The Role Of A Buford Personal Injury Attorney

Last week, a multi-car pile-up on Highway 316 near Buford Road led to the death of one person and the hospitalization of two others.

Unfortunately, this type of tragic accident is not uncommon, especially in areas near Atlanta, which is one of the nation’s busiest cities, according to our Toccoa personal injury law firm.

The injuries sustained in these and other accidents are often serious, leaving victims in pain and in some cases, permanently disabled.

Treating these injuries can be prohibitively expensive, making it particularly important for those who are injured in accidents caused by someone else’s negligence to retain an experienced personal injury lawyer in Atlanta who can help them seek compensation for their losses.

Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury claims can be filed in response to a variety of accidents ranging from car crashes and workplace accidents to animal attacks and slip and fall accidents.

When those who are injured in these types of accidents can prove that another person or entity was primarily at fault for causing it, they may be eligible to recover damages.

This requires proof that the defendant was legally obligated to use ordinary care and failed to do so, which in turn resulted in the plaintiff’s injury.

In fact, because Georgia is a comparative negligence state, even when an injured party contributed to an accident, he or she will not necessarily be barred from recovery.

Instead, the amount of compensation that injured parties can collect will be reduced by their own percentage of fault.

However, if an injured party was more than 50% responsible for an accident, he or she will be unable to recover and could, in fact, be held responsible by the other parties involved.

Collecting Damages

When plaintiffs are able to meet the necessary burden of proof, they could be awarded a variety of damages compensating them for:

• Past and future medical expenses, including costs related to surgery, medications, doctor’s appointments, and hospital visits;
• Lost wages for the time that the injured party was forced to take off from work as a result of the accident;
• Loss of future income, which is awarded in cases where a victim’s injuries are so severe that he or she becomes permanently disabled by them; and
• Property damage was sustained during the accident, including vehicle repair and replacement.

Finally, in serious cases, plaintiffs may be able to recover non-economic damages to compensate them for losses that are more difficult to quantify, such as the pain and suffering endured as a result of an accident, disfigurement, emotional distress, and physical impairment.

To learn more about whether you are eligible for these types of damages, you should contact a personal injury lawyer in Buford who can address your questions.

Important Deadlines

Those who are injured by another person’s negligence must file a claim within two years of the date of the accident.

Missing this deadline can have serious consequences, as courts almost always refuse to hear cases filed after this date.

There are, however, exceptions to this general rule.

For example, when a city, county, or government agency was responsible for an injury, victims must file a notice of claim within six months or risk having their case barred.

Call a Dedicated Buford Personal Injury Lawyer

To speak with an experienced personal injury attorney in Buford about your own case, please call the Angell Law Firm, LLC at (770) 217-4954.

A member of our legal team is available to you on a 24/7 basis.