• How to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit After a Car Accident

    In Georgia, personal injury law defines wrongful death as the passing of a person due to another person’s negligent, reckless, criminal, or intentional actions. In auto accident claims filed near Decatur, lawyers will most often seek compensatory damages on the basis of negligence. However, accident claims filed based on intentional torts may be appropriate, depending on the situation. Regardless of the basis for filing the lawsuit, it’s always advisable for the surviving loved ones of the accident victim to consult an accident attorney promptly.

    In most cases, a wrongful death lawsuit must be filed within two years of the date of the death. However, if the incident that caused the individual’s death also resulted in criminal proceedings, the statute of limitations does not begin until the criminal case is resolved. When filing a wrongful death lawsuit, be sure to tell the accident attorney about all of your family’s losses, including the decedent’s medical expenses and funeral costs. Your attorney can help you demand justice on behalf of your loved one.

    Call Attorney Big Al at 1-800-HURT-123 today and let our law office assist your grieving family.

    Car-Accident

  • Tips for Avoiding Aggressive Drivers

    Far too many auto accidents occur in the Atlanta and Decatur areas each year and quite often they’re the result of driver errors. Along with drunk driving and distracted driving, aggressive driving is among the most dangerous behaviors to engage in. Unfortunately, everyone driving near an aggressive driver is at risk of a serious car crash. If you do become involved in a crash despite taking precautions, be sure to contact a personal injury lawyer promptly.

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    Give Aggressive Drivers a Wide Berth

    The safest way to deal with aggressive drivers is to get out of their way as soon as you are able to do so. If you have more than one lane available to you, move into the right-hand lane. If traffic is blocking your access to this lane, put on your right-hand turn signal to let the aggressive driver know that you intend to let him or her pass you as soon as possible. Sometimes, no other lane is available. In this case, you may need to turn into a parking lot or pull over to the shoulder to let the aggressive driver pass you.

    Remain Calm and Avoid Retaliatory Actions

    Even if you survive your encounter with an aggressive driver , you may still be at risk of becoming involved in a crash. Since aggressive driving can be contagious, auto accidents can occur long after an aggressive driver has sped off. Stop yourself from adopting aggressive behaviors behind the wheel by reminding yourself to stay calm and take some deep breaths. If the aggressive driver is still in your proximity, avoid making eye contact with him or her. Do not use offensive gestures, avoid yelling, and avoid honking your horn unless you’re in imminent danger of a car crash.

    Consider Calling Your Local Police Department

    Aggressive drivers often take their frustrations out on multiple drivers. If you’ve pulled over to let the other driver pass you, consider calling your local police department to report the dangerous behavior. It’s definitely a good idea to call the authorities if you suspect that the driver may have been intoxicated as well as enraged.

    Injured in an auto accident? Attorney Big Al is available to review possible accident claims. Call 1-800-HURT-123.

  • Signs That Your Car Needs New Wipers

    Many factors can contribute to auto accidents that occur in the Atlanta area. To reduce your risk of having to file accident claims, make sure your car is in good working condition. One routine maintenance task is to replace the wiper blades, which should generally be done about every six months. If they’re wearing out, however, you should replace them sooner than this.

    Watch this video for some quick tips on how to tell when your wiper blades need to be replaced. If the wipers aren’t moving smoothly on the windshield, they’re leaving streak marks, or the rubber of the blade has split, it’s time to replace them.

    Thinking of filing car accident claims? Call 1-800-HURT-123 for Attorney Big Al-a seasoned auto accident lawyer.

  • Proving Long-Term Damages and Lost Wages After an Auto Accident Injury

    Accident claims can help auto accident victims recover compensation for their losses that occurred as a result of the crash. These losses can include repair bills for their vehicles or the cost to replace the vehicle. Accident claims can also help victims of auto accidents in Atlanta recover compensation for their medical expenses and lost wages. In some cases; however, car crash victims may be able to recover more than this. Talk to your accident attorney to find out if you could seek long-term damages and future lost wages for your accident injury.

