There are all types of accidental injuries that occur on any given day in the South Atlanta area. In some of these accidents, victims manage to walk away with only minor scrapes and bruises, but others are not as fortunate. Some accident victims suffer serious and often life-altering injuries in a single, unexpected instant. When someone has been injured in an accident, the law provides that they should be compensated for their injuries by those who caused the accident.
There are certain things that must be done to successfully pursue compensation under the law. For example, to successfully pursue and obtain compensation for your injuries, you must show that the person or entity that was at fault in the accident was negligent and the accident was the direct outcome of the negligence.
If you’ve suffered injuries in an accident caused by a negligent individual or entity, our South Atlanta personal injury attorneys at Spaulding Injury Law are here to help you. Our lawyers have the experience to handle a variety of personal injury cases, including:
- Auto Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Slip and Falls
- Brain Injury
- Back and Neck Injury
- MARTA Accidents
- Product Liability
- Dog Bites
- Boating Accidents
- Drunk Driving Accidents
- Lyft and Uber Accidents
- Wrongful Death
Compensation for Accident Victims
Personal injury claims involve seeking compensation for your losses, which the law calls “damages.” There are two types of damages available to you as the victim of an accident, and these are economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are monetary or financial compensation for victims to recover money they spent because of the accident that caused their injuries, and these include:
- Medical Bills – If you sought medical treatment after the accident, you are entitled to have all your costs and expenses related to that treatment paid by the individual or entity that caused the accident in which you were injured. These costs can include costs for diagnosing, receiving treatment, and any rehabilitation you may undergo for your injuries. In some cases, an injured victim can make the case they will need long-term care, in which case their future medical bills can be estimated and paid as part of the compensation. This is especially the case where one has suffered injuries that result in disability.
- Lost Earnings – It is inevitable if one is involved in an accident, chances are they will likely miss work or otherwise do what they normally do to earn money. If you have been unable to work because of an accident, or you are otherwise not able to make the money you otherwise would because of the accident, you can seek and obtain compensation for the lost wages or income. Compensation is not limited to pay for work done but can also include vacation time or sick leave you were unable to take because of the accident.
- Property Damage – If your vehicle has been damaged or totally lost because of the accident, you can have the cost of repairing the vehicle or replacing it altogether. You can also seek and obtain compensation for any other property that was in the vehicle at the time the accident occurred and was damaged or lost, such as a mobile phone, laptop, or some other property.
- Lost Earning Capacity – Some accident victims are so badly injured that their injuries result in temporary or even permanent paralysis. This is typically the case where a victim has suffered injuries such as spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries, both of which can often leave the victim with long-term or permanent disabilities. A victim who is unable to return to work or is forced to accept a different job may be able to obtain monetary compensation for the money they would have earned if not because of the injuries they suffered that caused long-term or permanent disability.
Non-economic Damages
Non-economic damages are damages that are not economic damages – and this refers to monetary compensation an accident victim receives for things that cannot be proven by documentary evidence. For the same reason, non-economic damages are much more difficult to determine and calculate because they are subjective and they depend on what the victim says they are experiencing.
Non-economic damages include the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Loss of companionship or consortium
These are just as important as economic losses, though they are often overlooked or underestimated because of their subjective nature. Always have an experienced South Atlanta personal injury lawyer calculate these losses.
Establishing a Personal Injury Case
To effectively pursue and obtain compensation for your injuries in a personal injury claim, you must show the following:
- The person or entity against whom you are filing the claim has a legal obligation to keep you and others safe from harm. The obligation could be one imposed by law, such as following all traffic laws or having premises that meet all health and safety regulations.
- The person or entity against whom you are filing a claim breached or otherwise violated this obligation in a manner that was negligent
- An accident ensued directly as the result of the negligence
- You suffered financial losses that you can document because of the injuries.
Most people do not even know where to begin when it comes to sufficiently proving negligence and liability, and it can be even more stressful when you are already dealing with injuries and medical treatment. This is why you want the right South Atlanta personal injury attorney handling every step of your case for you.
Reach Out for Help from a South Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney
If you have been injured in an accident caused by someone else or an entity that was negligent and has suffered injuries because of it, contact Spaulding Injury Law today for a free consultation. Our legal team assists clients following serious injuries each and every day, and we are ready to evaluate whether you have a valid claim. Reach out for more information about your rights and our services.
