A car accident can be one of the most traumatic events in your life. You may have been driving down the road when you were suddenly struck by another vehicle that you never saw coming. Now your car is totaled, you are injured, and you need a way to pay the bills piling up while you are unable to work. The accident happened because someone else was negligent, and it is not fair that you should have to pay for it.
A Richmond Hill car accident lawyer at Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers can help you seek justice and obtain compensation after a crash. Our personal injury attorneys have the experience you need to get a fair settlement after a serious car accident.
Why Do You Need a Car Accident Lawyer?
It may seem like you can handle a car accident claim yourself. You just exchange insurance information with the other driver, file your claim, and wait to see what happens. In a very simple claim, such as a parking lot fender-bender, that may be enough. In an accident involving serious injuries, however, you need an attorney’s help.
Our attorneys can increase your chances of getting a full recovery in your case for many reasons:
- We understand what documents should be included with your insurance claim and can help prevent the claim from being denied due to a lack of supporting evidence
- As insurance companies may try to harass you into accepting an initial lowball settlement, we will handle all communication and review all paperwork the insurer sends you
- Since the state’s comparative negligence rule can limit your compensation if you are found to be more than 50 percent responsible for the accident, we will challenge any effort to shift the blame onto you
- We will be prepared and ready to take the claim to court if necessary
These are things most people are not prepared to do. You should not have to learn how to navigate the legal process on your own while still recovering from your accident. Let a Richmond Hill attorney do the hard work for you after a car wreck.
The State’s Comparative Negligence Rule
In Georgia, you can still recover damages even if you are partially responsible for the accident. This is known as comparative negligence. If the other driver was speeding and ran a red light, but you were texting at the time of the accident, you could be held partially at fault.
Under state law, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. For instance, if you are 10 percent at fault, you can still recover 90 percent of your damages. As long as you are less than 50 percent at fault, you can still recover. However, as soon as you are found to be more than 50 percent responsible, you cannot recover anything.
For this reason, you should have a Richmond Hill attorney managing your claim if you believe there is any possibility you could share responsibility for the car crash.
Call a Richmond Hill Lawyer After a Car Collision
At Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers, we understand that you have many other things to worry about after your accident besides your insurance claim. We are here to help you with the details of filing your claim and managing the insurance company and its attorneys.
Call our Richmond Hill car accident lawyers today to learn more.