Car Accidents

A Macon car accident lawyer can help if you are one of the thousands of people who are injured or killed every day in car accidents while driving to work, dropping off children at school, or stopping by the grocery store. Lives can change forever in the blink of an eye. If a driver has caused a wreck through carelessness or negligence, the person they injure deserves justice. Innocent drivers and pedestrians who have been injured because of another driver’s mistakes have a right to compensation for their financial losses and pain and suffering by hiring a Macon car accident lawyer.

At this difficult time, when you are dealing with trauma, injuries, and pain from your accident, the legal team at the David Mann Law Firm can take the burden off you by handling all aspects of your case, including:

• Investigating the accident scene and gathering evidence, such as photos and videos from surveillance cameras, to prove that another party was liable
• Interviewing witnesses and first responders
• Examining medical and police reports
• Filing all paperwork in a timely manner
• Dealing with insurance companies and negotiating for a fair settlement
• Building your case and taking it to court if necessary.

We offer a free, confidential initial consultation to discuss what happened in your accident and explore your legal options. We know that you’ve been through a lot and you need someone to stand up for you. David Mann is here to help.

IF YOU’VE BEEN INJURED BY A CARELESS DRIVER, YOU DESERVE PAYMENT

If you have been injured or have lost a loved one in an automobile accident, an experienced Macon, GA, auto accident lawyer from the Mann Law Firm can help you get the compensation you deserve for your losses. 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 on behalf of injured residents of the Macon area.

At the Mann Law Firm, you will work with real people that know you are more than just a case number. Clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases need more than run-of-the-mill legal representation. They need a firm that understands their situation and will do whatever is necessary to get them the compensation they deserve. Contact a Macon car accident lawyer at the Mann Law Firm today at 478-742-3381 or use our online form to schedule a free and confidential initial consultation about your case.

Your First Steps After a Wreck

Automobiles are an essential part of our lives. Unfortunately, vehicle accidents that injure and kill drivers, passengers or pedestrians are a daily occurrence in our state. Georgia law recognizes that if a driver is at fault in a car crash that has resulted in injury or death, the injured parties deserve compensation. Georgia residents who suffer a personal injury in a car accident are entitled to payment that covers the cost of medical assistance, rehabilitation, vehicle repair or replacement, property damage, lost wages, pain, suffering and other 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 by using a car accident lawyer.

In cases of severe personal injury or wrongful death, a Georgia court may order the at-fault driver in a car accident to pay punitive damages in addition to the other expenses they will be required to cover. After a car accident, you will likely be disoriented. There are a few basic steps that you should take to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Injuries must be treated as soon as possible, and the authorities must be notified. While every crash is different, here are a few general principles to keep in mind after a vehicle accident…

1. Call the police or sheriff’s department and request an accident report and an ambulance.
2. If you are hurt at all, go to the emergency room.
3. If possible, take photos of your vehicle and the other person’s vehicle.
4. Notify your insurance company of the accident.
5. Do not sign anything or agree to a settlement with any insurance company before talking to an experienced auto accident attorney.

Many 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 carelessness, your attorney can often find them and sue them for damages. If that isn’t an option, you can file a claim with your own insurance company. They should honor your claim. If they don’t, you need a lawyer to hold them accountable. If you’re a passenger in someone else’s vehicle and the driver’s negligence leads to a single car crash, you have the right to sue him or her for medical bills, lost income when you can’t work, pain and suffering, and other damages.

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).

What the Statistics Tell Us About Car Crashes in Georgia

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 about 30 people die in car wrecks in Georgia every week. 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 what’s best for them. When you hire a car accident attorney, you’re hiring an advocate that will fight for your best interests. 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.

The moment you hire one of our Macon car wreck lawyers, a thorough investigation of your accident and injuries begins. We deal firmly and aggressively with the defendant’s insurance company to ensure you are taken advantage of. When a competent attorney becomes involved in a claim, the settlement value of a car accident claim typically increases significantly. 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 a car accident lawyer in Macon, Ga., to schedule a free consultation. We earn no fee unless we win your case.

To win your case, our lawyers would have to show that another party, the defendant in the case, was negligence due to their actions or inactions and that this negligence caused the accident that led to your injuries.
There are four elements to proving legal negligence, as follows:

• Duty – The defendant owed you a duty of care not to cause harm.
• Breach – The defendant breached this duty by a wrongful act.
• Cause – These actions or failure to act caused the accident that harmed you.
• Damages –You suffered damages as a result.

Even if you did something that contributed to the accident, as long as you are not more than 50 percent at fault, our lawyers can still win the percentage of the settlement that the other parties were found to be at fault.

In a successful case, our car accident lawyers can win an award, called “damages,” for your losses that fit into two categories: general and special damages.

Special damages are for your economic or monetary damages, that have a specific dollar value, such as:

• Medical and rehabilitation bills
• Property damage
• Lost income from work.

General damages are those that do not have a specific dollar value, such as pain and suffering and mental anguish. According to Georgia Code section 9-10-184, this monetary value can be argued by your attorney.

At the Mann Law Firm, we will fight for maximum compensation for all your losses. However, Georgia has a two-year statute of limitations from the time of the crash (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33), so call us today at (478) 742-3381 to get started.

