Smyrna, GA Car Accident Lawyer

Car crashes, sadly, are a daily occurrence. Someone, somewhere, is going to get injured in a car crash every day. Victims of car crashes frequently have very serious injuries that require expensive medical care, and that is to say nothing of the emotional and mental toll that being in a car crash can take on someone.

Luckily, there are people who can assist you. Our lawyers have dealt with quite literally hundreds of car accident cases, so we know all the tricks and have the professionalism, competence, and dedication to give you the best shot possible at getting a good outcome for your claim.

Receive a free analysis of your claim from Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s car accident attorneys when you call our office at (470) 287-3070.

What to Do After a Car Crash in Smyrna, GA

Most people think of the legal process as something that starts well after a car collision has taken place. However, there are things you can do even right after a car crash that can help improve a potential future lawsuit. Of course, our car accident attorneys understand that the circumstances of your accident can make it very hard or impossible to take these steps, so do not worry if you have not done these things; we can effectively represent you either way.

Get Medical Attention

The most important thing to do after a car crash is to ensure that you are getting the medical attention that you need. If you are able, call emergency services right away and follow all their instructions once they arrive. If they ask you to go to the hospital right away, you should do that. However, if you are able to stick around, there are other things that you can do right after a car accident.

Gather Information

Provided you can stay near the accident, you should try to get as much information as you possibly can. Take numerous photos and video recordings of the accident and the surrounding area. Talk to eyewitnesses and record their statements. They may be able to testify on your behalf at trial, and be sure to get the name, insurance information, and license plate number of any drivers involved in the accident. If someone was driving a company vehicle, it is also a good idea to note the name of their employer, as they may be liable for their employee-driver’s conduct.

Finally, be sure to let police officers take your statement, as that will be incorporated into a police report our lawyers can get later on to help your case.

Get Follow-Up Care

In many cases, it is a good idea to get a medical checkup in the days following a car crash. Some injuries may be hidden by adrenaline spikes or simply take a while to manifest themselves after a car crash. Ultimately, you want to get all the medical care that you may need not just to ensure you are safe but also because opposing counsel may try and use failure to seek appropriate care as a way to weaken your claim.

Call Our Lawyers

As soon as is practicable, you need to get in touch with legal counsel after a car crash. Not only does this let our lawyers start working on your claim earlier, but there are laws that limit how long you have to sue someone after an incident. Under O.G.C.A. § 9-3-33, plaintiffs have two years from the date of injury to file their claims. After that point, courts cannot hear their case and plaintiffs cannot get damages. Because it can take a lot of time to both prepare a lawsuit for filing and sufficiently recover from injuries, we recommend starting the legal process as soon as possible to ensure your claim is in on time.

Who Can You Sue in a Smyrna, GA Car Accident Lawsuit

Early on in the legal process, you have to determine who you are taking to court. Courts can only hold defendants liable if they are proven to have caused a plaintiff’s injuries, so it pays to have our lawyers do some investigating so that you file against all the parties you should and none of the parties you should not.

Other Drivers

You almost always want to sue the driver who hit you in a car accident lawsuit. To prove that another driver was negligent, you have to show that they either disobeyed a traffic law or acted in a way that a reasonable driver would not under the same circumstances. For example, if the driver who hit you was speeding, they violated a traffic law and are negligent. Whether a driver acted reasonably or not is decided by the jury on a case-by-case basis, so our lawyers will work hard to show that the motorist responsible for your injuries was careless.

Companies and Employers

If the driver who hit you was doing something related to their job, you may be able to sue their employer through something called “respondeat superior.” For liability to transfer to the employer, you need to demonstrate that the employee was doing a work activity at the time of the accident. For example, if a pizza delivery person hits you on the way to deliver an order, their employer will likely be liable because delivering pizza is part of their job.

Vehicle Designers and Manufacturers

If a problem with either your car or another driver’s car causes an accident, you can sue the designer or manufacturer of the vehicle, depending on the circumstances. Who you sue depends on where the defect arose. So, if the problem is a bad design, you sue the vehicle designer, whereas if the problem is something like incorrectly wired electrical components, you can sue the manufacturer of that particular vehicle or whoever did the bad electrical wiring.

Get in Touch with Our Smyrna, GA Car Accident Lawyers Now

Chat with our car accident lawyers when you call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (470) 287-3070.