If you or a loved one has suffered from a catastrophic, or permanent and life-changing, injury, due to someone else’s irresponsible actions, you may be entitled to receive compensation to help you with your financial struggles and medical recovery.
The road to getting that compensation can be long and winding, and it’s not something you want to face alone. Fortunately, enlisting the help of a Forest Park personal injury lawyer can drastically increase your odds of receiving financial compensation for your injuries.
Many people feel hesitant and anxious about hiring legal representation, or they blame themselves for their injuries. At John Foy & Associates, we have built a team of skilled catastrophic injury attorneys in Forest Park that seek to help everyday people like you hold negligent parties accountable for their actions, and we have already helped catastrophic injury victims receive millions of dollars in compensation.
Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries You Can Sue for
There are several types of catastrophic injuries, including permanent nerve damage, loss of sight or hearing, lost limbs, and more, and they can be caused by a variety of accidents. Some of the most common causes of catastrophic injuries we see include:
- Car or truck accidents
- Public transportation accidents
- Manufacturing errors
- Poor working conditions
- Fires or explosions
- Medical malpractice
Not all accidents are entirely preventable, but many catastrophic injuries are due to the irresponsible actions of another. In many situations, people and entities are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that adheres to a basic standard of care. This means not driving recklessly or leaving spills on slick surfaces unattended in order to protect others from severe injury or death.
Failure to adhere to a basic standard of care is often called negligence. You and your catastrophic injury lawyer in Forest Park must prove the other party breached their duty of care, and that this breach is what resulted in your injuries before you can collect damages.
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Proving Fault in Catastrophic Injuries
Proving fault in catastrophic injury cases is sometimes easy and straightforward, but it’s more often a complicated and drawn-out process. Your side will be expected to provide a compelling argument, with adequate evidence, that the other party’s actions directly caused your injuries.
Photos and videos at the scene of the accident, witness and expert testimony, and medical records are common pieces of evidence that can help you prove fault, though there are numerous other forms of evidence that can work too.
In Georgia, and other “comparative fault” states, it’s usually not as simple as one party is totally guilty and the other is totally innocent. In many cases, both parties can be assigned a share of the blame, which can affect the amount of compensation received.
If, for example, you are deemed to be 25% responsible for the accident that ensued and led to your catastrophic injuries, you may receive 25% less compensation than if you had none of the blame.
Even worse, if you are assigned 51% or more of the blame, you are not entitled to receive any compensation for your injuries. It always pays to conduct yourself in a responsible and reasonable manner; in fact, it may mean the difference between millions of dollars in damages and nothing at all.
What to Do After a Catastrophic Injury Accident
Immediately following an accident that causes catastrophic injuries, the most important thing is to get immediate medical attention and follow the protocols and procedures outlined by your healthcare team. From there, it is imperative that you get in touch with a lawyer as soon as you are able. This will help you get your case off on the right foot, as your lawyer can provide exceptional legal advice throughout the process, start to finish.
This legal advice early on can make a huge difference to your ability to collect damages, as it’s all too easy to accidentally misstep in a way that results in your case being thrown out or compromised.
If, for example, an insurance firm offers you a settlement that looks pretty good, and you sign the papers to accept it, you may miss out on thousands of dollars more from other damages that you could have collected if you hadn’t signed the papers.
Your lawyer can help you fill out filing paperwork and negotiate with insurance firms that want to pay you the least amount of money possible. Insurance companies and the guilty party know you are in a vulnerable position, and they will try to exploit that to pay you less than you deserve.
How Long do You Have to File a Claim?
According to Georgia Code §9-3-33, those seeking to file a personal injury claim have exactly two years from the date of the accident to file their claim. Many people misunderstand this law, and they wait too long to file their claim. This can result in their case being tossed out completely, or it simply hurts the strength of their case if it does get to court.
Your lawyer can help you fill out these complex documents, and they can help you make sure they are filed correctly and on time. This can not only help you get your compensation in a more timely manner, but it can also strengthen your case, and help you collect the compensation you are entitled to.
Contact a Skilled Forest Park Catastrophic Injury Attorney Today
Catastrophic injury victims suffer for months, and potentially years, after their accident due to physical and emotional pain, financial hardships, and so much more. Fortunately, our team of experienced attorneys at John Foy & Associates can help people like you get the compensation they deserve.
Over the past 20 years, we have helped hundreds of people receive sizable compensation that allowed them to focus less on money and more on recovery.
If you’re ready for a free consultation, please visit our website and fill out the form. One of our staff members will follow up with you shortly!
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form