Atlanta Car Accident Lawyers
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Do I Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident in Atlanta?
If you’re injured in a car accident, you may wonder if you need to hire a lawyer. The answer is simple if you want to settle your claim for maximum value: YES!
For instance, car accident victims that hire a lawyer receive a $77,600 average settlement. Conversely, unrepresented car accident victims only receive a $17,600 average settlement.
Your Atlanta car accident lawyer can also litigate your case if the insurance company doesn’t offer you what you deserve. In fact, car accident victims that file, or threaten to file, a personal injury lawsuit receive a $45,500 average settlement. By contrast, those who don’t file a lawsuit only recover a $23,000 average settlement.
At Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers, our Atlanta personal injury lawyers have successfully litigated thousands of car accident cases. We’ll deliver the best customer service and the greatest result. Our prior victories and our 5-star client reviews validate that promise.
Call us today at (404) 939-9470 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free initial consultation.
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How Our Auto Accident Attorneys Can Help
Our Atlanta car accident lawyers will strengthen your claim in many different ways. Here’s how:
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- Car Accident Investigation: First, we’ll determine how the collision occurred. We’ll review the collision damage photos and the car accident report. We’ll obtain video camera footage from the police officer that prepared the report. Then, we’ll track down any eyewitnesses and obtain recorded statements from them. We may even hire an expert to reconstruct the collision.
- Damages Evaluation: Next, we’ll evaluate your damages. Damages are all of the harms that you’ve suffered a result of the car accident. Your damages include your medical bills and other collision-related expenses. Also, damages include pain and suffering compensation.
- Settlement Negotiations: Once we’ve investigated the collision and evaluated your damages, we’ll negotiate your claim. Our demand letter will discuss all of the harms that you’ve suffered as a result of the wreck. Also, it will explain why the driver that caused the wreck is responsible for compensating you.
- Trial Advocacy: If the insurance adjuster low-balls us, we’ll litigate your case and, if necessary, take it to trial.
What Compensation Can I Receive from a Car Accident?
Most car accident victims worry about the financial impact of a car collision. For instance, it can be costly to replace a damaged vehicle. Medical treatment is also expensive. Some victims have substantial lost wages because they’re unable to work for a long period of time. Others require extensive future medical treatment.
Fortunately, Georgia auto insurance laws enable you to recover all of your financial losses. The goal of those laws is to restore you to the condition you were in before the car accident. You can also recover compensation for your pain and suffering. You can even recover punitive damages if the liable driver drove recklessly. Punitive damages are usually capped at $250,000 in Georgia. However, some victims can recover uncapped punitive damages. In fact, an injury victim can recover uncapped punitive damages against a drunk driver.
Here are the common damages that an Atlanta car accident lawyer can help you recover:
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- Vehicle repair cost or replacement value
- Rental car reimbursement
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering compensation
- Lost wages
- Lost future earning capacity
- Modifications to your home or car
- Temporary or permanent disability needs
- Wrongful death damages
How to Calculate Car Accident Compensation
Many factors impact the value of your car accident damages. Your medical bills are known as “economic damages”. Economic damages also include lost income, property damage, and other out-of-pocket expenses caused by the car accident.
You may also recover general damages for your pain and suffering that was caused by the car crash. Most juries use what is known as a “medical bills multiplier” to calculate pain and suffering damages. Insurance adjusters use that same formula when they calculate personal injury settlement compensation. That method multiplies your economic damages (car repairs, medical bills, lost wages, etc.) by a number between one and six. The multiplier is determined by the seriousness of your injuries.
For example, let’s say that your injuries resolve with conservative medical treatment and your bills only total $25,000. In that scenario, a jury might award somewhere in the range of 1-2 times your medical bills for pain and suffering which would bring your total recovery (economic damages plus general damages) to approximately $50,000 to $75,000. If you had to undergo orthopedic surgery and your total bills exceeded $100,000, a jury might award somewhere in the range of 3-6 times for your pain and suffering which would bring your recovery to approximately $400,000 to $700,000.
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How to Prove Fault in a Car Accident Case
In order to successfully resolve your case, you must be able to demonstrate that the other driver was at fault and legally responsible for your damages. Stated another way, you must prove that:
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- The driver was careless
- The driver’s carelessness caused the car accident
- You suffered harms as a result of the car accident
It can be difficult to prove fault by yourself. For instance, even when the police officer cites the liable driver, the liable driver usually denies fault. If the liable driver was cited for failing to yield to your vehicle while turning left, they’ll often claim you were driving too fast. In order to prove that that driver lied, you’ll have to track down eyewitnesses and persuade them to testify on your behalf. If there aren’t any witnesses, you’ll have to cross-examine the other driver and show that their explanation isn’t credible.
