Car accidents happen just about every day in Sandy Springs, GA causing serious injuries and sometimes even death. Fortunately, car accident victims can recover compensation for their injuries and losses through a personal injury claim.
If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident where another party was at fault, the Sandy Springs car accident lawyers at The Hurt Boss can advise you of your rights under the law and help you pursue damages from the at-fault party.
Call our Sandy Springs personal injury lawyers today at 678-806-7715 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation and case evaluation!
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Car Accident Statistics
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury death and the second leading cause of hospitalizations and ER visits in Georgia, and Sandy Springs is not an exception. In 2019, there were a total of 9 fatal accidents reported in Sandy Springs with 13 vehicles involved in those fatal accidents. Two of the accidents involved drunk persons. 17 people were involved in fatal accidents that resulted in 10 fatalities.
How Much Does a Sandy Springs Car Accident Lawyer Cost?
Car accident lawyers, including those at The Hurt Boss, work on a contingency fee basis, taking a percentage of any settlement or verdict awarded. You don’t have to pay our lawyers anything out-of-pocket since any costs are deducted from any settlement or verdict the lawyer recovers on your behalf.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident?
You should do the following if you have been involved in a car accident in Sandy Springs, GA:
Contact Police
Call the police immediately if the accident caused injury to you or the other driver. In Georgia, it is mandatory that you do this regardless of who appears to be at fault. The police report acts as the first piece of evidence gathered in your case.
Check on Other Involved Parties (Don’t Leave)
You must never leave the accident scene unless staying there poses a significant risk to your safety or welfare. Instead, you should take this time to check on other passengers in your vehicle as well as the other vehicle’s driver and passengers.
Exchange Information
Exchange your insurance and registration information with the other driver. You should always do this, regardless of who is at fault. Exchanging information also alerts you as to whether or not the other driver has an insurance policy. The information you exchange should include:
- Name, address, and contact details
- Driver license number
- Vehicle insurance information (company, policy number)
- License plate numbers of the vehicles involved in the accident
Record the Scene
If possible, use your smartphone to record the scene. Essentially, you should take photographs of your vehicle, the other driver’s vehicle, and the accident scene. Photographs help to document the condition and damage to vehicles, roadway obstacles, and any other factors that could have contributed to the accident.
Never Admit Fault
If you’re involved in an accident, your natural empathy may create a false narrative in your head. That’s why it is so important to never admit fault in any way, even if you may feel partially responsible. It is also important not to apologize for the accident because this implies that you accept fault.
Seek Medical Attention
You should seek medical attention immediately after the accident even if you don’t think you’ve been injured. Injuries stemming from auto accidents usually don’t manifest themselves immediately. Seeing a doctor will start a permanent record of possible injuries related to the accident and this can be useful when it comes to settlement negotiations with the insurance company.
Call a Sandy Springs Car Accident Lawyer!
Schedule a consultation with our experienced Sandy Springs car accident lawyers at The Hurt Boss by calling us at 678-806-7715. We will ensure that we do everything possible to protect your rights after the accident and will fight for the fair settlement you are rightfully entitled to.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident?
The average settlement for a car accident case in the U.S. is about $19,000. Unfortunately, the average car accident settlement doesn’t tell you much about the exact amount you can expect to get in your own case. For that, you will have to call the car accident lawyers at The Hurt Boss in Sandy Springs, GA.
When Should I Get a Car Accident Lawyer for My Auto Accident?
If you were involved in a minor auto accident, chances are you won’t need the services of a lawyer. However, there are other times when an auto accident warrants the help of a lawyer. If any of the following apply to your situation, call a lawyer immediately:
- If fault isn’t clearly established in your accident
- If the accident caused significant injury to yourself or another person
- If you disagree with the police report
- If the accident occurred in a school zone
- If the accident involved another motorist, such as another car, truck, cyclist, or pedestrian
- If the accident occurred in a work zone or construction zone
- If the accident involved an underinsured or uninsured driver
- If the insurance company is sending mixed messages or other confusing answers to liability concerns.
Why Do I Need a Lawyer?
If you have been involved in an auto accident in Sandy Springs, GA, you should consider hiring a lawyer for the following:
Case Preparation
If you hire the auto accident lawyers at The Hurt Boss, you will get a legal team that will handle all aspects of the case from start to finish. We will gather and process all necessary paperwork, maintain contact with all the relevant parties, and ensure that you’re updated on the progress of your case.
Settlement Negotiation
We engage with the insurance company so that you don’t need to. We will fight to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses. If the insurance company offers a low settlement or denies your claim, we are prepared to fight for you in court.
Trial Preparation and Representation
If settlement negotiations fail, we may recommend filing a lawsuit. Lawsuits, unfortunately, tend to be lengthy and costly. Still, it is the best option sometimes. We will represent you in court and do everything legally possible to ensure that you win.
How Much Can I Expect to Receive for My Damages?
The amount of damages you can receive is largely dependent on negotiations between our lawyers and the insurance company along with any other parties named as liable in your claim. To determine a suitable payout in your case, our lawyers will first gather all the facts in your case and document your expenses and other related losses.
Call us today at 678-806-7715 to determine how much you can expect to receive for your damages.
What Type of Damages Can I Recover?
Car accident victims may incur significant expenses following the collision. Besides worrying about property damage and medical bills, accident victims also usually incur lost wages because of spending time away from work to focus on their recovery.
Car accident victims may take legal action to recover compensation for the injuries and damages they have sustained. Damages refer to the monetary compensation that may be awarded to victims of car accidents.
