By Susan Melony
If you call Atlanta home, there’s a good chance you have a Fulton County address. Even if you’re calling Sandy Springs home, you’re in Fulton County. Yep, this is the same Georgia county made famous in a Johnny Cash classic. Something else the county is known for is its relatively high vehicle accident rate. In 2022, there were an estimated 56,618 motor vehicle crashes in Fulton County.
While this doesn’t mean a car collision is in your destiny, there’s a pretty good chance of being involved in at least a fender bender. Recovering compensation is usually at the top of your list after a car accident. This means following a few key steps to help ensure you receive your accident claim’s maximum potential value.
Georgia wants you to report the accident
The Peach State has some pretty strict laws about reporting vehicle collisions. These guidelines apply to all drivers in Fulton County. The law even goes so far as to require you to use the quickest means of communication to alert the authorities.
Any traffic accident resulting in injuries, fatalities, and/or property damage exceeding $500 must be immediately reported. Nope, there aren’t any exceptions, this is state law. Failing to report the collision can result in hefty fines and even jail time.
Even though it can be a pain waiting around for the authorities, it’s worth the annoyance. Reporting the accident starts the documentation process, and this is crucial for the success of your potential personal injury claim. You’re going to need to give the insurance company a copy of your accident report. The only way to get this document is by reporting the vehicle accident.
Your accident report is usually ready for pick up within about ten business days. You can easily get a copy online, just be ready to pay the nominal fee.
Assess your injuries and get medical attention
There’s nothing more important than your health. Before you think about exiting your vehicle, assess yourself for any injuries. This way you know to alert the 9-1-1 operator if you need ambulatory services or just the police.
If it’s safe to exit your vehicle. Go ahead and check on everyone else. Find out if they need emergency medical services.
Even if you think you’re fine, don’t say anything. You may have internal injuries and these can take time to start showing signs and symptoms. Even a whiplash injury can take a bit before you start feeling the discomfort. Announcing your injury-free can make it harder to recover compensation if it turns out you need medical care.
What you always should do is make an appointment with your healthcare provider. This way, if you sustain injuries you’re ready to include these damages in your accident claim.
Carefully investigate the accident scene
Obviously, if your injuries are severe this isn’t something you can take care of. Don’t worry, the authorities, insurance adjusters, and your Georgia car accident injury attorney can handle the investigation.
With that being said, you may also be able to lend a hand. If you aren’t hopping into an ambulance, grab your smartphone. You’re going to use the camera app to document some evidence. Be careful you’re not getting in the way of the professionals. You’re trying to help support your accident claim, not make it harder for the authorities to do their jobs.
Take some pictures of any damage to your vehicle. If you have non-serious visible injuries, go ahead and take a few snapshots. You can add these to your medical records. Sometimes, insurance adjusters can better evaluate your injuries when they can refer back to pictures.
Try to get a shot of the position your vehicle ended up in after the accident. If accident fault comes into question, your vehicle’s position can help establish liability. Don’t forget, Georgia follows comparative fault guidelines so establishing fault is usually pretty crucial.
Check the area for any traffic and surveillance cameras. Fulton Country is pretty proactive about installing traffic and security cameras. Make a note of the cameras' locations and pass it on to your personal injury attorney. Your accident lawyer can subpoena the footage.
You should also get contact information from any witnesses. Keep your conversation brief. You don’t want to say anything that may make it easier for the insurance company to contest your injury claim.
Get your evidence together
Filling a personal injury claim is a lot more involved than simply filling out a couple of forms. You’re going to need to provide plenty of evidence to support your listed damages. Hopefully, you’re keeping all of your paperwork in a folder or at least in the same place. You don’t want to lose any documents or leave them out of your claim. All this does is drag the claim process even further out.
The type of evidence you need depends on your claim but some things are pretty common. You’re going to need a copy of your accident report, along with your medical records. Any bills and receipts relating to your accident, also need to go with your claim. This can also include any property repair/replacement estimates. If you’re claiming lost income, grab your pay stubs. You may also need a letter from your employer.
Calculate all of your damages
The insurance company is going to want to know the true value of your claim. This means you can’t send an estimate or just guess at the value of your damages. The insurance adjuster also isn’t going to take care of this step.
Figuring out your economic damages is pretty simple. Just total up all of your bills, receipts, and estimates. Your non-economic damages like pain and suffering are a little different. Since you don’t have a bill for your mental anguish, you need to use either the multiplier or per diem method. Both formulas are accepted by the insurance company so you can use either one. However, a good tip is to go with both. This way you’re ready with a counteroffer if the first one is denied.
Don’t overlook this crucial step
You may think you’ve got everything under control with your Georgia personal injury claim. This may even be true, but are you sure you want to take on the insurance company by yourself? Working with an experienced personal injury attorney in Fulton County can simplify the legal process and help ensure you can recover compensation after your vehicle accident.
