Savannah Personal Injury Attorney

At Bowen Painter Trial Lawyers, our injury lawyers can guide you through the legal process if you were injured in an accident. Our team of experienced Savannah personal injury attorneys will fight to make sure you get the fair compensation you deserve for your accident. If another person’s carelessness or recklessness led to uncertainty about your future, we can help you hold the wrongdoer accountable.

Our trial attorneys have more than 20 years of experience representing clients in Savannah and throughout the coastal region of Georgia.  Contact our office today at (912) 335-1909 to speak to a member of our team to discuss your legal options.

Why Choose Us As Your Savannah Personal Injury Lawyers

  • We have a long track record of success, including the largest injury verdict obtained in Chatham County history ($18 million). Our results showcase our skill and commitment.
  • Our personal injury lawyers prioritize communication. We aim to always provide regular case updates that keep our clients informed about their personal injury claims every step of the way.
  • We make our legal services affordable by operating on a contingency fee basis. This means you won’t pay your Savannah personal injury lawyer unless we obtain financial compensation on your behalf.

Savannah Personal Injury Quick Links

personal injury lawyers in Savannah, Georgia

Why Should I Hire a Savannah Personal Injury Lawyer?

No law in Georgia requires you to hire a personal injury lawyer for representation. Representing yourself, however, can come with disadvantages that make it much more difficult to obtain fair financial compensation. Insurance companies know that they can more easily take advantage of unrepresented claimants, and will often do so in an attempt to save themselves money.

Hiring a Savannah personal injury attorney allows you to level the playing field and get the legal advice you deserve. Your lawyer will aggressively negotiate for the financial recovery that you need to pay for your current and future needs. The right attorney can also take your case to trial, if necessary, for maximum compensation. It is especially important to hire a personal injury lawyer if you or a loved one has a serious injury that will result in expensive medical care or lost wages in the future.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Accept in Savannah, GA

Bowen Painter Trial Lawyers has been representing injury victims and their families for many years. In this time, we have gained valuable experience in many different practice areas within the subset of personal injury law. Our law firm of certified trial attorneys specializes in catastrophic personal injury lawsuits, complex product liability claims, maritime injuries, and more. We accept cases in all of the following practice areas:

We are very selective in the cases that we accept. We maintain a small caseload so that we can provide the attention and legal resources that each client needs and deserves. Our Savannah car accident attorneys have experience taking on large corporations in and out of the courtroom and winning; we can help you go up against any defendant in any type of personal injury case in Savannah.

What Compensation Is Available in a Personal Injury Case in Savannah?

If you have been seriously injured after an accident due to the negligence of someone else, you may be able to make a personal injury claim to receive damages. Here are the two categories of compensatory damages: Monetary compensation certainly can’t solve all your problems or fix all the issues caused by your personal injury accident. However, it can help ease the burden of high medical expenses and soften any future medical treatment expenses you might need. Additionally, you could be out of work for a long time, and you deserve to be compensated appropriately. In Georgia, you would be entitled to the following types of compensation if you are successful in a personal injury claim:

Economic Damages

Economic damages are those that compensate you for financial losses. The goal of these damages is to essentially try to make the victim whole again to the greatest extent possible. Examples of economic damages include:

  • Medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity – if you can no longer work at the same job and make the same amount of money that you always earned, you might be entitled to the difference between what you used to make and what you will be able to earn in the future
  • Cost of treatment and rehabilitation, including in-home care and physical therapy 
  • Property damage
  • Medications and medical supplies
  • Travel expenses to and from appointments 

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are harder to objectively quantify into monetary terms, but you would still be entitled to them.  Common examples include:

  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Emotion distress
  • Depression, fear, and anxiety 
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of consortium
  • Scarring and disfigurement 
  • Overall reduced quality of life

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are not intended to make a victim whole, rather they are used to compensate a victim and essentially punish a defendant at the same time. Their goal is to ensure that the defendant is deterred from engaging in this type of behavior in the future and it will deter others from doing the same as well. Punitive damages typically aren’t awarded unless the situation is particularly egregious, and they’re quite rare in personal injury cases.  Every case is unique, meaning that no average settlement amount will accurately represent how much your case might be worth. Furthermore, an insurance company may intentionally devalue your personal injury claim in an attempt to save money. It is important to discuss the value of your case in more detail with a personal injury attorney before accepting a settlement.

Proving Liability and Determining Fault in a Savannah Personal Injury Case

A personal injury lawsuit in Georgia seeks to hold one or more parties liable, or financially responsible, for a preventable accident. As the injured party or plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit, it is your burden to prove that the other party (the defendant) more likely than not caused your injury through an act of negligence. Negligence in personal injury law refers to carelessness that results in injury or harm to others. Proving a personal injury case can be complicated, even if you’ve suffered severe personal injuries. This is why it’s so important to find a qualified personal injury lawyer. Typically, to prove a personal injury case and be successful, you must show at a trial that the defendant was negligent. In order to show negligence, you must prove the following elements:

Duty of Care

The first element you must prove is that the defendant owed you a duty of care. In a car accident case, for example, all drivers are required to take measures to keep other drivers on the road safe.  By getting behind the wheel of a car, there is a duty of care to reasonably keep other drivers safe that all drivers must adhere to. This is one of the easiest elements to prove.

