If you have recently been involved in an Atlanta car accident, it’s a good idea to contact one of our Atlanta accident lawyers. Depending on the facts of your case, you may be entitled to significant damages. Of course, one of the first questions our clients ask is how much their case is worth.
Our auto accident attorneys in Atlanta will never give anybody an exact dollar figure for what their case is worth. However, here, we will discuss the various types of damages you may be entitled to. If, in the meantime, you have any questions about your own accident case, call our office and schedule your free, initial consultation.
Most Car Accident Cases Involve Damage to Your Vehicle
It should be obvious, but your auto accident attorney in Atlanta will demand damages for your vehicle. If your car needed significant repairs, then you can demand whatever cost to repair your car. If, on the other hand, your car or SUV has been totaled as a result of the crash, your alliance accident lawyer will demand fair market value for your vehicle. It’s important to know that you can’t demand money to purchase a brand-new car. All you can demand is the fair market value of your car at the time of the accident period.
Were Your Injuries So Serious That You Can No Longer Work?
If your injuries were life changing, you may not be able to do the same kind of work you did prior to the crash. If this is the case, or if you are now totally disabled, your Atlanta accident lawyer will demand damages. These damages are categorized as lost future income. What we would do is take the income that you were earning prior to the accident and subtract what you will now be earning on disability. Whatever that difference is, your attorney will multiply by the number of years you have left for retirement. For purposes of damages, the courts consider 65 years old to be the age at which most people retire.
Imagine that you earn $75,000 a year right now as a truck driver. You suffer a car accident and end up with serious back and neck injuries. Your doctor tells you that you can never work as a truck driver again. You are able to find a job working dispatch for a trucking company. However, this new job only pays you $50,000 a year. This means there’s a difference in earnings of $25,000. Imagine that you are 40 years old right now. This means that you will continue to work for another 25 years or so.
Your Atlanta accident lawyer will take the difference of $25,000 a year and multiply that by 25 years. This would mean that you would be entitled to approximately $625,000. Of course, your Lance accident lawyer will negotiate a lower amount during the settlement process. They will still make sure that whatever settlement you accept is enough to cover your out-of-pocket expenses.
The More Serious Your Injuries, The Higher Your Medical Bills
Some people come to see one of our Atlanta accident lawyers after suffering a very minor injury. When a client comes in to meet with us and all they have suffered is whiplash, we will more than likely not want to represent them. Your case has to be worth a certain amount of money for your auto accident attorney in Atlanta to want to handle it period since our lawyers do work on a contingency basis, if your case is only worth a few hundred dollars, they would not be able to handle it. If, on the other hand, you suffered serious injuries in the crash in your case is worth over $100,000, there’s a much better chance we will be able to represent you.
Your Auto Accident Attorney in Atlanta May Be Able to Get You Damages for Pain and Suffering
Depending on the seriousness of your injuries, your auto accident attorney in Atlanta may be able to get you damages for pain and suffering. These damages are intended to compensate the victim for any mental and physical anguish they suffered as a result of their crash. While there is never a guarantee that you’ll receive these damages, the odds are high if your injuries were significant.
One of the rules of thumbs that our Atlanta accident lawyers like to use is that your pain and suffering will be equal to three times your medical bills. For example, if you had over $300,000 in medical bills, your attorney will demand close to $900,000 in pain and suffering. Of course, they don’t expect to get this full amount. The goal is to start negotiations at this higher amount understanding that you will likely make a compromise for less.
Your Atlanta Accident Lawyer Will Do Their Best to Settle Your Lawsuit
Regardless of the type of personal injury you suffered, our Atlanta accident lawyers always try to settle our clients’ cases. Trials are expensive and time consuming. Nobody really wants to go to trial, including the defendant. In fact, more than 95% of all personal injury cases settle long before trial. Our goal is to do our best to settle our client’s case for as much money as possible. It’s just important to remember that your auto accident attorney in Atlanta can only sue for damages you actually suffered.
In order to prepare your case, it could take weeks or even months. In fact, if your case does end up going to trial, it may take more than a year before a trial date is set. Even up until the day of trial, your Atlanta accident lawyer will still attempt to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company. If there is no insurance company involved, they will try to settle the case with the defendant directly. If this doesn’t work, your case will ultimately go to trial.
We suggest that you contact our office as soon as possible after your car crash. Our auto accident attorneys in Atlanta are very busy this time of year and we want to make sure we can give your case the full attention it deserves. We offer all new clients a free, initial consultation. We also charge nothing up front. This means that you can take advantage of your free consultation, meet with one of our seasoned attorneys, and find out what your options are.
