Gainesville, GA Car Accident Lawyer

Not only are car crashes frightening and chaotic, but they also typically leave victims injured and needing considerable compensation from negligent drivers.

Before you leave the scene of a car crash, take note of the surrounding area, including debris, property damage, road defects, weather, and light conditions. This can help us rule out environmental elements as contributing factors to the crash. After the accident, we can start tracking your damages, namely your medical expenses. We can also estimate your lost wages if you can no longer work and quantity your non-economic damages, like emotional distress. Victims only have two years to pursue compensatory damages after car accidents, so do not wait to initiate your case. The sooner we start investigating, the sooner we can build a case that proves the negligent driver’s liability.

Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (470) 287-3070 and set up a free and confidential case assessment from our car accident lawyers.

What to Notice at a Car Accident Scene in Gainesville, GA

When their injuries permit, victims should take note of an accident’s fallout. Survey the area for visible debris, damage, or potentially contributing factors. Photographing accident sites is often the best way to preserve evidence, and victims may do this using their smartphones.

Note if there are any nearby stop signs or traffic lights the other driver might have ignored. You can photograph traffic signs or lights, showing their proximity to the accident location.

Do the same for any debris on the road or visible property damage from the crash. For example, a driver hitting you while speeding might leave tire marks on the pavement. These marks can indicate a driver’s speed and direction of travel at the time of impact, helping our lawyers prove negligence.

Notice any property damage to your vehicle, especially the area where the negligent driver hit your car. If your car was propelled into other objects, like medians, telephone poles, or other cars, photograph them as well.

Sometimes, drivers claim environmental elements as contributing factors to an accident to lower their liability. If you notice visible road defects, like potholes, photograph them. If there are no visible road defects, you can photograph the area to show that road defects did not contribute to the accident.

For similar reasons, victims should take note of the weather conditions and visibility during the accident. If you do not recall some of these details because paramedics were treating you for serious injuries, we can refer to the police report for the crash. Police officers will note an accident’s circumstances, involved parties, injuries to victims, and other information, like road and weather conditions. Accident reports from the Gainesville Police Department are available online within several business days of a crash.

Damages Victims Should Track After Gainesville, GA Car Accidents

When victims need medical care following car accidents, they incur medical damages. We can start tracking the cost of treatment right away, helping victims obtain and organize their medical damages throughout their physical recoveries.

Whether victims sustain fractures, head injuries, or disfiguring injuries, they will likely need to go to the hospital several times after an accident. Not only will they need emergency medical attention, but they will also have to return for further treatments and evaluations. This results in continuous medical damages, and we can monitor these losses for victims so they do not get overwhelmed and lose track of damages.

Victims unable to work because of their injuries, whether temporarily or permanently, can get compensation for lost wages. To track these damages, we must confirm your wages using tax returns, paychecks, income statements, and other relevant documentation.

With long-term medical care, losing the ability to work, or sustaining serious injuries comes emotional distress for many victims. These non-economic damages are compensable, and we can help victims prove them using statements from therapists that explain a victim’s reduced quality of life since an accident.

Many out-of-pocket expenses accompany car accident injuries, and our lawyers can identify all compensable losses so that you do not have to cover them yourself.

Filing Car Accident Lawsuits in Gainesville, GA

According to O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, the two years following a car accident is your only opportunity to seek compensation for damages. This rule applies to most cases unless they qualify for tolling because of a rare exception, like if the victim was a minor when injured, in which case the statute of limitations would not take effect until the victim turns 18. Victims who miss the appropriate deadline for their claims are barred from recovery.

Before victims can file complaints with the court and initiate lawsuits, they must gather enough evidence to meet the standard of proof. This often involves identifying expert witnesses who could benefit their claims and eyewitnesses who were there when the accident happened. This takes time, so initiating the investigation process immediately after a crash is necessary. This gives time for our car accident lawyers to collect and organize evidence, establish proof of damages, and write a complaint to file with the court before the clock runs out.

After case filings typically come settlement talks, as defendants often want to avoid trials for car accidents, especially when at risk of being held liable for expensive damages. During negotiations, remaining committed to recovering full compensation for your losses is important. Accepting a proposal that does not fully cover your damages could leave you in a difficult financial situation, especially if you need future medical treatments or cannot return to work at the same earning capacity.

There is no time limit on how long settlement negotiations may last, and our lawyers can be mindful of your desired recovery timeline and go to court if the defendant is stalling.

Call Our Gainesville, GA Lawyers to Discuss Your Recent Accident

Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras’ car accident lawyers for help with your case at (470) 287-3070.