Statesboro Personal Injury Lawyer

Statesboro Personal Injury Attorney

Few injuries are expected, but an injury caused because someone was reckless or careless can be very unexpected and upsetting. An injury can also affect your whole life, preventing you from working while medical bills build up. This stressful financial situation is harder when your injury puts you in significant pain. When a person, business, or other entity is responsible for your injury, you can hold them legally and financially liable with a personal injury claim.

Personal injury claims may cover injuries from car accidents, crime victim injuries, defective products, and unsafe premises. Filing these claims can cover medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. It is less stressful to file a claim with the help of an experienced Statesboro personal injury attorney, and they may be able to increase the amount of compensation you get from the case.

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Why Choose the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm in Statesboro?

The Merritt & Merritt Law Firm has worked in the communities surrounding Statesboro for nearly 50 years, representing individuals who have been injured by car accidents, hazardous premises, and workplace accidents. We aim to help our clients through this difficult time, handling the legal complexities of filing so injured or grieving individuals can take the time they need to heal. Our attorneys understand how costly and time-consuming a claim can feel while recovering and want to stand up for working individuals who may not be able to manage a claim themselves.

If you or a loved one has been injured or lost their life because of the negligence of a person, organization, or company, our experienced Statesboro attorneys can help. We use our decades of experience to calculate the compensation you deserve, negotiate on your behalf with insurance providers, and maximize the damages covered by your personal injury claim.

Types of Personal Injury Claims We Practice

A personal injury claim covers a variety of injuries, incidents, and accidents. After being injured due to someone else’s carelessness or negligence, a personal injury claim may recover the full damages from the injury and incident. You may have been injured by a driver, product manufacturer, coworker, medical professional, or any person or entity.

Some incidents may result in both a civil and a criminal case. The criminal case will press charges for criminal wrongdoing, and the civil case or personal injury claim aims to recover damages to the victim. At Merritt & Merritt, we handle several types of personal injury cases, including:

