Duluth Personal Injury Lawyer

Duluth Personal Injury Attorney

Whenever one party’s actions harm another party, it can potentially form grounds for a personal injury suit. If you or a family member recently experienced any type of personal injury due to another party’s actions, it is imperative to consult a Duluth personal injury lawyer you trust as quickly as possible. The right attorney can help you determine whether you have grounds for legal recourse so you can recover your damages.

Have you or a loved one been involved in a car accident in Duluth? Call our Duluth accident attorney at 1-800-738-WE-WIN.

Although automobile accidents are never anticipated, unfortunately, they do occur. When they do, it is typically caused by the negligence of someone else. In the occurrence of a car accident or personal injury, there is a small window of opportunity allotted to file a claim through a personal injury attorney on your behalf. If you have been injured in a car accident because of the actions of a negligent party, our knowledgeable and committed team of personal injury lawyers and paralegals are here to help recover the maximum compensation possible.

What Does the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm Do for Personal Injury Clients in Duluth, GA?

• Advise and coordinate your medical attention
• Inform you of your legal rights
• Collect evidence to strengthen your claim
• Locate and interview witnesses
• Litigate and mediate claims with the insurance adjusters and the opposing party’s representation
• Recover lost income

Ultimately, the objective of a personal injury claim is to hold a defendant accountable for the harm they have inflicted on the plaintiff and for the plaintiff to recover compensation for their damages. This process will vary from case to case, and the right attorney can be an invaluable asset no matter what type of personal injury claim you need to file. The Merritt & Merritt Law Firm has extensive experience helping clients with all types of personal injury claims.

Personal Injury Law in Duluth, GA

At the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, we understand that enduring medical treatment for your injuries and seeking compensation for your losses can be a complex process. We can help you through the essential steps with over 40 years’ experience and knowledge. Our dedicated team of legal representatives can advise you regarding the rightful compensation available through a personal injury claim, while helping you navigate through the often complex and extensive insurance claim process.

We are familiar with the challenges ahead after a car accident or personal injury. We solve problems, and are here to provide you with swift and tactical advice. Our mission is to avoid costly and timely litigation for our clients. When disputes present themselves, we pursue the most effective means of compensation, including negotiation, arbitration, and litigation when necessary.

The Merritt & Merritt Law Firm is reputable among insurance companies, defense attorneys, and the legal courts. Our opponents recognize that we are always prepared to file suit. This exclusive benefit produces faster results and maximum settlement values.

We represent you. See the difference.

If you or a family member have suffered an injury, contact the Duluth Personal Injury Lawyers at the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm to schedule a complimentary consultation to review your case. Call us today at 1-800-738-WE-WIN or fill out our online contact form on our website.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Duluth, GA

Car accidents may be one of the most common causes of personal injuries in Duluth and surrounding communities, but personal injuries can arise from all types of situations. These incidents are unpredictable, often leaving those affected wondering how they can recover, who is responsible for their damages, and what they should do to recover compensation for the losses they have suffered.

If you are searching for a Duluth personal injury lawyer to represent your case, it is important to choose an attorney who has proven experience handling cases like yours. While all personal injury cases follow similar procedural rules, different types of cases require addressing different legal issues and present different challenges. Merritt & Merritt Law Firm offers legal counsel for a wide variety of personal injury cases in Duluth.

Practice areas include but are not limited to:

• Car Collisions: Car accidents are a leading cause of personal injuries throughout the state each year. Recovery from a motor vehicle accident usually begins with filing a claim against the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy. However, insurance may not fully cover your damages, meaning you must pursue a personal injury suit to recover any losses insurance won’t cover.
• Motorcycle Collisions: While less common than passenger car accidents, motorcycle accidents have a much greater chance of resulting in catastrophic or fatal injuries. We can help injured riders prove fault for an accident, guide them through the insurance claim filing process, and build a personal injury case for them when they have suffered catastrophic losses.
• Wrongful Death Cases: When a personal injury is fatal, the family of the victim may have the ability to pursue a wrongful death claim against whoever caused the death. This type of personal injury suit seeks compensation for the surviving family’s losses, and there are special rules that apply to wrongful death claims in terms of eligibility to file these claims and the types of damages that may be recovered from defendants.
• Construction Accidents: Construction is one of the most dangerous industries for many reasons, and it is responsible for one of the highest workplace accident rates in the United States each year. Whether you were injured while working a construction job or injured while near a construction site, our team can help you determine your most viable recovery options and assist you in securing compensation for the damages you suffered.
• Slip and Fall: If you suffered a slip and fall on someone else’s property, you may have grounds for a personal injury suit against the property owner under the state’s premises liability laws. If a property owner failed to address a foreseeable safety hazard before it caused harm to a lawful guest or visitor, they are liable for the resulting damages. Property owners are not liable for injuries to trespassers or intruders, however.
• Medical Malpractice: Medical negligence is one of the most common causes of accidental injuries and deaths in the United States each year. Unfortunately, pursuing a civil suit against a medical professional in response to the harm caused by malpractice is far more challenging than pursuing a standard personal injury suit. We can help our client navigate the procedural rules for a medical malpractice claim in Duluth.
• Workers’ Compensation: Most employers are required to have workers’ compensation insurance, which comes into play when a worker suffers an injury on the job. We can help our clients navigate the claim filing process, secure the benefits they are rightfully owed, and assist them in pursuing additional avenues of recovery if any are available to them.

