Accidents can’t be anticipated. One day you’re driving down Chamblee Dunwoody Road and, suddenly, your life takes a left turn you couldn’t have seen coming.
Out of nowhere, you’re saddled with the inconvenience of needing to fix your vehicle, making sure you’re healthy, and figuring out how to find the money to start paying your medical expenses and other bills incurred from the accident.
While all of this is racing through your mind, you realize that you are going to need a lawyer that specializes in automobile accidents in Dunwoody.
One who can answer questions like, how much money can you expect to receive in a fair settlement with an insurance company?
Is the claims process different after truck accidents or motorcycle accidents? What do you do if you think someone you love was the victim of a wrongful death?
What happens if you’re in an accident where the liable party is an uninsured driver?
Or, what if you’re injured in an untraditional way? We know what happens to drivers, but what about when you’re a passenger in a damaged vehicle, for instance? The accident is completely out of your hands.
Today, we’ll be looking at a situation just like that. No one thinks they’re going to get into a vehicle fine and leave it injured. Sometimes, though, bad breaks happen. And when they do, the at-fault driver (or their insurance company) should have to pay, not you.
In this article, we’ll show you how to roll with the punches and come out the other side whole, with the help of a Dunwoody personal injury lawyer.
What Happens If You Are a Passenger in a Car Accident?
We’ll call the person at the center of our story Monica. Monica was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck by a driver who was not paying attention.
In the blink of an eye, Monica was dealing with pain all over her body; abdominal abrasions from the seatbelt, leg pain, and an obviously injured hand.
This was more than your standard bumps and bruises received during a car wreck, and the road to recovery would be a long one.
“I was hospitalized,” Monica says.
“After some tests, they determined that I had signs of internal bleeding in my abdomen from where the seatbelt tightened. I had a fractured sternum from where the seatbelt crossed my chest.”
Of course, it wasn’t just her chest that was giving her pain.
“Originally the doctors thought I had a fractured leg and hand. After X-rays, it was determined that my hand, specifically my thumb, was badly sprained and required a cast.”
When the Medical Bills Get Out of Hand
Those were just the beginnings of the medical bills Monica was starting to accrue. Injuries don’t just happen and then heal. Sometimes, complications arise, and not always immediately after.
Several of the most common injuries from car and motorcycle accidents — like whiplash — don’t present symptoms right away. In these situations, it’s important to have access to the medical treatment you need, right away.
In Monica’s situation, for instance, problems popped up weeks after the fact.
“I had calcium build-up on the back of my hand. I needed and got injections to dissolve it.”
It was discovered that her leg was not fractured, but badly bruised, which resulted in nerve damage. This type of injury can have a major impact on your quality of life, and the medical costs associated with treating nerve damage are often high.
“The skin in that area is still numb.”
Monica wanted relief, fast, so she could get back to her normal life. And just as importantly, she wanted to focus on getting better rather than worrying about how she would pay for the medical care she needed. Luckily, she found a local Dunwoody car accident attorney that could help her and provide the advice she needed.
Finding a Car Accident Attorney Who’s Right For You
Monica was talking to their family about the situation they were in, and an uncle had a suggestion: seek out experienced legal counsel from a local personal injury attorney with an excellent track record.
“I was referred to Nick by my uncle who is an attorney in a different district in Georgia. He highly recommended Nick for the situation I was in.”
Getting a recommendation from someone who is in the same field and a family member was all the prodding Monica needed. Of course, not everyone is in that situation so we recommend calling at least three law firms and hiring the one that you feel will do the best job for you. In the end, if you feel you made the wrong choice you can always fire your attorney.
“Since I was not at fault, we involved Nick Martin in order to have the drivers’ insurance companies compensate me for my medical and legal bills.”
What To Know About Hiring a Dunwoody Personal Injury Attorney
Having a first meeting with a lawyer can be a pretty stressful situation, but Nick immediately put Monica at ease. As anyone who has worked with Nick knows, he’s always got a plan.
“When first meeting him, he had me explain exactly what happened in the wreck, provide any proof I had, as well as give him a copy of all the current medical bills I had at the time. He explained to me exactly how the process would go, gave me options, and answered any questions I had.”
As an attorney with extensive experience working on car accident cases, Nick was able to give Monica peace of mind by making sure she understood all the steps of the legal process. He reminded her to keep all her medical records organized and explained what she could expect when filing a personal injury claim.
Having a Dunwoody based personal injury attorney that knows the ins and outs of the law is invaluable, especially when you’ve got someone on your side that makes sure to listen to what you need.
“The person driving the car I was in was my best friend. The fault was split between her and the other driver, but the other driver was given a higher percentage of fault.”
