Car accidents are traumatic events that have serious consequences. It’s not always possible to organize your thoughts clearly after the shock of a car crash. Still, there a number of decisions that you will have to make once you’ve recovered. The first will be whether or not to retain the services of a Winder personal injury lawyer.
How Car Accident Law Works in the State of Georgia
Some states are no-fault states. In these states, regardless of who is at fault, one’s own insurance policy covers their medical expenses and property damage. Georgia, on the other hand, follows a tort-based system, or one that assigns fault in an accident.
If you were to be involved in a car accident, for instance, where you were rear-ended by another driver who was texting someone else, the other driver would very clearly at fault for the accident. There would be some damage to your car and you may have suffered injuries, such as whiplash, during the accident. If you were to then make a claim against their insurance policy, they would be to blame for the accident and their liability insurance would pay for your damages.
Many cases, however, are not so cut and dry. The determination for who is at fault may actually be quite difficult to determine. Sometimes, you’ll have insurance company lawyers each claiming that their client was not the one to blame for the accident. At some point, each party is assigned a percentage of the blame. Whichever party is more to blame than the other is not allowed, under Georgia law, to file suit against the other party.
Should I Hire an Attorney for My Traffic Accident Claim?
When another driver is determined to be at fault for an auto accident you have to take a look at how extensive your damages are. If you suffered minor injuries, you may not need to hire a lawyer, but consulting with one nonetheless could be to your benefit.
On the other hand, sometimes people suffer extensive injuries in car accidents. They end up needing surgery to stabilize their condition and require long stints of time, years even, in rehab and physical therapy to get themselves back on their feet. They also often miss time from work, have extensive medical bills, lost wages, and an extended period of recovery.
Traffic accidents can also be fatal. Sometimes people suffer permanent injuries. They can experience brain damage, suffer extensive burns, lose the use of their limbs, or have difficulty walking or standing. The more severe your injuries are, the greater the need to have a lawyer manage your case.
For varying reasons, insurance companies are very difficult to deal with. They will force you to prove any claim you make against their client. Because they are ultimately running a business, the less money they pay out, the more profitable the company will be. They use personal injury claims adjuster software that sets a value to your case. Without an attorney advocating on your behalf, this number will represent a small fraction of what you should be getting.
Contact a Winder, Georgia Traffic Accident Attorney Today
If you’ve been in a serious accident, then you need a skilled traffic accident attorney to advocate on your behalf. The Winder personal injury attorneys at Mitchell & Crunk have helped clients get the full value of their damages. Don’t settle for whatever the insurance claims adjuster is willing to offer. Give us a call at (678) 701-6252 or contact us online for a free consultation.