Car Accident Attorneys in Douglasville

Do You Need Help With a Car Accident Claim?

Since 1992, the personal injury attorneys of Sherrod & Bernard, P.C. have been helping people throughout Douglasville and nearby communities recover from injuries suffered in car crashes that were someone else’s fault. Through caring and compassionate representation and zealous advocacy, our car accident lawyers have built a reputation as local trusted counsel for victims suffering from serious injuries.

Among the many things we can help clients with, car accidents are perhaps one of the most common causes injuries that people experience. Fortunately, we can help if someone else caused the crash.

If you’re hurt in a car accident and someone else was at fault, our team wants to help you recover financial compensation to pay your bills and move forward with life. Give our team a call today for a free consultation and advice about your best legal options for seeking compensation.

What Types of Compensation is Available in a Car Accident Claim?

Woman suffering whiplash from accident. There is a lot of misinformation on the Internet and TV. Attorneys may claim to guarantee you this or that, but in truth, no one can guarantee an outcome. While most people are interested in finding out what their case is worth, it’s simply a very difficult thing to estimate, because juries are made up of regular people who may see things in very different ways.

In general, however, here are some of the things for which Georgia law allows you to seek compensation through an injury claim:

Physical pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Loss of enjoyment of a normal life
Past medical expenses

Future medical expenses
Lost earnings
Future lost wages

If someone’s negligence takes the life of a loved one, there are additional types of compensation that may be available, including:

Money to reimburse for final expenses
Compensation for the loss of a loved one

Loss of spousal support
Loss of love and affection

After a serious car accident injury in Douglasville, Georgia, don’t silently wonder about your right to compensation from the at-fault driver. Call Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., today.

Steps to Take to Protect Your Rights After a Car Wreck

After a car accident, here are some simple and straightforward steps you should take to protect yourself and your case:

Car on the side of the road after a serious car accident

Secure the Scene

If vehicles are blocking traffic and creating a hazard, you should attempt to get to a shoulder and off the main roadway if possible. You don’t want to be involved in a secondary collision, where a passerby strikes your vehicle. If you are too badly injured, the vehicles are inoperable, or it is unsafe to do so, then stay in your vehicle and wait for help to arrive. Turn on the vehicle’s hazard flashers to make it more noticeable to traffic.

Call 911

Call for help. You should do this in any case of a motor vehicle crash where there’s damage to the vehicles or injuries. Not only is it helpful for preserving evidence and protecting your rights, but it is also a legal requirement in Georgia. Accidents must be reported to police. Never let someone convince you to “just work it out without police.” The police can help to make the scene safer, and they can diffuse tensions and keep aggressive or upset individuals from becoming violent.

Take Photos

If safe to do so and you feel comfortable, take photos of everything you can. Take pictures of:

Vehicle damage to your car and the other cars
The scene (up close and from a distance)
Traffic lights and the intersection (if applicable)
License plate numbers
Skid marks
Anything else you think could be helpful

Get Emergency Medical Treatment

Some injuries can take weeks to fully manifest, but if you wait that long to get seen by a doctor, an insurance company might argue that your injuries were not due to the accident. Moreover, you will have lost crucial treatment time trying to fix the problem, thus leading to extended pain and a longer recovery. Early treatment and diagnosis is key.

Follow Physician Recommendations

When getting care for your injuries, your doctors will put together a treatment plan. This may include getting x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, physical therapy, injections, medications, or other treatments. In general, you should try to make all your appointments and stick to your treatment plan. Of course, if you have concerns about your doctor’s plan or need a second opinion, that’s fine too. But missing appointments and doing things your doctor has instructed you to avoid could jeopardize your case.

Stay Away From Social Media

Plenty of great cases have been destroyed because of careless posts on the Internet. Insurance companies often take pictures and statements out of context and twist social media posts in an attempt to reduce what they have to pay out. Our best recommendation is to simply stay off social media sites until your case is resolved.

Call Sherrod & Bernard, P.C.

Don’t assume all lawyers are the same. Many large national firms delegate auto accident cases to a virtual mill of paralegals and staff, with one attorney often handling hundreds – sometimes thousands – of files. The car accident attorneys are often so overworked they may not even know all their clients’ names. With our firm, you can count on local, trusted advisors who will patiently listen and counsel you through the challenges of a personal injury case.

I was hurt in a car wreck in Douglasville. I contacted Ken and he was a tremendous help. My medical bills and health insurance liens were reduced by Ken’s hard work and I received a fair check as a result. I recommend Ken and his legal services if you need a lawyer for an accident.

-William Jacobs, Douglasville, Georgia

Have a Question About Your Case? Call Us Today:

770-920-8350Request A Callback

How Our Car Accident Attorneys Can Help.

Motor vehicle collisions happen every day in and around Douglasville, GA. As a growing suburb of Atlanta, the past two decades have seen enormous expansion, from new construction to an influx of high-paying job opportunities. These factors have led to high traffic volumes and a rapid increase in population. While great for the economy, growth comes at a price – including more wrecks.

