Augusta, GA Personal Injury Lawyer

Determining if you have reason to file a lawsuit after an accident in Augusta can be challenging. Our experienced lawyers can review your case to gauge its vitality and help you recover damages incurred because of negligence.

Generally speaking, personal injuries happen because of negligence or recklessness but sometimes occur because of intentional wrongful acts. While auto accidents are a top cause of personal injuries in Augusta, victims can also bring claims for medical malpractice and other negligent acts. When prepping your case, our lawyers will gather and review evidence, interview eyewitnesses, and add up your total damages from the incident. We will also file your case before the deadline in Georgia so that the court does not dismiss it. We can also explain the various damages you could recover compensation for in your claim, like financial and emotional losses.

To have the Augusta, GA personal injury lawyers of Rice, Murtha & Psoras assess your case for free, call (410) 694-7291.

Why Personal Injuries Happen in Augusta, GA

Personal injuries happen when one party acts negligently, harming another. Identifying exactly how the other party was negligent will be necessary for your claim, so our lawyers will start investigating the matter immediately.

A personal injury describes an injury to someone’s physical body or emotions. You could file an injury claim if someone acted negligently, intentionally, or recklessly when they hurt you.

Another crucial element is that the negligent party owed you a duty of care. For example, drivers owe one another a duty to follow traffic laws in Augusta and operate their vehicles responsibly. Being negligent by speeding, making an illegal turn, or drinking while driving would be examples of a breach of duty. If that breach of duty also caused your injuries, you could pursue litigation.

There are many other situations where victims might get injured in Augusta. For example, medical malpractice could cause victims serious complications and injuries, entitling them to sue the negligent doctor or hospital responsible. Slip and fall accidents, defective product accidents, and any other incidents from negligence may warrant litigation from victims.

Preparing Your Personal Injury Case in Augusta, GA

After our personal injury lawyers confirm you have a case, we can start helping you prepare it in Augusta. Investigating accidents immediately is vital, as evidence could be lost otherwise.

Reviewing the Incident

We can start by going over what happened with you in detail. Tell our lawyers everything you can remember about the accident, including what happened before, during, and after. If you called the police to report the incident, we could get the resulting police report and review it for additional information as well. If you reported the accident to the negligent party directly in writing, give a copy of that report to our lawyers.

Interviewing Eyewitnesses

Our lawyers will also speak to and interview eyewitnesses whose statements could prove the defendant’s fault. Prioritizing getting statements from eyewitnesses is important, as their memories might fade the longer you wait.

Obtaining Photographic Evidence

We can pool photographic evidence from various sources, such as police reports, eyewitnesses, and nearby surveillance systems. Furthermore, if you snapped pictures of injuries to your person or the accident location, give those pictures to our attorneys. Photographic evidence may help us figure out the accident’s cause and better understand its surrounding circumstances.

Assessing Your Medical Records

We can also review your medical records to appreciate your physical injuries fully. Serious or permanent injuries could warrant additional compensation for non-economic losses. To drive this point home during a trial, we might get medical experts to testify about your serious injuries and the additional treatment you could need down the line.

Suing on Time

Once we have prepared a strong case capable of succeeding, we can help you file your complaint in court. In this complaint, you must include certain information about the accident, the defendant’s actions, and the damages you seek. According to O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, you must file the lawsuit within two years of the event that injured you or risk the court throwing out your case in Augusta.

Damages You Can Recover After Sustaining a Personal Injury in Augusta, GA

After sustaining an injury caused by negligence in Augusta, you can get compensation for most or all of your damages, depending on the path your case takes.

Damages are categorized into economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are any financial losses due to an incident. Surgeries, physical therapy, tests, prescription medications, mobility aids, or other medical costs are compensable. We can carefully track medical damages as you incur them to have ample proof of these losses as we proceed with your case.

Other notable compensable damages include a victim’s lost wages. Serious injuries could prevent you from working. Because the defendant’s negligence caused your inability to work, they could be liable for your lost wages in Augusta.

Then, there are non-economic losses, which are the pain and suffering victims experience following traumatic accidents or when dealing with severe injuries. We can estimate your deserved non-economic losses by using various complex calculation methods. To support your request for non-financial damages, you might have to give a statement about the emotional distress you have experienced.

Recovering compensation for all losses gets trickier when comparative fault laws come into play. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, your damages could be reduced proportionally if the jury decides you share fault for an incident. Preparing for this possibility and promptly addressing it could aid your recovery.

Victims who settle too quickly might not be compensated for their damages. Because of this, our lawyers may counter initial settlement offers. If they never improve, you can take your case to court, where a jury can decide the defendant’s liability.