In this article, experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney Chris Gunnels discusses some of the most common car accident questions received from injured clients on a regular basis. For more information, contact our office to schedule a free consultation and case evaluation.
Car Accident Questions | How Much is My Case Worth?
That’s a very difficult question to answer because there’s so many variables to the value of a case. A case is generally going to depend on things such as the amount of the medical expenses, the permanency of the injury, and how much it’s disrupted your life.
In Georgia, things that you can recover for personal injury are special damages, which are lost wages and the value of medical expenses, and what’s called non-economic damages, which includes things such as pain and suffering and the disruption of your life. Those are the categories that you’re looking at in terms of how much your case is worth.
Another limiting factor in the value of your case is the concept of at-fault liability insurance. Your case is generally going to be capped out, in terms of value, at the amount of liability insurance the at-fault driver has, unless you have some uninsured motorist coverage of your own, which we highly recommend.
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Car Accident Questions | Should I Give a Recorded Statement?
We’re often asked by people whether they should give a recorded statement to the at-fault party’s insurance company when one is requested. The answer to this is, no, don’t ever do that, especially without a lawyer present. When a car wreck has occurred, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will often ask the injured party to give a recorded statement of what occurred. The injured party may think they’re doing their claim a service in making it, but they are only hurting themselves. Insurance companies utilize trained insurance adjusters who will ask questions that may be confusing and misleading. Don’t ever participate in one of these statements, especially without the presence of your attorney.
Car Accident Questions | Do I Need a Certain Amount of Medical Bills to File a Claim?
The answer is that not every case is alike and that can vary. Some cases can have significant injuries and relatively minor medical expenses, and those cases are worth pursuing. Other cases can have minor injuries and minor expense and not be worth pursuing. For example, we may have a case where the only injury someone sustained is a gash to their forehead, and all they had in medical expenses was the expense of having it stitched up, but they’re left with a permanent and visible facial scar, and that’s the type of injury that has some compensation value. Those cases are worth pursuing, even though you may only have a small amount of medical expenses.
If you are searching for right the attorney to guide you through the legal journey to get the compensation you deserve, please call our Atlanta car accident attorney today to set up a free consultation and let us get right to work for you. We will protect you from the insurance company, collect and preserve your evidence, and talk to your witnesses so you have the best chance at full compensation.