Your life can seem out of control after a car accident in Woodstock. Your days may be a blur of doctor visits, physical therapy, medications, and pain. Or you may have way too much time to sit around and worry about being unable to work and support your family. And then there’s the growing pile of medical bills. But you don’t have to face the financial reality of an accident on your own. There is help. You need to talk to a Woodstock car accident lawyer.
Our lawyers know how to get you money to pay for your injuries, the time you’ve missed from work, and other losses. We’ve been doing it successfully for decades, and we never charge you a fee unless we win you money. Let us give you a FREE consultation. Call us at (404) 341-6555 or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today.
I’ve been in a car accident. What should I know?
Car accidents are very likely to be covered by insurance. Georgia’s drivers must get insurance for any vehicle they own – it’s the law. The insurance policy must cover any injuries that other drivers or passengers suffer, along with damage to other people’s cars. Most of the time, the driver who caused the accident has insurance to pay for your injuries and car repairs. This means that most car accident claims can be resolved through the insurance company, without a lawsuit.
However, this does not mean the insurance company will offer to pay you the full cost. We urge you to talk to a car accident lawyer before you decide to take insurance company money or sign their paperwork.
Which driver is liable for the costs of the accident?
The driver who caused it is the one who is “at fault” and they are the one liable for all the consequences of the accident.
Sometimes, it is obvious who is at fault because there is one driver who was clearly negligent. This might happen if, for example, a driver ran a red light and slammed into you while you were going through an intersection on a green light. But violating traffic laws is not the only way drivers can be negligent. A driver can also be negligent by being careless and not using safe driving practices. This might include driving while distracted by something else, driving too aggressively, or driving too fast for the weather conditions.
These rules are the same for all types of car accidents:
- Two-car collisions
- Multi-car collisions
- Car crashes involving ice, fog and other dangerous conditions
- Distracted driving accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Accidents that involve a pedestrian, bicyclist or motorcyclist
In some rare cases, an accident is not caused by a driver but by defective auto equipment, such as a bad braking system. In these cases the manufacturer or another company involved is often liable.
I was severely injured, what if there isn’t enough insurance money?
Insurance policies have maximums and they won’t pay out above that amount. However, you still have a right to the money you need for your injuries and other costs. Legally, there are a couple of different ways to get it:
- Another insurance policy may help pay it. This could be insurance from someone else involved in the accident, or even your own insurance policy.
- You have a right to seek payment directly from the other driver. The courts may order them to pay the money you need in installments over time if they cannot pay it all at once.
What if the other drive has no insurance?
This is unfortunately very common. It’s against the law, but many car owners drive without insurance anyway.
Even if the driver who’s at fault does not have insurance, you still have options—but you need to talk to a lawyer. Your lawyer may be able to find other insurance policies that cover the accident, or may be able to use the courts to get your costs paid by the other driver—even if they cannot pay it all at once.
What kinds of costs and damages can I collect money for?
The idea behind a car accident claim is to “make the victims whole” as if nothing had ever happened. That includes both financially and in terms of your quality of life, so there are two kinds of damages you can win in your settlement:
- Your costs. Your claim will pay for all of your medical care, missed work time, car repairs, and any other costs related to the accident.
- Your pain and other losses. If you are suffering from extreme pain, the anguish of losing someone you love or having your life permanently changed, the loss of a limb, or any kind of permanent injury, you will be awarded additional money. Obviously, it’s not actually possible for this money to “make you whole” because the loss cannot be reversed. But it can help you restore your quality of life and move forward.
How can a lawyer help if the insurance company already offered me money?
It may seem like the insurance company wants to help you, but you must be careful. Insurance companies want to make a profit, and one of their strategies is to offer you a relatively small amount of money right away. They’re hoping you’ll take it and give up your right to recover anything else. A lawyer knows this trick and can tell you whether the insurance company’s offer is fair.
Getting a car accident lawyer means you have a professional on your side who can build your case and battle the insurance company in negotiations or in a car accident lawsuit in Atlanta. A lawyer can send you to the right kind of doctors who will evaluate you and tell you what’s wrong and what treatment you need. A lawyer knows how to get expert estimates of the true cost of your injuries and use these to convince the insurance company to pay you the full value of your claim. Talking to a lawyer is one of the best things you can do for yourself after an accident.
Talk to a Woodstock Car Accident Lawyer for Free
Our attorneys have been helping car accident victims get money for their injuries for decades. We won’t ask you to pay a dime unless we win money for you. Let us give you a free consultation to go over your case and answer your questions. Call us at (404) 341-6555 or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today.
