A personal injury case is exactly what you would think it was. It is a case that involves a person who has suffered an injury at the hands of another. Usually, these cases involve negligence. Sometimes, however, personal injuries are caused by somebody who was behaving recklessly or even intentionally. Our East Point personal injury lawyers meet with dozens of clients every year who have been hurt in some sort of accident. It could be a car accident, a slip and fall, or even a dog bite.
Many personal injury cases involve the person who caused the harm and their insurance company. If you fall at a grocery store, you will pursue the owner of the store as well as their insurance carrier. If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, you would have to file suit against the other driver and their auto insurance company.
Here, we’ll explain what the most common types of personal injury cases are in East Point. We’ll also discuss what your personal injury lawyer in East Point will have to do to prove your case. Finally, we will talk about the types of damages you can demand if you’re hurt in any sort of accident.
If you still have questions or concerns about your own personal injury case, give us a call. We can schedule your free, initial consultation right over the phone.
What are the Most Common Types of Personal Injury Cases in Georgia?
Our East Point personal injury attorneys have seen hundreds of personal injury cases. Some of the most common types of injuries our clients have experienced include the following:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Swimming pool accidents
- Premises liability cases
- Hotel security issues
- Dangerous products, drugs, or medical devices
If you’ve experienced any of these things, just give us a call so we can schedule your free, initial consultation.
Your Personal Injury Lawyer in East Point Will Have to Prove Negligence
In order to recover damages, your personal injury lawyer in East Point must prove negligence. Negligence is the standard in almost all personal injury cases. To achieve this standard, you’ll have to show that the defendant didn’t act in the way a reasonable person would have given the circumstances.
There are 4 elements of negligence. Your personal injury lawyer in East Point will have to prove all four elements to win you damages. These elements include:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care – This isn’t hard to demonstrate. For example, if you were injured in a car accident, the defendant will be presumed to have owed you a duty of care. All drivers must be considerate of fellow motorists. At a minimum, they must obey all traffic laws.
- They must have breached this duty – This is often the hardest part of negligence to prove. Your attorney will have to show that the defendant didn’t behave the way they were supposed to. In a slip and fall case, for example, you could show that the store owner had debris strewn all over the floors.
- You must have suffered an injury – This sounds like common sense but it’s important. If you don’t have medical records showing that you were hurt, your East Point personal injury attorney won’t be able to prove your case. This is why we always tell our clients to go to the hospital immediately after their accident.
- Your injuries were caused by the defendant’s breach – This element shouldn’t be all that hard to prove. As long as you were treated by a doctor immediately after your accident, it won’t be hard to connect your injuries to the defendant’s actions.
If your East Point personal injury attorney is able to prove the four elements of negligence, there’s a good chance your case will settle early.
You May Be Entitled to Damages
If your East Point personal injury attorney can prove that the defendant was negligent, you’ll be entitled to certain damages. Every case is unique. Until we see the facts of your case, it’s impossible to say what kind of damages you may be entitled to.
Most personal injury cases involve at least some or all the following types of damages. Once your attorney gets a chance to thoroughly review your case, they’ll make an initial demand for the following:
- Medical bills and future medical bills
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Lost future income
- Pain and suffering
The general rule is that the bigger your medical bills, the higher your pain and suffering damages will be. In fact, many personal injury lawyers in East Point estimate your pain and suffering damages to be worth about three times your total medical bills.
If your injuries were only minor, you can’t expect to walk away with a million dollars. Your attorney can only recover damages for losses you actually suffered. You must remember – it’s your lawyer’s job to make you whole. It is not their job to make you rich. As long as you walk away from your personal injury case in as good a shape as you were before your accident, all should be well.
Reach Out to an Experienced East Point Personal Injury Lawyer Right Away
One of the important things about a personal injury case is that you only have a certain amount of time to file suit. This deadline is governed by the Georgia statute of limitations. According to this statute, you only have two years from the date of your injury to pursue your claim. If you wait too long to meet with an East Point personal injury lawyer, you could lose your chance to pursue the defendant for damages. That’s why we recommend that you call to schedule your free, initial consultation as soon as possible after your accident.
If you’ve recently been hurt and think you have a valid personal injury case, give us a call. You can meet with one of our associates who specialize in personal injury. They’ll sit down with you and review your case. Their answer any questions you may have. Finally, they’ll give you an idea of what your case may be worth. If you decide to retain their services, they’ll get started on your case right away.
You can bet the defendant is going to have a team of lawyers working for them. It’s important that you have someone in your corner as well. Since you don’t pay anything until we settle your case, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
