Table of Contents
Personal injury lawyers represent the victims of medical malpractice, defective products, or other negligence. They regularly deal with complex personal injury cases and know how to get results.
If you live in Atlanta, you will require the service of these lawyers at some point or another, as the city has a noticeable number of personal injury cases. For example, between 2020 and 2021, the number of car accidents in Atlanta was almost 20,000, despite the city being under lockdown for most of 2020.
Personal injury lawyers in Atlanta can help you receive the compensation you deserve because of injury caused by someone’s negligence. When someone else is responsible for an accident, they must pay for the damages. But what is the statute of limitations, how is fault determined in these cases, and what more should you know about these cases? Find out in this article.
How can personal injury lawyers help you?
Having a personal injury lawyer oversee your claim can make the process faster and more convenient. If you have been injured by someone else, getting the compensation you deserve is vital. However, the process is long and complicated, involving a lot of paperwork, negotiations with the other parties, and legal formalities that only attorneys are qualified to deal with.
Personal injury lawyers are experienced in dealing with complex personal injury cases because they deal with them daily. They know how to navigate through all kinds of situations involving people who someone else’s negligence has seriously injured—and they’re able to help ensure that these cases end up being correctly resolved so that you are adequately compensated.
Determining fault for an accident
If you were involved in an accident, it’s essential to know the difference between negligence and intent. Negligence is when you are at fault for your part in the incident (e.g., driving too fast). For instance, in personal injury cases involving car accidents, intentional acts can include:
- Refusing to stop at a stop sign or yield sign;
- Following too closely behind another car;
- Reaching out through open windows to touch anything else while driving; and
- Failing to obey traffic laws (e.g., speeding).
Comparative fault deals with how much blame each party shares for causing an injury.
Since Atlanta is located in Georgia, an at-fault state, you must prove the negligence of the driver who caused the accident before filing a claim. Once you establish the other party’s liability, they must pay you compensation for your damages.
Comparative fault in Atlanta
Comparative fault is a legal concept. In other words, it’s a way of determining who is at fault for an accident. Comparative fault means looking at the evidence surrounding your case and deciding whether or not you are at fault for one or more of the following:
- Whether you were speeding
- If there was any negligence involved in causing an accident (such as being too aggressive)
You may also hear “comparative negligence,” which refers to whether or not both parties share the blame equally when something goes wrong. This can happen if someone speeds through a stop sign and causes an accident with another driver—and then both drivers are found to share some degree of responsibility for what happened because neither drove perfectly safely (or appropriately).
According to Georgia’s Official Code 51-12-33, the civil courts in Atlanta and other cities have the right to assign a certain percentage of fault to both parties involved. If the victim is less than 50% at fault, they can claim compensation. But if their share of the blame is more than 50%, they lose the right to seek compensation, irrespective of their injuries.
Atlanta’s Statute of Limitations
If you are injured, the statute of limitations is the time limit you have to file a lawsuit. In Georgia and Atlanta, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases like car accidents is two years from the date of injury.
Hiring personal injury lawyers in Atlanta is crucial while seeking compensation in car accident cases or others that involve mental and physical injury because of someone else’s negligence. They will help you prove the other party’s negligence and ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
