Serious Car Accident Injuries Deserve a Clear Plan

A car accident attorney helps people hurt in a crash, and families who lost someone in one, pursue the insurance or commercial policy that may pay their claim. In Georgia, rules on deadlines, fault, and medical bills shape how that claim works. This page explains those rules in plain language and how Ugwonali Law Group handles a free case review.

What a Car Accident Attorney Does for a Seriously Injured Driver or Family

A car accident attorney looks into how a crash happened, identifies who may be responsible, and presses that party’s insurer on the injury claim. If a fair resolution isn’t possible, the attorney may file a lawsuit.

This work matters most when injuries are serious. Fractures, hospital stays, traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and deaths often involve long medical care and large bills. Ugwonali Law Group handles car, truck, and wrongful death matters of this kind.

This page is written for adults with fractures or hospital care after a crash. It also serves people with brain or spinal injuries that need ongoing treatment, people in total-loss crashes, and families who lost a parent or spouse.

Most of these claims depend on another party’s fault. That party might be a careless driver, a trucking company, or another business. Their insurance or commercial policy may pay the claim.

The firm does not take minor fender-benders with no real injury. It also does not take cases where the client appears to be at fault or liability is contested against the client. Negligent security, civil rights cases, and claims against a county or other government entity are outside this practice.

Types of Car and Truck Crashes Covered in Georgia

Covered crashes include car accidents caused by another driver and truck accidents involving tractor-trailers and delivery trucks. Rear-end, intersection, lane-change, and left-turn collisions are common examples.

Truck crashes often involve a company and its insurer, not only a driver. Federal law directs the Secretary of Transportation to prescribe regulations that require minimum levels of financial responsibility sufficient to satisfy liability amounts the Secretary establishes, covering public liability, property damage, and environmental restoration. The amount and terms of that coverage depend on the facts.

Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries can change a person’s life for a long time. The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation notes that spinal cord injuries can result from trauma or accidents, and that effects vary by the injury’s type and location. The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center publishes factsheets on life after spinal cord injury.

Evidence such as police reports, vehicle data, and medical records may influence how a claim is evaluated.

Georgia Deadlines and Fault Rules That Shape a Car Accident Claim

Under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, a personal injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years, and for traumatic injuries that period generally runs from the date of injury (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33).

This page does not state a filing deadline for wrongful death actions. Deadlines have exceptions and depend on the facts, so families should have the timing reviewed promptly after a death.

Georgia also reduces recovery when the injured person shares fault. Georgia’s fault and damages statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, provides that the judge reduces damages in proportion to the plaintiff’s percentage of fault. A plaintiff who is 50 percent or more responsible may not receive any damages. O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33 provides that, where a plaintiff is to some degree responsible for the injury or damages claimed, the judge shall reduce the amount of damages otherwise awarded to the plaintiff in proportion to the plaintiff’s percentage of fault.

When more than one party is at fault, each liable person’s share is its own. It is not a shared debt, under the same statute.

These are general rules. Exceptions depend on specific facts, so review timing soon after a crash.

How a Car Accident Claim Works, Step by Step

A serious-injury claim usually moves from a free review to investigation, medical documentation, a demand to insurers, and, if needed, a lawsuit. Each stage can take months, and no one can promise a timeline.

1. Free case review. You share the crash details and your medical status. The first consultation is confidential and carries no obligation to continue. Intake is available in English or Spanish.
2. Investigation. The team gathers the crash report, photos, vehicle information, and insurance details. It identifies the policies that may apply.
3. Medical documentation. Your doctor makes medical decisions. Your records show the treatment you received. Georgia’s medical expense statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-12-1.1, provides that medical expenses are limited to the reasonable value of medically necessary care.
4. Demand and negotiation. The claim goes to the insurer. Negotiation may take months, depending on the injuries and the parties.
5. Lawsuit if needed. If a fair resolution isn’t reached, a lawsuit may be filed. Later stages can include discovery, mediation, or trial.

Ask for fee terms in writing before you sign. Ask whether the fee is a contingency fee, which is a percentage of any recovery. Even with a contingency fee, you may still owe court costs and case expenses, so ask how those are handled.

Why Ugwonali Law Group for a Serious Car Accident Claim

Ugwonali Law Group is led by attorney Adanna Ugwonali, who is the lawyer responsible for the firm’s car and truck matters. Our team of assistants and office staff supports that work.

The firm’s only office is at 3400 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia. It serves people in Fulton, Clayton, Cobb, and Rockdale counties, including Marietta, Jonesboro, and Conyers, and across Georgia.

Intake works in English or Spanish. The free first consultation is confidential, with no obligation to continue.

Our approach is to explain the legal and medical process in plain language. You should know your deadlines and fee terms before you decide what to do next. We can’t promise any result, and we won’t predict one.

Common Questions About Hiring a Car Accident Attorney

Choose a car accident attorney who explains deadlines, fees, and costs clearly and in writing.

Talk With Ugwonali Law Group About Your Crash

If a crash left you with a broken bone, a head or spinal injury, or the death of someone you love, you don’t have to sort out deadlines, insurance, and medical questions alone. Our team can review what happened and explain your options in plain language. Request a free case review and speak with our intake team in English or Spanish, with no obligation to continue.