Car Crashes
When you’re following your daily routines — driving home from work, heading to the grocery store or gym — you don’t expect your life to change in a single instant. Very few things can disrupt your health, income and family life as suddenly and unexpectedly as a violent car crash in Georgia or anywhere for that matter.
There are 5.7 million drivers in the State of Georgia. According to the most recent Georgia Department of Transportation crash statistics available, there were 2.5 million crashes between 1996 and 2003. That’s nearly one accident for every two drivers. Of those, over a million involved injuries and there were over 12,000 fatalities. Statistically speaking, if you drive for long enough, you’re going to have an accident; there’s a relatively high chance that the accident will result in an injury; and although much rarer, there’s a chance that a person will die as a result.
If you are in a serious automobile accident near Atlanta or anywhere in Georgia — one that involves a lot of damage and/or even minor injuries — there are certain measures that you should immediately take to protect your physical well being as well as your legal rights. That is why it is crucial to get an experienced Georgia Personal Injury Attorney as fast as possible.
First, assess the safety of your location. Is it safer to stay in your car, or would it be a better idea to exit your vehicle and stand in the median or side of the road? Can you drive your car to where it is less likely to be struck again? Are there any chemicals on the ground, including spilled fuel?
Next, you will want to check on your own physical condition as well as the condition of your passengers and the other motorists. Do not attempt to move anyone that is complaining of neck or back injuries unless the situation demands it (i.e. fire, chemical spill, gas cloud).
Call 911 to get the appropriate agencies responding. The 911 dispatcher will ask you questions that will ensure that you get police, fire rescue and tow vehicles en route to your location. The call-taker will be typing computer notes to another person who will dispatch rescue units to your seen. Help is on the way, even though you’re still speaking to the call-taker.
Try to identify independent witnesses to the crash. Whether you are dealing with an Atlanta police officer or a Georgia state trooper, the accident investigation will follow the same course. The investigating officer will ask you and the other party what occurred; they will then ask any independent witnesses what they saw; and then they will examine the vehicles and scene for physical clues. If there is any conflict in testimonies, they will defer to the independent witnesses, who neutral third parties.
If you notice that the other driver is drunk or demonstrates signs of narcotics use, discretely inform the investigation officer. The officer may not detect these things and it is useful in accident injury and wrongful death cases—should you decide to pursue your legal rights through the Georgia court system.
Obtain a copy of the crash report. You will not be able to get the full crash report on the scene of an accident. The police will generally give you a case card or a driver’s exchange form. The report will be available at the police station in a few days. Some Georgia agencies now provide online service for police reports. In any event, a car accident attorney will be able to better advise you if you have the police report in hand.
If you have been injured in a crash, contact a qualified lawyer who specializes in Georgia car accident injuries and wrongful deaths. A qualified Georgia Personal Injury Attorney can guide you through the steps of your physical and financial recovery.
If you’re a resident of Georgia and you’ve been injured in a car accident, make an appointment with the automobile accident attorneys at Boling Rice. 770-406-6615
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