Personal Injury Lawyers in Augusta Providing Skilled Legal Representation For Injury Victims

Most don’t plan to be injured in an accident and become unable to work or provide for their families. Unfortunately, personal injury accidents occur to victims every day in Georgia and often result in severe injuries that affect them for the rest of their lives.

If you have suffered severe injuries that were someone else’s fault, you are most likely feeling angry, overwhelmed, and frightened about your future. Even if you only received minor injuries in the accident, hospital and medical bills may have already started to pile up, and you may be unable to return to work.

After you have been injured in an accident, the first step you need to take is to seek medical care immediately. Next, protect yourself and your family by reaching out to a personal injury lawyer who can work to pursue compensation on your behalf. Hiring a personal injury attorney as soon as possible will enable them to start at the beginning of your case rather than try to play catch up at a later time.

At Go Big Injury Law, our legal team comprises personal injury attorneys with comprehensive experience assisting injury victims. We have a proven track record of successfully recovering financial settlements for our clients and are proud of our excellent service for Augusta’s accident victims.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help recover compensation to pay for medical expenses, emotional suffering, and other damages related to your accident. Contact our law offices by calling 800-777-7777 and asking to schedule a free initial consultation immediately to discuss your case.

How Do I Know if I Have a Personal Injury Claim?

The basic premise of all personal injury claims is some type of negligent action or inaction caused by the liable party. Under Georgia’s at-fault laws, the individual who breaches what is known as a duty of care to another person and that breach results in injuries. If so, the responsible party can be held legally accountable for the injured party’s damages.

Several legal factors must be present to win a personal injury lawsuit. They include:

Duty of Care

To have a personal injury case, you must have been injured by another individual who owed you a duty of care. Therefore, it must first be established that there was some relationship between you and the other party. For example, healthcare professionals have a duty of care to their patients.

Breach of Duty of Care

The next step in determining if you have grounds for a personal injury claim is determining if the individual who owed you a duty of care breached that responsibility. Again, referring to the previous example, if the healthcare professional fails to exercise reasonable care in fulfilling their duty, they have breached their duty of care.

Causation

Causation is a legal term that links the defendant’s breach of duty of care and the injuries you have suffered. Georgia law recognizes two types of causation that include:

• Proximate cause: The defendant is only responsible for any harm they could have reasonably foreseen due to their actions. Anything else that occurs, such as a separate injury determined to be outside this scope of the law, would not be the responsibility of the negligent party.
• Cause in fact: The plaintiff is responsible for proving liability and if the defendant’s actions or inactions directly caused their injuries.

Damages

The final step in determining if you have a personal injury claim is proving the plaintiff suffered damages due to injury. Many people believe that they have the right to file a claim because they were involved in an accident. However, this is not the case under the rules of Georgia personal injury law. For instance, if someone experiences an accident from using a consumer product and cannot prove the factors mentioned above, they have no legal right to file a claim.

If you have been injured in an accident and are still unsure if you have grounds to file a claim, contact Go Big Injury Law of Augusta and ask to schedule an appointment with a qualified legal team member who can answer your questions and explain your legal actions.

Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s Initial Settlement Offer?

An insurance adjuster may attempt to contact you and offer you a quick settlement immediately after the accident. At first glance, the initial settlement the insurance company offers may seem tempting, especially if you have not been able to return to work since being injured.

In most cases, the initial settlement offer the insurance carrier extends to you is likely far lower than what your claim is actually worth, even if the other party’s insurance coverage is adequate to cover the damages you have suffered. Insurance providers do not feel obligated to claimants but instead are more concerned about their financial bottom and the well-being of their stockholders.

You must have a qualified personal injury law firm assisting you with your claim. Our personal injury lawyers are fearless in standing up to the insurance companies to fight for a settlement that is in your best interests rather than that of the provider.

You should never make any agreement with an insurer unless you have first allowed a personal injury lawyer to review the offer. An injury attorney can thoroughly review your case and determine if the settlement the insurance company is offering to you can cover expenses related to your medical care and other damages. Making sure that you recover adequate compensation is essential, especially if you have suffered catastrophic or permanent injuries that may require long-term care. This type of care typically includes physical therapy or rehabilitation that can quickly become cost-prohibitive and a financial burden for both you and your loved ones.

Our personal injury attorneys can provide the legal counsel necessary to help you collect compensation for your injuries and other related expenses.

Can I Recover Medical Expenses in a Personal Injury Settlement?

If you have been injured due to another person’s negligence, Georgia law dictates that you may file a claim to try and seek compensatory damages. In addition, depending on the circumstances surrounding your accident, you may also be able to recover punitive damages as well.

There are two types of compensatory damages:

Economic Damages

Economic damages are granted to personal injury victims to reimburse them for out-of-pocket expenses directly incurred due to their accident. Keeping all receipts and other documentation demonstrating how much you have spent or other losses to recover monetary expenses is essential.

Some of the most commonly awarded economic damages include:

• Past and future medical bills
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Property damage

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages largely depend on the unique facts and circumstances surrounding your case. They are awarded to compensate injury victims for the intangible losses they have suffered. Since they are more subjective, non-economic damages can differ significantly from case to case.

Some of the most commonly awarded non-economic damages include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of companionship
• Permanent disfigurement and scarring

Punitive Damages

Unlike compensatory damages, punitive damages are awarded not to compensate the victim but to punish the wrongdoer for their actions or inactions to warn others not to repeat the same type of behavior.

Punitive damages are awarded less frequently than compensatory damages. However, if the court determines that the defendant acted egregiously or with malice and in a willful or wanton disregard for the plaintiff’s health and safety, punitive damages may be awarded.

Some examples of cases in which a judge may grant punitive damages include:

• Nursing home abuse
• Sexual assault or sex with a minor
• Assault with a deadly weapon
• Robbery
• Kidnapping

It should be stated that Georgia caps punitive damages at $250,000 unless the case involves a product liability or personal liability claim. In addition, a large percentage of the amount awarded goes to the state treasury department.

Therefore, it is essential that you have a skilled lawyer review your case to determine if punitive damages are applicable and what amount to request in your final settlement.

What Makes Your Personal Injury Lawyers Different Than Those of Other Personal Injury Law Firms?

Go Big Injury Law recognizes that accident victims have a wide selection of personal injury law firms to choose from when deciding who should represent them. Nonetheless, many other personal injury lawyers may claim to get results, but only some can produce positive outcomes for their clients the way our lawyers can.

Our injury attorneys have a proven track record of success in handling various injury claims and will put our experience to work for you and your loved ones. Our legal staff is dedicated to assisting our clients by advocating fiercely on their behalf to ensure they receive proper compensation for their injuries, medical treatment, and other damages.

Our law firm strives to nurture each attorney-client relationship, as we understand you have placed your trust in us. We know that for many clients, their future way of life is at stake, and we will do all that we can to ensure they receive a settlement that gives them the peace of mind and reassurance they deserve.

When you come in for a free consultation, one of our qualified team members will thoroughly evaluate your case and determine the appropriate legal action. We also diligently keep all of our clients informed about how their case is progressing and what changes have occurred. When you choose Go Big Injury Law of Augusta, you will never feel that you are in the dark about your case or that you are just a number.  You and your case are our priority.

If you have been severely injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact our law offices immediately by calling 800-777-7777 and asking to schedule a free no-obligation consultation to discuss your case. We look forward to serving you in your time of need and helping you on the path of recovery toward returning to your daily life.