Georgia injury questions, answered

Nothing up front. The firm handles injury claims on a contingency basis, which means you do not pay an attorney fee unless we win money for you. The first consultation is free, and we explain any case costs in writing before you hire us.

Georgia generally gives an injured person two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit, under O.C.G.A. 9-3-33. Some claims carry shorter deadlines, including claims against a city, county or other public entity, and some carry longer ones. Because the deadline decides whether a claim survives, it is worth confirming early.

Georgia uses a modified comparative fault rule. If you are less than 50 percent responsible, your recovery is reduced by your share of the fault. If you are 50 percent or more responsible, you recover nothing. That is why the earliest record of how a crash happened matters so much.

Call 911 and ask for the crash report, get examined by a doctor and follow the treatment plan, photograph the vehicles and the scene, collect witness names and the other driver insurance information, tell your own insurer but decline a recorded statement to the other driver insurer, and keep every bill, record and note about missed work.

Most injury claims settle without a lawsuit. Some cases have to be filed to protect the deadline or to get a fair offer, and even then most settle before a trial begins. We prepare each claim as though it will be tried, which is part of why an insurer takes it seriously.

It depends on the treatment you needed, the income you lost, whether the injuries are permanent, and how much insurance coverage is available. No honest answer exists before someone reads the medical records. We will not quote a number to win your business, and we will tell you when the available coverage is too small to make a claim worthwhile.

Your own policy may still pay. Uninsured motorist coverage, and in some cases medical payments coverage, can apply even when the at-fault driver had no insurance or left the scene. Bring your declarations page and we will read the coverage with you.

Probably, and often within days. You are not required to give the other driver insurer a recorded statement, and it is usually better not to. You can tell them you have a lawyer and ask them to contact the firm.

Yes. Truck and commercial vehicle claims are a core part of the practice. Federal safety rules, electronic logging devices, maintenance files and several companies are usually involved, and most of that evidence is held by the carrier rather than the driver.

The firm is based in Atlanta and represents injured people throughout Georgia, from metro Atlanta to Macon, Savannah, Augusta, Columbus and Albany. If travel is difficult after an injury, we will come to you.

A claim with clear liability and a full recovery can resolve in a few months. A case with disputed fault, serious injury or a lawsuit usually takes longer. We give you an honest estimate once the records are in rather than a date we cannot keep.

Because the case moves on paperwork you cannot see: records requests, adjuster deadlines, lien notices and court dates. The firm answers the phone, explains each step in plain language, and tells you when nothing is happening. You are not handed to a call center.