Enduring a personal injury can change your life in multiple ways. Most physical injuries will require immediate medical care, while making a full recovery may require months or years of treatment. The incident could prevent you from returning to work or enjoying aspects of your life. If someone else was deemed liable for this event, they must provide compensation for your losses.
A Stone Mountain personal injury lawyer can meet with you during a free consultation and determine if you have a case. Childers, Schlueter & Smith will work with you to recover compensation.
Identifying a Defendant in a Personal Injury Claim
The most frequent way to collect payment after an incident is to prove that another person or entity was negligent. Negligence is a cause of action that allows people injured in incidents to hold at-fault defendants responsible for their losses. Common examples of these incidents include:
- Premises liability claims
- Defective product or dangerous drug claims
- Car, truck, motorcycle, or pedestrian collisions
- Nursing home neglect or medical malpractice
- Workers’ compensation
In a negligence case, courts must evaluate the actions of all involved parties and assign blame accordingly. If a case goes to trial in Stone Mountain, modified comparative negligence will be used to evaluate the contributions of all parties involved. Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 51-12-33 says that juries must assign blame to the parties involved in the incident based on the percentage of fault that they carry for causing it.
If they determine the plaintiff was 50 percent or more at fault, the court cannot award any compensation. A Stone Mountain personal injury attorney can help injured individuals evaluate the actions of defendants to demonstrate liability. Most claims will be settled before they go to trial so it is important to have a legal professional who can negotiate with the insurance companies.
Sources of Compensation in Personal Injury Cases
If a person suffers injuries that require $40,000 of medical care, a defendant is liable to pay these bills. The same applies for any wages that the plaintiff missed while recovering. If a plaintiff misses three weeks of work while making a recovery, and they did not get paid, the defendant must reimburse them for those lost wages.
It can be more difficult to measure the less tangible losses felt by many people, such as the pain and suffering from the injuries or a reduced quality of life. A personal injury lawyer can help a plaintiff evaluate the true value of their case so that they can demand appropriate compensation.
Speak to a Stone Mountain Personal Injury Attorney About Your Claim
Recovering from a major personal injury is going to be difficult, especially if you are worried about the total costs. While you are attempting to make a recovery, the defendant and their insurance company will try to avoid responsibility so they do not have to pay anything.
A Stone Mountain personal injury lawyer can provide essential support by keeping the case organized, gathering vital evidence, and demanding appropriate payment to cover all losses. Our team will discuss your options with you during a free consultation.
