- Car Accidents
There are more than 300,000 car accidents in Georgia each year that the Georgia Department of Public Health considers “mild injury” crashes. This term can be misleading, however, since even minor physical injuries are often accompanied by significant financial and emotional harm. Common car accident injuries are a frequent result of car crashes and may give the right to recovery. Macon car accident attorney Terrence R. Bethune can help you seek compensation for your injuries if you were involved in a car wreck caused by someone else’s carelessness.
PURSUING A NEGLIGENCE CLAIM AFTER A GEORGIA CAR CRASH
People injured in car accidents can file negligence lawsuits to seek compensation for their injuries. To prevail in this type of claim, a victim must prove certain elements.
First, the injured person must prove that the defendant was required to conform to a legally prescribed standard of care. Most defendants must abide by a duty to avoid unreasonable risks of harm. All Georgia drivers must take reasonable precautions to preserve the safety of any other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians using the roads. Next, a victim must present evidence that proves a breach of the defendant’s duty. Common types of breaches in car accident cases include speeding, drunk driving, driving while texting, running a red light, or failing to yield at an intersection.
After establishing that the defendant acted carelessly, a victim must draw a causal connection between the careless conduct and his or her injuries. The harm must have been foreseeable, and the accident must have been something that could not have occurred had the defendant not engaged in negligent conduct. Careless actions by the victim that contributed to the collision may reduce the amount of compensation available by the victim’s proportion of fault.
Most car accident victims have suffered several types of compensable harm. Common car accident injuries for which the plaintiff can seek damages including:
- Broken Bones
- Lacerations
- Whiplash
- Head Injuries
- Catastrophic Injuries
Financial injuries sustained in a vehicle accident can include property damages, medical expenses, and lost wages, as well as more subjective forms of harm such as the pain and suffering, mental anguish, and emotional distress caused by the collision. The specific details of the victim’s situation will determine which types of damages are available in a negligence lawsuit, and how large an award the victim may receive. In some cases, extremely careless or reckless defendants may be held liable for punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages, although these must be shown by clear and convincing evidence.
To preserve your right to compensation, you must file a lawsuit within the specific time frame set by Georgia law known as the statute of limitations. There are two different time frames for people who are pursuing negligence claims based on their own injuries and for people who are filing wrongful death claims based on their loss of a loved one due to someone else’s careless conduct. Vital evidence also may be easier to get when it is fresh. This means that you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible after the accident in which you were injured.
CONSULT A GEORGIA ATTORNEY FOR YOUR INJURY LAWSUIT
If you were hurt in a collision on the road, you may have incurred high medical costs and suffered severe emotional damage. Since 1997, Georgia car crash lawyer Terrence R. Bethune has helped accident victims pursue full and fair compensation for all of their injuries. To start the process of holding a negligent driver accountable for harming you, call 4048757800 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free case evaluation.