Breach of Duty

The next element you must prove is that the defendant breached that duty of care. For example, if the defendant was driving and also speeding, texting, or under the influence, they’ve almost certainly breached the duty of care. This should be enough to satisfy this element.

You Sustained Injuries

In any personal injury case, one of the most important elements is that you actually suffered injuries. If the other party was negligent but you didn’t get hurt in any way, you are almost certainly not entitled to compensation. If you suffered injuries, this can satisfy this element. The more severe your injuries, the more likely you are to be eligible for compensation.

The Defendant’s Breach Was a Direct Cause of Your Injuries

Finally, you must prove that the injuries you suffered were actually caused by the breach. The simple fact of suffering injuries isn’t enough for a successful personal injury claim. If the defendant caused the crash and the crash caused your injuries, this will likely be sufficient to prove this element. Your lawyer can help obtain evidence, medical records, and any other relevant documentation that shows you suffered injuries and that they were the result of the defendant’s conduct. You or your attorney will need to prove these elements based on a preponderance of the evidence, meaning enough evidence to show that the defendant caused your accident with at least 50 percent certainty.

What Should I Do After Suffering a Personal Injury?

Anytime you’ve been in an accident and suffered injuries, it can be upsetting and scary. It can also be confusing as to what you should do next. Lawsuits likely aren’t the first thing on your mind, especially if you’ve been seriously injured. However, when you’re well enough and on your way to recovery, it’s a good idea to start thinking about contacting an attorney, as you might be entitled to significant compensation which can help you recover more comfortably and worry less about the financial strain of the situation. After an accident, consider the following:

  • Seek Medical Attention And Document All The Information: Anytime you are hurt as a result of someone else’s negligence, it’s wise to seek medical attention. Even if you don’t feel hurt, it’s still good to get checked out. Injuries can be internal or show up after some time has passed, so having documentation is always a good idea. Personal injury cases will often primarily depend upon the severity of your injuries and how well they’re documented, so it is important to document everything.
  • Take Notes: It’s extremely important to take notes. What happened? Do you remember what caused the accident? How were you feeling? While you think you might remember everything because right now it’s fresh in your mind, a few months down the road, you may not recall everything important you need to remember for your claim. You need your notes to be well detailed so you can easily refer back to exactly what occurred when your lawyer needs you to. You don’t want important aspects of the case to be forgotten.
  • Contact a Lawyer: Finally, it’s always in your best interest to contact a personal injury lawyer. Insurance companies often try to offer settlements to resolve the case quickly, but they typically offer very low initial settlements when you might be entitled to much more. When you hire legal representation, it’s less likely that an insurance company will try to take advantage of you. A lawyer can help you recover evidence and help you each step of the way with your claim, ensuring that you receive the highest monetary award that is possible.

Injured in an accident? Contact our lawyers in Savannah

Statute of Limitations on Personal Injury Claims in Savannah, Georgia

One of the most important aspects of a personal injury claim is the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations is the amount of time by which you must file your claim to be able to recover compensation. If you fail to file the claim within that deadline, you could miss out on compensation that you’d otherwise be legally entitled to.

Under Georgia Code § 9-3-33

According to O.C.G.A § 9-3-333 you generally must file a personal injury claim within two years of the date of the accident. In some cases, however, there are exceptions. For example, if the person injured in the accident was under the age of 18, the statute of limitations is “tolled.” This means it is extended. When the minor is under 18, the deadline to file the claim doesn’t begin until they turn 18, and then it runs for two years from that date.

Additionally, the statute of limitations is often extended for those who are injured and also suffer from mental incapacity. Further, if the person responsible for the accident leaves the state before you have a chance to file the lawsuit and serve them, the deadline can be extended or paused until the defendant returns to the state.

Finally, sometimes the statute of limitations is extended because you didn’t discover your injuries until some time had passed after the accident. If you suffered a medical problem that could not have been reasonably discovered within the statute of limitations, you aren’t necessarily barred from filing a claim. 

Why Hiring a Trial Lawyer Matters

Hiring an attorney with trial capabilities can make an important difference to your personal injury case. When an insurance company learns that your attorney has the power to go to trial, it is more likely to offer a fair settlement. This is because the threat of a trial – and the potential cost of litigation – is often enough to make the insurance company more willing to achieve a settlement. A trial attorney will also help you build a stronger and more compelling personal injury claim, as trial lawyers pay special attention to the details.

Contact a Savannah Personal Injury Attorney Today

If you or a loved one is injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact Bowen Painter Trial Lawyers to request a free initial case evaluation. Our Savannah personal injury lawyers will work tirelessly to achieve the results that you need. We provide top-level representation and litigation in both personal injury and wrongful death cases. Discuss your particular case with one of our experienced attorneys for a free case evaluation. Call (912) 335-1909 or contact us online.