If you are injured in an accident or someone assaults you with the intent to cause harm, you can take legal action to recover the expenses you lost. Personal injuries often come at a great cost to victims, and an attorney can help you get compensation.
Personal injuries often stem from accidents, although they may also arise from intentional or criminal conduct. Auto accidents are a significant source of personal injuries, and many cases are based on car crashes. Dangerous work, like construction jobs, might also cause serious personal injuries. Many injuries are not caused by people but by unsafe conditions on property. In any personal injury case, you can recover damages. Damages may include special and general damages to compensate the plaintiff. Punitive damages are also possible, although they are rarer. An attorney can help you gather the important evidence you need to prove your claims and get compensation.
After suffering a personal injury, you should get immediate medical attention and speak to an attorney. Our Valdosta, GA personal injury lawyers can help you start your case. For a free case assessment, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
Common Personal Injury Cases in Valdosta, GA
Personal injury cases involve victims who have experienced bodily harm. The person who caused the injuries does not have to have intended the harm to be held liable. Many personal injury lawsuits stem from accidents where defendants did not act intentionally but negligently. Our Valdosta, GA personal injury attorneys can help you assess your case and determine what kind of case you have.
Auto Accidents
Accidents on the road are unfortunately very common. Drivers are often seriously injured, have very high medical bills, face expensive vehicle repairs, and cannot work because of their injuries. One of the biggest reasons why accidents are so prevalent is distracted driving. If the other driver in your case was not paying attention to the road, they can be held liable for your injuries.
Some crashes lead to criminal charges for the defendant, and they might face criminal prosecution in addition to your civil action. For example, drunk driving is highly illegal because it is so dangerous. The odds of a crash go up dramatically when a driver is intoxicated, and accidents are often severe. Also, if a driver were to hit you and then flee the scene before the police arrive, they can be criminally charged with a hit-and-run.
There are many other ways to be in accidents on the road. Perhaps someone hit you while you were riding your motorcycle. Maybe a trucker hit you because they failed to check their mirrors before making a turn. Pedestrians might also be hit by cars and experience catastrophic injuries.
Construction Accidents
Places like construction zones are often restricted to the public, and the people working on construction sites must be very careful to avoid injuries. Unfortunately, accidents on construction sites are rather common, and workers or passersby are often badly hurt.
Some construction accidents are settled through Workers’ Compensation claims, although many other cases may warrant personal injury lawsuits. Workers and supervisors on construction sites are responsible for their safety and the safety of everyone around the site. If they are negligent, other people might get hurt, and they can file personal injury lawsuits.
Premises Liability
Premises liability lawsuits might be necessary if you were injured because someone failed to maintain their property properly. A slip and fall is one of the most common types of premises liability cases. For example, if you slipped and fell in a store because the floor was wet and no employee placed a wet floor sign, you can sue the store for your injuries. Our Valdosta, GA personal injury attorneys can help you get your case off the ground.
Premises liability accidents might happen almost anywhere. In many cases, a defendant is an individual person, and the plaintiff fell on the defendant’s private property. In other cases, the defendant is a business or organization that owns the property where the plaintiff was hurt. Still, other cases might even be against the government if the slip and fall accident happened on public property.
Recoverable Damages in Valdosta, GA
Your damages do not refer to the actual injuries or damage to your body. Instead, the word damages is a legal term that refers to your financial losses related to your injuries. Many damages are economic in nature and can be quickly added. Other damages are non-economic and are based on your subjective experiences surrounding your accident.
Special Damages
Special damages, sometimes called economic damages, are easier to assess because they usually come with a price tag or predetermined value. Medical bills, vehicle repair costs, the cost of lost or destroyed property, and lost wages from being too injured to work are all considered special damages in Georgia. Our Valdosta, GA personal injury lawyers can help you accurately calculate your special damages by carefully reviewing all your costs and expenses from your injuries.
General Damages
General damages, often referred to as non-economic damages, are also available and sometimes harder to calculate. General damages are different than special damages because general damages usually do not actually cost any money. Instead, general damages allow compensation for the plaintiff’s painful experiences surrounding their injuries. Mental and emotional pain and suffering are common forms of general damages. You can also claim general damages for humiliation or damage to your professional reputation.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are more unusual. Punitive damages are not intended to compensate the plaintiff but instead punish the defendant for their wrongdoing. According to Georgia Code § 51-12-5.1(b), punitive damages may be awarded only if we can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant’s behavior constituted willful misconduct, malice, fraud, oppression, or a total lack of care that leads to a presumption of conscious indifference.
Generally, punitive damages in Georgia are capped at $250,000, although specific tort actions might have different limits. Furthermore, 75% of your punitive damages are paid into the state’s treasury. Our Valdosta, GA personal injury lawyers can help you argue for all your damages, including punitive damages, if they are available.
Contact Our Valdosta, GA Personal Injury Lawyers for Assistance
If you were hurt in an accident or someone intentionally caused you bodily injuries, you can hold them liable in a personal injury lawsuit. Speak to our Valdosta, GA personal injury attorneys about a free case review. Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
