Auto accidents are a common way for one person’s reckless or careless behavior to result in another person’s injury. Unfortunately, those injuries are often debilitating and may even be life-threatening. If you were hurt in a wreck due to someone else’s negligence, pursuing civil restitution may be your best means of protecting your short-term and long-term prospects.
Assistance from a Macon car accident lawyer could be vital from beginning to end of the claims process, whether your case ends with a private settlement or a civil court verdict. Even if you are unfamiliar with your legal options and rights following a traumatic car crash, a conversation with an experienced attorney could offer the clarity you need to achieve a positive resolution.
Civil Liability for Car Collisions
Holding someone else financially liable for a car accident generally requires proving they were legally negligent. This means that they acted recklessly or carelessly in a way a responsible driver would not have under the same circumstances.
Negligence in this context may be an overt violation of traffic law like running a red light or turning without the right-of-way, or it may be simple carelessness like driving while fatigued or distracted. Additionally, an injured victim and their Macon attorney must show that the defendant’s negligence directly caused a car accident that would not have otherwise occurred.
Comparative Fault in Auto Accident Cases
However, injured plaintiffs can be found liable for injuries they sustained based on their own negligence. Any plaintiff who bears equal or greater fault for an incident than all defendants combined is ineligible under Official Code of Georgia §51-11-7 to recover any compensation for that particular wreck. Any lesser percentage of fault assigned by a court to a plaintiff may result in a proportional reduction in their final damage award’s value, in accordance with O.C.G.A. §51-12-33.
Proving Negligence in a Traffic Crash
There are various forms of evidence that could help prove someone else at fault for a wreck and disprove accusations of contributory negligence. This can include:
- Police reports
- Witness testimony
- Documentary evidence like text message logs
- Accident scene photos and videos
- Surveillance camera footage
A car crash attorney in the area could play a vital role in building a comprehensive claim based on all available evidence. At our Macon office, a lawyer could also enlist help from car accident reconstruction specialists and other experts as needed.
Recovering Compensation for Car Accident Victims
A person found liable for a car wreck may be held financially accountable for all economic and non-economic repercussions of the crash, including both past and future losses. Recoverable losses in a typical claim may include:
- Emergency medical bills and future care costs
- Lost work income while recovering from injuries
- Lost long-term earning capacity
- Vehicle damage, including replacement costs if applicable
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish and other effects of permanent disfigurement/disability
As a car accident lawyer in Macon could explain, though, there is a filing deadline for these types of claims. A victim has two years from the date of injury to seek compensation for a car crash, so it is crucial to contact legal counsel as soon possible.
Speak with a Macon Car Accident Attorney Today
Time is of the essence when attempting to pursue civil compensation following a traumatic car accident. Statutory filing periods do not allow much time to build a comprehensive claim. Waiting even a few weeks after a wreck to begin working on such a case could lead to importance evidence disappearing and witnesses forgetting what they saw.
If a traffic accident left you injured and you believe someone else is to blame, contact a Macon car accident lawyer right away. Call the Gunn Law Group today to schedule a meeting.