If you’ve been involved in an accident in Johns Creek, you may be unaware of the legal rights afforded to you. If the accident was caused by a negligent party, and resulted in an injury, then you may be entitled to compensation. Regardless of how, where, or what type of injury you’ve sustained, don’t miss out on your right to compensation for your medical bills and wages lost.
Before you take on the insurance company, contact a personal injury lawyer near Johns Creek. Call the Weinstein Firm at 770-HELP-NOW and get your free consultation today.
A personal injury claim is filed anytime you’ve been injured due to the negligence or carelessness of another. The claim is an attempt at restitution for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and any lost wages due to the injury.
After a claim is filed, you’ll be appointed an adjuster to investigate the case. The adjuster performs many roles in determining who’s at fault and what is the value of the injuries. The party at fault can range anywhere from a motorist driving a car, to a manufacturing company that produced a faulty product.
According to Georgia’s law, the liable party is the person who caused the accident. If you or a loved one has been injured due to the incident, then you have a right to a claim covering the expenses incurred.
The payment rarely comes out-of-pocket. Normally, the payment will be issued by the liable party’s insurance company.
By retaining a personal injury lawyer, you stand a better chance at reaching a fair settlement, whether it’s a minor injury or even permanent disability.
The value of your settlement will be dependent on the severity of your injuries, and any monetary losses that are derived from the harm inflicted. When negotiating with the insurance company, the minimum you should settle for is the total amount of your medical bills, lost wages, or any physical cost (car repairs, broken equipment, etc). These are labeled as “special damages.”
If the trauma you’ve suffered was substantial then you may be entitled to “general damages.” Under Georgia state law and the City of Johns Creek, you may be due financial reparations for more intangible losses. This is normally categorized as “pain and suffering,” but is not restricted to such a vague definition.
Pain and suffering can include:
The process of calculating pain and suffering is a complex algorithm used by insurance companies. The most popular is called “Colossus” which calculates the average price of your special damages by a multiplier. The multiplier is decided by the adjuster and can range from 1.5 to 5. If you’ve suffered whiplash, the claims’ adjuster is mostly like to ascribe a 1.5 to your pain and suffering which will produce how much you are owed. If you’ve suffered a brain or spinal injury then they may apply a 4 or 5 multiplier resulting in a larger payout for pain and suffering.
This is why you should get the advice of an attorney for signing any documents that the insurance company has sent you. Insurance companies use a for-profit business model, and their bottom-line is their ultimate concern, not your wellbeing. This results in insurance companies offering you a fraction of the settlement you truly deserve. They will also use multiple tactics to displace blame, so that you may even end up believing that the injuries you’ve acquired are through your own fault.
The easy answer is that you should proceed with a claim if you’ve been injured through another’s actions, however, it’s always best to seek legal counsel to be certain. There are times that the at-fault party can get convoluted through the process because it’s not always obvious who is at fault, or the negligent party can deny fault. Another hurdle you may face is that people have a habit of placing the blame on themselves, even though someone else was clearly at fault.
By having a consultation with a lawyer, they can take a detached view of the case and let you know the best course of action. By seeking the aid of an experienced lawyer, they can use their extensive knowledge of past cases in order to know the strengths and weaknesses of your case. If the case has peculiarities, an experienced attorney will also acquire external help to put together the missing pieces.
If you’ve been injured in any way, you should always consult with a lawyer before deciding if you are entitled to a claim or not.
If at any time you’ve suffered an injury due to an accident, there are steps you can take to help your case:
If you are in a condition to gather records, then you should start as soon as possible. You will want to gather photos of the scene, witness contact information, and create an outline of the event with as much detail as possible. The longer you wait the harder it will be to recall specific details.
You should seek the counsel of an attorney so that they can best guide you on how to proceed. Many lawyers offer free consultations and only receive a payment if you get paid.
Insurance companies are notorious for issuing low-ball settlements. They do this in hopes that your aggravated situation will make you anxious to see the end of the ordeal.
You may find yourself in need of a personal injury lawyer for several reasons because accidents can happen anywhere. Whether you were a passenger in an automobile accident or just a bystander walking on your way home, if you’ve been injured due to someone else’s carelessness, you shouldn’t be left holding the bill for your medical expenses.
Personal injury can occur in many forms and covers a wide range of damages. You should immediately seek legal counsel to obtain compensation for any medical expenses, loss of income, property loss, emotional distress, pain and suffering, or loss in quality of life due to your injuries.
Here are the most common forms of accidents:
Being involved in an auto accident can be a major life event that may even have consequences that can impact livelihoods. It can be difficult to get back on track if an accident turns out to be costly, both in terms of money and in health.
Thankfully, you may be entitled to compensation for the damages incurred through a personal injury claim, helping you get your finances back under control.
