Car accidents produce some of the most debilitating types of injuries. When your motor vehicle accident has turned your life upside down, but you do not know how to make the liable party pay for their negligence, you need a powerful legal advocate.
Contact a compassionate Augusta car accident lawyer at Barrios Virgüez for help seeking maximum compensation for your damages. Find out how much your case could be worth when you contact our office for a free consultation.
Grounds for an Augusta Car Accident Claim
If you hope to recover maximum restitution for your suffering, you may be looking into all of your legal options for financial recovery. However, if you had concerns regarding whether your injuries would be considered debilitating enough to pursue your case, you are not alone. Many car accident victims worry they will be accused of filing a frivolous car accident lawsuit.
Fortunately, the impact of your car accident and resulting injuries on your life will determine whether you have grounds for a car accident claim. As long as another party or entity is responsible for causing your collision, and your car accident injuries have substantially affected your life, you may have the right to compensation for your damages.
For a free legal consultation with a car accidents lawyer serving Augusta, call 678-888-2222
Types of Injuries that Result from Car Accidents
Car accidents can lead to severe, permanent, and life-threatening injuries. The reason for this is that the human body is not built to withstand the amount of force that a car accident causes. Therefore, if an individual is lucky enough to survive these accidents, they most likely will suffer catastrophic injuries, such as:
- Head and brain injuries
- Spinal cord and back injuries
- Road rash
- Internal organ injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Severe bleeding
- Cuts and lacerations
- Broken or fractured bones
- Disfigurement and scars
- Limb loss or amputations
- Whiplash or neck injuries
- Crush injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- PTSD and mental trauma
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Common Causes of Car Accidents in Augusta
Motor vehicle accidents continue to be a major cause for concern across Augusta and Georgia. Your attorney will be responsible for closely evaluating the cause of your car accident to establish liability.
There are many different ways in which car accidents in Augusta occur. However, some of the more common causes of these collisions include the following:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Drugged driving
- Failure to stop
- Failure to yield to the right of way
- Failure to use a turn signal
- Following too closely
- Driving while fatigued
- Road rage
- Making illegal turns
- Defective auto parts
- Inclement weather
- Overzealous dram shops
- Unsecured road construction zones
- Unfilled potholes
- Missing street signs
- Other dangerous road conditions
These are only a few of the more common ways car accidents occur in Augusta. If your car accident was caused in another way, you might still have the right to financial compensation. The best way to find out what legal options may be available to you is to contact our office to discuss the details of your case.
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Fault for Augusta Car Accidents
By reviewing the cause of your car accident in Augusta, your lawyer will better understand who is responsible for causing your collision. For example, if a drunk driver hits you, you may be interested in filing insurance and civil lawsuits against the drunk driver. However, with help from an attorney, you may also be able to file a claim against the dram shop that over-served or sold the drunk driver alcohol.
Another example could be if dangerous road conditions caused your car accident. The government agencies responsible for maintaining road safety and integrity could share liability for your injuries if hazardous road conditions caused your accident. Some examples of parties who could share fault in collisions like these include:
- Government officials
- The Georgia Department of Transportation
- Government agencies
- Municipalities
- Safety inspectors
- Other third parties
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Shared Fault Could Impact Your Augusta Car Accident Claim
Augusta car accident victims have reported concerns about filing lawsuits when they believe they are partially responsible for causing the accident they were involved in or their resulting injuries. However, if you have similar concerns, you can rest easier.
Georgia operates under a modified comparative negligence system with a 49% threshold. If your liability portion does not exceed 49%, you can still recover compensation in the Augusta civil courts. However, your injury settlement must be reduced to reflect your portion of fault so you are also held accountable for your portion of the liability.
The amount of compensation that will be deducted from your injury settlement will correlate with your percentage of fault. For example, if you were not wearing your seatbelt during the accident, the judge might find you 5% responsible for causing your injuries. If you were awarded $100,000 for your damages, your injury settlement would be reduced by 5%, leaving you with $95,000.
You can ensure liability is evaluated accurately in your case by retaining a powerful Augusta car accident attorney to advocate for your rights.
How Insurance Claims Work in Augusta
Filing a claim with the insurance company is one of the top ways car accident victims recover compensation for the damages in Augusta. Georgia operates under a fault system, which means you will file a claim with the liable party’s insurance company instead of your own.
The only instance in which you might file a claim with your own insurance company is if you purchased personal injury protection PIP coverage. Otherwise, you should prepare to file a claim with the insurance company or a lawsuit in civil court.
You should always prepare for the possibility of bringing your case to court for several reasons. The insurance company is not on your side. They will do everything they can to reduce their financial loss. Paying out your claim would be considered a financial loss to them.
You can expect them to attempt to get out of compensating you fairly by making you lowball offers or trying to deny you the benefits that are rightfully yours by blaming you for causing the accident. Fortunately, your car accident attorney in Augusta will be by your side, ready to show the insurance company you mean business.
Compensation for Victims of Augusta Car Accidents
After a car accident in Augusta, you have the right to be repaid for every single loss. You might be surprised that you could be compensated for economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are financial and have a fixed monetary value, whereas non-economic damages do not.
Some of the more commonly awarded types of economic and non-economic damages in Augusta car accident claims include:
- Mental anguish
- Costs of repairing or replacing your vehicle
- Medical equipment and hospital bills
- Future medical care
- Other medical expenses
- Loss of income and diminished earning potential
- Disfigurement and skin scarring
- Loss of love and companionship
- Loss of guidance and support
- Loss of society and advice
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of household services
- Inconvenience
- Reputational damages
You Have a Time Limit to File Your Car Accident Claim
According to Georgia Code 9-3-33, you must file your car accident claim within two years from the accident date. Therefore, if you want compensation, you cannot miss this deadline.
While we know you are focusing on healing, you mustn’t delay speaking to a car accident lawyer at your earliest convenience. The sooner we can get started on your claim, the quicker you may be able to receive compensation to get back on your feet.
Meet with a Car Accident Lawyer in Augusta
When your car accident injuries have taken over your life, you can hold the liable party accountable by pursuing insurance and civil claims.
Explore your legal options further when you contact an experienced Augusta car accident lawyer at Barrios Virgüez. Schedule your no-cost, risk-free consultation when you call our office or complete our quick contact form.
Call or text 678-888-2222 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
