Georgia Personal Injury Lawyers
With Offices in Statesboro, Swainsboro and Springfield
Suffering an injury of any kind is frightening, but it’s exasperating to learn that your injuries could have been prevented, had someone else been more careful.
If you’ve searched out this web page, you may have been injured by someone else’s negligence. You may be in pain. You’ve probably had to miss work and are under a lot of stress over finances. You are very likely trying to find the right person to help you with a personal injury claim.
We can help. We want to give you answers to your questions with free legal advice. Contact our Georgia personal injury lawyers as soon as possible for a free consultation.
Don’t worry about having money to pay for the answers you need. Call us any time for a free, no obligation consultation.
The information below will give you an overview of your personal injury claim. We’ll start with the common mistakes people make in their personal injury cases in Georgia. Then we’ll relate a client story to give you additional information about the personal injury claims process. Be sure you read this page all the way through.
Common Personal Injury Claim Mistakes
It’s unfortunate that there are numerous mistakes that commonly slow down or damage personal injury claims. Please read through each of them to help you avoid hurting your own claim.
Not Going to the Doctor
When people get injured, they often experience an adrenaline rush. This is the body’s way of trying to protect us from harm. It can provide extra energy and even strength for several hours.
Unfortunately, the result of this flood of stress hormones is that many people don’t realize the extent of their injuries until hours later, or even the next day.
Not seeking a medical evaluation immediately after an accident can compound your injuries, and it can also damage your personal injury claim.
A medical exam creates an official record of your injuries, as well as a record of the date and time you were examined. The quicker you get medical treatment, the more closely this record will coincide with the accident or incident in which you were injured. The result is a solid piece of evidence to support your personal injury claim.
If you don’t go to the doctor, your case will lack this evidence. Even waiting a day or two before getting checked weakens the correlation between the accident and your injuries. Such a gap gives the insurance company wiggle room to suggest you may have been injured on a different day, under circumstances completely unrelated to their client.
The insurance company is the only one who benefits when you fail to seek medical attention as quickly as possible after an injury. Protect your health and the value of your case by getting examined as soon as you can.
Not Following the Doctor’s Plan for Your Recovery
After you receive medical treatment and are discharged from the hospital, you will be given instructions on how to help with your continued recovery. This may be prescriptions that must be taken on a certain schedule, or physical therapy. It may be refraining from your normal level of activity so that your body can regain strength. There are many ways you might be asked to help with your recovery through the doctor’s treatment plan.
Adhering to your doctor’s treatment plan is critical to your health and your case, for the same reason getting a medical examination right away is critical. If you don’t, the insurance company is likely to try to blame some of your condition on you.
Allowing the Insurance Company to Record Your Statement
This is another big mistake. After being injured by someone else’s negligence, it’s predictable that the responsible party’s insurance company will call. They will sound sympathetic and encourage you to talk about the accident and your injuries. At some point, they will ask if they can get a recorded statement.
Don’t do it.
The insurance company will probably try to convince you that giving a recorded statement will speed your case along. This may be true, but not in a way that helps you.
If they can get you to say something that can be twisted to their advantage, they may be able to get your case thrown out. It’s a quick resolution that saves them time and money and leaves you out in the cold.
No matter how official the insurance adjuster sounds, remember that you are not obligated to speak with them. You can simply decline to speak to them and hang up.
The best way to handle communications with the insurance company is through your personal injury attorney.
Not Contacting a Lawyer As Soon As Possible
Two of the biggest reasons people procrastinate in contacting a lawyer for their personal injury claim is fear about what it will cost, and the belief that they have plenty of time to file.
It’s important to know that you do not need money upfront before calling our firm. Our contingency fee model means we pay for all of the expenses for your case. It also means we only get paid at the end of your case, after we’ve brought it to a successful resolution.
And remember, the initial legal consultation is free.
In addition, don’t let a statute of limitations dictate your case timeline.
No matter how long you have to file your claim, you need to know that the strength of your case is going to be greater the sooner you get started. Evidence disappears, witnesses’ memories get foggy. It’s also possible for witnesses to “disappear” after moving and changing their contact information.
The evidence in your case is the foundation upon which it will be built. Don’t jeopardize it by waiting to call a lawyer.
Choosing the Wrong Lawyer
Many people mistakenly believe that lawyers are interchangeable, sharing a common knowledge base across all areas of the law. Like medicine, however, the law has its own specializations.
Just as you wouldn’t call an eye doctor to treat a broken foot, it’s not in your best interest to call a bankruptcy lawyer for a personal injury case.
In addition, it’s important to have an experienced trial lawyer. Most cases will settle before they reach trial. But some go all the way to court.
You can guess that having a skilled trial lawyer will be indispensable in court. Ironically, it may also prevent your case from having to go to court in the first place.
Insurance companies know who the trial attorneys are, and would often rather settle than come up against them in front of a jury.
Either way, you get the strongest case when an experienced personal injury trial lawyer is by your side.
Call Our Georgia Personal Injury Lawyers Today
Please take advantage of our offer for free legal advice and contact us today. Don’t let your questions worry you another day. Contact us to schedule your free consultation.