Snellville Personal Injury Attorneys

Accidents happen in an instant. One minute you are healthy and simply visiting a business or driving to work and the next, you are in immense pain and left with serious injuries that will impact your life in the coming weeks, months, and possibly even years. You likely also cannot return to work right away to pay for your medical bills and daily expenses. If someone else’s negligence caused your injuries, you may be entitled to compensation by working with our personal injury attorney. Our Snellville personal injury lawyer can help you obtain the full settlement you are entitled to.

Areas of Personal Injury Law

Personal injury law covers many different legal areas. Our experienced attorney handles the legal process for many different types of legal claims, including:

• Car accidents: Snellville, as the rest of Georgia, follows tort law when it comes to car accidents. This means that if someone else caused the crash that resulted in serious injury, you must file a claim against their insurance company for damages. Insurance companies are typically hesitant to pay full settlements to accident victims, so it is recommended that you have legal representation.
• Truck accidents: Contrary to what many people think, truck accidents are not like car crashes. There are many potentially liable parties, the injuries are far more severe, and different laws apply, such as the federal hours of service rule. These are just a few differences and so, it is important to work with a Snellville personal injury lawyer.
• Motorcycle accidents: Crashes involving motorcycles are also different from other auto accidents. This is because motorcyclists have very little protection on the road, the injuries are often catastrophic, and bikers face biases from insurance companies and juries.
• Pedestrian accidents: Pedestrians are extremely vulnerable when they are on the roads, on sidewalks, in parking lots, and in alleyways. Pedestrians are completely exposed when they are out walking and so, they will incur some of the worst injuries when struck by a vehicle.
• Bicycle accidents: Like motorcyclists and pedestrians, cyclists have very little protection when they are out on the roads. With little more than a helmet to protect them, cyclists will also suffer catastrophic injuries when they are involved in a crash with a vehicle. Cyclists are also at risk from aggressive drivers who may mistakenly believe they do not have the right to use the roadways.
• Premises liability: Premises liability law governs accidents that happen on another person’s property. Slip and falls are the most common type of premises liability accidents, but dog bites, assaults, and others are also quite common.

Compensation Available in Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury claims are intended to compensate accident victims for the losses they sustained during an accident that was not their fault. Most damages are obtained through insurance claims and are settled out of court. However, there are times when insurers refuse to offer a fair settlement and so, a trial is necessary. The most common types of damages available in personal injury claims are as follows:

• Current and future medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Loss of future earning capacity if you cannot return to the same line of work again and must accept a lower-paying job
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage
• Permanent disability or disfigurement
• Wrongful death damages, if you lost someone you love during an accident

Soon after an accident, the insurance company may contact you. They may act friendly and as though they only want to help. They may even tell you they are prepared to do the right thing and offer you a full settlement to cover your medical costs. Unfortunately, this is not usually true for many accident victims. Insurance is a big business and companies typically prioritize protecting their profits than they are in the safety and well-being of accident victims. 

Never sign a settlement offer until a Snellville personal injury lawyer has reviewed it and in fact, you should allow a lawyer to communicate with any insurer on your behalf. This will prevent them from using your own statements against you for your personal injury accident.

Comparative Negligence in Personal Injury Claims and Personal Injury Cases in Snellville, GA

There are instances when injury victims contributed to, or are partly at fault, for the accident that caused their injuries. If you are found partly at fault, you can still file a claim with our experienced personal injury lawyer for damages as long as you carry 49 percent or less of the blame. When this is the case, any damages you are awarded are reduced by your same percentage of fault.

For example, you may have been distracted while driving and so you did not see that another motorist was going to run a red light at the same intersection. Injured victims may be found 20 percent at fault for driving while distracted. If you are awarded $100,000, you would ultimately receive $80,000 because your compensation would be reduced by $20,000.

The Statute of Limitations in Snellville

In Georgia, you only have a certain amount of time to file a personal injury claim with our amazing lawyer with knowledge of the legal system. In most cases, this is two years from the date of the accident. The time limit is known as the statute of limitations and if you fail to file your claim within that time, you will typically be barred from receiving any compensation at all. The insurance companies, as well as the courts, will throw out your case in most instances.

There are, however, some exceptions to the statute of limitations that can either extend or delay the statute of limitations. For example, if your injuries were caused by a government entity, the statute of limitations is likely much shorter than in other personal injury claims. On the other hand, when an accident victim is a minor child, the statute of limitations does not start until their 18th birthday, as children do not have the mental capacity to take legal action.

Our Personal Injury Lawyer Near Snellville, GA Can Help

If you have been hurt due to someone else’s carelessness, you may be entitled to compensation by working with our Snellville personal injury attorney. At Ponton Law, our Snellville personal injury lawyer can accurately value your claim and negotiate fair compensation with the insurer on your behalf so your damages are never in jeopardy. Call our best personal injury lawyer near Snellville, GA now at 404-418-8507 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation and to get the legal help you need from our law firm towards financial recovery.