Injuries are a tragic part of human life. However, in many cases, they are preventable. Preventable harm or injuries that result from the negligent or careless acts of another person have real consequences. Many injuries usually have a devastating impact on the life of the victim. It is highly recommended you have a Fort Valley Personal Injury Lawyer on your side.
The Fort Valley Injury Lawyers at Bethune Law help injured victims and the surviving family members that have lost a loved one to wrongful death to get the justice they deserve and recover their losses.
We are dedicated to fighting for the rights of victims who have suffered personal injuries in accidents that were someone else’s fault. We understand that our clients only have one chance to recover the compensation they deserve. That’s why we are committed to making it count.
What Should I Do After an Injury?
- Get medical attention immediately, even if you don’t think the injuries are severe. Keep records of all the treatment you receive
- Take photos and videos of the scene of the accident if you can
- Collect the names, addresses, and phone numbers of any witnesses present at the scene of the accident.
- Report the incident to the relevant authorities. If it’s a car accident, call the police, and if it’s a workplace accident, report it to the supervisors or the property manager.
- Never admit fault. Avoid saying a statement like “I’m sorry” as they could be used against you later
- Get in touch with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident.
Why Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Here are the benefits of working with a personal injury lawyer in Fort Valley:
Case Preparation and filing the lawsuit
In personal injury claims, evidence is crucial. A personal injury lawyer will collect all the evidence you need for your case. Evidence can be police reports, witness statements, medical records, photos and CCTV footage of the accident scene and your injuries, and even doctor’s bills. Your lawyer will then use these to prepare a case on your behalf to prove your case and ensure a favorable outcome.
Settlement Negotiation
The personal injury lawyers at Bethune Law are experienced in negotiating with insurance companies. Our attorneys can evaluate the often complex insurance policy details and assess the circumstances surrounding your case. This will enable us to establish the maximum compensation that could be available to you. We can also handle any and all communications with the insurance company. This will help prevent you from doing something that could compromise your case, such as giving out a recorded statement.
Trial Preparation and Representation
In case the defendant fails to reach a full and fair settlement amount, your lawyer can proceed to take your case to trial. At Bethune Law, our lawyers are highly skilled and experienced in Georgia court trials. We’ll go over each and every element of your case and have you ready for court.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover?
Economic Damages
Economic damages refer to all the monetary losses you incurred in the accident. They typically include:
Medical costs related to the injuries you sustained
Property damage
Lost wages/earnings from the time spent away from work
Non-economic Damages
These are the non-monetary losses that you suffer in the accident. They include things like:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional pain and psychological distress
- Disfigurement and/or scarring
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship or consortium (often in wrongful death cases)
Punitive damages
In some cases, the court may decide to award punitive damages. Punitive damages are usually awarded to serve as extra punishment to the defendant for their willful, malicious, or extremely negligent or reckless behavior, and/or their blatant disregard for other people’s well-being.
How is Liability Determined in Georgia?
In Georgia, there are 4 key elements that are necessary in order to establish negligence in a personal injury claim. They include:
Duty of Care
The defendant had a duty of care to you as the plaintiff. Depending on the circumstances, every person has a duty of care to others, and this duty will vary. For instance, as a driver, you have a duty of care to all other motorists and road users. Manufacturers have a duty of care to their consumers in producing items that are safe when used as intended.
Breach of the Duty of Care
You need to prove the defendant breached their duty of care in their actions. In case the defendant was negligent in a way that resulted in injury, it would be termed as breaching their duty of care. For instance, a store owner has a duty of care to ensure safety for all shoppers who enter the store. If cleaning was underway and they failed to block off the wet area or place a warning sign, they could be found negligent when a customer slips and falls on the wet floor.
Causation
The breach of duty of care must have been the direct cause of the injury or damage. In the example above, the store owner breached their duty of care by failing to place a warning sign about the wet floor, however, for the victim to have a case, they would have to prove that the reason they fell was because they weren’t warned about the slippery conditions.
Damages
The injury must have resulted in damages or losses to the plaintiff. After all, claims are made to make the plaintiff “whole”. To achieve this, you need to be restored to the financial condition you’d be in had the accident not occurred. Claims are made to recover any economic and non-economic losses suffered in the accident, as explained earlier.
With this in mind, it’s important to note that Georgia is a comparative fault state. The law holds that a person can recover damages in their claim as long as they were less than 50% responsible for the accident that resulted in injury. For instance, the jury or judge might decide that texting while walking puts you at fault for the slip and fall accident in the grocery store.
Fault also has a role to play in the amount of compensation you can recover. In short, your total compensation award will be lowered by the percentage of fault you had in the accident. If the slip and fall case resulted in damages worth $60,000 and you were found to be 25% at fault for texting while walking, you will only be eligible to recover $45,000.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Personal Injury Claim in Georgia?
The statute of limitations in Georgia for personal injury cases is two years. This means that you have two years to file a personal injury claim from the date of the accident. Although there are certain provisions and exceptions to this statute, failing to file your claim before the two years elapse would mean that you’re forfeiting your rights to bring a claim in the future.
How Much Will a Fort Valley Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?
Hiring a personal injury lawyer might be a major concern for many people due to the high costs associated with hiring lawyers. Fortunately, Bethune Law works with clients on a contingency fee plan. As such, you don’t need to pay us anything upfront to work with us. We only charge you a pre-agreed upon percentage of the compensation award we fetch you. If the worst-case scenario happens and we lose the case, you won’t owe us anything.
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle
Auto Accidents
If you or a loved one was injured in any form of vehicle accident, there may be a long road to recovery ahead. Nonetheless, we are always here to help. Our lawyers have decades of experience helping victims of accidents involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and even boats, caused by the negligence of another party. We are always available to put our knowledge, skills, and resources to work for you.
Slip and Fall Accidents
These are some of the most common accidents in Georgia. Property owners who fail to ensure that their premises are safe for visitors should be held accountable for their carelessness in case a slip and fall accident occurs on their premises. If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident in Georgia, you might be eligible for compensation for your injuries.
Wrongful Death
Losing a family member in an avoidable accident is a senseless tragedy that nobody should have to deal with. It can be emotionally challenging and overwhelming, and no one can really prepare for it. Having to make critical decisions about your family’s future when dealing with such a loss is often extremely difficult. Our Fort Valley wrongful death lawyers can help you seek the justice and compensation you and your family need and deserve.
Elderly/Nursing Home Abuse
Many people rely on assisted living facilities and nursing homes to provide a safe, caring environment for our elderly and disabled loved ones. Unfortunately, there are understaffed facilities where residents suffer injuries due to neglect and/or abuse. We know how we can hold these facilities accountable for their negligence.
Contact a Fort Valley Personal Injury Lawyer Today
When you get in touch with Bethune Law, you can rest assured that we’ll handle your claim with the care and diligence it deserves. Unlike some other law firms, we only take a limited number of cases, so that we can give it our all and ensure favorable outcomes for all our clients.
Call us today at 1-800-465-8733 if you think we might be able to help with any matter involving personal injury. We offer free case evaluations for all our clients, so contact us soon to schedule your free consultation with us.
