Conyers Car Accident Lawyers

Do I Need an Attorney?

In some cases, accident victims believe they don’t need a lawyer because the insurance company will take care of things, however, that is not what ends up happening. The bottom line is insurance companies care more about lining their pockets and minimizing your claim than they do about your well-being. It’s unlikely you’ll receive a fair settlement without the assistance of a highly skilled attorney.

Over the years, Montlick has seen insurance companies use many tactics to get you to settle, like being friendly at first to gain your trust, offering money immediately, delaying their decision, and trying to place blame for the accident on you. Insurance companies have teams of lawyers working hard to pay you as little as possible. They expect you to roll over and take whatever they offer because it’s easy.
What they don’t see coming is your decision to hire Montlick to defend you. When the insurance company knows you’ve got a Montlick lawyer on your side after a Conyers car accident, they’re more likely to offer you better compensation.

Understanding Personal Injury Law in Conyers.

Does Conyers Have a Deadline for Filing a Claim?
The short answer is yes. On both a state and federal level, there are statutes of limitations for when you can file a claim for a car accident. The Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) § 9-3-33 dictates that, generally, you have up to two years to file a claim. It is important to note that this two-year window begins from the day of the incident.

Even if you believe the statute of limitations has passed, there are always exceptions to the rule and you could still get compensation. A Montlick car accident attorney can assess your circumstances and inform you if your case is eligible.

To protect your right to compensation, contact a Montlick Injury Attorney immediately.

Is Georgia a Modified Comparative Negligence State?
Yes, Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence system to determine who is at fault for an automobile accident and how much compensation a Plaintiff is awarded. Comparative negligence means that if a Plaintiff pursues a claim against the person who caused them harm, the defendant could potentially, in turn, claim comparative negligence to reduce the Plaintiff’s compensation proportional to their level of negligence. For example, if a plaintiff proves damages of $100,000 and a jury deems that the defendant is only 75% responsible for the accident, with the other 25% falling back on the Plaintiff, the Plaintiff would recover $75,000 (75% of the total claim).
Modified comparative negligence means a plaintiff can recover compensation only if the plaintiff is less than 50% at fault. Damages would then be reduced based on the percentage of responsibility. But if the Plaintiff shared a majority portion of the blame, they would be barred from recovery.

What Happens if Multiple Parties Are Partially Responsible?
If multiple defendants are responsible for an accident, Georgia law would look to the jury to determine the level of responsibility of each respective defendant. In that case, each defendant would have to pay a percentage of damages proportional to their liability.

What Compensation Can I Receive for My Car Accident Claim?

A Montlick Injury Attorney can help you understand the compensation available to you following an injury. We’ll work to get you maximum compensation to prepare you for life after your accident. Damages may include:

Economic Damages: These damages reimburse victims for money lost due to their injuries. This includes medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and other monetary losses caused by the accident.

Non-economic Damages: Designed to compensate victims for intangible losses, non-economic damages may include pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Punitive Damages: These damages are intended to punish wrongdoers and discourage others from similar behavior. It may be awarded if the responsible party acts in a particularly egregious manner, for example, in drunk driving cases..

Wrongful Death: If a loved one has died due to a car accident caused by another party’s recklessness, their family may be able to pursue wrongful death damages that includes medical expenses incurred before death, funeral costs, and loss of companionship and support provided by the deceased person.

Additional damages may be recovered on your behalf depending on the facts of your case..

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, contact us today to learn what options are available to you.

How Much Money Can I Recover?
The damages you can recover will depend on the specific circumstances of your accident. Factors that play into how much you can expect include injury severity, recovery time, the insurance policies of those involved, how much work you’ve missed, and damages to your car.

When one of our Conyers car accident lawyers reviews your case, they won’t just consider expenses you’ve already incurred but will also examine potential future costs.

What to do Following a Conyers Car Accident

While we can’t stop accidents from happening, we can help you in their immediate aftermath. The following steps could help your case get the strongest start. If you are able to:

Move to Safety
If you can, move your vehicle out of traffic flow to prevent further accidents and turn on your hazard lights. Stay with your car, but if you can, move yourself to a safer location, such as the sidewalk.

Call the Police
Check yourself and others for injuries, then call the police and request emergency medical assistance if appropriate. Involving the police will also help to protect the accident scene’s integrity.

Seek Medical Attention
Receiving a medical evaluation as soon as possible is critical. Some injuries may not manifest until days or weeks later. Even if you feel fine, you may have something wrong that’s invisible to the naked eye. We highly recommend seeking medical care immediately after your accident.

Document the Scene
Document the scene and take pictures of your car and others involved in the incident. Note road conditions, traffic signals, weather conditions, and anything else that might prove who was at fault.

Collect Evidence
Collect information from all parties involved in the accident, including insurance details, and the contact information of witnesses. In the coming weeks, document medical expenses, repair costs, rental cars or taxis taken due to injury or damage caused by the accident, etc.

Keep detailed communication records with insurance companies and your lawyer for proof of when steps were taken in filing a lawsuit or negotiating a settlement offer.

Contact Montlick Injury Attorneys
While nothing can truly compensate for how a car accident injury changes your life, under the law, you are eligible for financial recovery of lost wages, medical care, pain and suffering, and more. The sooner you contact us for a free case evaluation, the better off you’ll be.

It sounds like a lot to remember, we know. That’s why it’s crucial to retain one of Montlick’s experienced attorneys to handle this for you so that you can spend less time worrying, and more time healing.

What are My Chances of Ending Up in Court?

Generally speaking, most personal injury cases can be resolved before ever stepping foot in a courtroom. This could be in the form of mediation or settlement. . If your case becomes a candidate for filing a lawsuit (going to court) your attorney will walk you through all the pros and cons.

A Montlick attorney will thoroughly explain all your options and break down our chance for success before court so that you can make the best decision for you and your family.

Common Car Accident Injuries

The force of impact in a car crash may cause severe injury or permanent disability. Although some wounds can heal relatively quickly, others may result in long-term cognitive and/or physical impairment. Some common injuries a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian may encounter include:

• Joint injuries of the shoulder or knee
• Whiplash
• Soft tissue injuries
• Head and neck injuries
• Disfigurement
• Internal organ damage
• Decapitation
• Amputation
• Spinal cord injuries
• Brain damage impacting cognitive functioning
• Dislocations and hyper-extensions