Georgia has enacted a comparative negligence law. That means that even if you were partially at fault, you can still recover damages from the accident. Under Georgia’s comparative fault law, the damages you recover are reduced by your percentage of fault. So, if you were 25 percent at fault, and the jury awards you $100,000, then your award would be reduced to $75,000. Insurance companies try to use the comparative negligence rule to reduce the amount that they have to pay you. If they do that, we’ll show them why their driver is 100% at fault. We won’t be intimidated into accepting a low-ball settlement offer.
Negotiating With the Insurance Company and Going to Court
The person that caused your car crash owes you compensation. Their insurance carrier is contractually obligated to pay you that compensation. However, the insurance carrier doesn’t want to pay you the full amount. They want to pay you a discounted amount. The earlier that your case is settled, the greater the discount they will seek.
At Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers, our Atlanta car accident lawyers will settle your case for the best possible amount. Sometimes, that means that an early settlement isn’t possible. In that case, we will invest the time and resources to build you a winning case so that you can maximize your settlement.
Building a winning case requires investigative work by a skilled legal team. Some of the evidence that we will collect in your case includes:
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- Accident witness statements
- Video footage
- Accident debris and tire markings at the scene of the wreck
- Police reports
- Toxicology reports
- Drivers’ background and driving records
- Medical records and bills
- Cell phone records
- Accident reconstruction data
If the insurance company won’t offer you what you deserve, our Atlanta car accident attorneys will go to court to hold them accountable. Graham Scofield is one of the best Atlanta car accident lawyers. We’ll prove how the other driver was at fault for causing the car accident. Then, we’ll ask the jury to award your compensation for all of your damages.
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About the Firm
$676,800 settlement for a client that fractured the L3 and L5 vertebrae in her lower back as the result of an auto collision.
$550,000 settlement against an insurance company that acted in bad faith when it initially offered $20,845 to settle a client’s auto collision claim even though the client had $30,625 medical bills and recommendations for surgical procedures on his neck and back.
$550,000 settlement against an insurance company that acted in bad faith when it initially offered $10,500 to settle a client’s auto collision claim even though the client had $13,566 medical bills and a recommendation for steroid injections on her neck.
Common Types of Car Accidents We Handle
According to the 2017 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard, Atlanta drivers spend an average of 70 hours in traffic per year, the eighth most of any city in the country. Those long commutes inevitably lead to car accidents. Many of the accidents are deadly. In fact, in 2020 Georgia had a total of 1,664 fatal car crashes.
Every car accident is unique. However, most car accidents that we handle occur in one of the following ways:
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions are typically caused by distracted drivers. Rear-end collisions often occur at stop signs, traffic lights, and in stop-and-go traffic. The accident victim’s vehicle is usually stationary at the moment of impact. However, the liable driver’s vehicle is usually traveling at a relatively high rate of speed. Therefore, rear-end accidents can cause serious injuries, such as neck and whiplash injuries and concussions. Additionally, some victims also suffer back injuries even in a low speed accident.
T-Bone Collisions
Side impact collisions are also known as “T-bone collisions.” T-bone collisions frequently occur at traffic intersections when one vehicle performs a dangerous left hand turn in front of oncoming traffic. T-bone collisions often cause blunt force trauma to the head and chest. Sometimes they also cause broken bones. Even a moderate impact T-bone collision can cause spinal disc injuries in the neck and back.
Fatal Car Accidents
Atlanta is home to many fatal car accidents. Recently, an IIHS study concluded that I-285 in Atlanta is one of the deadliest interstates in the country, with an average of 3.5 fatal accidents per 10 miles. We can help you if your loved one died in a fatal car accident. Our accident attorneys file wrongful death claims on behalf of surviving relatives.
Drunk Driving Accidents
Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing services have fortunately reduced the number of drunk driving accidents. However, in 2019, there were still 353 Georgia motorists killed in alcohol-related car accidents. Let us help you if you were injured by a drunk driver. We’ll make sure that the drunk driver is held accountable. We’ll also help you win justice.
Here are some of the other common types of Atlanta car accidents:
- Amazon Delivery Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Bus Accidents
- Distracted Driving Accidents
- Electric Scooter Accidents
- Head-on Collisions
- Hit & Run Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Self-driving Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Uber and Rideshare Accidents
- Uninsured and Underinsured Accidents
- Work Vehicle Accidents
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, we can help. We’re here for you 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Call now to schedule a free consultation. (404) 939-9470. If you’ve got questions, we’ve got the answers.
Common Injuries from Car Accidents
Car crashes cause many types of physical and mental injuries. Here are some of the common examples:
- Broken bones – Broken bones are painful. They also take months to heal. Some accident victims never regain their strength and mobility. Moreover, some types of broken bones (e.g., compound fractures) can cause life-threatening infections.
