Victims of car accidents face life-altering trauma. If you’ve been involved in a Roswell car accident, you are likely struggling to cope with the pain of your losses. Lost wages, lost mobility, and lost quality of life can have lasting effects after the initial injury is healed.
You may be wondering how you’ll ever overcome these difficulties. When all hope seems lost, Rafi, Brown, and Stokes is here for you.
Rafi, Brown, and Stokes protects the rights of innocent Georgians who were injured due to someone else’s negligence. We win the cases others can’t because our team prepares every case for trial, meaning we never back down to insurance company bullying tactics or underpaid settlements.
Get us on your side today. Contact (404) 948-3311 for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Car Accidents In Roswell
Georgia has a reputation as a state with a high number of accidents. In 2021, Georgia had the fourth-highest number of fatal car accidents, with the loss of over 1,500 individuals.
These fatal accidents primarily took place in cars, with pedestrians being the second-highest potential victims of a traffic accident fatality in Georgia. Pedestrians are at risk at any intersection, where many accidents in Georgia occur.
Multiple-vehicle car accidents were responsible for 51% of car accidents in Georgia in 2019. These accidents are most likely to occur at intersections or on highways, which are two high-risk driving areas in Georgia.
The majority of the accidents in Georgia are due to driver error. That means that they are completely avoidable as long as drivers behave properly. Speeding, driving while impaired, and driving recklessly repeatedly are leading causes of deadly car accidents in Roswell.
Before you get behind the wheel, be aware of the risks of driving in your area.
How Our Roswell Car Accident Lawyers Can Help
The car accident lawyers at Rafi, Brown, and Stokes are experts at Georgia law. We are experienced in handling cases like yours and have won our numerous clients over $31 million in damages over the years. Our mission is to help you get the maximum compensation you deserve.
Our boutique firm doesn’t take every client that walks in our door. We are highly selective, working on a few cases to allow our lawyers the time to give them their personal touch. Our team focuses fully on your case, rather than juggling ten to twenty other cases like some of our competitors.
Our expert car accident lawyers have won our clients millions. Some examples of recent car accident cases we have tried are:
- $3,013,000 jury verdict in a wrongful death tractor-trailer crash on the I-285
- $1,600,000 settlement for a client in a car crash
- $460,000 settlement for a client who was rear-ended on the I-285
While we cannot guarantee that your case will receive the same amount – it’s impossible to know the settlement amount your case will ultimately receive – our team refuses to take less than you deserve.
If you are looking for an honest, compassionate team of legal representatives to work with you through one of the most difficult moments of your life, call Rafi, Brown, and Stokes – Injury Lawyers.
Call A Roswell Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you have been injured in a car accident and need representation, contact Rafi, Brown, and Stokes today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We will review your case and determine what needs to be done to help you win.
We only take on cases we can win. Because we work on a contingency fee structure, there is no risk to hiring us. You don’t pay a thing until we win your case. Since we don’t get paid until we win, we have a greater incentive to get you maximum compensation.
Rafi, Brown, and Stokes will take on all filing fees and litigation costs up front so you can focus on recovering from your traumatic experience.
We treat every client with honesty and compassion. We understand that you’ve been hurt by the recklessness of others. The last thing you need is to face that negligent person alone. Let us help you today by calling (404)948-3311 to work with an expert Roswell car accident lawyer.
What To Do After A Car Crash In Roswell, GA
1. Evaluate the Situation
The first few seconds after a car accident are vitally important. You need to assess your own health and safety to determine how to proceed.
If you are severely injured, do not move. Moving risks further injury. Call 911 and proceed to follow their direction.
2. Call the Police
The police should be called to the scene of any car accident. If you’ve been involved in a car accident with someone who doesn’t have insurance, they may try to dissuade you from filing an official report. Do the smart thing and call anyway. The police are your best backup for collecting accurate evidence. The police report will be critical evidence if you decide to pursue charges.
3. Collect Evidence
Take photos, exchange insurance information, write down contact information, and keep a timeline of events. Be sure to document the surroundings and the circumstances that lead to the crash as best you can. Obtain a copy of the police report afterward to corroborate your evidence.
4. Seek Medical Attention
Always go to the doctor after a car accident. Many times, people won’t realize they’re injured until days after a car accident. It’s important to have tests done to ensure your adrenaline isn’t masking potential issues. Be honest with your doctor and follow their medical advice. Doing what the doctor tells you is one of the easiest ways to secure your right to damages.
5. Call a Car Accident Lawyer
Call a Roswell car accident attorney at (404) 948-3311 before proceeding any further. You don’t want to speak with companies, post on social media, or begin fighting your insurance company without the help of a legal professional.
