Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney
Personal injury law protects individuals who are injured or harmed because of someone else’s negligent act or failure to act when they had a duty to do so. Even though the accident was another person’s fault, Georgia personal injury law puts the burden on the injured victim to prove the other party was negligent and that their negligence caused the accident and injury. Negligent parties and their insurance companies will often fight to avoid paying what they should, blaming the accident on other causes or even the victims themselves, and disputing the extent of the injury and the amount they owe. There is no question that you need a personal injury attorney to represent you and prove your case so that you get the full amount of compensation appropriate to your case.
Before opening her own law firm to represent injury victims, attorney Christine Forsythe spent over a decade working for the second-largest auto insurer in the country. She knows how injury claims are handled on both sides and how to get winning results. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident or any other negligence-based incident, the Forsythe Law Firm will help you hold the responsible party liable for the damage they caused and ensure you get the medical care and compensation you need and deserve. Contact our experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney today.
Comprehensive Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney
At the Forsythe Law Firm, we take on all manner of injury accidents and all kinds of negligent parties. Our comprehensive Atlanta personal injury practice includes all of the following types of cases, among others:
- Bicycle Accident
- Car Accident
- Catastrophic Injury
- Construction Accident
- Distracted Driving Accident
- Drunk Driver Accident
- Dog Bite
- Motorcycle Accident
- Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
- Pedestrian Accident
- Premises Liability
- Rideshare Accident
- Slip & Fall
- Truck Accident
- Uninsured Driver Accident
- Workplace Accident
- Wrongful Death
Damages Available in an Atlanta Personal Injury Case
Compensation in a personal injury claim is known as damages, and there are different categories of damages available. Most of the time, the injury victim will recover “compensatory” damages meant to compensate them for the harm they suffered or will suffer because of the accident. The most common forms of compensatory damages include the following:
Medical expenses – doctor and hospital bills, medications, medical equipment, etc. Both past and future medical expenses can be included.
Lost wages – Recoverable damages include compensation for the time the victim missed work because of the injury, including any diminished earning capacity if they can no longer work at the same job or if they cannot work at all due to an accident-induced disability.
Pain and suffering – Victims can recover compensation for their pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, scarring and disfigurement, loss of consortium with a spouse, and other “noneconomic” damages. Pain and suffering damages are usually calculated as a multiple of the economic damages (medical expenses and lost income) and can be 1.5 to 5 times higher than the economic damages, depending on the severity of the accident and injury.
In addition to compensatory damages, Georgia law recognizes punitive damages in appropriate cases, such as when the wrongdoer is guilty of willful misconduct or exhibited such an entire lack of care that it showed a conscious indifference to the consequences. To get punitive damages, the victim must prove by “clear and convincing” evidence that there are aggravating circumstances that warrant additional damages to penalize, punish, or deter the liable party. Punitive damages can be as high as $250,000, with a portion of the award going to the victim and a portion to the state.
The Forsythe Law Firm works to get the maximum amount of compensation suitable to the accident and damages caused, including punitive damages in appropriate circumstances.
Act Quickly to Preserve Your Rights After an Accident
Under most circumstances, you have two years from the date of the accident or injury to file a lawsuit, but this time can go by very quickly while you are recovering from your injury, dealing with paperwork and putting your life together, and especially if the insurance company is stringing you along and delaying resolution of your case. If you fail to file within the applicable period, you could lose your ability to get any recovery at all. Also, regardless of when you file a lawsuit or whether one is necessary at all, it is essential to act swiftly after an injury to gather and preserve evidence while it is fresh and to rebut any later claims that your injury happened due to some subsequent event or wasn’t as serious as you claim. A skilled and experienced personal injury attorney gets to work right away building your case for an eventual settlement or jury verdict, although the best attorneys won’t try to settle your case until your physical condition and all your damages are known.
Contact The Forsythe Law Firm Today
If you have been the victim of a personal injury caused by another party’s negligent or intentional misconduct, The Forsythe Law Firm is ready to stand up for you and help you get the compensation and justice you deserve. Call our experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer today.
