Car accidents are expensive. According to some reports, even a minor fender bender can cost a motorist more than $20,000 when you add up the total cost of car repairs and medical bills. And many accidents cause even greater financial loss because a victim’s injuries are life-threatening.
At Ponton Law, we use our skill and experience in accident reconstruction to maximize the compensation our clients receive for car accident they may have caused a wrongful death. Call us today to schedule your free consultation with a Sandy Springs car accident lawyer.
Gathering Evidence to Prove Fault in Car Accident Claims
Our legal team helps maximize compensation by combing through all evidence to prove what happened. Georgia car accidents are based on fault. Put simply, the person who caused the accident should legally pay compensation to injured victims.
As you can imagine, fault isn’t always clear cut. And sometimes it is, but the other driver simply lies and claims you are to blame. For this reason, you need an experienced lawyer to find as much useful evidence to determine what happened for your car accident compensation.
Fault can also be shared in Georgia. Your share of fault will end up reducing the amount of compensation you receive. If you are 50% or more to blame, then you will receive nothing for your personal injury claim. (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33.)
To maximize compensation, we need evidence to show another driver or person was at fault, while your own share of blame was minimal or nonexistent. You can expect the other driver to point the finger at you as causing the the accident happened, but we dig in to find other evidence to back up your story of what happened:
- Eyewitness testimony. People who saw the accident can help us see it through their eyes. A third-party witness is very credible if they are not related to either driver. We can talk to anyone identified in the police report or anyone you spoke to before being whisked away to the hospital.
- Toxicology results. If the other driver was drunk, we’ll look for evidence. Maybe the police had the driver take a breathalyzer. A trucker was probably tested by their employer after the crash. This evidence can show a driver was negligent.
- Other evidence. Each case is unique, so the evidence is slightly different in each case. We might request a look at cell phone records if you think the other driver was on the phone during the car crash.
By finding as much evidence as we can, we reduce our client’s share of fault, which increases the amount they can take home for your personal injury cases.
Adding More Defendants
After reviewing the evidence, we might conclude that more than one person is at fault for your accident. For example, we can sue a driver’s employer if they were working at the time of the crash. In other situations, a car manufacturer or mechanic could be on the hook for a car defect. Adding a defendant is one way to increase the possibility of more financial compensation, especially if the driver who hit you had only the minimum policy required in Georgia.
Avoiding Key Mistakes
Certain mistakes can undermine your claim to compensation and reduce what you take home from the car accident scene:
- Never admit fault for the accident. You might accidentally say something that suggests you are partially or fully to blame for the accident. We can help you avoid this misstep by handling all communications for you with insurance companies. You’ll never have to pick up a phone—we handle all calls for you.
- Don’t miss deadlines. Another key mistake is waiting too long to file a claim. Our Sandy Springs car accident lawyers keep an eye on all deadlines. We will make sure your claim is handled efficiently to preserve your legal rights.
- Refuse to accept an offer without running it by a lawyer. The other driver’s insurance company might quickly propose a settlement. If you hire us, we can always review it to see that it’s fair. Chances are, the first offer is too low and we’ll reject it.
By helping you avoid common errors, we increase the amount of money you get to take home in a settlement to take care of your future medical expenses and, lost wages, and more.
Analyzing the Value of Your Injuries
We help maximize compensation by using our experience to put a dollar value on your common car accident injuries. The biggest mistake accident victims make is undervaluing property damage in their claim. Do you know how much you can request in compensation for a fair settlement?
Car accident victims should request money for car repairs and to replace lost income if you couldn’t work as you recovered from physical injuries. You should also request compensation for medical bills.
But the biggest category of punitive damages is usually for “pain and suffering.” This compensation makes up for the bodily pain and inconvenience that you will experience after a painful crash.
Few people know the value of their pain and suffering. There’s a strong likelihood you will undervalue recovering financial compensation for your pain. That’s why it’s critical to reach out to Ponton Law. We have practiced car accident law for decades, and we know a low settlement when we see one. We can reject a lowball offer and hold out for more.
Negotiating with the Defendant
Negotiation is an art. The typical car accident case involves two sides: you and the insurance company representing the driver who injured you. The insurance adjuster on the other side has probably handled thousands of cases. They know exactly how much they want to spend—and they work all day to get you to accept less than you deserve.
We maximize compensation by fully reviewing any settlement offer and quickly rejecting one that is too low. Our firm has also handled hundreds of car accident cases, so we know how much the insurance company can pay. And we use this skill to fight for the most fair compensation ever.
Reach Out to Ponton Law Today
Our Sandy Springs car accident lawyer is eager to learn more about the car accident which injured you. Hundreds of people are seriously injured in Georgia car accident cases, and it’s up to you to find the right lawyer for your personal injury lawsuit case. Our experienced car accident attorneys in Sandy Springs stand up for our clients and demand that insurance companies play fair and recover compensation. Call our personal injury lawyer to schedule a free consultation regarding your car accident injuries.