Once you have an attorney, you will need to contact your insurance company, potentially go to traffic court, and begin the process of filing your legal claim for damages.
What Types Of Damages Can I Recover From My Car Accident?
Georgia’s comparative negligence statute allows any individual involved in an accident who is less than 50% at fault to receive compensation for their losses.
This allows most victims of negligent drivers to recover damages for economic losses, non-economic losses, and to potentially collect punitive damages.
If you aren’t sure what those terms mean, read our guide to car accident damages below.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are any financial loss suffered by the victim due to the car accident. Most commonly, economic damages are used to pay off any current or future medical bills. However, economic damages can cover far more.
Some examples of what economic damages you can include in your claim are:
- Medical bills
- Prescription costs
- Loss of wages, either past or future
- Property damage to your vehicle
- Transportation expenses while your vehicle was being repaired
- Cost of rehabilitation
- Expenses for any home modifications needed due to your injury
Non-Economic Damages
Trauma isn’t just physically painful, it also has emotional consequences. Car accidents often have large emotional losses for victims, who must face a new reality unexpectedly.
Non-economic damages allow a victim to claim their emotional losses, such as their suffering, for a financial payout that is deemed just by the court. Their legal team can advise on what value to place on their emotional losses.
Non-economic damages from car accidents include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life
- Anxiety or PTSD
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Physical disfigurement or permanent impairment
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are not applicable in every case.
Based on the circumstances, the judge will determine whether the defendant behaved so incredibly negligently that their actions warrant punitive damages, or a financial fine that is paid to the victim. This is a deterrent to prevent the defendant from repeating their mistake. Although the victim receives the punitive damages, they are not able to set the amount.
What Is The Comparative Fault Law In Georgia?
Comparative fault or comparative negligence is a statute found in some US states. Georgia is one of the states that uses a modified comparative fault statute.
Under this statute, a person who is injured in a car accident or personal injury claim may recover damages, even if they are found to be partially at fault for the accident. However, they can only do so if they are less than 50% responsible for the accident.
If the injured person is more than 50% liable, they will be unable to collect damages. The comparative fault law in Georgia ensures that all victims have equal access to compensation and that the defendant can’t shift 1% of the blame to negate their claim.
It is important to note that the comparative fault law does not allow the prosecution to collect 100% of the damages awarded if they are at fault. Their compensation will be reduced by their percentage of fault.
For example, a driver who was found to be 20% at fault, cannot collect 100% of the $100,000 verdict. They can collect 80%, which is $80,000.
Common Car Accident Injuries
Car accident injuries can seem minor at first. Once your adrenaline has worn off, more serious conditions can make themselves known. That is why every person involved in a car accident should seek medical treatment as soon as reasonably possible.
Catching these common car accident injuries early can protect you from life-long consequences, including chronic pain or worsened symptoms.
Bruising and Lacerations
The most common injury in a car accident is bruising. The impact of your seatbelt on your chest, your limbs hitting against the door, or any other response to the jerky movement of the car on impact can result in bruising.
Lacerations are more serious. You often see lacerations when one or more windows have shattered, and the glass has pierced the victim.
Fractures
Ribs are the most common bone to be broken during a car accident. Whether you are pushed forward, sideways, or backward, your ribs will take the brunt of the impact. These require long periods of rest to heal properly.
Other bones, such as your legs or hips, can break when an unnatural amount of force is placed on your body. Whether the force is due to the ricochet after the crash or due to the car’s frame being pushed against your body, it’s very painful.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a common name for the muscle injuries that happen in a person’s neck during a car accident. When a victim’s head moves suddenly and faster than the body, it can strain the soft tissues and cause a lot of pain. Whiplash takes a long time to heal, as it’s a part of the body easily re-injured.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Traumatic brain injuries include concussions, loss of consciousness, development of seizures, and coma. These injuries can have far-reaching effects and symptoms that make them difficult to diagnose without a medical professional.
Seek medical attention immediately to ensure your safety. People who do not properly treat TBIs can pass away due to complications.
Neck/Back Injuries
Your spinal column is extremely delicate. Car crashes can cause herniated discs, misaligned vertebrae, or even break a person’s spine.
You may not feel these at first. However, once the adrenaline wears off, the pain of these spinal cord issues becomes extremely difficult to bear.
Seek treatment immediately to prevent long-term complications with your mobility, such as paralysis.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Not all injuries are physical.
Victims of car accidents, no matter how minor, often suffer from PTSD. They fear getting back in or near cars. They may relive the accident whenever they close their eyes. Or they may struggle to maintain a positive outlook.
