Atlanta
Interstate Accident Lawyer

Interstate 285 circles Atlanta and is one of the busiest stretches of road in the country. Because of the sheer amount of people who take this interstate, accidents are incredibly common, and major accidents happen way more than would be seen on other less busy roads.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident on Interstate 285 in the Atlanta area, you need the assistance of a skilled Atlanta Interstate 285 accident attorney. Contact “the Strong Arm” John Foy and Associates for a free consultation and case review.

Interstate 285

Interstate 285 is an auxiliary interstate highway that forms a circle around Atlanta, Georgia. This road is also known as “the Perimeter,” and it connects the three major interstates that go through Atlanta: Interstate 20, Interstate 75, and Interstate 85. While Interstate 285 is less than seventy miles long, its proximity to Atlanta makes it one of the busiest roads in the country.

Interstate 285 crosses through almost every single Atlanta suburb and goes through four different counties: Fulton, Dekalb, Cobb, and Clayton. This causes an extreme amount of people to use this interstate, with most estimates claiming that more than two million people per day travel on Interstate 285.

The “Deadliest Highway in America”

Studies of Interstate 285 show the true danger of traversing it. In the last year that data was collected, Interstate 285 had 26 fatal car accidents, resulting in 29 deaths, the second-most in each category, behind only Interstate 4 in Florida. However, Interstate 4 in Florida is far longer than Interstate 285. Interstate 285 is only 63 miles long, meaning that there are about 3.5 fatal car accidents per 10 miles of roadway, by far the most in the country.

It is this statistic that led the Atlanta Journal Constitution to dub the interstate “the deadliest highway in America.” This fact is not helped by the fact that every single heavy truck that travels through Atlanta is required to travel across Interstate 285. The presence of heavy trucks increases the likelihood of accidents.

Interstate 285 Crash Statistics

According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, Interstate 285 had the third most accidents of any road in the state from 2017-2021. To put in perspective how extreme that is, Interstate 285 had more accidents than Interstate 20, despite the fact that Interstate 20 goes through the entire state of Georgia, while Interstate 285 only circles Atlanta.

In all, there were 40,163 accidents on Interstate 285 between 2017-2021. If you frequently drive on Interstate 285, there is a high likelihood that you have at least almost crashed while driving there. If you or a loved one have crashed and been injured on Interstate 285, then you should contact an Interstate 285 accident attorney in Atlanta to see if you are entitled to compensation.

When Is an Accident Someone Else’s Fault?

If you wish to sue someone for your injuries, your ability to do so will be determined by who was at fault for the accident. In the vast majority of car accident cases, this is not an overly difficult task, as most of the time, the at-fault party was violating the law in some way, which makes it far easier to prove that they were negligent.

For example, Georgia law makes it illegal to touch your cell phone or any other electronic device while you are driving. If you are involved in a car accident and the other driver was using their cell phone, that person will almost automatically be determined to be at fault for your accident, and you will be entitled to financial compensation.

What You Should Do Immediately After an Accident

If you are involved in an accident, there are several things that you should do immediately afterward to ensure that your probability of legal success later down the line is as high as possible. If you are not too injured to do so, you should:

• Pull over and help any other people involved in the accident;
• Call the police as soon as possible;
• Exchange contact and insurance information with the other drivers;
• When talking to the police, only give the facts and make no admissions;
• Take pictures of the accident scene and your car;
• Write down the name and phone number of any other person who witnessed the accident;
• Call an Interstate 285 accident lawyer in Atlanta.

Types of Damages Available for Atlanta Interstate 285 Accidents

If you have been involved in an Atlanta Interstate 285 accident, there are several types of damages that you can receive. What you might not know is that you can receive compensation for almost anything that you had to pay for because of the accident. These are called economic damages and include things like your medical bills, your travel expenses to go to and from medical appointments, and your lost wages if you cannot work.

You can also be compensated for other things that are hard or impossible to quantify, such as your pain and suffering, or your loss of enjoyment of your life. These are called non-economic damages, and how much of them are awarded to you are mostly up to the jury. This is why you need the assistance of a highly skilled Atlanta Interstate 285 accident lawyer who can make your case as sympathetic as possible to a jury.

In special circumstances, you can sometimes get other damages. For example, if the other party acted in bad faith or refused to enter into settlement negotiations, you can receive compensation for your attorney’s fees. Or, if the other party’s conduct was grossly negligent (such as drinking while driving), you could receive punitive damages.

Contact an Atlanta Interstate 285 Accident Lawyer

Interstate 285 around Atlanta is the deadliest highway in this country. There is a truly mind-boggling amount of accidents there every year. If you are a victim of an accident on Atlanta Interstate 285, you might be entitled to financial compensation. 

Contact John Foy and Associates today for a free consultation and case review.