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    Establishing the Permanence of the Injury

    In order to prove that the losses from a car accident will affect you for years to come, it is necessary to establish that you suffer from residual injuries. Some injuries are easily proven to be permanent, such as the loss of a finger, arm, or leg. These are only the most obvious types of permanent injuries, however. Even soft tissue injuries may be proven to be permanent if they are reasonably expected to result in long-term symptoms. For example, if you suffered soft tissue injuries to the back, you might not be expected to carry out activities such as bending and lifting and these activity restrictions may not be expected to end.

    Establishing the Effect of Permanent Injuries

    Next, your accident attorney will need to demonstrate that the permanence of your injuries will lead you to sustain future losses. If you can no longer work, then you might seek damages for your total loss of future earnings for your lifetime. To establish this figure, your attorney can consult a vocational specialist. In some cases, permanent injuries may require lifetime medical care. If you’ve been partially or completely paralyzed, you’ll need extensive care and support services on a 24/7 basis for the rest of your life. In this case, you could demand considerable compensation for your lifetime care needs. Additionally, some plaintiffs may demand compensation for future emotional trauma. This may be appropriate in your case if you’ve sustained a disfiguring scar in a visible area. Your accident attorney will rely on expert witness testimony to demonstrate these losses to a jury.

    Call Attorney Big Al today at 1-800-HURT-123 for a complimentary case review.

  • Do You Have to Pay Taxes on Injury Settlements?

    Once you receive an injury compensation or accident settlement in Decatur or Atlanta , you might be wondering if you’ll need to pay taxes on it. Your personal injury lawyer should be able to advise you as to the rules, regulations, and laws surrounding settlements or judgment awards from accident claims. These regulations vary depending upon the type of compensation or settlement that you receive.

    For instance, personal injury compensation for a physical injury is not taxable under federal or state law. If you file a personal injury claim and receive an accident settlement before trial, or a judgment award for injury compensation at trial, you do not have to pay taxes on the amount.

    The personal injury compensation that you receive is meant to reimburse you for medical bills, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, emotional distress, pain and suffering, court costs, attorney’s fees, and loss of consortium. If your personal injury claim is not based on a physical injury, but instead is only based upon a breach of contract issue or emotional injury, your injury compensation might be taxable.

  • How Soon Do You Have to File an Injury Claim?

    If you have sustained a personal injury as a result of someone else’s negligence or intentional infliction of harm, you only have so long to seek injury compensation in Decatur and Atlanta . In Georgia, you have two years from the date of the accident or personal injury to file a personal injury claim in your county courthouse. In order to make sure that you meet this deadline, it’s in your best interests to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer.

    You are not obligated to notify the person who will be named as the defendant in your personal injury claim prior to filing it with the court. You will have to have the defendant served with the summons and complaint once it has been issued, or your personal injury case cannot proceed, however.

    If you are filing a personal injury claim or accident claim against a government entity, such as a city, state, county, or federal agency or employee, or a public agency or division, you have a shorter window of opportunity to seek injury compensation. In Georgia, you have six months to file an accident claim against the city or county.

  • Replacing Your Windshield Wipers

    Having faulty or broken windshield wipers on your vehicle can put you at serious risk for an auto accident. Replacing your windshield wipers is much less expensive than paying medical bills or hiring a traffic accident attorney in Decatur or Atlanta . Before you replace your windshield wipers, you must ensure that you are buying the right type for your make and model of car.

    Watch this video clip for a helpful demonstration on how to replace your windshield wipers. When you have windshield wipers that operate correctly, you will be less likely to get into an auto accident during poor weather conditions.

  • Answering Questions About Spinal Cord Lawsuits

    Many accident claims filed by personal injury lawyers in Decatur and Atlanta involve a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord personal injury claims are generally more complicated than other types of injury claims. Here are the answers to some common questions about spinal cord personal injury claims.

    What Are Common Causes of a Spinal Cord Injury?