Filing Litigation Against Someone in DeKalb County
Filing litigation against someone can be a difficult decision, especially when there are additional parties involved who you are close to. Fortunately for Monica, Nick Martin knows how to navigate the choppy waters of personal injury lawsuits.
“My friend was supportive through all of it and filed her own suit against the other driver. Nick and I agreed that nothing would come out of my friend’s pocket.”
With Nick Martin on Monica’s side, they were able to start to see a path out. With Nick focusing on the legal issues, Monica was able to begin the process of healing up and taking care of their health.
Insurance Companies Will Try to Take Advantage of You
Insurance companies make money by not paying out. They want to take your premium, build their wealth, and then pay the smallest amount possible when called to task. Insurance companies will take even seemingly small things — like filing your claim after their expected timeframe or not getting all the right documents from medical professionals — and use them as an excuse to deny you fair compensation.
Even when the injured party is a passenger and clearly not at fault, the insurance company will look for ways to pay the smallest possible amount, or avoid paying at all. Monica found out that truth the hard way during settlement negotiation.
“One issue that we encountered was that the insurance company of the at-fault driver fought us on how much we were asking for and tried to counter for a much smaller amount.”
Without an attorney, Monica might have thought this was the best offer she would get.
Luckily, she had Dunwoody’s best personal injury attorney on her side to make sure she didn’t get less than they deserved.
“Nick advised that we not take this offer and fought back for a much better settlement.”
Stop The Stress So You Can Heal Faster
During personal injury litigation, the back and forth can be as stressful as the car wreck itself.
The law can be confusing and off-putting for a non-lawyer to try and maneuver through. Things are often happening without your knowledge and, especially when dealing with a big box law firm, your complaints might be lost in the shuffle.
Even if the heads of these law firms are experienced personal injury lawyers, you may never get to speak directly with the lawyer who’s in charge of your case. Attorneys at these firms are extremely busy and will often leave most of the work to a paralegal, rather than engaging with clients directly.
That’s not the case with Nick Martin, who will never hand your case off to some paralegal. He works with each of his clients directly, personally overseeing all the details of his clients’ accident claims to make sure they get the best possible outcome.
“Nick kept me informed every step of the way. He sent me all documents that the other attorneys provided him and made sure to have my approval with all of his responses. He explained everything as simply as he could, so it was easy to understand what the next steps were.”
Automobile Accident Insurance Claims Lawyer Who Wins Cases
With Nick and Monica working as a team, they were able to get a settlement that took care of her concerns.
“I was very satisfied! He was able to get me a settlement that not only covered all my medical bills and lawyer fees, but also enough to have a good chunk left over.”
Some lawsuits can drag on for years, but Nick Martin made sure to set reasonable expectations and then worked to beat them.
“From the beginning, he informed me of how long the lawsuit process could take and was able to get me a large settlement in under the time frame he originally quoted.”
“I would and have highly recommend Nick to all of my friends!”
Highly Rated Dunwoody Personal Injury Law Firm
Recommendations like this mean the world to everyone at The Law Office of Nicholas P. Martin.
Knowing we’re helping real people get the money they deserve from giant insurance corporations who only serve the bottom line is a mission we’re proud to be a part of.
Getting into an accident can be complicated but getting out of it can be as simple as calling The Law Office of Nicholas P. Martin.
Nick Martin has a record of success with areas including:
- Careless drivers
- Catastrophic injuries
- Commercial truck collisions
- Driver fatigue
- Head-on collisions
- Motorcycle crashes
- Pedestrian accidents
- Premises liability
- Wrongful death claims
If you’ve been in an accident, whether it be as a driver, a passenger, or a pedestrian, you don’t deserve to pay for the pain inflicted on you by the negligence of others. Nick Martin can help you get the maximum compensation you deserve, whether it’s for property damage, severe injury, or emotional trauma. You shouldn’t have to worry about financial recovery when you’re dealing with the consequences of a negligent party’s actions.
Get hold of Nick Martin today to schedule your initial consultations, and we’ll work to provide you the legal representation you deserve, making sure you’re just as pleased as Monica and can get back to your daily life as soon as possible.
Nick enjoys helping the people of Atlanta with their personal injury and fair labor issues. When he’s not working, Nick can be found woodworking, competitive rifle shooting, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with his family.
- Dealing with Insurance Companies After a Car Accident in Dunwoody, Georgia - June 1, 2023
- Georgia Car Accident Laws: What You Need to Know as a Victim - May 25, 2023
- Who is Liable in an Uber or Lyft Accident? - April 24, 2023