Robert M. Hammers | April 18, 2024 | Car Accidents
If you’ve been involved in a minor car accident, you might wonder whether you need to hire an Atlanta car accident attorney. While not every case requires legal representation, it’s almost always at least worth your time to contact a lawyer for a free consultation and learn about your options.
To clarify matters, however, let’s get into specifics. That way, you’ll be better equipped to determine whether your car accident is truly minor. Injury attorneys win lucrative settlements for ‘minor’ accidents every day.
Common ‘Minor’ Car Accidents
Although most people classify the following types of car accidents as minor, they sometimes result in unexpected liability.
- Fender benders: Low-speed collisions where the main damage is to bumpers.
- Parking lot incidents such as scrapes and dings.
- Sideswipes: Minor contact along the sides of two cars.
- Rear-end collisions at low speeds.
- Single-vehicle accidents, such as hitting a lamp post in an icy mall parking lot.
Injuries are relatively uncommon in these scenarios, but they do happen from time to time.
‘Minor’ Injuries
When injuries do occur, they typically generate the following claims:
- Whiplash: ‘Whiplash’ is neck strain due to sudden acceleration or deceleration. It might not show up on an X-ray.
- Soft tissue injuries include damage to muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These injuries can be surprisingly painful.
- Bruises, cuts, and minor scrapes.
- Non-economic damages such as emotional distress. It’s hard to recover for this without a physical injury. Remember, however, that if your head suffered any impact at all, that headache might not be from stress after all.
Seek prompt medical treatment for any injury, no matter how minor.
Lawyer-Friendly Accident Scenarios
The following are just a few of many possible examples of car accident scenarios that might call for the involvement of a lawyer.
Liability Is in Dispute
Georgia applies a modified comparative fault system when more than one party is at fault for an accident. If you are less than 50% at fault, you will lose some of your compensation. If you are 50% or more at fault, you will lose all of it.
The Other Driver Is Outright Lying
People like to blame other people for their own mistakes. That is a fact of life. A skilled Georgia car accident lawyer, however, is able to get to the truth that other people try to hide
You Suffer Impact Without Apparent Injury
It’s worth asking again. Did any part of your body hit your car? If so, you might have an injury that you don’t even know about. Some injuries don’t generate immediate symptoms.
The last thing you need is a questionable injury claim that you can’t get compensation for because you waited too long to seek treatment
“I Need the Settlement Money Immediately”
Needing the settlement money immediately is all the more reason to hire a lawyer. Insurance adjusters can smell desperation from a mile off, and they will use it against you. A lawyer might be able to help you expedite your settlement.
The Insurance Company is Playing Games With You
You might be filing a third-party insurance claim against the other driver’s liability insurance policy. Insurance companies, of course, are less likely to play games with small claims than with large claims. If the insurance company is giving you the runaround, however, you might need a lawyer.
The Other Driver Was Uninsured
Many Georgia drivers are uninsured. If you lack uninsured motorist coverage, you might need a lawyer to help you seek alternative sources of compensation.
The Police Report Is Wrong
You normally can’t use a police report in court. You can, however, call the police officer who wrote it to the stand. That is why an unfavorable, inaccurate police report is something you should pay attention to.
What a Car Accident Lawyer Can Do For You
Here are some of the ways an experienced Georgia car accident lawyer can help you resolve your claim:
- Advise you against common claim-damaging errors, such as talking about your case on social media.
- Identify critical evidence, such as cell phone records.
- Gather and prepare admissible evidence to use in settlement negotiations and, if necessary, at depositions and in court. Evidence can include medical records, documents, photographs, videos, eyewitness statements, and expert testimony, among other items
- Arrange for you to obtain adequate medical care: An experienced car accident lawyer should be familiar with local healthcare providers whom they have worked with before. They can also ensure that your treatment is well-documented.
- Calculate the approximate value of your claim. Your claim might be worth more than you think.
- Negotiate your claim for you. However, your lawyer can’t finalize a settlement without your permission.
- Represent you in court if necessary.
Ultimately, every major decision of the case is yours to make.
How the Contingency Fee System Works
You’ve probably heard about the billable hour system, where personal injury lawyers charge hundreds of dollars per hour for their services. It doesn’t work that way for personal injury lawyers.
Instead, personal injury lawyers charge their fee as a percentage of whatever amount they are able to recover for you. Inm other words, their fee is directly proportional to how much value they provide you.
Best of all, you won’t owe your lawyer a dime in attorney’s fees until and unless they recover compensation for you, either in court or at the settlement table. With a personal injury lawyer, everything is free until the defendant pays a settlement or judgment. If they don’t win any money for you, you won’t owe them any legal fees.
Talking to a Lawyer Can Help Clarify Your Options
Not only do personal injury lawyers charge based on the amount they recover, but initial consultations are also free of charge. Take advantage of this fact to discuss your case with a lawyer from Hammers Law Firm to better understand your options.
The incentive structure of a personal injury lawyer is such that they have no motivation to take your case unless it would be worth it for both of you.
Contact the Car Accident Lawyers at Hammers Law Firm Today
For more information, contact the Car Accident law firm of Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation. We have convenient locations in Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Lawrenceville, Mableton, Smyrna, and Roswell.
We serve Fulton County and its surrounding areas:
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Atlanta
201 Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW Suite 312,
Atlanta, GA 30314
(770) 900-9000
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Sandy Springs
5555 Glenridge Con, Suite 975,
Sandy Springs, GA 30342
(678) 605-9838
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Lawrenceville
265 Culver St S. Suite A.
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
(678) 916-8584
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Mableton
5701 Mableton Pkwy SW Suite 108,
Mableton, GA 30126
(706) 480-5487
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Smyrna
2400 Herodian Way Ste#220,
Smyrna, GA 30080
(678) 922-4497
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Roswell
110 Mansell Cir #111,
Roswell, GA 30075
(678) 582-8466