    Car accidents are the most common cause of spinal cord injuries. Approximately 42% of spinal cord injuries are the result of being hurt in a car accident. About 26% of spinal cord injuries are caused by falls, while 15% are caused by acts of violence, and around 8% are the result of sports accidents. In rare cases, a spinal cord injury may be the result of medical malpractice or medical negligence. Risky or delicate surgical procedures that are performed on the back or neck can sometimes cause temporary or permanent spinal cord damage.

    What Are Some Common Arguments in Spinal Cord Personal Injury Claims?

    A spinal cord injury can be the result of negligence, medical malpractice, intentional or accidental infliction of injury, or defective products. The majority of accident claims involving spinal cord injuries allege negligence. This negligence may be the result of another driver hitting you in a car or motorcycle accident, or a property owner creating an unsafe private or public environment that causes a slip and fall. In order for your personal injury lawyer to win your case, he must prove that the defendant in your accident claim was responsible for your injuries.

    What is a Typical Spinal Cord Injury Compensation?

    The injury compensation that you receive if you win your personal injury claim is meant to reimburse you for accident-related expenses, physical and emotional damages, and lost wages, whether in the past or future. The accident settlement that you receive will depend upon the extent of your injury, whether it is temporary or permanent, how many medical costs you have incurred, how much you have suffered emotionally, physically, and financially, and whether the injury has affected your ability to work.

  • Understanding the Legal Definition of Wrongful Death

    Losing a loved one to a motorcycle accident or auto accident in Decatur or Atlanta is devastating. If someone else was legally at fault for the accident, you may be entitled to an accident settlement if you hire an attorney to file a wrongful death claim. Wrongful death is a legal term that alleges that a person’s death was due to the negligence or intentional infliction of harm by another person or entity.

    A wrongful death lawsuit demands an accident settlement or compensation for losses that were incurred by the survivor. These losses may be emotional or financial, and typically include reimbursement for accident-related expenses, lost wages, funeral expenses, medical expenses, and loss of companionship. People, companies, and government agencies can be found legally at-fault for another person’s death as a result of their negligence, defective product, or intentional infliction of harm.

    Only a representative working on behalf of a survivor who has sustained damages due to the death can file a wrongful death claim. Survivors may include a spouse, parent, child, life partner, or anyone else who was financially dependent upon the deceased.

  • What You Need to Know About Commercial Truck Accidents

    If you have been injured in a commercial truck accident, you should plan on hiring a personal injury lawyer to file a truck accident claim in Decatur or Atlanta . Commercial truck accident claims are very complicated, and you must hire an accident lawyer with extensive experience in this specific area. Here are some important facts about commercial truck accidents and truck accident claims.

    Commercial Trucks Can Cause Serious Injury

    Commercial trucks include eighteen-wheeler tractor-trailers, tanker trucks, delivery vehicles, and other large freight trucks. When a commercial truck is fully loaded, it can weigh 80,000 pounds or more. The average weight of a personal car or truck is 3,000 pounds. Commercial truck accidents typically cause serious injuries and even death during a collision with an average vehicle. Typical car and truck accident injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, skull fractures, multiple broken bones, severe concussions, severe contusions and subsequent scarring, missing limbs, paralysis, coma, and even death.

    You May Be Entitled to Reimbursement for Accident-Related Expenses

    If you have been hurt in a car accident that was caused by a commercial truck, you may be entitled to reimbursement for accident-related expenses. This includes any physical, emotional, or financial losses that you have suffered. A talented personal injury lawyer who has experience filing truck accident claims will be able to prove that the accident was the fault of the commercial truck driver. This means that you can receive an accident settlement that includes injury compensation for medical expenses, emotional distress, and lost past or future wages.

    You Should Hire an Experienced Car and Truck Accident Lawyer

    If you want to win your truck accident claim, you must hire a personal injury lawyer who has experience in car and truck accidents. He or she will be able to fully evaluate the details of the accident to determine if you have a solid accident claim. He will also be more equipped to deal with the complexities of the case, including communicating with the trucking company’s attorneys and insurance company.