Auto Accident Lawyers In Atlanta Georgia

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 at 1:10 am 
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Representing yourself in Georgia Civil Courts

If you’re involved in a court case in Georgia — or want to file one — you have the right to represent yourself. Only criminal defendants without adequate funds are entitled to a free, court-appointed lawyer in the United States. Legal aid agencies offer assistance in a limited number of civil (non-criminal) cases to persons who have very little or no income. Other Atlanta lawyers must be paid fees, either from your own funds, or, if you are a plaintiff in an injury case, from the amount recovered for you by your Atlanta injury attorney. But before you decide to be your own lawyer — which the courts call a pro se or pro per litigant — it’s important to understand what the job requires. Acting as your own lawyer requires you to be good at attending to details, understanding complicated or bureaucratic rules and public speaking. If you know you’re not good at those things, or your case is complicated or emotional, you should seriously consider finding an attorney.

When Should I Represent Myself?

Regardless of the case, not everyone has the right skills, circumstances or personality to be their own lawyer. In order to represent yourself, you need to be able to:

Understand and follow directions exactly.

• Meet deadlines, be on time and stay very organized.

• Understand the laws behind your case.

• Do legal research on issues related to your case.

• Speak in public.

• Keep your cool in stressful situations.

• Take enough time out of your schedule to do thorough research and appear in court several times.

Good types of cases for representing yourself include:

• When you are part of a small claims case — a lawsuit in magistrate court that asks for $15,000 or less. Georgia’s magistrate court system is designed for pro se litigants.

• Very simple matters that don’t require much research or courtroom time, such as a name change or an uncontested divorce with no children, no alimony, and no significant property.

Situations where you usually should not represent yourself include:

• Any criminal case.

• Cases involving a substantial amount of legal research.

• Cases with complicated or controversial facts, like a serious injury case.

• Cases where a detailed investigation is needed

• Cases where, by law, expert testimony will be necessary.

• Any case where the balance of power is heavily tilted toward the other side, such as suits involving an insurance company or corporation, or a divorce in which one spouse is abusive.

• A case where an experienced attorney can recover more for you than you can recover for yourself, even after attorney’s fees are paid. In a typical accident case, the insurance company of the person at fault will generally settle with a victim represented by an attorney for much more than the insurance company would ever offer the victim who is representing himself or herself. This is because the insurance company knows the victim is not a trained, experienced accident attorney, and therefore the victim won’t stand a chance in court against skilled insurance defense attorneys.

Need Help with a Georgia personal injury Case?

If you’re considering representing yourself in a Georgia lawsuit over a serious injury, call Atlanta Injury Lawyers Stokes & Kopitsky for a free, no-obligation consultation. Stokes & Koptisky are an Atlanta-based law firm specializing in representing people who were seriously hurt because of the fault of another. Representing individuals in auto, truck, and motorcycle accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, and work injury Atlanta, including cases involving serious brain injuries and wrongful deaths, and working for a contingency fee, means your legal fees are paid only from the amounts recovered for you. For an evaluation of your case from an experienced legal professional, call Stokes & Kopitsky today at 1-800-552-9200, or (404) 892-0011 in Atlanta. Or, you can fill out a confidential online consultation form, just visit www.stokesinjurylawyers.com.

About the Author

Atlanta accident lawyers Stokes and Kopitsky have successfully helped hundreds of injured clients recover payment for insurance claims, medical bills, lost pay, pain and suffering, and more. Please call us for a free consultation.

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Car Accident Lawyers Atlanta

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011 at 9:43 am 
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Car Accident Lawyer Atlanta

 A car accident can be minor or it can be serious.  There may or may not be injuries and sometimes the person at fault doesn’t even have insurance.  A car accident is a complicated process and knowing what to do isn’t always that easy to figure out.  Sometimes a car accident lawyer is necessary but knowing when to contact one can be difficult.

 

The first question to ask when determining if a car accident lawyer is needed is, “have any injuries been sustained?”  An injury may require a lawyer because the insurance company should cover the cost of any hospitalizations and  they also may have to pay for additional compensation.  A car accident lawyer will find out how much is owed and sue accordingly. 

 It’s important if another person was involved to find out who was at fault.  Should any injuries be sustained that person and their insurance company owes the injured party.  The at fault driver will owe compensation based on injuries and the damage to the vehicle and any public property that may have been damaged.  A car accident lawyer will figure out what exactly they can sue for.  If the other driver was not at fault, a car accident lawyer is still very necessary as they can protect the person who is liable from being taken advantage of. 

