At Bross, McAllister & Williams, LLC, we understand the severe losses a victim can suffer in a personal injury accident. An accident could cause significant pain and suffering, as well as expensive medical bills and thousands of dollars in lost wages. It is our mission to hold at-fault parties responsible in motorcycle accidents, wrongful death cases, medical malpractice, truck accidents, and more. We want to help you heal from your injuries through close guidance and aggressive legal representation. You could be eligible for financial compensation for your economic and noneconomic losses. Contact our Gwinnett County personal injury lawyers for a free consultation.
Why Choose Bross, McAllister & Williams, LLC?
- We have proven results, won through hard work and a passion for justice. We do everything we can to obtain positive results for our clients.
- We believe in clear, straightforward communication with clients. As our client, you will always receive one-on-one attention from your attorney.
- We are an award-winning law firm with accolades such as National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 and the American Institute of Legal Advocates’ Rising Star Award 2018.
- We help with the costs of a personal injury lawsuit by accepting cases on a contingency fee basis. You will not pay any attorney’s fees out of pocket, win or lose.
How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help?
After an accident such as a car crash or slip and fall, it may not be easy to get the at-fault party to take fault or pay for your damages. You may know you did not cause your accident yet face roadblocks to obtaining compensation. An insurance company may deny your claim without just cause, for example. Hiring a Gwinnett County personal injury attorney improves your chances of securing a settlement or jury verdict. Your attorney will handle confusing legal documents, file your claim and fight for fair compensation on your behalf while you concentrate on healing.
Car Accident Statistics
In the most recent year data is available from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, 1,554 people in Georgia lost their lives in traffic accidents. This was an 8.5% increase from the previous year. Driver impairment, speeding and distracted driving were the most common causes of fatal accidents in Georgia in 2016. In 2017, Gwinnett County alone documented 39,970 total car accidents, causing 13,535 personal injuries. Drunk drivers killed 24 people in the county in 2017, while speeding took 16 lives. Twenty traffic accident deaths in the county were pedestrians.
Do I Have an Injury Claim?
If you suffered an injury in a car accident, you may have a claim for damages against the at-fault driver and/or another party. You could have a claim if someone else caused your injuries through an act of negligence, intentional misconduct or a breach of duty of care. The same may be true if you sustained an injury in a different type of accident, such as a dog attack, slip and fall, workplace accident, motorcycle accident, or due to a defective product. Your personal injury lawyer in Gwinnett County will need to prove four main things to successfully obtain an award for your damages:
- Someone owed you a duty of care
- That person, product manufacturer or employer breached this duty of care
- That breach caused your injuries
- You suffered damages as a result
With these four elements, you will have the foundation for an injury claim. The exact laws surrounding your claim, however, will depend on the case type and other factors. One of our Suwanee personal injury lawyers can evaluate your case for free today.
How Long Do I Have to Bring a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
One of the most important laws to know as a personal injury plaintiff in Georgia is the state’s statute of limitations. Every state has different statutes of limitations that set deadlines on how long a plaintiff has to file a claim. The Georgia courts are strict with these deadlines, offering only a few exceptions to the general rule. If you miss your deadline, an attorney may not be able to do anything to help you. The courts may refuse to hear your case even if you have solid evidence of a defendant’s fault.
In Georgia, the personal injury claim statute of limitations is two years from the date of the incident (Georgia Code section 9-3-33) in most cases. This deadline applies to all types of personal injury lawsuits, whether they deal with negligence or an intentional tort. If you need to file a wrongful death claim, you will have two years from the date of death. Some exceptions exist, such as for plaintiffs that do not discover their injuries until later or for injury victims who are minors. Speak to one of our attorneys today to learn about your specific statute of limitations.
What is Negligence?
Other important laws your case may deal with could involve negligence. Negligence is a legal doctrine that forms the foundation of most personal injury cases. It describes one or more parties’ failure to exercise a reasonable degree of care toward the plaintiff, resulting in his or her injuries. The specific negligence laws in each state vary. Georgia recognizes modified comparative negligence laws, meaning a plaintiff may absorb partial fault for his or her injuries but still receive some compensation.
Even if a defendant convinces the courts you are partially to blame for the accident in question, you could receive part of the original compensatory award. The courts will subtract your percentage of fault from the award given. The limit the state sets on comparative fault is 50%. If you are more than 50% at fault for your injuries, the law will bar you from any financial recovery. It is important to hire a Gwinnett County personal injury attorney to represent your side of the case, so you can navigate this key aspect of Georgia civil laws to your advantage, if possible.
What Damages Can You Recover in a Personal Injury Case?
During a personal injury lawsuit, damages refer to the losses and injuries you suffered, but they also refer to the monetary award you could receive from the defendant for causing your injuries. A successful injury claim with help from one of our injury attorneys could end in fair and full compensation for you and your family to provide financial stability during this difficult time. Your compensatory award could cover several types of economic and non-economic damages.
- Lost wages. The exact amount of money you missed from being unable to return to work during your recovery, as well as lost future earnings if you suffered a permanent disability.
- Medical expenses. The full value of the past and future health care costs related to your injuries. These may include prescription drugs, medical devices, live-in care, doctor’s appointments, surgeries and rehabilitation.
- Property damages. If you suffered any property damages or losses in the accident, the defendant may owe you an amount to cover the costs of repairs or replacement.
- Pain and suffering. You could be eligible for recovery of your noneconomic damages as well, such as physical pain, anguish, emotional distress and psychological harm.
- Exemplary damages. In personal injury claims involving gross negligence, a judge may also award punitive damages in addition to compensatory compensation.
Every accident claim is unique, discuss what yours could be worth with an attorney today. Our personal injury law firm offers free consultations regarding potential personal injury claims in Georgia. We can help you calculate a fair pain and suffering award (Georgia law has no cap on these damages) and fight for a fair amount from one or more defendants through aggressive legal strategies.
Contact Our Gwinnett County Personal Injury Law Firm
If another person or entity caused your recent personal injuries, you could potentially recover the costs of your medical bills, property damages, lost wages and more. Speak to one of our Atlanta personal injury lawyers about your situation today during a free consultation at Bross, McAllister & Williams, LLC. We host consultations at no charge or obligation to hire us, right at our local law firm or someplace convenient for you. Schedule yours by calling (770) 629-9329 or filling out our online contact form today. We represent accident victims in Suwanee, Peachtree Corners, Sugar Hills and throughout the Gwinnett County area. We will negotiate with insurance companies and fight aggressively for your legal rights.