Menu
close
No one wants to be the victim of a motor vehicle collision. Unfortunately, millions of people are severely injured in motor vehicle accidents every year. In 2018 alone, nearly 40,000 people lost their lives and 4.5 million people suffered severe injuries in car accidents.
After you are injured in an automobile accident, it's common to be stressed and confused by the legal process of filing a personal injury claim. However, the time following an automobile crash plays a crucial role in how your personal injury lawsuit plays out. After a car wreck, it's essential that you know how to deal with the at-fault party and their insurance company and any situations you may encounter.
If you need an experienced Stonecrest car accident lawyer contact us now.
Did you suffer an injury after your car accident? It's crucial to note that many physical injuries stemming from automobile accidents aren't visible immediately. For instance, back pain, headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, and abdominal pain often manifest in weeks or even months following a minor car crash. However, if no bodily injuries develop after your minor car accident, and you don't require any medical treatment, you might not need to hire a personal injury attorney.
If you choose to represent yourself in the personal injury claims process, this means you're responsible for every step of the legal work. This includes:
If you sustained an injury of any kind in a minor auto accident, including minor scrapes or bruises, hiring a qualified car accident lawyer is worthwhile for many reasons.
Often, minor car accidents don’t cause physical injuries, such as whiplash or a mild concussion (MTBI). However, hit-and-runs, fender benders, sideswipes at low speeds, and various other types of ‘minor’ car accidents often cause psychological injuries, including anxiety, fear of driving, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Overlooking these types of injuries means foregoing financial compensation that you may be entitled to. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence among drivers involved in minor car crashes. Hiring a personal injury attorney can help you confirm if you suffered a psychological injury, assessing the extent of the injury, and taking the right steps to recover monetary compensation for the financial losses you suffered.
If you're sure that the minor car accident caused you to suffer from a psychological injury, and you have subsequently incurred financial expenses for things, such as seeking medical attention, counseling, or therapy, hiring an experienced auto accident attorney is the best way to make sure that you receive fair compensation offsets the costs for treatment. Thus, hiring a knowledgeable and skilled car accident lawyer is in your best interest.
Proving psychological trauma and correlating financial damages is a daunting task without a thorough understanding of personal injury law. However, having a dedicated advocate from Marks Law Group on your side can be a major asset in your personal injury claim. For a free initial consultation, contact our personal injury law firm today at (678) 251-9309.
Most car accident attorneys charge for their legal services differently—as opposed to the hourly fee that many attorneys charge in other types of cases. A typical car accident attorney charges a "contingency fee" to take on a personal injury case. A contingency fee means that a car accident lawyer won't get paid any attorney's fees unless you recover financial compensation in your case. The attorney or law firm gets paid a percentage of monetary settlement received from any auto insurance settlement or jury verdict, especially if your case goes to trial.
The percentage that a personal injury attorney can receive in a contingency fee arrangement ranges from 25 to 40 percent, and 33 percent or one-third is the standard. Thus, if you and your personal injury lawyer have a 33% contingency fee agreement and you recover $240,000 in your car accident case, your car accident attorney will receive $80,000.
Estimating the value of a car accident claim is complicated. Because it involves determining the nature and extent of your physical injury, the economic damages that are recoverable, and the liability issues associated with the accident. Also, the location where a trial would take place and any previous physical injuries sustained by the claimant are issues that are factored into the evaluation of a personal injury claim.
Since insurance companies have extensive experience in evaluating personal injury claims and will do everything to get the lowest settlement possible, it's vital to have a person with considerable legal experience dealing with the insurance company representatives on your behalf. Typically, it's best to hire a Stonecrest auto accident lawyer who handles personal injury claims regularly and who is prepared to institute litigation on your behalf if the insurance company isn't willing to settle your personal injury claim for a fair value.
If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in a car accident in Stonecrest, or anywhere in Georgia, contact our law office today to schedule a free consultation with our experienced automobile accident attorneys.
All motor vehicle crashes may seem relatively similar. However, the potential for car damage and bodily injury varies significantly between a fender bender and a read-end accident. There are four main types of car accidents and knowing the difference is essential, especially when looking for an experienced car accident attorney.
A head-on collision is a collision where the front end of one car collides with the front end of another car while the two cars are moving in opposite directions. In the United States, in 2005 head-on accidents accounted for only two percent of all car crashes, yet they accounted for 10% of U.S. fatal car crashes. These car collisions occur when the driver of a vehicle doesn't stay in their lane, leaving the roadway or crossing the centerline. Causes of head-on crashes range from fatigue to distracted driving or driving under the influence of drugs or low visibility.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that rear-end collisions are the most common type of car crashes. Across the nation, they’re responsible for nearly 29% of all car wrecks. A rear-end collision occurs when a car crashes into the one in front of it. Bodily injuries include back injuries, spinal cord injuries, whiplash, head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, facial disfigurement, arm and wrist injuries, and seat belt injuries. Often, the driver of the vehicle that rear-ends the other vehicle is considered to be at fault. The only exception is if the driver of the vehicle in front was driving in reverse gear.
Side-impact crashes are car accidents where the side of one or more cars is impacted. Often, these car wrecks occur in parking lots, at intersections, and when two cars pass on a multi-lane roadway. Broadside collisions are the most common types of side collisions. This occurs when the side of one car is impacted by the front or rear of another car, forming a “T.” Most people call this a “T-Bone” collision. These types of crashes are dangerous because the side of a motor vehicle offers little to no protection to the driver or passenger. Motor vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle impacted often suffer catastrophic injuries than they would in a front or rear-end accident.
A rollover is a car crash where a vehicle tips over onto its side or roof. According to the NHTSA, rollovers often have a higher fatality rate than other types of car accidents. Rollovers are classified as tripped and untripped, which either the accident was caused by an external object, such as another car or curb, or it was because of friction with the ground and speed, for instance, moving at a sharp turn at a high speed. All motor vehicles are susceptible to rollovers, but SUVs are at a greater risk because of their center of mass and height.
At Marks Law Group, our DeKalb County car accident attorneys understand auto accident victims may have questions about their legal rights following a car crash. We're committed to helping injured passengers, drivers, and pedestrians understand their rights and how they can get the compensation they deserve to cover their financial damages.
Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you can seek compensation through insurance claims or a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver. If you have suffered injuries following a car accident in Stonecrest or anywhere in Georgia, contact our experienced Stonecrest auto crash attorneys today at (678) 251-9309, or chat with us online to learn how we can help.