• Car and Motor Vehicle AccidentsA motor vehicle accident includes car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, and accidents involving rideshares like Uber and Lyft vehicles. When one party is at fault for a motor vehicle accident, claims are filed with their insurance provider by the other parties who are injured or suffered property damage.However, these insurance claims do not always cover the damages, especially in cases where injuries or damages are severe, like in motorcycle or truck accidents. When this happens, the injured parties can file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver to cover the additional damages. Under Georgia’s comparative negligence laws, an injured party can still be partially at fault and still recover damages.
• Truck AccidentsTruck accidents have additional complications than other motor vehicle accidents. They frequently result in more severe injuries and wrongful death. They also typically involve trucking companies, which makes insurance claims more complicated. The insurance providers for trucking companies are often more difficult to negotiate with.Filing a personal injury claim is also more complicated because it may be filed against the driver, the trucking company, those responsible for clearing the truck for use, or even the manufacturer of the truck parts. Significant evidence needs to be recovered to properly determine the at-fault party and recover damages.
• DUI AccidentsCar accident personal injury claims also include accidents caused because one party was driving under the influence (DUI). A car accident DUI case will typically have both a criminal and civil case opened. When an individual is injured because of a DUI driver, their personal injury case may involve additional compensation due to the other party’s criminal or extreme negligence. When one driver is operating a vehicle under the influence, proving the at-fault party may be more straightforward than in other accidents. However, it does not mean the injured party cannot be found at fault.
• Bicycle and Pedestrian AccidentsBoth bicyclists and pedestrians can be involved in accidents with vehicles, which harms the cyclist or pedestrian significantly more than it harms the driver. An insurance claim rarely covers the severity of an individual’s injuries. A personal injury claim against a driver can provide the injured party with the coverage they need to recover.Other factors can also cause a pedestrian injury or bicycle accident. This includes uneven sidewalks or other hazardous premises, animal attacks or dog bites, or defective bike parts. Depending on the situation, an injured party may be able to file a claim against a property owner, governmental body, or product manufacturer.
• Boat AccidentBoat operators are responsible for safe operation that keeps boat passengers and others on the water safe. Careless operation, DUI, defective boat components, and lack of training can cause boat accidents that result in severe injuries and damage. Those injured can recover compensation to cover their losses through a personal injury claim against the boat operator.Boat accident claims can be complicated, however, as both state and federal laws may apply to the case. Even international maritime laws may be at play, further complicating the process of filing a claim and recovering the damages you deserve.
• Workplace InjuryMost employers in Statesboro and the rest of the state are required to have workers’ compensation insurance. The workers’ comp system exists to protect employers and employees, providing employees with compensation regardless of who was at fault for their injury, and protecting employers from civil claims.In most cases, a workplace injury requires the employee to go through the workers’ compensation system. However, there are some situations where civil personal injury claims can still be filed in place of or in addition to a workers’ compensation claim. If a third party was involved in the accident, such as a driver in a work-related car accident, or a contractor at the workplace, an injured employee can file a personal injury claim against that third party.Civil claims can also be filed against employers if they do not have workers’ compensation insurance. If an employer was willfully or criminally negligent or malicious, and this caused an accident or injury, the injured employee may be able to file a personal injury claim. This may be beneficial to the employee’s earned compensation because workers’ compensation claims do not allow for pain and suffering or other noneconomic damages, while personal injury claims do.
• Product LiabilityMany consumers are injured or put at risk because of defective products. These products include vehicle components, prescription drugs, medical devices, and children’s toys. Defective products may be the result of a manufacturer defect, a design flaw, or a lack of warning or directions regarding the product. Designers, manufacturers, and sellers have a responsibility to consumers of their products. If someone has been injured or lost a loved one due to a defective product, a civil claim can be filed against the manufacturer or seller responsible.
• Slip and Fall AccidentsSlip and fall accidents, which frequently occur as part of premises liability claims, can result in severe injuries like brain trauma, fractured bones, and spinal cord injuries. When injuries are caused by property managers or owners who fail to take reasonable measures to keep their grounds safe, injured parties can file personal injury claims against the property manager. Slip and fall accidents can also occur while on the job, particularly when safety guidelines are not properly met.Hazards on a property may include broken stairs, loose or broken guardrails, spills, uneven surfaces, or poorly lit areas. Public, commercial, governmental, and private property owners must respond to hazards within a reasonable amount of time and take steps to prevent injury.
• Sexual Assault and Crime Victim InjuriesA sexual assault case can result in both criminal charges and a civil claim. A civil sexual assault claim can provide victims of this crime with coverage for medical bills, therapy costs, and lost income. Both criminal and civil claims enable the individual to hold the party at fault for their actions. A criminal case focuses on punishing the at-fault party, while a civil claim enables the injured party to maintain financial stability to move forward into the future. Injured victims of other crimes may also be able to file a civil personal injury claim to cover their damages.
• Medical MalpracticeMedical healthcare providers have a high duty of care, which many professionals meet and exceed. Unfortunately, some providers do not meet this duty. A healthcare professional’s carelessness can result in severe and life-altering injuries or complications for patients. Injured patients may be able to file a medical malpractice claim against the provider or the healthcare facility. Medical malpractice can include the wrong dose of a prescription, a misdiagnosis despite clear signs that contradict the diagnosis, and birth injuries to the parent or child.Medical malpractice claims are the most complicated form of personal injury claims. This is because they require significant evidence, and medical providers can make a mistake without being legally negligent. In medical malpractice cases, it must be proven that the provider’s actions were not up to the professional standards of other providers in the same situation.
• Nursing Home AbuseElderly individuals in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to abuse and injury, often from those who are meant to care for them. Though a nursing home or long-term care facility should be compassionate to those in their care, this isn’t always the case. Abuse may occur because of one caretaker’s actions or because the facility failed to properly train staff and provide security for residents. Individuals in nursing homes or their family members can file personal injury claims against the caretaker or facility.
• Wrongful DeathWhen an individual is injured because of a car accident, hazardous product, malpractice, or other incident, they may not survive their injuries. If someone was at fault for the individual’s injuries and death, they can still be held liable. In those cases, surviving family members can file a wrongful death claim in place of the personal injury claim the individual can no longer file.A wrongful death claim can cover outstanding medical costs from the injury, lost income, loss of consortium or companionship, and funeral and burial costs. Losing a loved one is an incredibly difficult time, no matter the circumstances. It can be even harder when their death should have been preventable if the at-fault party took reasonable care. A wrongful death claim can provide a surviving family with some financial stability.

Why Should I Work With a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Working with a personal injury attorney can limit your stress, time, and energy spent during a claim. When filing a personal injury claim, insurance providers will often deny the severity of injuries or the level of the at-fault party’s responsibility. Their job is to limit the amount they must pay out to injured parties. When you hire an attorney, they negotiate with the insurance provider on your behalf. An attorney has experience with the tactics used by insurance providers. Attorneys also know how much your claim is worth based on your unique circumstances and will not accept a settlement that doesn’t cover your needs. Your claim is more likely to succeed and earn you more compensation with an attorney.

How Much Do Personal Injury Lawyers Charge in Georgia?

Personal injury lawyers in Georgia often represent their clients on a contingency fee basis. Rather than continuing costs on an hourly basis, the client owes the attorney a portion of the final settlement. In Georgia, this percentage is typically 30 to 40%, depending on whether the case is settled outside of court or through litigation. If the attorney doesn’t win a client’s personal injury case, the client doesn’t owe the attorney any fees. However, individuals filing these claims should be aware they will likely still be responsible for court costs.

The Merritt & Merritt Law Firm: Your Statesboro Legal Counsel

We want to help you recover from your injuries. Contact the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm today to see how we can walk you through your legal options.