When you hire the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, you are engaging an experienced legal team of devoted Duluth Personal Injury Attorneys who will work thoroughly to help get you the settlement amount you deserve in a timely manner. At the same time, we are fully prepared to go to trial if necessary.

Let the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm handle your personal injury claim so that you can focus on getting back on your feet after an accident. While it is technically possible for you to file a personal injury claim on your own, you are far more likely to succeed and will have a much easier time managing your case if you have legal counsel you trust on your side. The right attorney can help you maximize your recovery more quickly than you could manage alone.

Proving Liability for a Personal Injury in Duluth

No matter what type of personal injury case you intend to file in Duluth, GA, it is vital to understand the process of holding the at-fault party accountable for the harm they have caused. Before you can recover any compensation for the losses you suffered, you must be prepared to show exactly how those losses occurred, identify the party responsible, and prove their actions alone directly caused your claimed damages.

Your Duluth personal injury lawyer can be an invaluable asset for helping you prove liability for your personal injury. Depending on the type of personal injury you experienced, you may require various forms of evidence that you may not know how to obtain on your own. Additionally, you may undervalue your claim at first, not realizing the extent of the damages you are legally entitled to claim until you have an experienced attorney representing you.

When a personal injury results from negligence or failure to use reasonable care, the plaintiff must identify the defendant who caused their injury, prove they owed the plaintiff a duty of care that they breached in some way, and then prove that this breach of duty directly caused the plaintiff’s claimed damages. When a defendant has caused a personal injury by breaking the law, they face criminal prosecution from the state along with a civil suit from the plaintiff.

Georgia’s Wrongful Death Laws and How They Apply to Car Accidents

Unfortunately, personal injuries are sometimes fatal. When a fatal personal injury occurs, the family of the victim will likely have grounds to pursue a wrongful death suit against whoever caused the death. There are special rules that apply to wrongful death suits that you must understand if you intend to file this type of civil claim in Duluth.

Pursuant to Ga. Code §51-4-2, “(t)he surviving spouse or, if there is no surviving spouse, a child or children, either minor or sui juris, may recover for the homicide of the spouse or parent the full value of the life of the decedent, as shown by the evidence.” Generally speaking, under Ga. Code §9-3-33, an action for wrongful death must be brought within two years of the date the death occurs, although this time may be shorter or longer depending on each particular situation, and whether or not the Georgia Tort Claims Act applies. Our Duluth personal injury lawyers are experienced in wrongful death claims in Georgia can help you determine the amount of time you have to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

The persons able to recover under a wrongful death claim in Georgia are listed below, in descending order:

• Surviving spouse of the deceased
• Child or children of the deceased, if there is no surviving spouse
• Parents of the deceased, if there is no surviving spouse or children
• The estate of the deceased, if there is no surviving spouse, children, or parent

It is important to note that no recovery obtained under Ga. Code §51-4-2(a) shall be subject to any debt or liability of the decedent.

Duluth Personal Injury FAQs

Q: Why Should I Hire a Duluth Personal Injury Lawyer?

A: You should hire a Duluth personal injury lawyer because you will be vastly more likely to succeed with your legal efforts when you are represented by reliable legal counsel. Your attorney can handle the procedural aspects of your case so you can focus on recovery, and they will also know how to maximize your compensation. You’re more likely to win your case and maximize your case award when you have legal counsel you trust on your side.

Q: Can I Claim Compensation if I Was Partially at Fault?

A: You can claim compensation if you were partially at fault as long as you bear less fault than the defendant. Under the state’s modified comparative fault rule, whatever fault percentage is assigned to the plaintiff is the percentage of their case award they will lose as a penalty. If the plaintiff is found to be more at fault than the defendant, however, the plaintiff loses their right to claim compensation from the defendant and will be responsible for their own damages.

Q: How Do I Prove Liability for a Personal Injury in Duluth?

A: You can prove liability for a personal injury in Duluth by leveraging various types of evidence along with witness testimony from those who saw your injury happen. The evidence you will require will vary based on the type of personal injury you experienced. An attorney can help you determine what type of evidence you need in order to prove that the defendantdirectly caused your claimed damages.

Q: How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Suit?

A: The amount of time you have to file a personal injury suit is dictated by the statute of limitations. For most personal injury claims, the time limit is two years from the date the injury occurred. If the plaintiff does not submit their claim to the court within this timeframe, they will lose their chance to claim compensation from the defendant. It is always in the plaintiff’s interest to start the claim filing process right away.

Q: What Does It Cost to Hire a Duluth Personal Injury Lawyer?

A: The cost to hire a Duluth personal injury lawyer will be a percentage of your case award if you choose the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm to represent you. Our billing policy ensures that we will only collect a fee from our client if we win their case, and the fee will be a percentage of the total compensation we recover for them. This ensures you do not pay more in legal fees than you win in compensation for your damages.

A personal injury of any kind can be a life-changing experience, and if you intend to pursue compensation for your damages, you need legal counsel you trust on your side. Contact the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm at 1-800-738-WE-WIN or contact us online to schedule a free consultation to review your case.