If a Georgia resident suffers personal injuries in an accident because of someone else’s actions, they may be able to receive compensation for their lost wages, pain, suffering, and injuries. A personal injury is harm caused by another person’s negligence, but it does not include destruction of property. Causes often include:
- Auto accidents
- Boat accidents
- Animal attacks
- Medical malpractice
- Motorcycle crashes
- Sexual abuse
- Slip and fall incidents
- Trucking accidents
Below, readers can learn how fault and personal injury compensation are determined.
Determination of Fault
To collect damages from a personal injury, Georgia’s laws require victims to prove the other party’s negligence. The victim must show:
- That the at-fault party had the responsibility not to cause injury and failed in that regard
- That the other party’s responsibility was connected to the injury
- That damages were suffered because of the accident.
Georgia’s laws will reduce the overall recovery if it is discovered that the victim’s own actions contributed to the injury.
Varieties of Personal Injury Compensation
If it is found the other person’s negligence caused the injury, that person may be legally required to pay for the victim’s current and future medical bills for injury-related treatment. The at-fault party may have to replace or repair property damaged in the accident, and they may have to compensate the victim for their time lost from work. If a person is injured because of someone else’s criminal acts, the aggressor may be prosecuted under Georgia’s criminal laws. However, if the injury was not related to criminal activity, the victim should hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Paulding County and file a claim in the state’s courts.
How Long Does the Victim Have to File a Lawsuit?
Georgia’s laws give residents two years from the date of the injury to sue the at-fault party. For claims valued at less than $15,000, the suit must be filed in the appropriate Georgia Magistrate Court. If the claim is in excess of $15,000, the suit should be filed in the correct state court. If a victim and his or her Personal Injury Lawyer in Paulding County with Dsternlieblaw.com are unsuccessful in negotiating a fair settlement with the responsible party or their insurer, a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.
