Athens, GA Personal Injury Attorney

If I settle your case, the fee is 33 1/3% of the recovery.  If we file a lawsuit, the fee increases to 40%.  If your claim settles, I will not make more money than you on the case.  Period.  I also offer a 10% settlement discount for police officers, firefighters, paramedics, veterans, teachers, and nurses.

The lawyer answer: it depends.  It depends on so many things.  The biggest factor is how long you treat.  We won’t be discussing money with the insurance company until then.  Some claims it takes a couple of weeks and others take years – especially if the insurance company isn’t being fair and a lawsuit is filed.

I am a lawyer and operate in courtrooms.  One of the requirements of a courtroom is presenting evidence of your claim – injuries, treatment, lost wages, etc.  In order to do that, we need paperwork; we need evidence from doctors and your employer.  I will build the strongest case possible and help you organize and present this information for maximum compensation.

The statute of limitations for bodily injury claims in Georgia is two years.  For property damage, it’s four years.  It is absolutely critical to not delay if you are pursuing either of these claims.

If a settlement is accomplished before a lawsuit is filed, then that means it was resolved “pre-lit.”  That means we did not file a lawsuit and sue the Defendant (the person responsible for your damages); we were able to resolve without it.  If the insurance company is being unreasonable, then we will file a lawsuit and that is what is meant by “litigation.”  It means we are going to argue with another lawyer on the other side to seek a resolution and, potentially, go all the way to a trial by jury.

I get this question a lot.  The answer is that yes, you will have to pay your doctors and me out of the proceeds of your settlement.  However, without the doctors providing you the treatment along with the records, you would not have a case.  Not to mention, you would not have gotten better.  As for me, I will never make more than you on the case if we settle.

Sometimes, depending on the kind of health insurance policy, if your insurance paid for treatment related to your accident, the health insurance company will pursue what’s called a subrogation claim.  Essentially that means they hire a third party company to go after the tortfeasor (the person responsible for the injuries).  Sometimes we are forced by law to pay those subgrogation claims and sometimes we are not.  Subrogation can be very complicated and confusing.  It is an area where I can add a lot of guidance, expertise, and peace of mind.

Again, it depends.  It depends on the provider and the payment arrangement.

The short answer is no, it should not.  However, in reality, insurance companies seem to regularly increase premiums regardless.  If we find ourselves in a situation where we are pursuing your insurance in an uninsured motorist or underinsured motorist claim, that is coverage you pay extra for and you should use it to help cover your damages.

These terms are sometimes used interchangeably and refer to essentially the same thing in Georgia.  It is “extra” coverage (not required to be a legal driver in Georgia) but it is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL that you have this coverage.  It protects you in case the Defendant driver has no coverage or not enough coverage to cover your damages.  It is alarming how many people are driving around with no insurance.  You do not want to find yourself in a situation where there is not enough coverage to cover your losses.  If you have any questions about coverage, feel free to reach out to me even if you were not in an accident.  The best time to ask questions about coverage is before the accident occurs!