Were you injured in a car accident caused by a speeding, aggressive, distracted, intoxicated, or otherwise negligent driver in Dalton, GA? Are you dealing with medical bills, costly repairs to your car, lost wages, and other expenses as a result? If so, know that you’re not alone, and legal help is available to you. The experienced car accident attorneys at Geiger Legal Group, LLC provide top-notch representation to those injured in Dalton, and we’re ready to stand up and fight for you.
According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, more than 7,300 people in Georgia were seriously injured and nearly 1,500 people were killed in car accidents during one recent year alone. A car accident can have a lasting impact on your physical, mental, and financial well-being, leaving you with questions about how to pursue compensation for your losses.
The car accident lawyers at Geiger Legal Group, LLC in Dalton, GA have spent over 40 years helping crash victims recover compensation for their injuries and losses. We’re ready to help support and advocate for you too. Contact our Dalton personal injury office today for a free initial consultation.
Statute of Limitations for Car Accident Claims in Georgia
In Georgia, you have two years from the date of an accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss this deadline, your case will be automatically dismissed. You will most likely lose your chance to recover any compensation for your injuries if your case is dismissed as untimely.
Types of Car Accidents Our Dalton Injury Attorneys Can Help You With
No two car accidents are identical. This means that no two injury claims will be exactly the same either. That’s why it’s vital to hire an injury attorney who has experience handling a wide variety of car accident cases.
Some of the types of car accidents we handle at Geiger Legal Group, LLC include the following:
Head-on collisions — Head-on collisions are frequently caused by a driver who drifts into a neighboring traffic lane. Generally, this is because the driver is impaired, distracted, or severely fatigued. In some cases, a mechanical defect or part failure can cause a driver to lose control and hit an oncoming vehicle.
Rear-end collisions — Rear-end collisions are often caused by drivers who follow too closely and can’t stop in time to avoid hitting a car in front of them. Distracted drivers may not notice the car ahead of them slowing, causing them to rear-end the car. Sometimes rear-end collisions are caused by a driver suddenly slamming on the brakes to get another driver to back off, also known as “brake-checking.”
Sideswipe collisions — A side-swipe collision, or a side-impact collision, is when one car hits the side of another vehicle in a neighboring lane. Usually, both vehicles in a side-swipe collision are traveling in the same direction. Sideswipe collisions are often caused by drivers who are speeding, distracted, impaired, or weaving through traffic, which are all forms of negligence. Other causes of side-swipe accidents include drivers not checking their blind spots, not signaling properly, and making unsafe merges or lane changes.
T-Bone collisions — A T-Bone collision is when a car slams into the side of another car, causing the vehicles to form a “T” shape. T-Bone collisions are generally caused by drivers failing to yield the right-of-way or not stopping at a stop sign or traffic light.
Accidents in construction zones — Many drivers don’t slow down while passing through work zones. Work zones are often extremely narrow, making accidents more likely. Common causes of car accidents in work zones include drivers speeding, following too closely, or not paying attention to changes in traffic flow.
Pedestrian accidents — People crossing the street can sustain catastrophic injuries if they’re hit by a car as they’re walking. Though pedestrian accidents occur at all hours of the day, they’re much more common at night when they’re less visible. Some of the major causes of pedestrian accidents include impaired driving, distracted driving, severe driver fatigue, and speeding. In some cases, pedestrians cause accidents by crossing a street illegally or walking while impaired.
Bicycle accidents — Like pedestrians, cyclists are much more at risk of serious injury if they’re hit by a car. In addition to the injuries sustained from the initial impact, cyclists frequently sustain additional injuries because they’re ejected from their bikes and land hard on the ground nearby. Some of the major causes of bicycle accidents include distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, failing to yield the right-of-way, and driver fatigue.
Most Common Car Accident Injuries
Even a seemingly “minor” car accident can result in severe and lasting injuries. This is why you should always see a doctor right away after an accident.
Some of the most common injuries people sustain in Georgia car accidents are:
Compensation You Can Recover in a Dalton Car Accident Claim
The severity of your injuries and expenses from a car accident can be substantial. These injuries may be permanent and affect your ability to take part in activities you used to enjoy. Though there’s no way to reverse your injuries from a car accident, Georgia law allows you to seek car accident compensation for a wide range of losses.
With the right evidence and car accident lawyer, you could potentially recover three types of compensation, including the following:
Economic damages — Economic damages are your direct financial losses from a car accident. This includes things like your lost wages while you were in the hospital or visiting your doctor, the cost of transportation to your appointments, hospital stays, prescription medications, damaged personal property, and reduced future income because of your injuries. To give yourself the best chance of recovering maximum compensation, save all of your receipts related to the accident.
Non-economic damages — Non-economic damages are the losses you’ve suffered in an accident that are harder to quantify. Common examples of non-economic damages are compensation for your pain, suffering, and emotional distress. Starting a diary after an accident can help you substantiate your non-economic losses. A pain journal helps show how your injuries and pain affect your day-to-day life.
Punitive damages — The goal of a personal injury lawsuit is to fairly compensate an accident victim for things they’ve lost. Essentially, this compensation should return or replace a victim’s losses. However, if a defendant acted especially recklessly or intentionally injured someone, the courts will sometimes award additional compensation to a victim to punish offenders. This compensation is referred to as punitive damages. Punitive damages are rarely awarded, but you can make a stronger case with the help of an experienced and passionate Dalton car accident attorney.
What If I Was Partially at Fault for my Accident?
Many car accident victims are afraid of taking legal action because they believe they may be found partly at fault for the crash. However, you may still be able to recover compensation after an accident even if you are found partly at fault. Whether you’ll be able to recover any compensation and how much you can recover depends on your degree of fault.
When two or more parties are found at fault for a car accident in Georgia, the state’s modified comparative negligence doctrine will be used to determine who will receive compensation and how much. In a comparative negligence state, your compensation for an accident will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found to be 20 percent at fault for an accident, your award would be reduced by 20 percent. However, you can only recover compensation after an accident if you are determined to be 49 percent or less at fault for the crash.
Talk to an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in Dalton, GA Today
Our highly rated family-run law firm has always been focused on helping people, not boosting our case numbers. The Dalton car accident lawyers at Geiger Legal Group, LLC are committed to helping you seek justice and compensation if you’ve been injured in a crash due to someone else’s negligence. You can expect our legal team to be by your side the entire process and advocate aggressively for you. Call or reach out to us online today for a free consultation.
