The decision to hire a lawyer is difficult on its own. If you need a personal injury lawyer, you probably feel pressured by time constraints or are worried about finding the right law firm to take care of you.

The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Georgia is typically two years. There are other factors that could shorten this period if a city, county, state or the federal government is involved, or reasons that could potentially extend it.

You should consult with an attorney immediately to discuss what the potential statute of limitations could be for your specific claim. The sooner you hire an attorney to represent you, the more likely your case will have a positive outcome.

What Kinds of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?

This could be a whole post of its own. In general, a personal injury law firm may accept injury claims caused by:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Workplace accidents
• Defective or dangerous products
• Nursing home abuse and neglect
• Shootings
• Negligent security
• Premises liability
• Wrongful death

Why You Should Hire an Attorney ASAP

The longer you wait to file a personal injury claim, the more likely the insurance company will object that you were badly injured. They’ll argue that you’re being dishonest rather than seeking just compensation for something that wasn’t your fault.

Quickly hiring an attorney also keeps you from making any mistakes at the beginning of the process.

Many times, people accept a small settlement check from the at-fault person’s insurance, only to realize the amount they received won’t cover all of their medical expenses and lost income. They try to hire a lawyer but it’s too late because they already settled.

Time is of the essence. Memories of the crash or traumatic event can fade and grow stale. Records can be lost.

A professional attorney can make sure there is proper documentation and that all parties involved are held accountable.

The Benefits of Hiring a Lawyer

After an accident, you have to deal with multiple issues at once while trying to recuperate or take care of an injured loved one. You have to deal with medical costs, make sure a prescribed treatment is within network, call the insurance company and sit on hold, and get your vehicle repaired or scrapped.

All of this takes time and energy.

Personal injury attorneys provide a service to injured victims, taking on the hassles of dealing with the insurance companies. For you, it may be the first time filing a personal injury claim. An experienced law firm like ours will know exactly how to get the ball rolling on a case, saving you a lot of time and worry.

A good lawyer and their team will work on your behalf to do the following:

• Negotiate fair compensation for all of your pain and suffering.
• Find expert doctors and specialists within your healthcare network.
• Work with a doctor to treat you on a lien basis if you don’t have health insurance.
• Hold the insurance company accountable so they can’t delay or ignore your claim.
• Collect and decode all of your medical records to present as evidence.
• Be available at all times during the workday to make and accept calls from the insurance company or doctors.
• Secure eyewitness statements and police reports.
• Investigate the crash, place of business, or defendant involved in the claim.
• Inquire about lost wage information from your employer or HR department.
• Provide the correct documentation the insurance company needs to fairly evaluate your claim.

The Risks of Handling Your Claim By Yourself

The process of filing and negotiating a personal injury claim can be tedious, especially if your injuries take a long time to heal or leave you with permanent disabilities. It takes patience, research, and knowledge to handle a personal injury claim successfully.

Trying to handle the insurance company’s demands while taking care of yourself can leave you vulnerable to costly mistakes. Would you know what to do if any of the following happened?

• The insurance company or a lawyer hired by the defendant tries to come after you for the damages or injuries they sustained in the wreck.
• Misjudging how injured you actually were and needing additional medical treatment.
• Fail to settle and have to go to court.
• Grant the insurance company medical authorization which allows them access to your entire medical history.
• Give the insurance company a recorded statement that they can use against you.
• The at-fault driver has little to no insurance or flees the scene.
• Your pre-existing medical condition was aggravated in the wreck.

Before You Hire: Ask for a Free Consultation

Most of the people who hire our firm are seeking a personal injury lawyer for the first time. They don’t know what to do and have a lot of questions.

The good news is most attorneys offer free consultations. At Gary Martin Hays & Associates, the consultation process is simple: you contact us, we listen to you, and an attorney evaluates whether or not our firm is the right fit for your needs.

When you hire us, we schedule a meeting so you can ask every question that you have. We show you step by step how the personal injury process works so you can feel secure about your future.

Our Atlanta personal injury lawyers are knowledgeable and compassionate. We’ve helped thousands of injured Georgians with personal injury claims dealing with car accidents, work injuries, inadequate security, and wrongful deaths.

Talk to us now or read more to see how we’ve helped others like you.