Car Accident Injuries

In a car accident, one’s entire body is vulnerable to injury, depending on the angle of the crash, the type of vehicles, the speed and what kind of avoidance maneuvers drivers took. For example, many rear-end collisions result in whiplash injuries to the neck, while T-bone collisions often result in fractures to hips, legs, arms, wrists and hands from being struck mid-door.

Atlanta car accident attorney Stephen M. Ozcomert knows that after a crash, your focus needs to be on your physical and emotional recovery. We help you put your financial life back together. That means pursuing adequate compensation for all your crash-related injuries and expenses, including future treatments and costs.

This requires obtaining:

• All medical records;
• Testimony from personal witnesses (who can attest to your inability to engage in certain activities since the crash);
• Work records (proving limitations on job-related functions);
• Expert witness testimony (from doctors, surgeons, crash reconstructionists and others who can attest to the nature, scope and cause of your injuries.)

Not all crash injuries are immediately apparent. That’s why it’s important to seek immediate medical attention, even if you don’t initially think you’re badly hurt. Failure to do so may present the defense with an opportunity to argue your injuries were not caused by the crash, and that some other intervening cause may have been to blame.

If you are unsure whether you have a case or how to go about it, our Atlanta-based injury lawyers can help you weigh your options.

The number of crash-related injuries has been steadily rising in recent years, despite advancements in vehicle technology that should see us on a reversal trend. We have rear back-up cameras, blind spot sensors, night vision with pedestrian detection, automatic high-beam control and lane departure warnings. There are also improvements to airbags and other features intended to minimize injuries.

And yet, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports 1.7 million injury-causing crashes each year, a number that has been growing. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) reports the annual number of crash injuries in the state over a five-year time frame were:

• 2011 – 107,000
• 2012 – 105,326
• 2013 – 114,580
• 2014 – 112,256
• 2015 – 112,256

To put this into perspective, that means we have an average of 302 car accident injuries in Georgia every day. A significant number of those occur in Atlanta and other metropolitan areas.

Today, there are more cars than ever on the road. We also have an aging infrastructure not equipped to handle the additional traffic burden and poorly equipped to accommodate vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and bicyclists. Add to this the fact that more drivers are increasingly distracted. The Pew Research Center reports more than three quarters of Americans have a smartphone – up from just 35 percent in 2011. That kind of constant access to whatever information, communication and game you like has proven too tempting for many drivers.

Some of the injuries we most often see necessitate emergency care, hospitalization and sometimes long-term assistance and follow-up care are:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Back Injuries
• Whiplash and Neck Injuries
• Facial Injuries
• Spinal Injuries and Paralysis
• Torn ACL and Knee Injuries
• Broken Bones and Fractures
• Amputations

If the crash is extremely serious, you may not have a choice about whether you are transported to the nearest emergency care facility. However, if you’re awake, alert and physically able-bodied, you may be given the option. Don’t’ decline. Even if you turn down an ambulance ride, make sure you see a doctor right away. There are health conditions – including quite serious ones such as traumatic brain injuries – that might not be obvious initially or that could get worse over time if untreated.

In these cases, recovery can be long and arduous, and you may be out of work for an extended time. You may even be disabled. Ensuring you receive the maximum compensation is a top priority of our injury lawyers in Atlanta.

In cases where there is a dispute about the nature, scope or cause of your medical condition in your car accident lawsuit, you may be asked by the insurance company/ defendant to undergo an independent medical examination. Contrary to the name, this is not in fact “independent.” The “I” really should stand for “insurance” because the physician conducting the exam is paid for by the defense with an incentive to provide medical testimony that will help the insurance company fight your claim for compensation of your car accident injuries.

Having thorough records from your own doctors is one of the best ways to combat this. Other things to keep in mind are:

• Stick to the facts and nothing else;
• Do not discuss details not relevant to your treatment;
• Realize that everything you say has the potential to be discussed in court.

Remember that any negotiations with insurance companies should wait until you have had a chance to discuss it with your Atlanta auto accident attorney.

If you have been injured in a Georgia car accident, contact Atlanta Car Accident Attorney Stephen M. Ozcomert at (404) 370-1000.