Like many large cities, Atlanta experiences an extremely high number of car accidents every single year. From actual residents, to tourists, to those using the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, millions of people travel through Atlanta every year. This leads to very high accident numbers compared to actual residents of the city and the surrounding suburbs. These accidents can be blamed on many things: unfamiliarity with the area, distraction while trying to follow a map or GPS, or even driving rules and laws that differ from wherever tourists are visiting from.
If you've been involved in a car accident in Atlanta or the surrounding areas, Marks Law Group can help make sure you receive the insurance payouts you deserve, as well as ensure that any pain and suffering you experience, as well as medical bills you receive, are compensated properly. Placing your accident claim in the hands of an experienced car accident attorney is the fastest and easiest way to guarantee you get the maximum compensation available to you.
What are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Atlanta?
In Atlanta, there is an average of at least one motor vehicle accident every 4 hours. This is a staggering number of car accidents, though it is smaller than the numbers seen in cities such as New York, which experiences a car accident every 2-3 seconds. The most common causes of accidents, in no particular order, are:
- Drunk driving
- Failing to signal
- Defective auto parts
- Failing to stop at a signal or stop sign
- Failure to yield at a yield sign
- Poor road conditions/road hazards
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Unsafe driving in adverse weather conditions
Unsurprisingly, distracted driving is one of the top causes of accidents on this list. Atlanta is a huge hub for tourists and visitors because of the international airport, and its status as one of the largest cities in the South. Drivers unfamiliar with the roads and driving laws often find themselves involved in accidents while looking at GPS, maps, or by making sudden, rapid movements on the road to avoid missing turns or land changes. Distracted or reckless driving is a huge issue for cities like Atlanta that attract so many people unfamiliar with the city itself.
What Happens After a Car Accident?
The most common result of car accidents, besides damage to vehicles and the road, is injuries to drivers and passengers. Medical bills from car accidents can stack up extremely quickly because oftentimes these injuries include whiplash or other neck or back injuries, which are difficult and expensive to treat. And while most insurance companies will cover treatment upfront, the party responsible for the accident will end up paying for all of it in the end. These medical expenses, more often than not, end up costing more than the damage to either or both vehicles involved in the accident.
On top of medical injuries, there are also mental injuries that can be caused to victims of car accidents, as well as pain and suffering. Car accidents can cost up to hundreds of thousands, which means getting a car accident lawyer as soon as possible is extremely important if you've been found at fault for an accident. While injuries can be small, like simple cuts and bruises and soft tissue injuries, they can also be devastating. Hundreds of people suffer each year from catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or chronic pain, that leave them disabled for the rest of their lives.
if you have been injured in a car accident, contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to make sure you are repaid properly and fairly for your property damages, and any medical attention you receive, as well as your pain and suffering.
Learn More: What to do After a Car Accident
How Will an Accident Affect You Insurance Premiums?
Insurance premiums are also a huge concern after an accident. If you are at fault, your premiums can double, or even triple, depending on the severity of the accident, the reason for the accident, and the final cost decided by the court. If the accident was caused by a drunk driver, for example, the person convicted of drunk driving will suffer from increased premiums, and may even be at risk of being dropped by their insurance entirely. If this happens, they will be required to pay specialized insurance for high-risk drivers.
If you were hit by another vehicle, your insurance premiums shouldn't raise, though you may find yourself having to rely on your insurance company to pay for a rental car for you, pay to get your car fixed, or even pay your medical bills while you wait for the other insurance company to offer you a settlement.
Can I Fight Against an Insurance Ruling?
While an insurance ruling might seem set in stone, they aren't always. Insurance adjusters are humans and make mistakes every day. You can appeal insurance rulings or reject settlements if you feel as though they aren't fair. If you reject a settlement then your next step would be to sue the insurance company, which might then offer you a better settlement. If they don't then your case will be heard in court by a judge to decide how much the at-fault driver's insurance needs to payout.
If you choose to sue the negligent driver's insurance, you will need to have a personal injury attorney at your side, to help fight for the settlement you deserve. Provide your attorney with as much information as possible, such as dashcam footage, weather conditions, possible security cameras, officer names, and badge numbers, etc. The more information you can provide, the better the case your attorney can build for you.
Call Our Firm for Help Ensuring You are Fully Compensated
The mental anguish one goes through after an auto accident, on top of the financial losses, economic damages, and general stress of trying to get back into a vehicle and back to your everyday life is harsh and extreme. Putting your case in the hands of a professional Atlanta auto accident lawyer can take most of that burden off your shoulders, so you can focus on healing and moving forward.
Whether driver error or bad weather is to blame, you deserve a fair settlement for your pain and suffering. And while financial compensation can not change a loss of enjoyment of life or chronic pain, a fair settlement can give you the breathing room to take the time to heal properly and return as closely as possible to your prior quality of life.
At Marks Law Group we believe that nothing is more important than making sure our clients have the time, space, and money they need to be able to heal properly and begin again. Call us today for a free consultation, and take the first steps to get your life back on the road.