Many people have never considered hiring an attorney until they are involved in a serious crash. They find themselves swamped with medical bills, out of work, and struggling to just get by. With dwindling options and mounting costs, it can seem hopeless.

If this describes you, rest assured that there is good news. For more than two decades, attorneys John Sherrod and Ken Bernard and their dedicated team of attorneys and staff have been fighting for the rights of people just like you. When you hire our firm, here are just some of the ways we get to work for you:

Free Initial Meeting

Skillful and Meticulous Attention to Your Case

Aggressive Trial Lawyers

Free Initial Meeting

We know that every case is unique and people suffering after a major injury often lack the funds to pay high upfront lawyer fees. So an initial meeting with one of our car accident lawyers is entirely free. We don’t set a timer or hurry the process. We take the time to get to know you and the facts that led you to our office. If we can’t help, we’ll let you know and you won’t pay a thing. If we can help, we will put together a plan of action to start helping you. What’s more, we’ll only take a fee from the funds we recover, meaning you’ll never have to pay us directly out of your pocket.

Skillful and Meticulous Attention to Your Case

From intake to trial, our car accident lawyers look for creative ways to maximize your financial recovery. We also realize that there’s more to a case than just the dollars and cents. We can help you find good medical care, assist with medical collections and government liens, and handle all of the tedious negotiations and settlement discussion on your behalf.

Aggressive Trial Lawyers

Sometimes there’s no settling. Whether it’s a drunk driver or a major trucking company that was grossly negligent and isn’t willing to pay, our injury attorneys don’t back down. If a trial is necessary, we’ll fight to make sure a jury hears your story.

How Long Do You Have to File an Accident Claim in Georgia?

When you are injured, the law gives you a specific and limited amount of time to protect your rights by filing a lawsuit. If you do not act on those rights in time, then you are forever barred from pursuing compensation.

This is known as a statute of limitations, and such laws are in place to give victims time to take action, while protecting defendants from being brought to justice long after the events transpired.

These rules are very strict and have only very narrow exceptions. The earlier you speak to an experienced Douglasville car accident attorney, the sooner you can make an informed decision about how to proceed.

Car collision happening along the highway. In Georgia, the standard statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit against a negligent driver who injures you is just two years from the date of the accident. However, there are some situations that may actually shorten the time available.

Sometimes government employees or local city or county agencies are involved in a car accident case. For instance, perhaps a local zoning inspector runs a red light or a local water department’s driver disregards a stop sign, causing a serious collision with injuries. In these situations, you must provide notice to the government or municipal agency very early in order to protect your right to file suit.

If a city is involved, you have 6 months to file a notice of claim, while if a county is involved, you have 12 months to file your notice of claim.

The problem is you may not always know whether the government is involved. Don’t take chances. Talk to an attorney from Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., today.

Common Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle

No two car accidents are identical. An attorney can say they’ve handled thousands of cases, but rest assured he or she has never handled yours. We understand just how individualized and personal a physical injury can be. For this reason, we never try to force clients into a mold.

Here are some examples of the kinds of accidents that our firm handles:

Accidents involving speeding
Drunk driving (DUI) crashes
Distracted driving accidents (i.e., texting, cell phones, and other distractions)
Rear end collisions
Semi tractor-trailer accidents
Motorcycle crashes
Work-related auto accidents

Uninsured motorist claims
Passenger injuries
Uber/Lyft crashes
Bicycle and pedestrian crashes
Bus and public transit accidents
Accidents with commercial vehicles
Accidents involving government agencies
Highway fatalities

Don’t see your specific collision type listed here? That’s okay. Our attorneys are highly experienced and capable of handling just about any type of injury claim in Georgia. If you believe someone else is responsible for causing your injuries, or if you lost a loved one due to someone else’s carelessness, talk to us to find out how we can help.

Call Contact Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., today, and speak to an attorney free of charge to get real advice and start your path to recovery.

Working with Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., After a Car Crash.

When you make the decision to hire a car wreck attorney, it’s a big deal. You are putting your faith in someone else to help your family resolve what may be the biggest catastrophe you’ve ever encountered.

At Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., we take that responsibility very seriously. We know it can be a terrifying thing to put trust in someone else and turn over the reins to your financial future. So, our injury lawyers will take the time to get to know you. We will listen carefully and try to put together a strategy that will help you recover faster and get you back on your feet sooner.

Ultimately, a serious auto accident will take time to resolve. You will need to get medical treatment, while we will be following your treatment progress and consulting with industry-leading medical experts to understand and build a case for each of your injuries. There will be settlement negotiations and medical debts to resolve. But you will have a fiercely loyal team of legal advocates on your side from the very beginning. Although no one can promise an outcome, we’ve found that people who put a skilled attorney on their side usually wind up much better off than those who try to go it alone with an insurance company.

For help with your car crash case and to discuss your injuries with an attorney free of charge, call Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., today. We never collect a fee unless we can get you money for your injuries, and you’ll never pay us an upfront fee for our work. In fact, if you don’t recover money for your injuries, we won’t charge you a dime for our legal services.

There’s no risk in calling our firm to learn more. But don’t wait too long. You could miss your opportunity to take action.