PTSD requires a professional medical diagnosis just like any other injury, and the proper treatment to help the victim recover.
Death
In the most tragic cases, car accidents in Roswell lead to death.
If your loved one has died due to a car accident, contact a Roswell wrongful death attorney to help you determine how to proceed, who can collect damages, and why it’s important to seek justice for their wrongful death.
Common Types Of Auto Accidents In Roswell
At Rafi, Brown, and Stokes, we deal with every type of Georgia car accident. These are some common types of car accidents that we have assisted our clients with.
Pedestrian Accidents
One of the leading types of traffic accidents in Georgia are pedestrian accidents. These are any form of car accident where a car hits a pedestrian, whether the car is going forward or backward.
Pedestrian accidents have high risks for injury, as the pedestrian has no protection against the large metal vehicle. Unfortunately, many pedestrian accidents result in fatalities.
Read-End Collision
Rear-end collisions are common at intersections where a driver isn’t paying attention and doesn’t brake in time before hitting the back of the vehicle in front of them. This often occurs when the rear driver has been texting, playing with their radio, or is exhausted.
Rear-end collisions also occur on highways when people are tailgating, a reckless driving practice that involves being too close behind the car ahead of you. Tailgating reduces braking time and leads to rear-end collisions.
Head-On Collision
Head-on collisions are one of the most severe forms of car accidents. This is because the force of the impact is doubled since both cars are traveling toward the point of impact.
Head-on collisions are a risk when a driver has been drinking or is exhausted, causing them to lose focus on the lane and drift into another.
Although head-on collisions are protected by an airbag and the hoods of the vehicles, the victims are often extremely injured and face long recovery times.
Trucking Accidents
Truck accidents involve large commercial trucks that weigh thousands of tons. Whether they strike the car head-on, at the rear, or on the side, a truck can decimate the car’s safety features.
If you have been involved in a truck accident, you need an expert attorney on your side. Call Rafi, Brown, and Stokes for a free consultation about your truck accident and to see how we can help you prosecute those responsible for your injuries.
Car Accident Questions And Answers
Why Should I Hire A Car Accident Lawyer In Roswell?
You should hire a car accident lawyer in Roswell if:
- You don’t have expert knowledge of personal injury law
- You have a lot of damages and you aren’t sure how to quantify them
- Your first attempt at filing a claim is denied
- Your insurance company won’t negotiate or you’re too intimidated to try to negotiate with them
- You need to focus on healing
If any of the above circumstances sound familiar, hire a car accident lawyer in Roswell to handle providing evidence, fighting for your rights, and getting you the maximum compensation.
What Should I Tell Insurance After A Car Accident?
After a car accident, you will need to speak to your insurance company. Even if you weren’t at fault, you may have some accident coverage through your insurance that you can use to help fund your personal injury treatment or vehicle repair.
The other party’s insurance company may call you seeking information. Remember: neither insurance company is on your side. They are most concerned with their bottom line. To protect it, they will try to avoid paying you the money you deserve.
Tell them only the basics:
- Your name
- What occurred
- To speak to your lawyer for any additional information
Do not:
- Admit fault
- Sign anything without your lawyer’s approval
- Allow a recording of your conversation
- Give them more details
What Should I Tell The Police On The Scene Of A Car Accident?
The police are on the scene to benefit both parties. Even if you called them, they are not necessarily on your side.
You need their police report to file your claim for damages, so you need to cooperate with their investigation. However, don’t overshare or say something that could damage your case.
Avoid the following:
- Downplaying your injuries, or claiming you have none before a doctor has diagnosed you
- Guessing or making up parts of the timeline you forgot
- Hyperbole or exaggeration
- Not answering any of their questions
- Providing false testimony
I Don’t Feel Injured. Should I Still Seek Medical Attention?
You must seek medical attention immediately after a car accident, even if you don’t feel injured. Many injuries do not appear instantly after a car accident. Soft tissue injuries, for example, take hours to days before they appear.
Seeking medical attention early could be the difference between your normal life and lifelong chronic pain. Doctors can diagnose many injuries before you even begin to feel the symptoms.
Doctors have diagnosed concussions, hairline fractures, and whiplash before our clients even knew they had those injuries.
Early detection helped them care for the injury and prevented any accidental injuries to the area while it healed.
How Long Do I Have To File A Claim?
In Georgia, victims have two years from the date of the car accident to file a legal claim for damages. These include all claims for personal injury, wrongful death, and property damage that may be involved in your claim.
Be sure to file within this window, as you are unlikely to collect damages after the two-year statute of limitations has expired.
