Car Accidents

Macon Car Accident Lawyer

Thousands of people are injured or killed every day in Georgia while going about such simple chores as driving to work, dropping off children at school, or stopping by the grocery store. Lives can change forever in the blink of an eye. Not all car crashes are merely accidents, however. If a driver has caused a wreck through careless or negligent actions, it is not an accident. Innocent drivers and pedestrians who have been injured because of another driver’s carelessness or negligence have a right to compensation for their financial losses, pain and suffering. A car accident lawyer at The Mann Law Firm can help Georgia residents who have been injured in auto accidents obtain the compensation they deserve. If you have been injured, or a member of your family has been killed in a car wreck, contact our car accident attorneys today at (478) 742-3381 or through our online form for a free initial consultation about your legal options.

Car Accidents in Georgia

Automobiles are a fact of life in Georgia and the U.S. and, unfortunately, so are vehicle accidents that injure and kill drivers, passengers and pedestrians. The law in Georgia and other states recognizes that if a driver is at fault in a car crash that has resulted in injury or death, the innocent parties who have been hurt deserve to be made whole financially. Georgia residents who suffer personal injury in a car accident are entitled to seek compensation to cover the cost of medical assistance and rehabilitation, vehicle repair or replacement, other property damage, lost wages and other expenses and losses.

After a fatal auto accident, a family may file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault driver to seek compensation for their losses. In cases of severe personal injury or wrongful death, a Georgia court may order the driver at fault in a car accident to pay punitive damages.

5 Things to Do If You Have Been in an Car Accident

• Take photos of your vehicle and the other person’s vehicle.
• If you are hurt at all, go to the emergency room and receive an evaluation.
• Call the police/sheriff’s department and request an accident report.
• Notify your insurance company of the accident.
• Do not sign anything or agree to any settlement with any insurance company before talking to an experienced auto accident attorney.

Getting medical treatment

Just because you can’t see or feel an injury immediately after a car accident doesn’t mean you’re not hurt. Even in minor car wrecks, internal bleeding, whiplash, injured organs and other physical harm can happen. Assuming that you’re fine is dangerous, because untreated injuries you sustain will likely get worse without medical attention. And accurate documentation of your injuries is vital to a winning insurance claim.

Anyone can be hurt or lose a loved one in a car crash.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) says in its most recent Crash Analysis, Statistics & Information (CASI) Notebook that each day about 2,400 people are involved in car accidents in the state. About 360 people are injured in auto accidents every day, and each week about 30 people die in car wrecks in Georgia.

Types of Injuries

A variety of injuries happen to people in a vehicle accident, from minor to life-threatening. They include head, brain, and spinal trauma; broken bones; internal organ damage; facial injuries, which could require repeated cosmetic surgeries; burns, which are extremely painful; and limbs which may be so mangled they require amputation. Some accident victims suffer lifetime paralysis. Those who suffer severe head trauma (TBI) are often never the same. And since over 35,000 die on our roads every year, that’s a lot of wrongful deaths. Insurance companies guard their negligent clients, so if you or a family member is injured in a car wreck, your only chance at fair compensation is with a seasoned accident lawyer.

The Georgia DOT says further that driver error is to blame for most car accidents in the state.

These are the most common driver mistakes that lead to car wrecks:

• Following too closely
• Failure to yield right-of-way
• Speeding
• Failure to maintain control of the vehicle
• Improper lane change
• Disregarding a stoplight or stop sign.

The CASI Notebook says fatal car crashes in Georgia are most often caused by:

• Loss of control of the vehicle (Loss of control usually has its own cause, which increasingly is a form of distracted driving, such as texting while driving.)
• Illegal speed (i.e., speeding) or unsafe speed
• Driving left of center
• Failure to yield
• Alcohol or drug impairment (drunk or drugged driving)
• Driver condition (such as fatigued driving).

Car insurance may be the first thing to come to mind after an accident, but all too often after a wreck resulting in major injuries, the victim’s losses exceed minimum coverage requirements. Injured drivers also find out too often that the at-fault driver doesn’t even have car insurance. When you do deal with an insurance company, it is best to keep in mind that insurance firms profit by paying as little as possible for claims. This holds true for “your” insurance company and the other driver’s insurer. What’s best for you is not at the top of their agenda. This is where an experienced auto accident lawyer like those at the Mann Law Firm can help. When you hire a lawyer, that lawyer becomes your attorney, working with your best interests at heart. People who are injured or suffer other significant losses in motor vehicle crashes deserve to be compensated for their losses, but aggressive legal help is usually required to realize that goal.

Contact a Car Accident Attorney Today

If you have been injured or have lost a loved one in a car wreck anywhere in the Middle Georgia area, an experienced car accident lawyer from the Mann Law Firm can help you obtain the compensation for your losses that you deserve. At the Mann Law Firm, David Mann is involved in every case. David left larger firms, including work as an in-house counsel for a large insurance company, to join his family law firm and work to bring justice to residents of the Macon area who have been injured. The Mann Law Firm provides the personal touch that the sensitive issues surrounding personal injury and wrongful death cases deserve. Contact a car accident lawyer at the Mann Law Firm today at (478) 742-3381 or through our online form to schedule a free and confidential initial consultation about your case.

How Much Money Can I get?

First, if a lawyer gives you a dollar value right away, don’t trust it. They could be making unrealistic promises, or they may try to persuade you to settle for less than your case is actually worth for a variety of reasons that are not in your best interests. Costs associated with your injury (medical expenses, lost income, your pain and suffering) can vary between thousands and millions of dollars. And there’s no crystal ball that tells any attorney what the value will be without thorough investigations, which don’t happen in a just a day or two.

How do I Know if I Have a Claim?

It’s really rather simple. Were you injured and are you suffering financial losses due to an accident? Was someone (or an entity, such as a business, for example) responsible for causing the accident that injured you?  And did this person or entity act negligently, or in a manner in which another prudent party would not have acted? If the answer is “yes” to all three questions, you may have a solid claim.

Single-Car Crash

Studies show that around half of all car accidents involve only one vehicle. And not all of them are the fault of the driver.  When you’re behind the wheel, if someone impedes your driving path — be it another vehicle, a pedestrian, or a cyclist — and you are involved in an accident due to this party’s careless or negligent actions, your attorney can find them and sue them for damages. Failing that, you can file a claim with your own insurance company. They should honor your claim.  But if not, you need a lawyer to press that claim. If you’re a passenger in someone else’s vehicle and the driver’s negligence leads to a single car crash, you certainly have the right to sue him or her for medical bills, lost income when you can’t work, pain and suffering, and other damages.

How We Can Help

The moment we are retained, a thorough investigation of your accident and injuries begins. This leads to fair and accurate demands from the defendant’s insurer, which we steadfastly and aggressively negotiate on your behalf. The insurance industry itself estimates that when an attorney becomes involved, the settlement value of any car accident claim increases four hundred percent! And once we are involved, you are fully insulated from all insurance company harassment because they must deal with only your lawyers. We can bring you results and a lot of peace of mind. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, don’t hesitate to call David Mann to schedule a free consultation. We earn no fee unless we win your case.

Laws related to car accidents

Georgia Civil Code § 9-3-33: Statute of Limitations for personal injury Georgia Civil Code § 9-3-31: Statute of Limitations for personal property Georgia Civil Code § 51-12-33: Governing Comparative Fault in Tort Damage Awards Georgia Vehicle Insurance Coverage Rules and Minimums Other publications and resources Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety National Highway Traffic Safety Association – vehicle safety section