Many people love living and working in Central Georgia given its convenient location — a short drive away from so many great attractions — but with so many people going and coming out of the area every day, serious accidents are bound to happen.
Every personal injury attorney at Gautreaux Law understands that accidents of any kind can be scary for drivers in Central and Middle Georgia, but head-on collisions, in particular, are often downright harrowing, especially because a driver sees the danger headed their way before impact.
On top of the immediate fear, such collisions are still dread-inducing because they are responsible for a significant number of motor vehicle fatalities each year; even those who survive often sustain life-altering injuries that affect their ability to work or live a normal life, ranging from broken bones, lacerations, and burns to traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and internal organ damage, leaving them to wonder what to do next and how their bills are going to get paid.
With that said, if you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation. With over $100 million recovered in personal injury cases, an experienced personal injury attorney from Gautreaux Law will fight hard to ensure the responsible party is held liable for your injuries. Learn more about how we can help you by contacting us today for a free consultation.
Holding Another Party Responsible for a Head-On Collision
Holding another party responsible for injuries sustained in a head-on crash requires that you first prove that the other driver had a reasonable obligation or duty to drive carefully. Afterward, you must show that they failed to uphold that duty and that their failure is what resulted in your injury. Finally, in order to claim the right to compensation, you must prove that your injury resulted in damages, such as medical bills or lost wages.
Your Options for Pursuing Compensation
When you have been injured, or a loved one has gotten hurt or died as a result of a head-on collision in Georgia, you generally have three options:
- You can pursue compensation from the other driver’s insurance company or, in some cases, your own insurance company if the other driver didn’t have enough insurance
- You can file a lawsuit against the other driver directly
Your best bet, though, is to speak with a personal injury lawyer before you even make a decision among these three.
Furthermore, you must understand that any route you choose in your attempts to resolve the matter will involve many steps before getting to the finish line, such as:
- Seeking medical attention right away
- Gathering evidence from the scene
- Contacting your insurance company
- Filing your claim
- Sending a demand letter
- Negotiating a settlement
If you have to file a lawsuit, the process will be even more involved, but fortunately, an experienced personal injury attorney can take care of many of these tasks on your behalf, saving you precious time and frustration so that you can focus on healing from your injuries and getting your life back on track.
Navigating Georgia’s Comparative Fault Laws
Pursuing compensation after a head-on collision in Georgia is a unique experience due largely to the state’s comparative fault laws. Most insurance companies will not go down without a fight, so it is not uncommon for them to contest your claim and suggest that you are at fault for the accident.
Even if you can file a claim, the law can reduce your compensation by the percentage of liability you are found to have for the accident; for example, if you are determined to be 20% at fault for the accident, your compensation can be reduced by the same amount. As one example, we’ve had a recent case where the other driver pulled out in front of our client, causing a wreck. Even in that obvious situation, the other driver’s insurance company tried to blame our client. It was only after we obtained actual video footage of the wreck that the insurance company gave up on that assertion.
That makes for just one reason why you need to call a personal injury attorney as soon as possible when an accident occurs; they will understand how to fully investigate what happened, prove your claim, and aggressively pursue the compensation you rightfully deserve.
Georgia’s Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims
Time waits for no one, and the same is true of the legal system. In Georgia, you generally have just two years from the date of injury or death to file a lawsuit for personal injury or wrongful death related to a head-on collision; that time period is subject to many exceptions and qualifications, such as when an injured person is a minor and thus gets more time, so this analysis of the applicable time limit that applies in a particular case is best done by an experienced attorney.
Nevertheless, it remains in any accident victim’s best interests to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after an accident. Doing so makes evidence collection a much smoother process and ensures that you won’t run out of time to pursue compensation.
Contact an Experienced Central and Middle Georgia Personal Injury Attorney at Gautreaux Law Today
Head-on collisions can be frightening enough without having to worry about the confusion and frustration that often ensues in the aftermath, but you don’t have to walk that road alone. A personal injury attorney from our team at Gautreaux Law can help you navigate the complexities of filing a claim and help you pursue compensation to pay your medical bills and other expenses and make up for time away from work.
Call us today for a free consultation to see how we can help you determine the next best step so you can begin moving forward with your life.