Albany Car Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been hurt in an auto collision in Albany, Georgia, you don’t need to handle everything alone. A good car accident lawyer in Albany from John Foy & Associates can help you get the money you need to focus on your recovery. 

Even when your injuries seem minor, they can develop into long-term conditions costing tens of thousands of dollars. More serious injuries can require years of expensive treatment. But you don’t have to pay for an accident you didn’t cause if you have the right attorney fighting for you.

What Can I Do to Protect My Rights After a Car Accident?

To legally protect yourself after a car accident, you will need to document the accident, gather evidence, get your injuries treated as soon as possible, and seek legal help.

Documenting the Scene

After the accident happens, you will need to:

• Call the police to report the accident and tell responding officers what happened
• Take pictures of the accident scene, your injuries, and vehicle damage to your car
• Avoid admitting any blame or apologizing to the other driver until you have all the facts
• Talk to witnesses and get their names and contact information

Each of these steps can help create a record of the car accident, which is crucial for your insurance claim.

Getting Your Injuries Checked Out

After you’ve left the scene, see a doctor as soon as you can to have your injuries checked out. Some car accident injuries take time to fully show up, so you should see a doctor even if your pain is minor. The sooner you can get treatment and create a record that you saw someone for your injuries, the better it is for your case.

Also, keep track of all medical bills, doctor notes, and other records of your injuries and medical expenses.

Taking Notes On the Accident

Keep a record of what happened before, during, and after the car accident. Write down how the accident made you feel and how your injuries have impacted your day-to-day life. Also, record any names and contact information of people you’ve communicated with about your accident.

Getting a Car Inspection

Assess how much your vehicle damage will cost to repair (or replace, if your car was totaled). You might see a few different inspectors for an average estimate of how much your vehicle damage is worth before the other driver’s insurance company steps in.

Documenting Your Damages

Keep track of all costs associated with your car accident. Use a file or folder to save documents and notes in one place. This should include:

• Your claim number
• The insurance adjuster’s name
• All medical bills and records
• Quotes for vehicle damage repairs
• Full names, phone numbers, and addresses for all relevant contacts

Calling a Car Accident Lawyer

Schedule a consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer who can make sure you are doing everything to protect your rights after the accident. It’s easy to get taken advantage of if you don’t know how to handle the insurance company, so a lawyer can make sure that doesn’t happen. They can also help fight for the fair settlement you deserve.

If the insurance company or other driver fights against your claim, your lawyer will be there every step of the way—even if you need to take the driver to trial.

Basically, be cautious in everything you do or say after a car accident. Avoid admitting blame, apologizing, or downplaying your damages—and get a trusted lawyer on your side who can help you take the right actions for your case. The goal is to protect your legal rights to full compensation for all the damages you face because of the other driver’s negligence that led to your accident.

Getting Your Injuries Checked Out

After you’ve left the scene, see a doctor as soon as you can to have your injuries checked out. Some car accident injuries take time to fully show up, so you should see a doctor even if your pain is minor. The sooner you can get treatment and create a record that you saw someone for your injuries, the better it is for your case.

Also, keep track of all medical bills, doctor notes, and other records of your injuries and medical expenses.

Do I Really Need an Albany, GA, Car Accident Lawyer?

Yes. Many accident victims are reluctant to hire a lawyer because they think it’s not worth it. They believe the insurance company will offer a fair settlement and that lawyers will charge high fees without getting them more money. This is simply not true. 

Insurance companies aren’t interested in being fair to you. They want to make a profit, and one of the ways they stay profitable is to pay as little as possible to accident victims. They have several ways of tricking you into accepting a low settlement:

• They sound friendly and concerned and then use whatever you say against you.
• They encourage you to take a settlement right away. They know you haven’t had a chance to find out what your injuries will really cost, and they also know that if you take the “quick cash,” you’ll sign away your right to ask for more money later.
• They don’t do anything. They wait for months, letting your medical bills pile up before they offer you any money at all. The insurance companies hope that you’ll be under so much financial pressure that you’ll take anything you can get.
• They say the accident is your fault to avoid paying anything, or they question your injuries so they won’t have to pay as much.

Often, insurance companies will even deny or devalue your claim. But a good personal injury lawyer has seen these tactics many times and knows how to deal with them. But most accident victims alone are no match for an insurance company with teams of lawyers on its side. 

When you hire a car accident lawyer in Albany, GA, you get an experienced advocate who will fight for you. Most times, insurance companies offer substantially more money just because there’s a lawyer on your case.

What Costs and Expenses Can I Get in a Car Accident Claim?

