If you got injured in Decatur or the greater Atlanta area because someone else was texting while driving, you might be eligible for money damages for your losses. Texting while operating a motor vehicle is distracted driving.
We are all supposed to pay attention to what we are doing when at the wheel. If someone’s negligence caused you to get hurt, Georgia law might make them financially responsible for your losses. Bader Scott Injury Lawyers can help you hold them accountable.
How Much a Lawyer for Your Texting While Driving Accident will Cost
Car accident injury claims are a type of personal injury case. At Bader Scott Injury Lawyers, we handle personal injury cases, including texting while driving accidents, on a contingency-fee-basis.
This means that you will not have to pay any money upfront. We wait until we resolve your case to get paid for our work and get reimbursed for the costs we recovered on your behalf. Those items come out of the settlement proceeds or court award.
Contingency fee arrangements make it possible for people suffering from personal injuries to afford legal representation. We do not get paid until you win.
Types of Recoverable Damages in Car Accident Injury Cases
The facts of your situation will determine what types of money damages might be recoverable. There is no flat rate of compensation in these injury cases. Georgia law evaluates these claims on a case-by-case basis.
Here are some of the kinds of damages that people seek in car accident injury claims:
Medical Expenses
As long as the health care services you received were directly related to your injuries from the accident, you can add them to your damages claim. Be sure to start at the scene of the accident if you needed an ambulance or helicopter flight.
Your costs for the immediate treatment at the emergency room, trauma center, urgent care facility, or your doctor’s office can be recoverable. Additional items can include:
- Doctors
- Hospital stays
- Diagnostic procedures
- Laboratory tests
- Surgery
- Prescription drugs
- Physical therapy
Many people need follow-up medical care after a severe injury. Pain management services, rehabilitation center treatment, and long-term care facilities can be a part of your claim.
Lost Income
If you missed out on regular income because of the accident and recovery time from your injuries, that financial loss could be compensable. This category can include wages or salary, as well as self-employment and other forms of regular income.
After significant injuries with residual problems, you might not be able to make as much money as you did before the texting while driving accident. Even if you can perform all the required tasks of your job, you might not have the stamina as before.
You might have to take a lower-paying job if you experience impairment from the accident. Impairment can include decreased mobility, range of motion, functions, strength, and endurance. Having to maintain your lifestyle on less income because of the accident is a financial hardship that can get added to your injury claim.
Other Money Damages
Some types of harm from a car accident do not always have out-of-pocket costs. For example, if you have visible scars on your face from the collision, merely getting your medical bills paid is not adequate compensation for having to go through the rest of your life with disfigurement.
It is possible, depending on the facts of your injury claim, to pursue money damages for the scars as well as the health care costs. Disfigurement is only one example of these damages, called non-economic or intangible losses. Here are some additional intangible damages:
- A significant percentage of people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being in a crash that involved a fatality or catastrophic harm to someone.
- People who suffer injuries from which they will never fully recover, like paralysis or amputation, can experience long-term depression, anxiety, and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Getting your medical bills paid is nice, but it does not address the physical pain and emotional distress of getting hurt. Pain and suffering money damages attempt to honor this harm.
Your texting while driving collision case might involve other types of losses not included here. By working with a personal injury attorney from our team on your claim, you could discover additional types of recoverable damages.
What Can Happen if You Wait Too Long
Georgia law limits the amount of time that you have to sue another person seeking financial compensation. These rules are called these statutes of limitation. Car accident injury claims are a type of personal injury.
According to OCGA §9-3-33, you only have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit seeking money damages from the negligent driver who harmed you. Merely negotiating with the insurance company does not satisfy this rule. If you do not bring a lawsuit in court before the deadline, you will forever lose the right to hold the careless person responsible for your injuries.
Bader Scott Injury Lawyers Can Help You with Your Case
If you were hurt in a collision in Decatur, Georgia, or the Atlanta area, our team would like to review your case and speak with you about your legal options.
There is no charge for the initial consultation. Call us today at (404) 888-8888 to get started.
Call or text (404) 888-8888 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form