 If a minor car accident has just taken place and there are no injuries, a car accident lawyer may still be needed.  Especially if one party does not have insurance.  The lack of insurance on the part of the liable person means they will have to pay out of pocket.  Liable means at fault or responsible.  If the other driver does not have insurance and they’re not at fault, in order to receive compensation for their damages they’re going to need to fight in court.  It’s unknown if a court would ever side with an uninsured driver but having a car accident lawyer is going to be beneficial when trying.

 Car accident lawyer’s are important because they provide a necessary service.  A car accident can be a scary thing.  The scariest thing about car accidents is they can take lives.  In the event that someone were to die in a car accident, it’s important that the family provide that person with a car accident lawyer posthumously.  Posthumously means after death and yes a person can still be represented even if they’re not with us.  Any funds won in a lawsuit would be distributed amongst eligible family members.  Although this would not comfort those closest to the bereaved it will provide security for those left behind. 

 A difficult scenario for families struggling with loss is that the bereaved may have been at fault.  This is yet another case where a lawyer is needed.  A grieving family will want the lawyer to deal with the two insurance companies and handle finding a fair expense.  They will also need a lawyer to be one hundred percent that what is said of the bereaved is true and fair.  A lawyer in this scenario is going to take the pressure off of a struggling family, freeing them up to focus on what is important.

 There are yet a few more cases where a car accident lawyer is absolutely necessary.  Sometimes an accident happens and only one car is involved.  For example, the roads are icy and a car goes off the road landing into a stop sign.  Now this may seem like an open and shut case, if the driver was lucky enough to have full insurance.  What of a driver who only carries the state minimum on his car.  At that point a question begins to arise.  Was this accident the fault of the driver or someone else? 

 A lawyer may look at it another way.  How long had the roads been icy?  Was it possible the town should have salted the roads in order to avoid this driver’s accident?  And what of the stop sign?  Is it possible the very placement of the stop sign could have caused this accident?  It’s important to look at an accident from every single angle and a lawyer will handle this.  They will examine the accident and find the best possible way to represent their client. 

 Having a car accident lawyer for even a minor fender bender can benefit a person in the situation.  It’s important to consider the accident, the people involved and the extent of the injuries and damages.  After an assessment has been done do seek council even if it’s just to ask some questions.  Asking questions of a lawyer is normally inexpensive and they’ll be able to provide you advice on the best possible course of action.  Based on this information and any learned during a consultation, a decision can be made on whether a car accident lawyer is needed.

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Personal Injury Attorneys Atlanta Georgia

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 at 8:31 am 
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Review: Personal Injury Lawyers Monge & Associates in Georgia

Personal injury lawyers Monge & Associates are based in Atlanta, GA, and provide expert legal counsel to victims who have been injured by the negligence or recklessness of others
.
They have won millions of dollars on behalf of clients for damages inflicted that caused them long term harm. If you have been involved in a car or truck accident, a shopping accident, or a work related injury, Monge & Associates can fight aggressively in court to get you the compensation you need to maintain your standard of living and that of your affected family members. They take on only personal injury cases. What this means for you is that you can take advantage of their targeted expertise in your fight against a vested interest with deep pockets, such as a large retail company on whose escalator the accident occurred. In addition, Monge & Associates understand the toll a permanently disabled family member can have on the whole family. Many families need two incomes to pay their monthly expenses and care for their children. Even a short term disability can ruin a family’s finances and have a lasting negative economic impact on the future of its members. Then there is the personal toll an injury takes on its victim. Whether it is a repetitive motion injury from years of typing away at a computer desk and a computer chair that weren’t ergonomic, to a fall from a wet stairway that results in catastrophic injury, the damage to the victim’s body and their mental state is often either irreparable—or will cost thousands in medical bills to fix. In addition, many people have a difficult time coping with the effect of an accident on their family members and feel inadequate because their productivity—their ability to provide for their family—will never be the same. Monge & Associates has been helping families get back on their feet for 15 years, and have the combined experience of over 3 decades between all the attorneys on staff. They have won cases against giant corporations like Wal-Mart, Publix, Krugers, Home Depot, major airline carriers and big name construction companies. If you have been injured on your worksite, Monge & Associates are familiar with all the tactics hazardous worksites that put their employees at risk use to cover up their errors and shield themselves in court. If you have been the victim of medical malpractice and then told that there was nothing else they could do in response, Monge & Associates knows how to uncover exactly what happened. Worse, if your beloved family member has lost their life because of the actions of someone else (such as a doctor or nursing home) and was told that the death was the fault of the victim, Monge & Associates can get you the justice and compensation you deserve. They also represent Workers’ Compensation claims, even for short term disability, because they know how difficult it can be for average working people to navigate the rules regarding Workman’s Compensation or even get their due. The initial consultation is free and you won’t pay a penny unless they win your case, so give Monge & Associates a call today.
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Click here to read the rest of
Monge & Associates
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Scott G. Monge
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Personal Injury Lawsuits

Friday, September 16th, 2011 at 12:00 am 
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personal injury lawsuits

BP Oil Spill Clean-up Could Lead To More personal injury Lawsuits

BP’s efforts to try and clear the massive oil spill in the Gulf Of Mexico could lead to the oil giant facing even more personal injury lawsuits than they already have.

