Car Accidents

Marietta Car Accident Lawyers

Automobile accidents are the leading cause of accidental deaths and serious injury nationwide. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported over 6 million motor vehicle accidents in the United States each year. Marietta car accident attorneys at The Persons Firm represent injured motorist as well as family members of those killed in collisions throughout the state of Georgia. If you or a loved one has suffered injury or death as a result of a motor vehicle collision, you may be entitled to compensation. The aftermath of car accident can be overwhelming as you deal with the various parties involved, it is important you have an advocate on your side who can represent your interests fully. The Persons Firm is here to provide that advocacy with comprehensive legal representation for you and your family.

Common Causes of Georgia Car Accidents

The section of state law under the Georgia Code, referred to as the “Rules of the Road,” was enacted to prevent motor vehicle collisions. If a driver violates these rules, while also acting negligently, they are considered at-fault for an accident that results. If you’ve been involved in a crash, an experienced car accident lawyer in Marietta can assist you in gathering evidence of fault to ensure your rights are protected. However, some more common violations of these rules that indicate negligence include:

• Failure to maintain lane
• Following too closely, or tailgating
• Failure to yield
• Distracted driving
• Reckless driving
• Excessively speeding
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

As a “fault” car insurance state, in Georgia the insurance company of the driver who caused a collision is responsible for damages victims incur.

Showing Negligence in Car Accident Cases

Legally, to prevail in a personal injury or wrongful death claim arising out of a car accident, victims need to show that another party was negligent. Negligence exists where one party has breached an owed duty of reasonable care to another, causing their injury or death, which results in damages. In car accident cases, it is usually a driver who breaches their duty to another road user by failing to act as a prudent person would under the same or similar circumstances. Often an at-fault driver’s insurance policy limits are not enough to cover a victim’s extensive injuries, making legal action necessary. A knowledgeable Marietta motor vehicle accident attorney can help you determine what legal steps need to be taken.

Under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence scheme, even victim’s partially liable for causing their own accident can receive partial compensation for their injuries. For instance, if you are determined to be 15 percent at fault, you can still receive 85 percent of the total damages you suffered. Compensation generally available for personal injury victims include: property damage, past and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and additional damages for disfigurement or permanent disability. In wrongful death suits, families who have lost loved ones due to another’s negligent acts may receive any outstanding medical costs a victim suffered before death, as well as burial or funeral expenses.

Contact a Marietta Car Accident Attorney Today

Insurance companies will always seek to limit the recovery of the injured person to the lowest amount possible. This includes pressuring victims to settle before their medical treatment is complete and the full extent of their injuries determined. Our trial lawyers have significant experience handling serious injury and death claims arising from traffic accidents involving cars, motorcycles, bicycles, tractor-trailers, buses, trains, and pedestrians. Our founding partner, Benjamin S. Persons, IV is a former insurance defense lawyer that has handled hundreds of automobile and trucking lawsuits. We know how the insurance companies operate and use that insight to maximize settlements and verdicts for our clients.

Our firm represents clients on a contingent fee basis, which means our clients pay nothing unless our efforts are successful. If you’ve been injured, or lost a loved one, in an automobile accident, contact us today regarding your case. You can call us for a free consultation at (770) 424-5125, fill out our online form, or send us an e-mail.