If you or someone you love have suffered a personal injury in Marietta, you may qualify for a substantial financial recovery. This compensation can be crucial when paying medical bills, offsetting missed workdays, and other losses you’ve suffered because of your accident.
Sadly, many people who are injured resort to accepting an insurance settlement that is far too small. Don’t accept a situation that wasn’t your fault. Personal injury lawyers in Marietta, GA, can help victims by taking on their legal responsibilities while they focus on recovering.
What to Do After Suffering a Personal Injury in Marietta
You should always be your own best advocate in legal proceedings. There are basic steps you can take to assert and protect your legal rights, right from the beginning. Some of the simplest things you can do include:
- Document your injury. Take time as soon as possible after your accident and write down in detail what happened. If possible, take pictures of where it occurred.
- Watch what you say. It’s a natural instinct to apologize and accept the blame for an accident , but your words will be used against you by the insurance company. Don’t say you’re fine unless a doctor has told you so.
- Never sign anything from the insurance company until you have talked to a personal injury lawyer in Marietta.
- Talk to a lawyer. It’s hard to know what to do or how much your claim might be worth, but a consultation with a lawyer might be all it takes for you to decide on a course of action.
Injuries That Qualify for a Personal Injury Claim in Marietta
Any kind of injury can potentially qualify for a personal injury claim. The key to personal injury claims is not how you were hurt, but whether anyone’s negligence was involved.
In the law, negligence basically means that someone else was careless and that it was this behavior that led to your injury. Examples of negligence can include:
- A dark stairwell where the light bulbs were never replaced
- A spill in a store that no one has cleaned up
- A driver changing lanes without signaling first
Notice that nobody wanted to hurt anyone in these examples. Most likely, everyone involved is a good person. But in all these situations, someone failed to take basic precautions to look out for the people around them. They were careless with other people’s safety, and if that leads to an injury, then there is a valid personal injury claim.
Marietta Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me 404-400-4000
Common Types of Personal Injury Cases
All personal injury cases involve an injured individual and someone who acted negligently or carelessly. Some common type of personal injury cases in Marietta, Georgia, include:
- Car and truck accidents
- Pedestrians being hit by cars
- Tripping, slipping, and falling
- Injuries from muggings and other attacks, such as dog bites
- Nursing home injuries
- Defective products
- Harmful prescription drugs
- Pharmacies that give out the wrong medicine or the wrong dosage
- Defective medical devices
This list is not exhaustive, and your Marietta personal injury attorney can work with you to determine if your case qualifies for a claim.
Going to Court for Your Personal Injury Claim in Marietta
It’s not often that you will have to go to court for your personal injury claim. This typically only happens if the insurance company won’t negotiate. If your claim does go to trial, your experienced attorney can manage the entire process for you.
In most cases, there is no need to go to trial. Instead your claim is resolved through negotiation. With some pressure on the insurers to settle quickly and easily, and some strong evidence, you can get a much higher offer of money.
For a free legal consultation with a personal injury lawyer serving Marietta, call 404-400-4000
Do You Need a Lawyer for a Personal Injury Claim?
While you can go it alone, a personal injury lawyer in Marietta can review your case for free and advise you on your next best steps. An attorney can ensure you’ve included all damages available to you in your claim. They can also make sure you file your claim correctly and on time so you don’t miss your window to do so.
The Benefits of Hiring a Marietta Personal Injury Attorney
A personal injury attorney can protect your legal rights. Some of the benefits you can reap in hiring a lawyer for your case include:
- Hiring expert witnesses to support your claim
- Investigating the scene of your accident to gather strong evidence on your behalf
- Completing all the necessary paperwork you have to file, and filing it timely
- Negotiating a settlement amount until the insurance company and/or the liable party comes to a number that’s fair to you
Costs to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Marietta, GA
Many experienced and trustworthy law firms do not think you should be charged for talking to a lawyer. That is why many don’t charge hourly fees. Instead, personal injury lawyers offer:
- A free consultation
- No upfront costs or anything out of pocket
- Services on a contingency fee, meaning if you don’t win money, you owe them nothing
Once your personal injury lawyers in Marietta, GA, recover your compensation, they only get paid once. They will receive a percentage of your award and you keep everything else. This way you can get professional legal advice with zero risks.
Deadline for Filing a Personal Injury Claim in Georgia
The deadline to file a personal injury claim can be tight. Marietta uses deadlines established in state and federal law. Some cases have deadlines of up to two years, as per Georgia Code § 9-3-33. In many cases, you have only a few weeks from the date of your injury. That’s why personal injury lawyers in Marietta urge all injury victims to see a lawyer as soon as possible.
Marietta Personal Injury Lawyers Can Protect You From Insurance Companies
Insurance companies have mastered the art of underpaying you, and they want you to sign away your rights. Often, they will make a quick offer of money right after your injury before you really know how serious your injuries are. In other cases, they may delay processing your claim over and over until you are desperate for money.
Their goal is to get you to accept less than you need. Don’t fall for it. Set aside any checks or paperwork they send you and do not give them a recorded statement until your personal injury lawyer in Marietta can represent you and fight back against these schemes insurance companies like to play.
Proving Negligence in a Personal Injury Case
While personal injury accidents vary on a case by case basis, they each revolve around a careless action someone did or did not take. Your Marietta personal injury attorney can help you prove the four elements of negligence to validate your claim:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care to behave a certain way.
- The defendant failed to uphold this duty.
- This failure harmed the plaintiff.
- The plaintiff sustained financial losses as a result of this harm.
There are laws that add nuance to this process, such as those involving state government entities (GA Code § 50-21-24), comparative negligence, or instances of medical malpractice. A legal team can help you understand the specific laws that pertain to your case.
Talk to a Marietta, GA Personal Injury Lawyer for Free
John Foy & Associates exists for one reason: to help people who have been injured.Our law firm has earned the nickname “the Strong Arm of the Law” because we know how to hammer an insurance company at the bargaining table. We put pressure on the insurers to settle quickly and easily so the stress of a lengthy legal process is taken off of you.
Let our Marietta personal injury attorneys give you a free consultation to discuss your claim and your options. Call us or fill out the form to your right and get your free consultation today.
Call or text 404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form