Sandy Springs Car Accident Lawyer

A car accident in Sandy Springs can leave you with far more than a bashed-up vehicle.  You may be facing huge medical bills, painful procedures, and months of physical therapy.  You may wonder when the doctor will clear you to go back to work so you can pay your bills.  But you don’t have to suffer financially for another driver’s carelessness.  You can recover ALL of your costs, but you need a Sandy Springs car accident lawyer.

John Foy & Associates has a reputation for success when it comes to car accident claims.  We began our law practice 20 years ago with a simple notion – that people deserve to get paid for their injuries, so they can make the best recovery possible.  We’ve never swayed from that focus, even though we’re now one of the largest law firms in Georgia.  Let us give you a free consultation and show you how we can put our experience and reputation to work for you.  Call us at 404-400-4000 and get your free consultation today.

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.

What should I do if I am in a car accident?

You may be feeling rattled, but the first thing to do is take stock of yourself and anyone else involved in the accident.  If anyone needs emergency medics, call for an ambulance.  And while you’re on the phone with the dispatcher, ask for a police officer to come to the scene.  

The police officer is an important part of any claim you might make in the future for your injuries.  The officer will talk to you and the other driver.  The officer’s accident report will contain the officer’s view of what happened.  The police report is concrete evidence of when and where the accident occurred, and it can help establish who is to blame.  

In addition to talking to police, there are a few other things you can do that will make it easier for you to get money for your vehicle damage and injuries.  They include:

• Exchange information with the other driver, including your driver’s licenses and information about your car insurance policies.  You can use your cell phone camera to take pictures of the other driver’s license and insurance card.  
• Talk to anyone else at the scene who might have seen the accident happen or who has something else helpful to say.  Jot down a few notes and get their names and phone numbers.
• Take pictures of anything you think might be important.  This includes the damage to all vehicles and any surrounding property, the accident scene in general, skid marks, road conditions or obstructions, and anything else that could help show how the accident happened.
• If you suspect the other driver is drunk, be sure to tell the police officer.  This will increase the chance the officer will administer a sobriety test and arrest the driver on the spot.

In the next day or two after the accident, be sure to get in touch with a good personal injury lawyer.  A lawyer can help you make a claim, deal with the insurance company, and set you on a path to getting a full recovery for your injuries.

What are some of the most common car accident injuries?

The most common kinds of injuries we see in car accidents in the City of Sandy Springs include broken bones, head injuries and cuts and bruises.  But the most common of them all is whiplash, a neck injury that is often the butt of jokes but can actually be quite painful and long lasting.

Whiplash happens as a result of the impact from the collision, especially if your car is hit from the rear.  The impact thrusts your head back and then forward, causing small tears in the delicate muscles and tissues in your neck.  Whiplash typically doesn’t show any symptoms right away, but it becomes painful over the course of the next few hours, days, or weeks.  

How do I know if my car accident claim is valid?

If you were injured through no fault of your own, you have a valid claim.  Even if the accident was partly your fault, you may have a valid claim.  Most car accidents are preventable.  They happen because another driver was not being careful, following the law, or paying attention to the road.  These driving behaviors are negligent, and a negligent driver is liable for the damage that was done to you.

This means that you can recover all your costs, including medical bills, paychecks you’ve lost if you were unable to go back to work right after the accident, and the damage to your car.  You may be able to recover for chronic pain and other ways your quality of life has been affected by the accident.  If the driver was drunk, you may receive even more money as punitive damages to punish the drunk driver for reckless behavior.

However, you should know that the insurance company won’t want to pay you the full value of your claim.  They’ll try to get you to settle for much less, but be careful.  If you take the quick settlement from the insurance company, that’s all you’ll ever get.  

Is there a deadline for filing a claim?

Yes, there is a strict deadline for making a claim for car accident injuries in Georgia.  Usually, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim, but sometimes the deadline can be as short as a matter of weeks.  If you don’t file your claim in time, the local courts will refuse to hear your case and you will lose the right to get any money at all.  

Don’t let this happen to you, and don’t let yourself be shortchanged by the insurance company.  Get an experienced car accident lawyer on your team.  A lawyer can help you stay on top of deadlines and make the strongest possible case to the insurance company to get you all the money you need.

Talk to a Sandy Springs Car Accident Lawyer

At John Foy & Associates, our lawyers have devoted two decades to helping car accident victims.  If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, we’d like to talk to you, for free.  Everyone can afford our services because we don’t charge any money up front, and you’ll only pay us if we get you money.  Let us give you a free consultation.  Call us at 404-400-4000 or fill out the form to your right and get your FREE consultation today.