The damages that can be awarded to car accident victims can be separated into 3 broad categories:
Economic Damages
Economic damages refer to the costs that are incurred as a result of a car accident. Examples of such damages include but aren’t limited to:
- Medical expenses (past, current, and future)
- Lost income and wages
- Property damage
- Rental car costs
- Loss of earning capacity
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages refer to intangible losses that aren’t easily calculated. Examples include but aren’t limited to:
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement or disability
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of companionship or affection
- Emotional distress
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are not intended to compensate the victim but rather to punish the at-fault party. Such damages are typically awarded only in instances where the actions of the at-fault party were found to be especially reckless, intentional, or egregious.
How Is Fault for a Car Accident Determined?
The car accident laws in Georgia establish the legal requirements that have to be satisfied to determine fault in auto accidents. The satisfaction of the legal requirements depends on specific facts surrounding the specific accident.
How fault is determined in Georgia car accident cases relies on many elements. There are 4 elements described in negligence law that have to be satisfied for a person to be held at fault in motor accident cases, which are:
Duty of Care
You will first have to establish that the at-fault party owed you a duty of care at the time of the accident. It is easy to establish this element of negligence in an auto accident since all drivers owe each other a legal duty to drive safely and follow all applicable traffic rules and regulations.
Breach of Duty
You will next have to prove that the at-fault party breached their duty of care at the time of the accident. The breach of duty varies depending on the accident cause. Speeding, running a red light, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, texting and driving, and failure to yield are all common breaches of duty of care in Georgia auto accident cases.
Causation
Once you have identified the breach of duty of care, you will have to prove that the breach directly resulted in the injuries or losses that you have suffered. Keep in mind that this is usually the trickiest element of negligence to prove in car accident cases.
Damages
Finally, you will have to prove that you suffered calculable damages as a result of the accident that you can collect in your claim. As explained above, the damages can be economic, non-economic, or punitive.
Proving the 4 elements of negligence is almost impossible if you aren’t a lawyer. That’s why it is so important to hire the expert legal team at The Hurt Boss in Sandy Springs, GA who will help you gather the necessary evidence to support your claim such as medical records, witness testimony, surveillance footage, etc.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
Under Georgia law, you have 2 years from the date of the accident to file your personal injury claim. If you miss the 2-year deadline, you may no longer be eligible to recover your losses. That’s why you need to contact The Hurt Boss via phone at 678-806-7715 as soon as possible after your auto accident so that we can prepare and submit all the paperwork for you so that you don’t miss the deadline.
How Can a Sandy Springs Car Accident Lawyer Help Me File My Insurance Claim?
Our Sandy Springs car accident lawyers will guide you through the process of filing your insurance claim, which goes as follows:
- File a Claim: The first step is submitting a compensation claim for your injuries to the at-fault party’s insurance company.
- Confirmation: The at-fault party’s insurance company will then respond and confirm that they have received the claim and have opened a case to investigate and settle the matter.
- Investigation: Once you have filed the claim and the insurance company has confirmed receiving it, the accident investigation will begin.
- Claim Approval or Denial: When the insurance company has finished investigating the claim, you will either get an approval or a denial.
- Submit Documentation: You will then submit all associated documents including medical bills, proof of property damage, lost wages, and any other financial burdens undertaken as a result of the accident.
- Settlement Negotiations: If the insurance company accepts your claim, they will likely make you a settlement offer that’s quite low. You aren’t obligated to accept it. Our legal team can help you negotiate a fair settlement based on your injuries and losses.
- Filing a Lawsuit: If settlement negotiations fail and you and the insurance company are unable to agree to a fair settlement, our legal team may recommend filing a lawsuit where the matter will be settled in court.
What Can I Do if Insurance Denies My Claim?
If your car insurance claim is denied, the insurance company will send out a claim denial letter that states the factors that led to the decision. It is important to read the entire claim letter to understand the insurance company’s reasoning.
If you don’t agree with the insurance claim denial, you have options available to you to appeal the decision by the insurance company. That’s where we come in, the legal team at The Hurt Boss in Sandy Springs, GA will help you appeal the insurance company’s decision.
Do I Have a Case?
If you were injured in an auto accident, don’t just assume that you don’t have a valid claim. The only way to determine whether you have a valid claim is by talking to our experienced lawyers. Our lawyers will investigate your case to determine what happened.
Keep in mind that just about all auto accidents are preventable, which means that someone is at fault, and their insurance company should pay for it. Even if they don’t have insurance, you can still recover the money that you need.
What if the Other Driver Doesn’t Have Insurance?
If the other driver doesn’t have insurance, you may need to seek compensation from other sources, such as your own insurance company, to avoid bearing the full financial brunt of the accident.
If you have uninsured motorist coverage, you can make a claim against your insurance company if you’re injured in a car accident caused by an uninsured driver. Underinsured motorist coverage, on the other hand, protects you if the driver that caused the accident doesn’t have sufficient insurance coverage to compensate you fully for your damages.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist claims are usually highly technical and complex. Your insurance company will often try to either reduce or deny your compensation. That’s why it is so important to be represented by a lawyer experienced in handling such claims such as those at The Hurt Boss in Sandy Springs, GA.
How Can I Obtain an Accident Report?
You can access and purchase police reports online at the official Sandy Springs Police Reports website. Ideally, you will need to have the case number to facilitate the search. If you don’t have the case number, reports can be searched by date and address. The cost for a report is $5.00.
Hurt in a Sandy Springs Car Accident? Our Car Accident Lawyers Can Help!
Car accidents can be both traumatic and life-altering. If you have been involved in an auto accident in Sandy Springs, GA, you might be entitled to compensation for things such as medical bills, chronic pain, and lost income.
You need to have a knowledgeable attorney by your side to help you recover the damages you deserve. Contact The Hurt Boss today in Sandy Springs today at 678-806-7715 for a free case evaluation and to find out how our car accident lawyers can help you fight to maximize your recovery.
