Articles Posted in Car Accidents

FEATURED-safetymoment-driving-wet-weather-300x150According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 75% of weather-related auto wrecks happen on wet roadways with 47% of crashes occurring while it’s raining. Those percentages translate to 544,700 annual injuries on wet roads and 357,300 annual car crash injuries whenever  it rains.

Also, more than 50% of auto fatalities are flood-related.

Tips to Keep You Safe When Driving in the Rain

do-i-have-to-use-the-auto-insurance-companies-body-shop-300x200When you get into an accident, it’s only natural to want more than just a quick fix. You want to be paid for any pain and suffering caused by the accident, your lost wages, any physical injuries you may have suffered, and so on. The good news is that if the other driver was at fault in the accident and their insurance company is not offering enough compensation, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against them instead. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll take care of everything for you.

While insurance companies may want to resolve these cases quickly and fairly, real life is not always like the movies. If you are faced with a situation where your personal injury case could go to trial, you should seek experienced legal counsel. An experienced attorney can advise you of your rights and guide you through the process so that you receive full compensation from the insurance company.

Georgia Car Insurance Laws

images-4When you are injured in a car accident, it can be challenging to navigate the legal system. Additionally, the financial ramifications of a serious accident can be devastating. And the worst part is you may have no idea where to start seeking compensation for all the costs associated with your injury. A personal injury attorney can help you regain financial footing after an accident.

However, choosing an Atlanta car accident lawyer is more complicated than reviewing their credentials and rates. To help you get started, here are some tips on how to choose the right attorney for your case:

Ask About Their Experience

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When people are involved in motor vehicle accidents and suffer injuries, they are right to immediately wonder how much financial compensation they can recover from a negligent party. If the person suffering injuries was not wearing their seatbelt at the time of a collision, then they are also right to wonder how that might impact their ability to recover compensation.

The truth is that any person involved in a motor vehicle accident will have the right to file a claim for their injuries, but most claims are going to be third-party claims with insurance companies that will be investigated and scrutinized. When an insurance company concludes that a person was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of an accident, they may try to minimize their settlement offer or even deny the claim completely. For this reason, you should always speak with an Atlanta car accident lawyer after a crash.

How Car Accident Claims Get Handled

need-lawyer-car-accident-300x157If a negligent motorist leaves you injured in a car accident, you have a lot on your mind. You have your injuries and medical care to concern yourself with – in addition to the lost income you may be experiencing as a result of those injuries. It is a lot, and the last thing you may want to take on is the additional effort of finding and hiring a car accident attorney. The good news is that a car accident lawyer can take the burden of dealing with the insurance company off your shoulders – while capably negotiating for a favorable claim resolution. The sooner you reach out for professional legal counsel, the sooner you can focus on your recovery – with the peace of mind that comes from knowing you have a skilled Atlanta car accident lawyer on your side. 

The First Order of Business 

If you have been injured by another driver’s negligence, the first order of business is obviously obtaining the medical attention that you require. The fact is that you can be seriously injured without recognizing you’ve been harmed. The shock and adrenaline rush that accompany violent car accidents can mask the initial pain and early symptoms you experience, and some injuries – such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and spinal cord injuries – can be asymptomatic in the beginning. After seeking medical care, the most important step you can take is reaching out to a seasoned car accident lawyer. 

Route 66As the U.S. reopens, the AAA expects roughly 37 million individuals to travel between Thursday and Monday this Memorial Day weekend. This is a massive increase from 2020’s record low travel rate. The AAA also states that this number is a 60% increase from the previous year when only about 20 million people traveled for Memorial Day weekend. Unfortunately, summer travel also means summer car accidents for some people. If you’re hurt in a crash this summer, be sure to call the Atlanta car accident lawyers at Slappey & Sadd immediately.

Most Memorial Day Weekend Travelers are Driving

The majority of travelers, about 34 million, this Memorial Day weekend will take to the road instead of the skies to reach their destinations. Travelers can expect higher gas prices, which are at their highest since 2014. Additionally, although the number of travelers who will be flying, roughly 2.5 million, will still be lower than last year and 2019, this number represents a whopping 577% increase from 2020. 

A red traffic lightIntersections are dangerous places when it comes to driving. In recent years, one-fourth of all traffic deaths and roughly half of all traffic injuries each year happen at intersections. In fact, the federal government reports about 2.5 million intersection accidents every year. Roughly 40 percent of all traffic accidents occur at intersections, the majority of those involving a vehicle turning left across traffic. However, where there are intersections, there often are traffic signals, and where there are traffic signals, there is someone running a red light. The results are frequently deadly. If you have been hurt in a red light accident, you should call one of our Atlanta car accident lawyers immediately.

Running A Red Light Is A Deadly Business

On average, red-light running kills more than two people every day each year. Traffic deaths caused by running red lights hit 939 in 2017, a 10-year high that was up 28 percent from just 5 years before in 2012. That number declined slightly to 899 fatalities in 2018, the most recent year for which final data is available. Of those deaths, 53 were pedestrians or bicyclists. Accidents resulting from running a red light have a significant impact on accident numbers and deaths. For example:

A BMW with front-end damageHead-on accidents are among the most dangerous accidents in which a person can be involved. In many cases, victims are severely injured and incur tens of thousands of dollars in losses and are left with long-term medical problems that will never fully resolve. Thankfully, victims of head-on crashes can often recover compensation with the help of an Atlanta car accident attorney.

Head-on collisions typically do not occur in the absence of negligence on the part of at least one of the drivers involved. As a result, people who are hurt in head-on accidents are typically entitled to compensation for their accident-related losses under Georgia law. Some of the more common causes of these extremely dangerous accidents include:

● Speeding

Traffic signal indicating a left turnAs motorists, try as we might, we all eventually have to make left-hand turns across traffic, and they can be daunting. The fact is that left-hand turns are disproportionately associated with dangerous accidents on our roadways, and contrary to popular belief, the motorist making the left-hand turn is not always at fault (or entirely at fault). If you’ve been injured by another driver’s negligence in a left-hand turn accident, don’t delay consulting with an experienced Atlanta-area personal injury attorney. 

The Dangers Inherent to Left-Hand Turns

Intersections are those places on our roads where traffic traveling in all different directions converges, which makes them some of the most dangerous places on our roads. Making a left turn in an intersection is about the most dangerous maneuver you can perform – due to the fact that you’re directly crossing the path of oncoming traffic. This leaves you exceptionally vulnerable to potentially deadly head-on (or nearly head-on) and T-bone collisions. 

Aerial view of a busy intersectionWhen motorists fail to abide by the rules of the road, dangerous accidents happen. Failure to yield is one such issue, and it is one of the most common infractions on our roadways. Some motorists take it upon themselves to scoot in and out of traffic according to their discretion and believe yield signs and yield rules are intended for other drivers. If another motorist’s failure to yield leaves you injured, contact an experienced Atlanta-area personal injury attorney

Yielding the Right-of-Way

There are many situations on the road in which we must slow down to allow for the safe passage of others, and the law dictates who has the right-of-way in these situations. Georgia’s right-of-way laws help keep our roadways from devolving into dangerous chaos, and they include:

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