- Neck and whiplash injuries – Whiplash injuries often cause spinal disc injuries.
- Internal bleeding and organ damage – Internal blood loss can quickly become fatal. Therefore, you should always go to the emergency room after a car collision to undergo medical imaging scans of your internal organs.
- Joint damage – Many car accident victims suffer dislocated or shattered joints that must be surgically repaired. If you injured your knee in a car accident, you may have to undergo joint replacement surgery.
- Post-Traumatic stress – Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can take weeks or even months to appear after a violent accident. Accident victims may require extensive professional therapy to treat their PTSD symptoms.
- Punctures and lacerations – Broken glass and vehicle shrapnel can cause deep lacerations that lead to critical blood loss. Proper medical attention is also needed to ensure that a serious cut fully heals.
Other common injuries that we see following a car accident include:
- Amputations
- Back Injuries
- Brain Injuries
- Burn Injuries
- Chest Injuries
- Disfigurement
- Paralysis Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Wrongful Death
Dangerous Roads and Intersections in Atlanta
There are over 50,000 car accidents in Fulton County every year. Car accidents typically occur at intersections, highway ramps, and construction zones. Here are some of Atlanta’s most dangerous intersections:
- Memorial Drive and Hairston Road in Stone Mountain – That intersection is dangerous because the two crossroads don’t intersect at a 90-degree angle. That means that it is difficult for drivers to identify cross-traffic as they approach the intersection.
- Campbelltown Road and Barge Road in Atlanta – That intersection is immediately west of the I-285 off-ramp. Many vehicles attempt to merge there without checking whether the lane is clear. Other vehicles drive through there at unsafe speeds.
- Spaghetti Junction – Spaghetti junction refers to the mass of criss-crossing roadways where I-285 and I-85 intersect. The roadways at that junction are elevated which means that rollover accidents there often lead to fatal injuries.
- Cobb Parkway and Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw – Drivers are often distracted by shops and parking lot entrances when they approach that intersection. Furthermore, the turning lanes at that intersection are narrow. As a result, heavy traffic conditions often lead to car accidents.
- Panola Road and Covington Highway in Lithonia – That intersection is dangerous because there are entrances to gas stations and parking lots in the immediate vicinity of the intersection. If a driver is distracted while approaching that intersection, he may rear-end a vehicle that is slowly down in preparation for turning into the gas station.
If you’ve got questions about where most car accidents happen, call our Atlanta car accident lawyers.
Atlanta Car Accident FAQs
What Should I Do After a Car Accident?
You should immediately call 9-1-1. Even if you don’t think that you need an ambulance, you should still call 9-1-1 so that they dispatch a police officer to investigate the collision and prepare an accident report. The police officer’s accident report is a very important piece of evidence that you’re going to need in order for the insurance company to process your claim – even if you only plan on filing a property damage claim.
What Do I Do If an Insurance Adjuster Calls Me?
Tell the adjuster to call your lawyer. The insurance adjuster is calling you in an attempt to persuade you to give them a recorded statement. Many car accident victims mistakenly give that statement because the insurance adjuster leads them to believe that they will get paid sooner if they give a statement. Don’t be misled. The insurance adjuster takes that statement to set you up. They ask you a series of questions that are designed to trip you up and give information that may conflict with the information that the police officer wrote in his report. Then, they will use your statement against you later in your case, many times at trial so that you look bad in front of the jury.
How Much Should I Ask for Pain and Suffering from a Car Accident?
As an injury victim, you are entitled to recover general damages for your pain and suffering that was caused by the car crash. Many juries use what is known as a “medical bills multiplier” to calculate pain and suffering damages. Insurance adjusters use that same formula when calculating a potential settlement. That method multiplies your economic damages (car repairs, medical bills, lost wages, etc.) by a number between one and six. The multiplier is determined by the severity of your injuries.
Why Should I hire Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers?
If you’re injured in a car accident, you might be tempted to call one of the billboard, radio or bus attorneys that advertises on your daily commute. That’s a mistake.
Those lawyers process thousands of auto accident claims every year. Their goal is to settle cases as quickly as possible even though that means that they are settling each case well below its true value. You will only speak with a paralegal when you call the firm to speak with a lawyer.
At Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers, we invest our time and money in our clients’ cases – not billboards and bus ads – because our clients are our number one priority. That way, we maximize the value out of every one of our clients’ cases. The results speak for themselves.
Contact Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers Today
If you live in Atlanta, it’s only a matter of time before you’re involved in a car accident. If the accident wasn’t your fault, we can help!
Our Atlanta car accident lawyers have successfully litigated thousands of cases. The results speak for themselves. Take a moment and read some of the thoughtful testimonials from our colleagues and former clients.
Then, call and schedule a free initial consultation with our car accident attorneys at our law office in Atlanta, GA. (404) 939-9470.