I. Auto Accidents
Motor vehicle collisions commonly occur when drivers indulge in negligent behaviors and fail to follow traffic laws. Accident survivors often sustain severe physical and cognitive injuries that necessitate expensive medical treatments and surgeries. It can be difficult for these survivors to afford the full extent of their accident-related expenses, especially if they can’t work because of their injuries. If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident, it’s imperative that you seek experienced legal representation as soon as possible. At the Akofu Law Group, we can negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf and help you secure the compensation you need to facilitate your physical and financial recovery. If necessary, our firm can even litigate for your best interests in court in order to maximize your claim. To achieve a positive case outcome, your legal team needs to prove that your injuries are a result of the defendant’s negligent behavior. You can safeguard the validity of your claim by taking certain actions after the collision. For example, by visiting your doctor immediately after the accident, you can protect your health and request a copy of your medical report. Your legal team can use this report as essential evidence in your battle for maximum damages. Protect your claim by taking these steps after an accident:
1. Don’t apologize to the defendant
2. Do not leave the scene of the accident (unless your injuries necessitate ambulance removal)
3. Use your cell phone to take pictures of your injuries, the vehicles, and the accident scene
4. Help law enforcement officials complete an accident report
5. Ask how you can request a copy of this report
6. Write down the name and phone numbers of any relevant witnesses
7. Seek immediate medical attention
8. Don’t accept any calls from the defendant’s insurance company until you hire an attorney
9. Start keeping a record of any accident-related expenses (medical bills, lost wages, receipts, etc.)
10. Don’t post about the collision on social media
11. Contact Akofu Law Group for representation
The defendant’s insurance company may contact you as soon as the accident is officially reported. It’s best to avoid these calls until you have a lawyer working on your behalf. Insurance companies do not want to pay maximum compensation—even when a victim’s injuries warrant it—and may try to trick you into undermining your claim. For example, they may manipulate you into making a recorded statement that benefits the at-fault driver. If this doesn’t work, they may offer you an inadequate settlement amount that doesn’t truly provide for your needs. At Akofu Law Group, we can negotiate with the defendant’s insurance company and protect you from accepting a sum that doesn’t meet your financial and legal objectives. We can negotiate or litigate on your behalf to recover compensation for: • Present and future medical expenses • Lost wages • Property damage • Loss of future earning potential • Non-economic damages Schedule a Consultation to Discover Your Legal Options At Akofu Law Group, we understand that this is an extremely difficult time for you. Our firm can help you pursue a positive case outcome that yields substantial damages. During your consultation, we can discuss your case, explore your legal options, and develop a litigation strategy based on your financial and legal needs.
II. Slip and Fall
Slip & Fall Accidents Involving Immigrants If you are an immigrant who has been injured in a slip and fall accident, you may have a host of concerns. You may be worrying about whether your injury could jeopardize your ability to work and/or invalidate your visa. Students may have concerns about their ability to attend class. Whether you are a United States Citizen or an undocumented immigrant, you have the right to seek financial compensation for slip and fall injuries. Our lawyers at Akofu Law Group have experience working with immigrant personal injury claims and want to help you. Accidents can happen anytime, anywhere, and those involving slipping or falling on the job are the leading cause of workers’ compensation claims in the United States. Whether it be slippery floors, unsafe equipment, or improper work environments, slip and fall injuries can result in painful injuries and high hospital bills. What’s more, a workers’ comp claim may not be enough to cover the expenses incurred by the accident. When this is the case, or if your accident occurred outside of the workplace, you may want to consider working with an attorney to file a slip & fall accident claim. Doing so will give you a better chance at securing compensation for things that a workers’ comp claim won’t cover; for example, pain and suffering, full coverage of your medical bills, and more.
What You Need to Know About Slip and Fall Claims The most crucial factor in Georgia slip and fall claims is proof. Suppose you have been injured because of dangerous conditions in a business or establishment. In this scenario, you must be able to prove that the business owner(s) had prior knowledge of the hazard that led to your slip/fall and did not take the steps necessary to remove or remedy it. In doing so, you are proving that the business was negligent, and the negligence led to your accident, thus making them responsible for financially compensating you for your injuries. What is the Statute of Limitations? Keep in mind that the statute of limitations for most injury cases in Georgia is typically two years. This means that you must act within two years of the accident if you want to pursue a legal case. So, don’t wait to contact an attorney, as there is much to be done during this time period, including collecting evidence, recreating the scene of the accident, sourcing eyewitnesses and expert testimonies, and more. Common Property Owner Arguments The owner of the property where your accident occurred may attempt to make any of several arguments against your case. These arguments are intended to shift the liability to you. For example, if you fell in a restricted area of the property, the property owner will likely attempt to argue that you are at least partially responsible for the injuries that resulted from the accident because you were “trespassing.” In some cases, the property owner’s arguments may be valid, thus relieving them of responsibility for the accident. These scenarios include but are not limited to:
The property owner sectioned off areas of the property as unsafe, yet you entered anyway and were injured as result.
You were distracted from watching where you were going and entered a hazardous area.
You were running/walking in a way that would make falling more likely.
An experienced member of our legal team would be happy to review the circumstances of your accident to determine fault and whether or not you have grounds to take legal action. Contact us today to get started. The Role of Comparative Fault in Slip & Fall Claims If your claim goes to court, the judge will apply comparative fault to your case. Comparative fault, or comparative negligence, is used to evaluate the case and determine each party’s percentage of fault in the accident. In Georgia, you can recover damages from your injuries from the responsible party or parties even if you were partially at fault so long as your percentage of fault does not equal or exceed that of the other party or does not exceed the proportion of fault of all other parties combined. However, you may still recover some damages even if you are primarily at fault; that’s where having a good attorney comes in. Settlements allow the insurers of each party to evaluate the accident and draw up terms outside of court. Comparative negligence still applies to settlements that are reached out of court. In this scenario, the property owner's representation will likely tailor their settlement terms to the amount of fault they believe you contributed to the accident. So, be sure to have evidence to support your claim. Consulting an attorney can help you make a strong case for your slip and fall injury claim. Pursuing the Highest Payout Possible We cannot guarantee your claim's outcome, be we can assure you that we will put forth every effort in securing an outcome that is in your best interests. Our legal team offers a unique focus on slip and fall accident claims that can’t be found just anywhere. If you believe you have a case, contact our dedicated Georgia slip and fall lawyers for a consultation.