Personal Injury Attorney Serving Augusta, GA
Accidents happen daily, from car, truck, and motorcycle crashes to slip-and-fall incidents on slippery floors and broken steps. Some injuries are minor, such as sprains, strains, and bruises. Others are more significant, including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and spinal cord damage.
If you’ve been hurt in an accident in Augusta, Georgia, you are probably dealing with several challenges, including lost income, growing medical bills, and the pain of your injuries. You don’t have to face all these challenges yourself. A personal injury lawyer in Augusta, GA, can help you pursue fair compensation for your losses.
Chris Hudson Law Group is a personal injury law firm serving Augusta, Georgia. Dealing with insurance companies is often more difficult than it should be, but you don’t have to do it alone. We will fight for you. Attorney Chris Hudson used to work as a lawyer for the insurance companies and he knows all the tactics and tricks they use to deny or minimize legitimate claims. He has dedicated himself to helping injured people recover compensation for their losses.
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Augusta, Georgia, call Chris Hudson Law Group at (706) 863-6600 or contact us online to talk with a personal injury lawyer today.
Georgia Personal Injury Law
Personal injury law in Georgia is based on fault. To collect compensation for an injury, in cases based on the negligence of others, you must prove:
- That another person owed you a duty of care
- They neglected that duty
- That their negligence caused your injuries
- That you have suffered losses from your injuries
Negligence in personal injury claims refers to a failure to do what a reasonable person would have done to avoid harm. When a person causes an accident through negligence, and that accident causes injuries, the negligent person is liable for those injuries.
In accident cases, more than one person can share liability. For example, if one driver changes lanes without signaling but the other driver is speeding and intoxicated, then both drivers share some fault for the accident. It is up to the court to decide how much fault each person has.
Comparative fault in Georgia works on a percentage basis. If you are less than 50% responsible for the accident, you can collect compensation for your losses, although the court will reduce your compensation by your percentage of fault. If you are more than 50% responsible for the accident, you are liable for the losses of anyone injured in the accident and cannot collect compensation. A personal injury lawyer can help prove that the other person is responsible for your injuries.
Compensation in Personal Injury Cases
In a personal injury case in Augusta, Georgia, you can collect compensation for:
- Your medical expenses, including bills, rehabilitation, therapy, nursing care, and modifications to your home.
- Your lost wages, missed opportunities to earn commissions, missed opportunities for raises or promotions, and any decrease to your lifetime earning capacity.
- Your pain, suffering, and emotional distress.
The value of a pain and suffering claim is difficult to calculate because the losses are personal and intangible. However, an experienced personal injury lawyer will know how to calculate fair compensation for your pain and suffering.
In some cases, you may also be able to seek punitive damages. These are available only in cases involving willful misconduct, malice, fraud, or a complete lack of care for the well-being of others. Georgia caps punitive damages at $250,000 except in cases involving product liability.
Car Accident Injuries
Car accident injuries are among the most common reasons for a personal injury case. If you were injured in a car crash, an Augusta car accident injury lawyer can help you prove that the other driver’s negligence caused the crash and that the at-fault driver should be held liable for your injuries.
Under Georgia’s comparative negligence law, you can collect compensation even if you were partly responsible for the accident. Your compensation depends on proving that the other driver’s responsibility for the accident is greater than yours. A lawyer with extensive experience in car accident cases will know how to gather evidence to prove the other driver’s liability.
Truck Accident Injuries
Truck accidents are even more dangerous than car accidents because trucks are far more massive than cars. When a truck collides with a car, anyone in the car is likely to suffer massive injuries.
If you’ve suffered catastrophic injuries from a truck accident, you may need extensive medical care to recover from your injuries, including a long period of rehabilitation and physical therapy. In some cases, the injured person requires lifelong nursing care.
Unfortunately, insurance companies don’t want to pay for years of nursing care or rehabilitation unless they have no choice. That’s why you need an experienced truck accident attorney who knows how to fight for the injured. A truck accident attorney in Augusta can help you prove the other driver’s liability, the extent of your injuries, and your need for medical care.
Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Other drivers often see motorcyclists as reckless or irresponsible, but the truth is that many accidents are caused by the vehicle driver, not the motorcyclist. For example, a driver who changes lanes without checking for the presence of a motorcycle is responsible for the resulting collision. Unfortunately, a jury may share the prejudice that motorcyclists are reckless, so it’s vital to hire a motorcycle accident lawyer in Augusta, GA, who can overcome this stereotype with clear and convincing evidence.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents
Bicycle and pedestrian accidents tend to cause catastrophic injuries because a pedestrian or a bicyclist has no protection against a car. A bicycle and pedestrian accident lawyer in Augusta will be well-versed in all Georgia right-of-way laws that could affect your case.
Slip and Fall Accidents
If you slip and fall on a wet floor or a broken stretch of pavement, you may be able to file a personal injury claim under premises liability laws. These laws hold the owner of a property or a business liable for injuries people sustain due to hazards on their premises under certain circumstances.
To win a lawsuit for premises liability in Augusta, GA, you must prove that the property owner or manager knew or should have known about the hazard that caused your injury and that they did not warn you of the hazard.
For example, if a business owner knew that a leaky pipe tended to make the floor wet in a certain spot but failed to fix the pipe or put up a sign warning visitors about the floor, you could collect compensation for your slip and fall injuries from that business owner.
Wrongful Death Cases
What can you do if an accident claims the life of someone you love? Under Georgia law, only the surviving spouse of the deceased may bring a wrongful death case. If there is no surviving spouse, the children of the deceased may do so. If your spouse or parent died in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, a seasoned attorney can help. You can pursue compensation that won’t make up for your loss, but that can provide some relief after your loss.
Workplace Accidents
The state’s workers’ compensation system usually handles workplace accidents in Georgia, which can provide benefits to cover medical expenses and part of your lost wages. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, but employers sometimes contest claims to keep their insurance premiums down. Handling a workers’ comp claim can be difficult, but you don’t have to manage alone.
The Georgia Statute of Limitations
The Georgia personal injury statute of limitations requires you to file any personal injury lawsuit within two years of the date of injury. If you file your lawsuit after two years, the court will dismiss your case. The only exception is a suit for loss of consortium, which refers to the loss of companionship or sexual intimacy in a marriage. You have four years to file a suit for loss of consortium.
When you file a personal injury claim, your lawyer needs some time to investigate the facts of the accident in which you were injured. Negotiations with the insurance company will also take some time, and the insurance company may intentionally delay the process. You should contact a personal injury attorney in Augusta immediately if you were injured in an accident.
Contact an Augusta Personal Injury Lawyer Today
You deserve to collect fair and complete compensation for any injury you suffered due to another person’s negligence. Unfortunately, insurance companies don’t make collecting the compensation you are entitled to is easy. It’s much easier to negotiate with an insurance company when you have a lawyer on your side, but can you afford the help of an attorney?
Luckily, the answer is yes. With the help of a skilled contingency fee attorney in Augusta, GA, you can pursue your claim without paying any money out of pocket. The Augusta personal injury lawyers at Chris Hudson Law Group work on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t need to pay anything unless and until we collect compensation in your case. If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by someone else in Augusta, Georgia, call Chris Hudson Law Group at (706) 863-6600 or contact us online today.