Personal Injury

Chanel Payne is an experienced personal injury lawyer who represents victims who have suffered serious injuries in accidents that were the fault of another person or an entity. Personal injuries that can give rise to civil lawsuits usually stem from car accidents, truck accidents, workplace accidents, slip and fall accidents, and more. If you have been seriously injured or a loved one has been wrongfully killed in Georgia due to another party’s fault, you could be entitled to financial compensation.

Hiring a personal injury attorney gives you and your loved ones an experienced legal voice on your side to investigate, manage, analyze, and evaluate your claim and expedite the legal recourse process so that you can get the most compensation possible in the shortest possible amount of time. From dealing with insurance companies on your behalf to negotiating with the defendant’s lawyers, a personal injury attorney can help you get compensation quickly.

What You Need to Know About Georgia Personal Injury Law

In all states, the time within which an individual can bring a personal injury claim is limited by statute. Under Georgia law, you also have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury claim. The Georgia statute of limitations is typically two years from the date of the incident; however, there are exceptions, so it is important to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney about the specifics of your case as soon as possible.

Another unique aspect of Georgia personal injury law is what’s known as modified comparative negligence. Under Georgia law, if a plaintiff using ordinary care could have avoided the consequences caused by the defendant’s negligence – meaning you were mostly or fully at fault for your own injuries, you are not entitled to recover. This means that you can’t act recklessly or negligently yourself, get hurt, and still expect someone else to pay for it. Many defendants will make these allegations and a lawyer can help you refute them. More specifically, under the comparative negligence rule, a person injured in an accident can receive monetary damages when a judge or jury finds that person was no more than 49 percent at fault for the incident. Furthermore, when multiple parties are at fault, the trier of fact will apportion the damages by the percentage of fault it finds for each one and the full amount of compensation will be broken down and paid according to that division.

How Personal Injury Claims Work

A personal injury claim begins with someone getting hurt. Once the injured victim seeks out and receives appropriate medical care, they should contact a personal injury attorney for guidance on how best to proceed. While it is possible to negotiate on your own, most insurance companies and businesses will not take an individual as seriously as they do a lawyer; and, as such, they will often offer nothing or far less than you deserve for your injuries. Once a lawyer is retained, the legal process can begin.

Your lawyer will draft a demand letter to the responsible parties, notifying them of your situation. That letter can lead to pre-suit negotiations and even a settlement; however, this is often not the best approach to achieving maximum financial compensation. In the event your claim is worth more than what the at-fault parties are offering, your attorney will file a personal injury lawsuit. During the course of the litigation, various processes will take place including discovery, depositions, mediation, and potentially a trial.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle

A skilled, aggressive personal injury lawyer knows how to effectively deal with the many issues that come up in a case like yours. We are used to dealing with the suspicions of insurance adjusters and handling defense lawyers who will do just about anything in their power to minimize your injuries and your financial recovery. You deserve fair compensation for the losses you suffered because of the negligence and carelessness of others. Our law firm can help you with a variety of personal injury cases, including:

Car Accidents

Car accidents are one of the most common causes of personal injury. Every state in the country requires drivers to carry liability insurance to protect others in the event they injure them. No matter what type of vehicle you are driving or riding in, if you are injured in a car accident caused by someone else’s fault, you can likely recover financial compensation. Whether your car wreck is a rear-end accident, head-on collision, sideswipe, fender bender, or any other type of crash, if the police report shows another driver caused the collision, you should talk to a personal injury attorney about your legal rights.

Work Injury

When someone is injured on the job, the resulting consequences extend far beyond the physical injuries suffered. A work injury can cause economic damages in the form of lost wages, medical bills, and more. In addition, workers’ compensation can come into play when the case involves your employer; but, do not think comp is your only avenue of recourse. Many different companies and contractors are present on job sites and one or more of them can also be responsible for causing your accident and the resulting workplace injuries. An experienced attorney will investigate the circumstances of your incident and find out all of the responsible parties and make sure to take appropriate action against each liable individual or business.

Slip and Fall

When someone slips, trips, and falls, it can happen in a variety of circumstances. If you slip and fall at work, that becomes an on-the-job injury case that can fall under workers’ comp and/or general personal injury law. If you slip and fall and injure yourself at a commercial property while you are present to do business, you can take action against them if their premises was left in a known dangerous condition or if they recklessly disregarded the safety of those entering their building for commercial purposes that benefit the company. Basically, all public places have a duty to make their property safe. If they don’t and you slip, trip, and fall and hurt yourself because of a hazard they created or allowed to exist, you can seek and recover financial compensation.

Wrongful Death

Wrongful death describes an untimely and unnatural death caused by the negligence or unlawful conduct of another party. In Georgia, when a person or entity causes the death of another, the at-fault party must pay “the full value of the life” under O.C.G.A. § 51-4-2(a). When a loved one dies unexpectedly, it can and does send their family and friends’ lives into turmoil and upset. When that death was another’s fault and preventable, it adds another layer of devastation to an already catastrophic situation. In Georgia, the only parties who have legal standing to bring a wrongful death claim are the decedent’s spouse, children, or parent(s), in that order of priority. Retaining a lawyer after a loved one is killed can take the burden of dealing with an employer, insurance companies, medical bills, and more off of your plate so that you can focus on your grief and caring for those affected by a sudden tragedy that will impact you for years to come.

Common Types of Injuries

After an accident, it is especially important for an injured victim to seek medical attention as soon as possible to determine the extent of their injuries. Victims do not know their injuries are severe because they are running high on adrenaline or the injuries are internal and can’t be seen by them on the visible parts of their body. What may start as a simple medical issue can quickly evolve into an ongoing long-term problem that can impact your everyday life.

When someone is injured – whether on the job, while driving in their car, or while out at the store shopping – those responsible for their injuries should be held legally liable and provide them with adequate financial compensation. While each and every personal injury case is unique, we do see some common injuries across our cases. The most common injuries we see include:

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Neck Injuries
• Back Injuries
• Lower Extremity Injuries
• Burns
• Amputation
• Paralysis
• Broken Bones
• Sprains and Strains
• Shoulder Injuries

Work With an Experienced Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer

A serious personal injury does more than just cause physical damage. It will also change your life.  Personal injuries suffered as the result of car accidents and workplace accidents often substantially affect the victim’s life, including the loss of a body part, cognitive impairment, and/or permanent disfigurement. We know money can never make up for a severe bodily injury or of course for a lost life, but these funds you are rightfully entitled to can help surviving family members cover expenses and get justice for their loss. If you’ve suffered a catastrophic injury, you need serious legal representation. Contact Chanel Payne today for a free case evaluation with a personal injury lawyer.