Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer

Georgia Personal Injury Attorney

The term “personal injury” can apply to any situation in which one party’s actions result in harm to another party. Under state law, the injured party has the right to seek compensation for the losses the other party caused with a personal injury suit. This may sound straightforward, but if you intend to file any type of civil claim for damages, you will need the assistance of an experienced Georgia personal injury lawyer to succeed with your claim.

Helping Those Victims With Personal Injuries Recover

The Tatum Law Firm, PLLC, offers compassionate and responsive legal representation for a wide range of personal injury cases. We know you are likely to have many important questions in the aftermath of a recent injury, and we want to help you reach optimal results in your recovery efforts. You have a limited time in which to file your case with the court, and you need to coordinate with a personal injury lawyer you can trust as soon as possible.

The Tatum Team Can Personalize Its Legal Guidance for You

When you choose our firm to represent your case, Attorney Brian Tatum and his team can provide personalized legal guidance throughout your recovery efforts. We can listen to your story and help you accurately identify the party or parties bearing fault for your damages. Once fault is proven, we can proceed with identifying all the various damages you can claim from the defendant who injured you.

Our goal in every personal injury claim we represent is maximum recovery in the shortest possible timeframe. We have the skills and experience necessary to help our client swiftly determine liability and accurately prove the full extent of their losses, and we will do everything we can to settle your case as quickly as possible. However, should litigation be necessary, you can count on our team to represent you in court.

Common Types of Personal Injury Claims We Handle

When you have suffered a personal injury and are seeking legal counsel to represent you, it is vital that you find an attorney with specific experience with cases similar to yours. At the Tatum Law Firm, PLLC, you can rely on our firm to assist you with all types of personal injury cases, including:

• Car, truck, and motorcycle accident claims. Vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of personal injuries and accident claims. Recovering from an accident often requires an auto insurance claim and a personal injury lawsuit. Count on our team to represent you in both areas of recovery, as we strive to maximize your compensation.
• Premises liability claims. If you slipped and fell or otherwise injured yourself on someone’s property, the property owner is likely liable for any resulting damages. We can help prove that a local property owner was negligent in the care of their property and that your injury resulted from a foreseeable safety issue the property owner should have addressed.
• Product liability claims. When you use any consumer product, you have a reasonable expectation of the product being safe through intended use and performing effectively as advertised. If the product does not, and you suffer any type of harm from a defect with the product, it can form the basis for a personal injury claim under Georgia’s product liability laws.
• Workplace accidents. State law requires almost every employer to have workers’ compensation insurance, which can provide essential financial relief to any worker who is hurt on the job. However, you may have grounds to explore further legal recourse following an injury at work. With our team’s help, you can potentially maximize your recovery from a workplace accident through multiple legal avenues.
• Catastrophic injuries. A personal injury qualifies as catastrophic when it results in permanent damage of any kind. Traumatic brain injuries, severe burns, and spinal cord injuries are common catastrophic injuries that can lead to complex personal injury cases. Our firm can help hold a defendant accountable for the full range of immediate and future damages they inflicted and your pain and suffering.

In any personal injury case, proving fault is an essential first step you must complete before you will be able to recover any type of compensation for your damages. You must accurately identify the party or parties responsible for your injury and then prove the full extent of the damages they caused.

Proving Fault for Your Personal Injury

Most of the personal injuries reported throughout the state each year are the result of negligence, which is the failure to exercise reasonable care in specific situations. For example, a driver has a duty of care to operate their vehicle attentively. Distracted driving is a clear violation of this duty of care. If the distracted driver causes an accident, their negligence directly harms the victim, and the victim has the right to seek full compensation for all resulting damages.

Illegal Misconduct Can Lead to Criminal Prosecution for the Defendant

A personal injury can also occur from intentional and illegal misconduct. Driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol is one of the most common forms of this in the state, and the defendant in any such personal injury case will not only be liable for the victim’s damages but also face criminal prosecution from the state. Penalties for breaking the law increase significantly when a defendant has caused great bodily harm or death with their actions.

In a personal injury case, the plaintiff is likely to need various types of evidence to firmly establish liability for the injury. They may need physical evidence from the location where their accident occurred, and testimony from any witnesses who saw the accident happen firsthand can be incredibly valuable to any case.

If your personal injury involves any complex questions of liability, your attorney may consult various expert witnesses to provide their professional insights, helping you establish fault beyond any doubt. For example, an accident reconstruction expert can help prove exactly how a recent car accident unfolded, identifying the driver or drivers responsible for causing the crash.

The Tatum Law Firm, PLLC, excels at resolving complex personal injury suits, and the full range of our professional resources will be put to work to help establish liability for the damages you suffered. Once we have identified all the parties bearing liability for your damages, you can rely on our team to guide you through the next phases of your recovery efforts.

Claimable Damages in a Personal Injury Suit

The ultimate objective of any personal injury claim is for the plaintiff to win recompense for any damages caused by the defendant’s negligence or misconduct. After proving fault for your personal injury, you will then proceed to claim compensation for the resulting damages. The average personal injury plaintiff can claim economic and non-economic damages from a defendant.

Economic damages are easier to prove. These include the direct financial losses the defendant caused to the victim, such as:

• Property damage. If the plaintiff’s property was destroyed or even damaged in the incident, the defendant is liable for all repair or replacement costs associated with the incident. Some of these losses could be recovered through insurance, depending on how the defendant caused the plaintiff’s property damage. For example, auto insurance may cover vehicle repair costs after a car accident.
• Medical cost. Physical injuries are the cause of most personal injury claims filed. The person who caused any personal injury is liable for all the medical expenses the victim incurs for treatment of their injuries, including future rehabilitative treatment and other ongoing medical care they need. Your Georgia personal injury lawyer can ensure all relevant medical expenses are addressed in your claim.
• Lost wages. When you cannot work after a personal injury, the defendant is liable for the money you cannot earn while you are recovering. You also have the right to seek compensation for lost future income. If you were seriously injured, you may be able to claim compensation for diminished or lost earning power if the injury has caused any disability that limits your ability to work and earn income in the future.

