Clarkston, GA Personal Injury Lawyer

CLARKSTON PERSONAL INJURY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER?

A personal injury lawyer is responsible for suing the other party for their negligence, leading to the injury.

Being involved in an accident can drain your pockets dry. Because of this, our expert attorneys will fight for you so that you may receive the maximum amount of money for your financial recovery.

Our team will be with you every step of the way.

HOW MUCH DOES A CLARKSTON PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY COST?

Hiring a Georgia personal injury attorney will not cost you anything upfront. We take our fee as a percentage of your settlement.

That means there are zero charges upfront and zero charges if we should not make a recovery and win your case. You have no risk! As a personal injury law firm, our goal is to get every one of our clients as much money as we can, as quickly as we can.

We have an experienced team of dedicated legal professionals who are at your service. Our attorneys, investigators, legal assistants are all trained to fight on your behalf and get you the money you deserve for your physical injuries, financial burdens and pain, and suffering.

Our Clarkston Personal Injury Attorneys and Legal Staff take the time to:

• interview you thoroughly and help explain the nature of your case

• interview eyewitnesses

• talk to medical professionals about your condition(s)

• gather police and accident reports

• take photos of the crash scene

WHEN DO I NEED A PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY FOR MY CASE?

Georgia's Personal Injury System allows the injured to be compensated financially after suffering harm because of another's careless or negligent actions.

Personal Injury cases in Georgia allow for a two-year statute of limitations that you can begin a lawsuit. It's important to contact an attorney as quickly as possible after an accident occurs so they can begin the investigation process for your case.

Many people will wait to hire an attorney because they think they will owe extensive legal fees. While in some cases might be true, however, it is not true for The Brown Firm.

• The Brown Firm operates on a contingency basis; we do not ask for any money up-front. We will fight diligently to win your case. Otherwise, we do not get paid. When you receive a settlement, that's when our attorneys receive their compensation as well.

• Studies show that injured victims whom a personal injury lawyer represents receive an average settlement more than three times higher than those not represented.

• Negotiating a settlement is a complicated process, consider an insurance adjuster's full-time job is dealing with accidents and injury cases. He or she is backed by professional investigators, medical experts, vocational specialists, etc.

The faster you speak with an experienced Personal Injury Attorney, the better chance you will have at receiving the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed for your losses.

The lawyers at our firm will complete a thorough investigation into your accident, and if they need to, they will hire medical experts to review your injuries and medical records. It will be up to your attorney to handle all of the negotiations with the other person's insurance company. If an agreement cannot be met for some reason, your attorney will be prepared to take your case to trial.

If the case does go to trial, it will then be up to a judge or jury to determine the amount of compensation that you should receive for your losses.

WHY IS IT CRITICAL TO RETAIN A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER IN CLARKSTON?

Insurance companies will immediately begin calling persons involved in the accident to gather recorded statements. We advise our clients to not give recorded statements to the other insurance companies based on the fact that so many of these organizations will use these comments to directly influence the level of compensation awarded for injuries sustained.

You should not be surprised by the fact that insurance companies typically do whatever they can to avoid paying out the appropriate amount of funds to individuals that are injured and entitled to payment.

Insurers can use all types of tactics to minimize claims they are responsible for. When you attempt to file a claim for the injuries you have sustained, the settlement offer you will probably be given might be low.

Sadly, insurance companies use this tactic because it is a way to influence people and some victims end up taking the offer without ever knowing their full legal rights.

Personal injury attorneys know how the insurance claim process works, they know what evidence to gather, and they know how to calculate and present a claim for damages. Without expert legal counsel on your side, it can be difficult to navigate how to handle insurance companies.

WHAT TYPES OF COMPENSATION CAN I RECEIVE FOR INJURIES AFTER AN ACCIDENT?

What you receive in your settlement will ultimately be dependent on the circumstances of your accident and the extent of your injuries, property damages, and overall expenses. The amount of compensation awarded to you in a settlement can range from thousands to even millions of dollars.

Your Clarkston Attorney will most likely include the following types of expenses in your settlement offer:

• Out-of-Pocket Expenses: These expenses include anything that was incurred as a direct result of the accident. For example, in an automobile accident in which your car was totaled, you would need a rental car, taxi service, or to borrow a car. Additional fees include parking fees at hospitals and gasoline for trips to and from doctor visits. This category can include any expenses that you would have never incurred if the accident had not happened.

• Medical Expenses: No matter the severity of your accident or resulting injuries, you are owed compensation claims for your medical treatments and pain and suffering. Your attorney will demand reimbursement for your medical treatments, prescriptions, and other medical bills.

• Lost Income: This may include all wages you lost for having to miss work as a direct result of your accident. This may also include the future if you are unable to return to work due to your accident. Typically a letter from your employer stating your regular pay rate and hours you lost or will lose is required to receive compensation.

• Property Damage: Any property that was damaged due to the accident can be compensated for. This would include the damage to physical property, such as a car or motorcycle.

• Pain and Suffering: After an accident, you can be compensated for the physical and emotional stress that the accident caused.

• Loss of Consortium: If a loved one is injured, it affects more than just them. If you experienced deprivation of the benefits of a family relationship due to the accident, you might be able to claim loss of consortium.

WHY IS MEDICAL TREATMENT IMPORTANT TO A PERSONAL INJURY CASE?

After you are involved in an accident, it's crucial to your health and a potential lawsuit to be seen by a medical professional as soon as possible. Regardless of how you feel immediately after the accident, it's still important to seek medical help.

The doctor will find out if you suffered any injuries, even if you are not in any immediate pain. They will also provide your attorney with the necessary documentation of your injuries to help with the lawsuit.

It's important to keep the following in mind:

• Immediately seek medical attention after an accident.

• Do not miss appointments.

• Always follow the recommendation of the doctor.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET MY SETTLEMENT?

Personal Injury Lawsuits can vary greatly when it comes to the length of time it will take to settle. First, it depends on how soon after your accident you speak to an attorney and how long it takes to file your claim. Second, the seriousness of the accident and the extent of the injuries can cause the length of time to vary.

In most cases, insurance companies will want to wait until the victim is completely healed from their injuries and they have all of the medical bills before settling. This is another reason speaking with an attorney is beneficial as they can set up a medical lien so that you do not have to pay your medical bills and then wait for reimbursement.

Finally, it depends on the settlement's size and how backed up the courts are at the time. If you are willing to accept a smaller settlement, then your case can usually be resolved in a few weeks or months. If you are going after a larger settlement, it may take longer.

If your case goes to trial, it can get pushed back even further due to courts usually being backed up with hundreds of cases waiting to be heard.