Being injured can be a stressful and traumatic experience, and having to handle insurance claims and settlement offers is likely the last thing on your mind after an accident. Being in an accident does not automatically mean that you are entitled to additional compensation, but speaking with an injury attorney is the best way to judge if you have a case.
There are many ways that the right personal injury attorney can help you on your case. The Sugar Hill personal injury lawyers at Spaulding Injury Law can answer any further questions you might have and address your concerns in a free case evaluation.
Types of Personal Injury Claims
Personal injury claims can happen after the conduct of one negligent or wrongful party causes injuries to someone else. This can happen in many ways, which means that each personal injury claim will be unique with its own facts and questions. Our team handles a wide range of cases stemming from many incidents, including:
- Car accidents
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Truck accidents
- Slip and falls
- Wrongful death
Any of these can cause injuries that have lasting effects, and that can even change your life. Such injuries can be costly in many ways – physically, financially, emotionally – and the person or company that caused the accident should be liable for all of your losses. Seeking compensation is rarely an easy task, so you want to protect your rights and interests by taking certain steps after an accident.
What to Do After an Accident
If you have been in an accident, the first step to take is to get medical attention. You want to get your injuries diagnosed and begin treatment right away. This is important to get the best prognosis possible, as well as to have evidence of your injuries to present to the insurance company.
Even if someone else caused your accident, you should report it to your insurance company. This is important in case you need to use your medical payments or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage at some point during your ordeal. You should give your insurer a basic idea of what happened, but avoid discussing too many details right away.
You will likely receive communications from the liable party’s insurance company, and you should be aware that they will be trying to limit the payment to you from the very start. Anything you say to the adverse insurance company might jeopardize your claim, so you want to contact a personal injury lawyer to handle all of these communications.
When your physical treatment is underway, do not wait to contact a personal injury attorney for a case evaluation. An attorney can:
- Advise you on whether you might have a valid injury claim
- Investigate the circumstances of the accident to determine all liable parties
- Identify and prepare the necessary insurance claims
- Gather and present evidence to the insurance company to support your claim
- Negotiate with insurance adjusters for a fair settlement
- Take the matter to civil court if the insurance company will not cover your losses
While you are focusing on improving your physical condition after an injury, a lawyer can focus on your financial recovery. This takes the stress off of you and puts the legal process in the hands of our legal team.
How the Personal Injury Process Works
Not all personal injury claims end up in court. In fact, many of them are able to settle directly with the insurance company. Our attorneys know how the different insurers work and how to fight for the settlement amount you deserve.
Not every case settles directly with an insurer, however. If your case does not settle, you will then proceed with the filling of an injury complaint in civil court. The complaint must be filed in the appropriate court that has jurisdiction over your case, meaning they have the power to make a decision and enforce it in your case. Courts with jurisdiction will generally depend on where the parties reside and where the accident related to the claim occurred.
The person filing the complaint is the complainant, often referred to as the plaintiff. The person against whom the complaint was filed is the defendant. Knowing which court to file in, what damages to seek, and what parties to name can be confusing, especially in the time following an accident and injury. However, there are time limits to filing a lawsuit, and you must file a personal injury case within two years of an accident occurring in Georgia. There are only very limited exceptions to this deadline, and most people cannot recover compensation following this time frame.
Lawrenceville Accident Lawyers
If you are unable to reach a settlement for your injuries with the insurance company, going to court may be necessary to achieve full compensation. Knowing where to file and against who is the first step, but following up with requests for evidence, producing your own, and figuring out how to interview witnesses and other parties can be a very complicated and time-consuming process.
While representing yourself might seem like a more cost-effective option than hiring a lawyer in some situations, the amount of time it takes to learn the procedures, and the costs of making mistakes, make hiring a Sugar Hill personal injury lawyer right away the best move.
Connect with a Sugar Hill Personal Injury Lawyer from Spaulding Injury Law Now
Reaching out to a Sugar Hill personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident will help you know the best options in your case. The right legal assistance can be the difference between a successful claim or having to cover most of your injury-related costs out of your own pocket. Our legal team believes that negligent parties should be accountable for the harm they cause, and we work hard to make this happen for every injured client.
Contact Spaulding Injury Law today for a free consultation to speak about your legal rights and options as an accident victim. We are ready to help.