Compensation Types in Personal Injury Claims

Your Georgia personal injury lawyer will be invaluable for the help they can provide in proving the full extent of your claimable damages. Once you have identified all the various economic damages you can include in your claim, you can proceed with claiming recompense for your pain and suffering.

For most personal injury plaintiffs, pain and suffering compensation accounts for most of their recoveries. Your attorney can help determine a suitable amount to reflect the physical pain and psychological trauma the defendant inflicted with their actions. The more severe your injury, the more you can potentially recover in pain and suffering compensation.

Punitive damages can also come into play if you have been harmed by another party’s intentional and illegal misconduct. The defendant in such a case is likely to face criminal prosecution, and restitution to the victim could be added to their sentence in criminal court. The judge handling your civil case can also award you punitive damages at their discretion.

Expert Accident Recovery Strategies for Resolving Your Personal Injury Claim

Proving fault and then proving the full scope of your claimable losses will be your primary focus at the outset of your personal injury case. Once you accomplish these initial tasks, you are ready to file your claim with the court. After submitting your complaint, the court will review it for any errors and then send the defendant the forms they will need to reply to the complaint. At this point, your case may go one of two ways.

Most personal injury claims end in settlement negotiations. If a defendant is clearly at fault, it benefits them to avoid protracted litigation and save money on their legal fees. As long as the plaintiff and defendant are both willing to negotiate, it is possible for them to resolve the personal injury claim within a matter of weeks through the settlement negotiation process.

If settlement is not an option for your personal injury claim, or if your settlement negotiations fail because the defendant refuses to compromise or disputes the range of damages you are seeking from them, your case will need to go to trial. Litigation can be stressful and time-consuming, and if you must take your case to court, you need to have a seasoned Georgia personal injury lawyer on your side.

Settlement enables both parties to have more influence over the final outcome of the case, whereas the result of litigation will rest entirely with the judge’s discretion. When you choose the Tatum Law Firm, PLLC, to represent you, we can aim to settle your case quickly if possible. However, should litigation prove necessary, you can count on our firm to represent you in the courtroom.

What to Expect From Your Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer

The right attorney can have a profound impact on the outcome of any personal injury claim you file. You have a limited time in which to file your case and may have more opportunities to recover compensation than you initially realize. With the Tatum Law Firm, PLLC, representing you, you can approach the difficult proceedings ahead with confidence and peace of mind.

In every case our team accepts, we take time to learn as much as possible about the individual client and the details of how their injury has impacted their life. The average plaintiff may be aware of the immediately noticeable damages they can claim from the defendant, but they may struggle to assess the full extent of all the claimable losses that are included in their claim.

We are often able to exceed our clients’ expectations in terms of their recoveries. Our goal for your personal injury case is to streamline your proceedings to shorten the time it takes for you to recover as much as possible. However, we can do everything we can to maximize your recovery to the fullest extent allowed under Georgia law.

Georgia Injury Law FAQs

Q: How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Suit?

A: You must file a suit within the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations for personal injury actions in the state is two years from when the injury occurred. However, some circumstances may alter this statute. For example, if the cause of your injury couldn’t be immediately determined, your statute of limitations may begin on the date you discovered the cause of the harm you experienced.

Q: How Much Is My Personal Injury Claim Worth?

A: Georgia’s personal injury laws enable the plaintiff to seek full compensation for any economic damages they suffered because of the defendant’s actions. These may include property losses, medical treatment costs, and lost income. The plaintiff can also seek compensation for future damages like ongoing medical expenses and lost earning capacity, and state law enables them to claim as much pain and suffering compensation as they deem appropriate.

Q: How Do I Calculate Pain and Suffering in My Personal Injury Case?

A: Your personal injury lawyer can help determine a fair amount of pain and suffering compensation to include in your claim based on the severity of the injuries you suffered and the scope of the long-term effects you face. Your attorney may seek an amount based on the time it takes for you to recover if you are expected to make a complete recovery. For most personal injury plaintiffs, pain and suffering account for most of their final compensation.

Q: What Happens if a Plaintiff Is Partially Liable for Causing Their Injury?

A: The state enforces a modified comparative fault statute that applies to any civil claim for damages in which the plaintiff shares liability with the defendant for causing the injury. As long as the plaintiff is less than 50% at fault, they can still recover damages, but their fault percentage will be taken from their case award as a penalty. If they are 50% or more at fault, they cannot seek compensation from the defendant.

Q: How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer?

A: The Tatum Law Firm, PLLC, offers personal injury representation on a contingency fee basis. This means that our client pays a percentage of their final case award as their fee, and only if we win their case. There is no risk of our clients paying more for legal counsel than they win in compensation, and they pay nothing at all if our team cannot secure compensation for their damages. This allows the client to approach their case without fear of overly expensive legal fees.

Schedule Your Free Consultation with Our Expert Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer Today

The right attorney on your side can have a positive impact on the outcome of your impending personal injury suit. The Tatum Law Firm, PLLC, has accumulated years of professional experience. This expertise is something we are ready to put into action for your impending case. And, the sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we can get started helping you recover. Contact us today and schedule a free consultation with a Georgia personal injury lawyer you can trust with your case.