses as a result of your injuries.

If you fail to satisfy even one element, your negligence case will not be successful. Therefore, you need evidence to make your case.

Your lawyer may use the following types of evidence to help you prove your version of events:

• Accident/police reports
• Business records
• Medical records
• Cell phone records
• Photographs
• Video/surveillance footage
• Witness testimony
• Expert testimony

Contact Hammers Law Firm today for help understanding how to prove your negligence claim.

The timeline of your injury case will depend on many variables, including the severity of your injuries. Cases with minor injuries and property damage can settle in a matter of months.

However, cases with moderate to severe injuries can take up to a year or more to resolve. You may need to reach maximum medical improvement before you have an adequate sense of your damages.

Cases that go to court will take the longest to complete. Discovery, hearings, and trials can take a year, and, in some cases, multiple years.

Your injury attorney will work hard to keep your case moving efficiently and work to obtain a prompt resolution.