The City of Albany and Dougherty County follow Georgia law, which allows accident victims to recover all their costs and damages. We routinely recover these types of costs for our clients:

• Medical costs such as doctor and hospital bills
• Prescriptions
• Vehicle repairs, including body shops and replacing a totaled car
• The cost of missed time from work because of the accident

If you were seriously injured in your accident, you may be able to recover even more money for a permanent injury, disability, ongoing pain, or even the loss of a loved one. Of course, money cannot reverse these tragic losses, but it can give you financial security to make it easier to get treatment and cope with life after the accident.

How Do I Know if My Car Accident Claim Is Valid?

Many people second-guess themselves after accidents, questioning whether they did something wrong or minimizing the effects of the accident. Don’t fall into this trap. Your accident happened for a reason, and you are doing yourself and your family a disservice if you don’t get a professional opinion on whether you have a claim. 

Most car accidents happen because someone is “negligent,” meaning they were careless or didn’t follow the law. If someone else was negligent, you have a valid claim. We have successfully handled claims in many kinds of accidents, including:

• Head-on accidents
• Rear end collisions
• “T-bone” accidents
• Accidents caused by rain, dense fog or hazardous roads
• Texting and distracted driving
• Driving under the influence
• Defective tires and other parts
• Accidents causing whiplash

We have recovered money even when the other driver fled the scene or didn’t have insurance.

How Will You Prove Damages and Negligence in My Claim?

First, we will help you gather evidence. The steps we outlined above protect you and help us get the evidence we need to start building your case. We will also interview witnesses and hire experts, if necessary, to reconstruct what happened.

We will also help you document all the costs related to the case, things like current and future medical bills and lost wages, to help you get a fair amount for your claim. Then, we will approach the insurance company for a settlement.

To prove your claim, we will need to show that the other driver was negligent and caused your injuries to the insurance company. Our experienced Albany, GA, car accident attorneys know what the insurance companies are looking for, and can likely get you a fair settlement without going to trial.

Will I Have to File a Car Accident Case in Court?

The majority of auto accident claims are resolved before anyone files a lawsuit or goes to court. In rare cases, an insurance company won’t negotiate at all and it may make sense to take the case to the local courts. If this happens to you, we will advise you on your options and your chances of winning at trial. 

If you decide you want to go to court, we have experienced litigators who will take care of everything. Most of the time, however, we present a strong case to the insurance company and they then offer a fair settlement. 

We investigate every case and build the strongest possible claim through police reports, witness statements, expert evidence, and medical assessments of the extent of your injuries and what you will need to recover. Many times, our evidence alone prompts the insurance company to make a substantially higher offer. 

How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Case in Georgia?

If you plan to sue, you need to know how long you can wait before your claim is no longer valid. This is called the statute of limitations. In Georgia, per Ga. Code § 9-3-33, you have two years to sue for any injuries and four years to sue for any property damage. However, there are exceptions.

For instance, if your child was injured in an accident, their statute of limitations clock does not start until they turn 18. Another thing that could shorten the clock is if the other vehicle was a vehicle operated by the government.

If you wait too long, the courts will refuse to hear your case and you may also lose the right to a settlement from the insurance company. Thus, it is in your best interest to start the process as soon as possible after your accident by contacting a lawyer.

How Do I Find the Best Albany Car Accident Lawyer Near Me?

There are lots of lawyers out there, and it can be hard to know which one to choose. Here are some suggestions:

• Choose a personal injury lawyer who represents accident victims. Lawyers have areas of expertise, and you want a lawyer who is familiar with personal injury claims. A lawyer who represents accident victims exclusively will have your best interests at heart and will not be sympathetic to the insurance company.
• Choose an experienced lawyer. An experienced lawyer knows how to deal with insurance company tricks, has experience working with experts to build your case, and will give you a good assessment of what your case is worth and how you should proceed.
• Choose a lawyer who won’t charge you up-front. You should never pay fees up front in a personal injury case. Choose a law firm that only charges a fee if it wins money for you.

Above all, see a car accident lawyer in Albany as soon as you can after your accident. The sooner your lawyer begins working on your case, the better your position will be with the insurance company.

Talk to an Albany Car Accident Lawyer for Free

At John Foy & Associates, our Albany, GA, car accident lawyers help accident victims get the maximum financial award possible. In fact, that’s all we do. We began as a small local law office, and over the past 20 years, we have grown into one of the biggest and most highly regarded law firms in the state. 

We’ve seen the devastating effects of car accidents first hand, and we want you to get the money you need to stay on the road to recovery. We will meet with you for free, with no obligation, to talk about your case and help you decide what to do next. Call us or fill out the form to your right and get your FREE consultation today.