However, getting a fair settlement from a personal injury claim isn’t easy, and may require the guidance and consultation of an experienced personal injury attorney.
It can be difficult to share the road as a cyclist because many drivers are unaware that you have the same right to the roads as cars. As with any personal injury claim, you have the right to financial recovery if you’ve been injured while riding your bicycle. Unfortunately, it is not always an easy task to receive compensation.
While you can do your best to avoid accidents by wearing bright or reflective clothing and using a front headlight and a rear red light, you cannot control car drivers. Being a cyclist on a busy street can be incredibly dangerous as you can’t predict if a car driver will check their blind spot before turning or changing lanes.
Georgia sees thousands of riders using their bus every day to get to work, school, and other locales, and while you don’t often think of it, bus accidents do occur.
In the event of a bus accident, there is always a source of the cause. It could be due to the driver being distracted, such as talking to passengers or just unaware of their surroundings.
The accident may not even be the driver’s fault, as the issue may be related to the maintenance or manufacturing of the bus. Whatever the case, navigating the claim process will be much easier with legal representation to help you get the settlement you deserve.
Hit and runs can occur in a variety of ways. You could be a pedestrian or cyclist on the side of the road, or you could just as easily be on a motorcycle or in a car when a driver hits you then speeds away.
Just as in the number of ways a hit-and-run can occur, there are many reasons why the driver might flee. It could be that they have a suspended license, they are not in the country legally, or they may even be intoxicated.
Whatever the reason, that shouldn’t stop you from pursuing the financial recovery you need to get back to your normal life.
Motorcycle awareness is not on the top list of priorities of many drivers in the City of Johns Creek. While riding a motorcycle you need to take extra caution, as drivers may not allow bikers to merge onto the road or disregard checking their blind spot when changing lanes.
This has led to an increase in motorcycle collisions which resulted in a growing number of serious injuries and fatalities. Even at slow speeds, a rider can be thrown from their bike onto the asphalt with only their helmet to protect them.
Even if you take every precaution at your disposal as a motorcyclist, you cannot control the actions of other drivers. So, if you’re injured in an accident caused by another driver, they are liable for the harm you’ve suffered.
It can be assumed that all drivers should safely operate their vehicles and that they observe the area that they are driving. However, the number of pedestrian deaths in the United States continues to increase.
It’s also easy to assume that it’s the driver’s fault for the accident, but when you file your personal injury claim, remember that you’re going up against insurance companies that aim to exploit your situation. They will use legal loopholes and jargon, and by the end of it, you may even end up blaming yourself for the accident.
After you seek medical attention, getting in touch with a personal injury attorney should be the first thing on your agenda to help fight against the insurance company.
If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident in Georgia, you’re probably seeking to be compensated for the damages inflicted upon you during the accident. You will want to file a truck accident lawsuit in order to receive restitution for vehicle damage, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Since accidents involving trucks have a high rate of serious injury you may want to wait before submitting the claim, because if the insurance company can get you to settle sooner than later, then they may not need to fully cover all of the medical treatment you’ve yet to receive.
Before beginning the process, you’ll want to consult with a personal injury attorney to make sure you get the best settlement out of the process.
As more smartphones are being integrated into society, the more reliant people are becoming to rideshare apps. As the demand for rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft make their way into the marketplace, the more vehicles you’ll see skirting around town. Unlike taxi services, these rideshare companies use independent contractors with personal vehicles to transport passengers.
With the increasing number of rideshare cars on the road, it comes as no surprise that the rate in which they’re involved in an accident also increases.
It can be confusing as to who is liable for your injuries, as the driver will need to have personal insurance, and while on duty, many have the rideshare company insurance. With many different parties involved in the accident, it is important to have a personal injury lawyer on your side to get the compensation you need.
In the state of Georgia, all motorists are required to carry motor vehicle insurance, not all do. Some motorists maintain the minimum amount of insurance needed to be covered. Some motorists have none at all.
Because of the dangers of sharing the road with a reckless uninsured motorist, it’s encouraged that you have uninsured motorist coverage (UM) or under-insured motorist coverage (UIM). If you find yourself involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist, make sure to have a lawyer on your side to help you through a stressful situation.
The last thing you want to do while mourning the loss of a loved one is to file a wrongful death claim. Because not only do you have to deal with the difficult situation of putting someone to rest, you then need to prove that their death was the result of negligent, reckless, intentional, or criminal acts of another person, natural or legal (such as a company).
Wrongful death claims will have similarities to any other personal injury suit. However, in the case of wrongful death, the deceased will need either family members or a representative of the deceased person’s estate to file the claim.
If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, call the Weinstein Firm immediately. We never charge anything unless we win you money—and your consultation is free with no obligations. Call us at 770-HELP-NOW or fill out the form to your right and get your FREE consultation today.
