When a potential client reaches out to an attorney with a legal issue outside their usual areas of practice, the attorney may refer the case to another lawyer who can more effectively address the client’s needs. Furthermore, lawyers may be called by clients regarding cases that should be filed in other states.
If you are an attorney who was approached with a case that should be filed in another, far-away location, then you can refer that case to a lawyer who is licensed in the appropriate jurisdiction.
If you have to refer a Georgia personal injury lawsuit, get in touch with our experienced attorneys for a personal injury case referral in Georgia today by calling Howe Law at (844) 876-4357. Our attorneys will review clients’ cases for free.
Georgia Personal Injury Case Referrals
There are a few scenarios where an attorney might need to refer their client’s case to an experienced Georgia personal injury attorney. Whether you are from out of state, practice in another area of law, or lack the experience to represent your client’s interests adequately, our lawyers can help your client recover compensation.
Referrals from Lawyers in Other States
Most personal injury lawsuits should be brought to court in the state where the injury happened. Even if a plaintiff does not live in Georgia, they will likely have to file their case here if they were hurt here. For instance, a visitor from out-of-state who suffers a slip in fall while vacationing in Georgia will likely have to file their case in Georgia.
If you are not licensed to practice law in Georgia but are contacted by the victim of an accident that occurred in Georgia, you can refer the case to our attorneys. Our team will help build the client’s case and recover the full range of compensation available to them.
Referrals from Lawyers in Other Legal Fields
Lawyers may not be able to provide adequate representation to clients with legal issues that fall outside their typical areas of practice. Fortunately, our team has years of experience handling several different types of personal injury lawsuits. If you need to refer a personal injury case in Georgia, you can contact our attorneys for help.
Referrals for Lack of Resources or Experience
In some cases, a Georgia personal injury attorney might need to refer a client’s case because they lack the proper experience or resources to represent their client’s interests. More financial capital and resources are necessary for more complex personal injury cases. An attorney might not have the experience gathering the amount of evidence used in complex litigation and the types of questions asked. Our Georgia attorneys for a personal injury referral can help you if you believe your client’s case is beyond your means to provide adequate representation.
Time Limit to File a Personal Injury Case in Georgia
O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 establishes the time limit for filing personal injury lawsuits. In most cases, a potential plaintiff will have two years from the date of an accident to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for the injuries they suffered. In addition to helping clients file their cases on-time, our Georgia personal injury lawyers can help plaintiffs comply with the many other requirements for filing a case.
There is a separate statute of limitations that applies to claims for property damage in Georgia. According to O.C.G.A. § 9-3-31, victims generally have four years from the dates of their accidents to file cases seeking compensation for the property damage they incurred.
What if a Victims Shares Fault for Their Personal Injury in Georgia?
If a personal injury victim shares some of the blame for the accident at issue, then they may be restricted in the amount of monetary damages they can recover. The doctrine of comparative fault will be applied when awarding compensation in Georgia personal injury cases. Accordingly, monetary damages are assigned based on each party’s percentage of fault. One example would be a case where the defendant is 70% to blame for an accident while a plaintiff shares 30% of the blame. In that instance, the defendant would pay for 70% of damages related to the accident while the plaintiff would account for the remaining 30% on their own.
Victims who share 50% or more of the fault for their accidents will be prohibited from recovering anything. Accordingly, defendants and their insurers usually try to shift blame onto plaintiffs. Even if they cannot prove that plaintiffs were 50% to blame, defendants may still reduce the amount of damages they will have to pay. Our experienced Georgia personal injury lawyers can help fight insurance companies and prove that defendants were at fault, so victims can recover the full amount of compensation available to them.
Proving Fault in Georgia Personal Injury Cases
Proving fault in a personal injury case can be a complex task. There is a wide range of evidence that can be utilized. The following are common types of evidence utilized by our attorneys for a personal injury case referral in Georgia:
- Accident reports
- Physical evidence
- Photo evidence
- Witness testimony
- Expert witness testimony
- Personal recollections
- Surveillance footage
Parties in control of certain evidence may not act cooperatively with victims. The guidance and support of our attorneys can be highly valuable when collecting and preserving important evidence in Georgia personal injury cases.
Types of Personal Injury Cases Our Attorneys Handle in Georgia
Personal injury lawsuits can be filed whenever someone is injured because of another party’s negligent actions. Accordingly, there are many different types of personal injury cases that can arise. The following are common types of cases of our Georgia personal injury lawyers handle:
- Auto accidents
- Construction accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Amazon delivery truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Wrongful death accidents
The legal strategies and analyses applied in a particular case can be dependent on the type of accident that occurred. Our experienced lawyers can help victims of any of the aforementioned types of accidents determine the appropriate path to compensation.
Referral Fee Agreements for Personal Injury Cases in Georgia
Referral fee agreements are guided by Georgia’s Rules of Professional Conduct, which provide requirements for Georgia attorneys’ conduct. According to Georgia Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(e), attorneys from different firms can only enter into a division of fees if they meet a few conditions. First, the fees for services must be proportional to the services performed by each attorney. The referring attorney’s client must also be advised of the share that each attorney is to receive and does not object to the participation of the attorneys involved. Lastly, the total fee must be reasonable.
No fee agreement is the same. Referral fees vary depending on the facts of your client’s personal injury case. Our Georgia personal injury attorneys can work closely with referring lawyers or have little involvement if that is what the agreement calls. An appropriate referral fee can be determined if the agreement is proportional to the legal work done and your client consents. Our attorneys can explain the fee-sharing rules more and learn more about the needs of your client’s case.
Types of Damages Available in Georgia Personal Injury Cases
There are multiple types of damages that plaintiffs can recover in Georgia personal injury lawsuits:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Property damage
In order to recover these damages, they must have been caused by another party’s negligent actions. Our attorneys can help victims assess which categories of damages may be recovered in their cases.
If You Need to Refer a Georgia Personal Injury Case, Our Attorneys Can Help
If you have to refer a personal injury case, put your client in good hands. Contact the experienced Georgia personal injury attorneys at Howe Law to review a case for free.
