Savannah, GA Car Accident Lawyer

Unfortunately, countless car accidents happen across the country every day, and countless victims get badly injured as a result. Car accident victims often require emergency medical treatment. That treatment, along with long-term care costs like medication, physical therapy, and live-in help, can easily have up to hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of dollars. This can leave victims of car collisions stressed out, anxious, and not knowing what move they should make next.

If you got hurt in a car crash in or about Savannah, call us. Our attorneys have handled tons of personal injury cases, so we can figure out the best way to deal with your situation and get you the compensation and justice you deserve. We have the knowledge, experience, and dedication to see your case through, from forming legal arguments all the way to trial and beyond.

To get a free analysis of your case, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at the number (410) 694-7291 and speak to our car accident attorneys.

Who Can You Sue after Car Accidents in Savannah, GA?

One of the most important things in any car accident lawsuit that wants to have a chance at success is making sure that you are using the right parties. Of course, most people understand that you should sue the driver who hit you, but there are also other potential parties you may want to include in your initial filings, depending on the particular facts of your case. Moreover, if new information comes to light that suggests that a party not included in your claim is liable, our car accident attorneys can amend your filings to include them as defendants.

Drivers

Drivers cause car accidents all the time through their negligence. In law, “negligence” simply means that someone was careless and, consequently, someone else got hurt. Drivers can be negligent by either violating traffic laws – for example, driving drunk – or by acting in a way that reasonable drivers would not. While the violation of a law may be straightforward to prove in court if you have the evidence, whether a driver acted reasonably or not is a question for the jury. Rest assured, though, that our attorneys will do everything in their power to make sure that the jury understands the unreasonableness of the defendant’s conduct in those cases.

Car Companies

Sometimes, a problem with the car itself contributes to an accident taking place. When a car – or any product really – is dangerous to use in the manner intended, it is said to be “defective.” Who you sue when a defective vehicle causes a car crash depends a lot on where the defect popped up in the process. If the defect is inherent in the car’s design, it makes sense to sue the designer of the vehicle. This could be either the name or brand of the car or it may be a third-party design firm hired to work on the vehicle.

Car Manufacturers and Repair Shops

Other times, a car’s problems arise not because the design is bad but because someone made a mistake either in building the vehicle or a specific component or screwed up during a repair. For example, if someone installs the rear axle incorrectly when the car is being built or uses substandard materials, it can be considered to have a manufacturing defect. Alternatively, if a mechanic replaces the brakes and does it the wrong way, the car is made defective because of the mechanic and the repair shop’s negligence.

Government Entities

In some, albeit limited circumstances, you can sue government entities for having a hand in causing car accidents. This usually comes up when especially bad road conditions contribute to drivers losing control of their cars and getting hurt in accidents.

There are special rules you may have to follow for suing government entities, so you should speak with our attorneys early on in the process if you are pursuing this route.

Damage You Can Seek in Savannah, GA Car Accident Claims

If you go to trial and show that the defendant negligently caused your injuries, you will be awarded damages. Damages are how the court attempts to put the plaintiff back in the financial and physical state they were in prior to the accident taking place. Of course, depending on the permanence of the plaintiff’s injuries, this may not be literally possible, so damages are virtually always financial payouts.

Plaintiffs almost always seek damages for medical expenses they incur because of their injuries. Surgery, hospital stays, ambulance transportation, and other emergency procedures are all very expensive. Moreover, the cost of medical care can continue to increase if the plaintiff needs to schedule follow-up visits or undergo some kind of recovery regimen. Accordingly, the defendant can be made to pay the plaintiff damages to offset these costs.

Additionally, plaintiffs can get damages for intangible things like physical pain, mental anguish, and lost enjoyment of life. For example, being bummed out that you cannot participate in activities you used to enjoy is not something that has a bill associated with it, but you can still get financial compensation for it because courts know that it deeply impacts plaintiffs. Since these kinds of things do not have obvious value, you will have to prove, with the help of our lawyers, their worth to the court.

Finally, in some circumstances, you may be able to get punitive damages, which are only awarded when defendants have acted especially badly. Generally, you need to prove that the defendant was more than just negligent, so it is good practice to discuss the prospect of seeking punitive damages early on in the legal process.

Contact Our Savanna, GA Car Accident Attorneys Today

Contact Rice, Murtha & Psoras by calling (410) 694-7291 and talk with our car accident attorneys about your case today.