At Ashby Thelen Lowry, our Georgia personal injury attorneys know that most people never imagine getting hurt in a vehicle collision or another incident caused by negligence, but it happens every day.
When the unthinkable happens, it is reasonable to believe the liable party’s insurance company will do the right thing and compensate the injured for the damages they suffered because of their policyholder’s negligence.
Unfortunately, our personal injury attorneys know this is typically not the case.
Insurance companies notoriously delay, undervalue, or deny legitimate injury claims to protect their bottom line. It does not take long to learn that the injured party’s well-being is not their primary concern. So, now what?
Do you spend countless hours fighting with insurance representatives? Do you endure the stress and anxiety of mounting medical bills and lack of a paycheck while waiting for the insurance company to do the right thing? Or do you partner with an experienced personal injury law firm in Georgia to help produce tangible results?
For most people, suing another person for injuries suffered in an “accident” seems cold and out of character. We understand. Partnering with a lawyer feels aggressive, as though you seek to punish the negligent party. The reality is more mundane. The law provides that someone who hurts someone else by doing something they should not do, or not doing something they should do, is liable to the person they hurt for the damages that their action, or failure to act, caused. That’s called negligence. And that is one reason why people carry insurance, to make sure that they can compensate others for injuries they caused. Often injuries are not caused by “accidents,” they are caused by negligence—someone doing something they should not have, or not doing something they should have done.
Here, we explain why this misnomer keeps injury victims from pursuing the best outcome for their unique circumstances.
Most Georgia Personal Injury Claims End with a Negotiated Settlement
When most people think of hiring a lawyer for any reason, the next thought is that they are doing so to “sue” another party for their grievances. When you partner with a personal injury lawyer in Georgia, it is less about suing anyone and more about getting the insurance company to do the right thing.
When injury victims work with a personal injury attorney, the insurance company must legally examine the incident and injuries. The personal injury lawyer will outline the details of the claim, including how the incident occurred, supporting evidence regarding who was at fault, the individual’s injuries, and the overall compensation requirements to compensate the injury victim for their injuries, and submits the claim to the insurance company for review. These details are often difficult to present without an attorney — especially when an individual is recovering from significant injuries.
Once the insurance company reviews the attorney’s claim, they typically have 30 days to respond, and the negotiations officially begin. Most — approximately 97% — of all personal injury cases are settled during the negotiation phase.
The U.S. Department of Justice statistics state that only about 3% of all personal injury cases in the U.S. go to trial. A judge decides 2% of those cases, and a jury decides 1%.
Knowing how the personal injury claim process works and the potential to move forward with an actual lawsuit is slim, injury victims are likelier to exercise their rights and pursue the best outcome for their unique circumstances by partnering with a skilled personal injury attorney. Often the best way to present a claim persuasively is to get it ready for trial. We can help. But the vast majority of claims resolve before trial, and many before a lawsuit is even filed.
Contact the Experienced Georgia Personal Injury Attorneys at Ashby Thelen Lowry
We understand that suffering injuries from another person’s negligence is nothing short of life changing. Starting today, we want to help you turn the page and move forward with confidence. We will take the lead in your case by investigating the incident, preserving all the crucial evidence, and obtaining all the essential documentation to help build your case for success.
Contact our skilled Georgia personal injury lawyers and support team today at (404) 777-7771 to schedule a free consultation, so we can tell your story and ensure your voice is heard by pursuing the best outcome for your unique case.