Over 100 lawsuits have been filed against BP, Transocean, Halliburton and Cameron International in areas of law including lost wages, business loss, lost profits and loss of use of property as well as numerous personal injury and wrongful death cases. BP are also facing having to pay compensation from cases brought under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which is one of the major laws in maritime injury law.

On top of all this, the firm is now facing a new string of personal injury lawsuits; in the form of toxic/chemical exposure and poisoning.

BP have been using the chemical Corexit 9500 in their clean up efforts. This chemical is used to break the oil into tiny chunks which makes it disperse quicker.This chemical is being sprayed below the water and on the oil on the waters surface.

However, this chemical, while being cleared to be sprayed on the waters surface, is harmful to marine life and can kill large amounts of marine life.

The chemical can also be harmful to humans, resulting in sickness and, in the worst cases of exposure, death.

The spreading of Corexit 9500 is hard to control so if it starts to spread into heavily populated areas, BP could face a huge number of personal injury cases and have to pay large amounts of personal injury compensation. This is a very real possibility as the Gulf of Mexico is a very popular area for water sports, fishing and beach activities.

People exposed to Corexit 9500 are being advised to contact their doctor straight away and those who feel they may have a personal injury case and are owed compensation from BP for this exposure are encouraged to contact a personal injury attorney/lawyer immediately.

For BP, the situation just seems to get worse and worse and this cleanup may only be the tip of the issues they will have to deal with in the coming months and years.

<a href=”www.unifiedinjury.com”>www.unifiedinjury.com</a>

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Unified Injury provides free personal injury case evaluations to those who have suffered an injury and feel they have a Personal Injury Claim.

<a href=”www.unifiedinjury.com”>www.unifiedinjury.com</a>

 

The Personal Injury Lawsuit Process: A Basic Overview

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Personal Injury Attorneys Houston Tx

Thursday, September 15th, 2011 at 9:54 pm 
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Wrongful Death: a Definition

We hear about it in the news every day. Drunken driving accidents, construction accidents, murder, and medical malpractice. The list goes on. It’s enough to make one wonder if there is any good news out there. While we hear about the event, and a little about the victim through family and friends, we rarely hear about how the loved ones are coping with these situations. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it’s painful. But what about the mothers who have to care for three young children by themselves, or the teenagers who lose both parents at once? How are they piecing their lives back together?

Wrongful death is generally defined as a death caused by another person’s inaction, negligence, recklessness, or through malpractice. They may also be caused by another person’s maliciousness, as in the case of murder. And what goes on in the months or even years after the death of a loved one is just as important as what goes on days after. But many forget about these people. They forget that there are bills to pay, food to buy, and many other factors that go into basic necessities. Oftentimes, their only recourse is to file a wrongful death claim against the individual or business that may have been responsible for the death. Each state has its own set of laws to cover civil litigation. There are no laws in place for federal statutes regarding wrongful death.

Who May File

While the laws of who may file a wrongful death claim vary from state to state, immediate family members are nearly always eligible. Spouses, parents, and children fall into this category. In some cases, minors may be able to file on behalf of their parents, but may need an adult guardian to bring the lawsuit. Grandparents, stepparents, or other dependents may also be able to file a claim.

The individual who has died, the decedent, will most likely have surviving family members. The immediate family, the distributees, is entitled to monetary damages as a result of the defendant’s negligent conduct. A suit may only be brought by the personal executive, or executor, of the decedent’s estate. However, personal injury, conscious pain and suffering, or expenses that were incurred prior to death are often brought to court as well.

Compensation

When a wrongful death suit is brought to court, the following damages may be covered depending on the circumstances:

• Lost wages (includes future earnings)

• Lost inheritance

• Lost benefits

• Loss of support and companionship

• Medical and funeral costs

• Mental anguish

• General damages

• Punitive damages

Statute of Limitations

The amount of time one has to file a wrongful death claim also varies from state to state. A general span of time is usually one to three years, though there have been cases where ten years have passed before a claim was brought forward. If the statute of limitations has passed, the claim may be barred.

If you have lost a loved one through some kind of negligence brought about by another individual or entity, you should retain a lawyer as soon as possible. If you are in the Dallas or Houston, Texas area,

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href=http://www.jimadler.com/en/case-evaluation/index.php>please contact Jim Adler & Associates to discuss your situation.

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