Jonesboro
Rear End Collision Accident Lawyer

Rear-end collisions happen more often than we expect, and many people don’t know what to do when they strike. In Jonesboro, rear end collisions occur on both quiet residential streets and busy highways—and they can cause serious pain and medical issues. Many will also end up costing tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills or more. You don’t have to get stuck with medical bills you can’t pay for. Take the time to speak with a Jonesboro rear-end collision accident lawyer.

John Foy & Associates has worked for more than 20 years to help the victims of rear-end collisions. Our lawyers work exclusively on personal injury cases, which means we work for the victim—we never take the side of the insurance company. And we charge you nothing unless we recover money for you. Let us give you a free consultation to discuss your case.

Give us a call at 404-400-4000 or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today.

What Should I Do After a Rear End Collision in Jonesboro?

Rear-end collisions can happen suddenly, and you may not know what to do in the minutes after. The most important is to address your own safety and health by seeing a medical professional. If you weren’t taken directly to an emergency room following a collision, make an appointment as soon as possible with your health care provider. A walk-in urgent care clinic is also an option for immediate treatment if you need it.

But there are other steps you can take for both your own wellbeing and your legal rights. Here are four simple steps you can take after your accident:

1. Protect yourself and the collision scene. Wherever the collision occurred, it’s likely that other cars will be driving in the area. Keep yourself safe and protect the scene of the collision by turning on your hazard lights immediately. If it’s safe to do so, avoid moving the vehicles before the police arrive on the scene. (But if the collision occurred on a busy highway or other dangerous area, it may be safest to move onto the highway shoulder and away from traffic.) If possible, take pictures of both vehicles in their original locations before moving them.
2. Call the police. To protect your legal rights, it is important that a formal report is made of the circumstances surrounding the collision. When the police arrive on the scene, make sure to provide as accurate a description of the crash as possible. Avoid guessing and try to only report the facts as you know them. Do not say you are uninjured. Injuries can appear days or weeks after a collision has occurred. Instead, you can say you are unsure if you’re injured.
3. Collect information. The more information you can get from the scene of the collision, the better your chances are for a positive outcome. Make sure to write down the license plate number and insurance information of the other party, ask for the names and phone numbers of any witnesses to the collision, and take pictures of all damage to yourself or your vehicle.
4. Always take the time to talk to a lawyer. There’s a good chance that the insurance company will offer you money within a few weeks—or days. And there is absolutely no way to know whether their offer is a fair one without getting a legal opinion.

What Are the Most Common Injuries in a Rear-End Accident?

Countless medical issues can crop up after a rear-end collision, often long after the accident has taken place. That’s why it’s so important to get medical treatment as soon as possible and contact an attorney to help you know what to expect. However, there are three injuries that people frequently experience following a rear-end collision:

• Whiplash. Whiplash is caused by a strong impact from behind, which forces your body forward while your seatbelt holds you in place. This can cause the head to move forward and backward too quickly, causing tears in the muscles and tissues in the neck. If you are experiencing neck pain, stiffness of movement in the neck, headaches, or dizziness, you may be suffering from whiplash.
• Concussions. Concussions can occur when the head strikes a hard surface or is violently shaken. A concussion is an injury to the brain, and it can affect the way your brain functions. Symptoms for concussions are often difficult to detect, and can last for several weeks. But if you are experiencing headaches, confusion, nausea, slurred speech, or temporary losses in consciousness, you may have a concussion. Seek immediate medical attention.
• Spine damage. Spinal damage can occur when your body does not have time to react and stabilize itself in response to a collision. Spinal damage can take months to recover from, and often require specialized medical attention. Compression fractures (in which the vertebrae are pulled out of place) are commonly experienced in response to rear-end collisions.

So are hernias and even sciatica. If you are experiencing severe back pain, tingling sensations, numbness, loss of bladder control, or limited back movement, you may be suffering from a spinal injury. The sooner you get treatment, the better your outcome is likely to be.

Do not assume that any injuries will go away with time. Many conditions worsen and become more difficult to treat if left without medical attention. Your lawyer can help you get your medical treatment paid for in your financial recovery—the important thing is to get the care you need.

The Insurance Company Already Offered Me Money. Should I Take It?

Accepting cash up front from the insurance company can seem like an easy solution, but insurance companies will often use these offers to settle claims before any new medical issues or symptoms arise. Accepting this money will likely prevent you from recovering any additional claims that may arise.

The City of Jonesboro and all of Georgia have strict laws protecting accident victims. There is no legal requirement that you accept the first offer an insurer gives you—in fact, you have the right to negotiate. In fact, if need be you can take the issue to the local courts, although most accident claims don’t go that far.

Once you have a full assessment of your injuries, you could find out you need much more money than you thought, both for your medical costs and to help you rebuild your life. This money may not bring your life back to where it was before the collision, but we have seen how it can relieve financial stress and allow for peace of mind.

Remember: it’s hard to tell how a collision might affect your life, especially in the first few weeks afterward. Always get an experienced lawyer on your side before you accept anything from the insurance company.

Talk to a Jonesboro Rear-End Accident Lawyer for Free

You don’t need to suffer through severe pain and steep medical bills because of a collision. The attorneys at John Foy & Associates know how to win cases, and we work side by side with you to get you the best possible outcome—and the most money possible. We charge nothing unless you get money. Let us give you a FREE consultation today.

Call us at 404-400-4000 or fill out the form to the right to schedule your free consultation.