Frequently Asked Questions in Personal Injury Cases
What is the Statute of Limitations?
The statute of limitations is a time limit of how long an individual has to file a claim, if an injury victim tries to file a claim outside of this time limit, they will most likely lose their right to pursue compensation. States have varying statute of limitations, in Georgia, the statute of limitations is determined by the Georgia Code section 9-3-33, which states that the personal injury statute of limitations is two years.
What Damages Can I Recover in a Personal Injury Case?
There are three categories of damages available in personal injury cases, economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages. Economic damages, as the name suggests compensates for financial losses associated with an injury such as missed days at work and medical expenses. Non-economic damages compensate for all the abstract losses economic damages don’t cover such as emotional distress and pain and suffering. Both economic and non-economic damages are known as compensatory damages, which means their main purpose is to compensate the injured party for a specific loss. Punitive damages differ from compensatory damages in that their main purpose is to punish the negligent party, as such they are not often awarded.
Do I Need to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?
A knowledgeable personal injury attorney brings a lot to the table. But how, specifically, can the right attorney help you with a personal injury case? Do you even need one? Here are some ways a personal injury attorney can help.
The Insurance Company Is Refusing to Work With Me
Sometimes, getting the process started is the most difficult part of having your claim covered. Delays, denials, and endless paperwork can become very frustrating, especially if you are recovering from a serious injury. An experienced personal injury attorney can help with an insurance company that is needlessly delaying or otherwise preventing your claim from being processed.
The Insurance Company Has Offered to Settle, but Medical Bills Keep Coming In
If an insurance company has offered to settle, it can be tempting to simply accept whatever they offer. If the settlement is fair and covers all your medical bills and there are no complications, that may be the right thing to do. However, if there are lingering questions about the severity of your injuries, the extent of your medical bills or the long-term consequences of the accident, it behooves you to have a personal injury attorney review your settlement offer before accepting it. If you’d like us to review a settlement, we provide free consultations for all potential clients.
My Injuries Are Severe, but the Policy Limit on the Insurance Policy Is Too Low to Cover My Medical Bills
Unfortunately, for serious accidents, your medical bills may exceed the policy limit of the insurance company. If this is the case, there may be other options, depending on the specifics of your situation. For instance, there may be other insurance companies that may share liability, depending on the nature of the accident. Without an experienced personal injury attorney, it may prove difficult to navigate a situation where multiple insurance companies share liability.
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