First, you can quickly get started on your physical and mental recovery. The moments after your Macon car accident are important. It is vital to capture as many of the details of the accident as possible. You will want to get the other driver’s name, phone number, license plate number, and insurance data. Also, you should have images of the car crash scene and any physical and car damage. Also, if possible, you should get the contact information for crash witnesses.

These details are important because your Macon car accident attorney will need them to obtain compensation for your claim. Having a strong car accident attorney in your corner from the start will give you the optimal chance to recover as much money as possible for the following:

• Medical costs and doctors’ bills
• Lost earnings from work, for both the past and future
• Repairs for any damage to your car
• Financial recovery if you lost a loved one in the car accident, especially if drunk driving, speeding or reckless driving was a factor.

It is frequently difficult to know how much compensation you should get for each of these items after a car accident. Some expenses may seem small at the start of the case but can add up tremendously over weeks and months. Your injuries could get worse, you may have many more medical appointments and lost work time than you anticipated, etc. A Macon car accident lawyer will understand how to factor each of these major expenses so that you are not left short of money. Your car accident lawyer also can assist you in avoiding any missed deadlines for filing personal injury claims in Georgia.

Second, you will have a fierce advocate for you against the auto insurance companies. After your accident, the insurance companies will go to work right away to investigate the crash. They often will attempt to undermine your financial recovery and reduce their financial exposure as much as possible. Remember that insurance companies are in business to make money; and even though there are tight regulations on them under state law in Georgia, they could use information against you to reduce the level of compensation you get for your damages.

A good Macon car accident attorney will never work for the insurance company and knows how to fight for car accident victims from the first contact. Contacting your Macon car accident lawyer as soon as you can after the accident means you have them providing firm guidance on each step of the auto insurance claim process. They can help you figure out whether what the auto insurance company offers you is fair. Strong legal counsel can be THE difference between getting the compensation you need and deserve and losing out on thousands of dollars you could have had. That is why you always should talk to your car accident attorney right after your accident.

Third, a good car accident lawyer is effective in proving liability in court. Successful car accident lawsuits depend on police reports and any witnesses who were at the crash scene. To prove negligence, you need strong evidence, and your attorney can help you compile it. Getting help from your attorney early in the legal process ensures the entire process goes smoothly. Having an attorney who is good in court is important, because out-of-court settlements with insurance companies sometimes fail. The case will need to be resolved in court.

Fourth, most good Macon car accident lawyers have a good feel for when it is best to settle out of court. They are experienced in negotiating with most major auto insurance companies and know when it is time to settle and when to go to court. These attorneys have years of experience working with insurance companies and should have a strong gut instinct on when to settle and when to take things to trial.

Fifth, representing yourself in a car accident claim with a lot of damages is highly risky. You very likely will get a low-ball offer from the insurance company. And if you decline it and decide to go to court, you could end up losing and getting nothing. Most car accident victims that have more than a few thousand dollars in injuries and damages are usually best off hiring a car accident attorney.

Assume you have decided to hire a car accident lawyer. How do you know which is the best one to hire? Here are some expert tips to consider:

Ask your family and friends who they recommend. Word of mouth is still very important. In fact, many attorneys themselves recommend asking people close to you to find a good car accident attorney. Some also recommend asking a pastor or some other trusted party in your community. These folks know many people and are trusted with personal information and will likely have heard about good and bad legal experiences people have had.

Understand legal fees upfront. Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis and get about one-third of the settlement or judgment. Make sure you clarify what the attorney means if he says you pay no fee if there is no recovery.

Do research of car accident attorneys online. Make sure that any car accident attorney you are considering is licensed and is in good standing in your state. All states have their own bar association, and all lawyers are registered there. You can check their bar status and see whether they ever had any disciplinary action against them.

Your gut counts. You should select a Macon car accident attorney who really seems to care about you and your long-term health. There are attorneys more interested in dollar signs than in making critical decisions that benefit the client. The lawyer also should be very honest and real at the beginning of the case rather than pretending the case is stronger than it is. Trust your gut feelings when you hire your attorney.

Find out how well the attorney has been trained. A good question to ask is, ‘How long have you been practicing car accident injury law?’ Also, ‘How many of your cases end up going to court and what are the results?’ Another good one: ‘Will you handle my lawsuit or will one of your associates handle it?’

Ask whether the attorney you talk to is going to handle the case. It is common for the big-name attorney to be used in company marketing and for another attorney to handle your case. If the attorney you are talking to cannot seem to take 10 minutes to talk to you instead of having a paralegal do it, how much attention do you think your case is going to get from him?

Many experts strongly recommend that you not hire an attorney by looking at major advertising on TV and radio. Many attorneys say the most experienced and reputable attorneys put their major efforts into offering value before they meet you through the legal information they publish online. It is a good idea to read through the attorney’s website to get a better sense of who they are and then call them.

Look out for these red flags when looking for a car accident attorney: Poor reputation for trying cases; poor client reviews online; seem to be guessing when you ask how they will handle your case; over-promise or claim a fast, successful result when they do not know your case; fail to provide a fee agreement in writing.