By Seth Bader, Founder and CEO

Bader Law Personal Injury Lawyers

 Anyone who drives in metro Atlanta knows the risks. Traffic backs up on I-285 and I-85 most days, and busy roads like Buford Highway mix fast-moving cars with people on foot waiting for the bus. A crash can happen in seconds, and what a person does in the next few hours can affect both their health and their ability to recover compensation for their injuries.
Most people have never filed an injury claim and don’t know where to start. Knowing what steps to take can make a stressful situation easier to handle.

What to do right after an accident
Safety comes first. If the cars can be moved safely, drivers should pull out of traffic and turn on hazard lights. They should call 911 if anyone is hurt or the crash blocks the road, and ask for a police report. Georgia law requires drivers to report a crash to law enforcement when someone is injured or when property damage reaches $500 or more. Drivers should also keep the report number, as they may need it later.

Injured individuals should seek medical care the same day, even if the pain seems minor. Adrenaline can hide symptoms, and injuries like concussions, whiplash and internal bleeding may not cause obvious symptoms right away. A visit to an emergency room or urgent care clinic can help identify injuries and create a medical record documenting them after the crash.
Drivers should also gather information when it is safe to do so. This includes exchanging names, phone numbers, license plates and insurance details with the other driver, and taking photos of the vehicles, the road, any traffic signals and injuries. Witnesses’ phone numbers are also important, since people who stop to help often leave before police arrive. Drivers should avoid arguing about who caused the crash or apologizing at the scene. Those comments can be used later to shift blame.

In the days that follow, injured individuals should keep every medical bill, receipt and record of missed work. They should also follow their doctor’s treatment plan and attend every appointment. Insurance companies often point to gaps in care as evidence that an injury was minor.

Watch out for quick offers

Georgia is an at-fault state, meaning the driver who caused the crash may be responsible for the resulting damages. That driver’s insurance company may call within days. Adjusters can be friendly, but they work for the insurer, and its goal is to keep payments low. An injured person generally does not have to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. Early settlement offers also tend to come before the full cost of an injury is known. Once a release is signed, the claim is usually closed for good, even if the injury turns out to be worse than it first seemed.

When to call a lawyer
After most accidents, a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer can help people understand their rights, even if they ultimately handle the insurance claim themselves. A consultation is especially important when an injury requires ongoing treatment such as physical therapy or surgery, causes missed work, or when the crash involves a commercial truck, a rideshare vehicle or a government vehicle. It also makes sense when the insurance company disputes fault, denies the claim or pushes for a quick settlement, or when the other driver has no insurance.

Timing matters too. In Georgia, most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury. Claims involving a city, county or state agency can require written notice much sooner, in some cases within six months.

Fault matters as well. Under Georgia law, an injured person who is partly at fault can still recover damages, but the amount is reduced by their share of the blame. A person found 50% or more at fault recovers nothing. Insurers know this rule well, and a lawyer can gather evidence to challenge an unfair fault assessment.

Cost is a common worry. Bader Law works on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay no attorney fees unless the firm recovers compensation for them.
Bader Law Personal Injury Lawyers encourages anyone hurt in an accident to learn their rights before making decisions that are hard to undo. Residents of Atlanta and across Georgia can request a free, confidential consultation with Bader Law Personal Injury Lawyers by calling (218) 309-7948.

Seth Bader is the founder and CEO of Bader Law Personal Injury Lawyers, a Georgia personal injury and workers’ compensation firm dedicated to helping injured individuals rebuild their lives.