Cartersville Personal Injury Attorneys

If you or someone close to you has suffered the devastating consequences of a car accident, tractor-trailer collision or other serious accident, your ability to seek fair compensation for your injuries or loss depends in part on taking prompt action. Legal claims are governed by strict deadlines, including timing requirements governing claims against government entities for unsafe roadways, and the statute of limitations, which requires a civil lawsuit to be initiated within a certain time after an accident or injury. The importance of these formal timing requirements is mirrored by other critical time-sensitive issues that can impact a personal injury claim, such as seeking medical attention, preserving critical evidence and obtaining prompt legal advice. An experienced Cartersville personal injury attorney at Montlick & Associates can review the evidence in your case and advise you regarding your legal options.

Insurance companies prey on personal injury victims because their sole motivation in any case is to avoid paying compensation to the injury victim. There is a whole litany of sharp practices that the insurance company for the other driver might employ to avoid compensating you for your injuries, including but not limited to the following:

Asking you to provide a recorded statement: An accident victim is under no obligation to comply with this request and should never agree to do so. The only reason for requesting an accident victim to make a recorded statement is to obtain damaging information or inconsistent statements that will be used later to undermine a Cartersville personal injury victim’s case.

Settling quickly before medical or legal advice is obtained: An insurance company adjuster knows that as long as you have not obtained an extensive medical evaluation or legal advice the advantage lies with the insurance company. They may call and offer a check for your medical bills, repair of your vehicle, and a little more soon after the accident. It is never advisable to settle a personal injury claim until you have an idea about the severity of your injuries and have completed the course of treatment. Sometimes your medical condition will turn out to be worse than you realized or other medical conditions will not be immediately apparent. Cartersville personal injury victims also should obtain legal advice before agreeing to any settlement.

Avoid signing documents: There are several documents that the insurance company may ask you to sign, including a consent for release of information or a general release of liability. Either of these documents could damage your case. You should never sign any paperwork provided by the other driver’s insurance company without obtaining legal advice.

Because Montlick and Associates has been representing those who suffer serious injuries or wrongful death in Cartersville and throughout Georgia since we were founded in 1984, we have successfully represented clients in a diverse range of cases, including motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall accidents, product liability claims, worker’s compensation claims, premises liability claims and more. Although we have the experience to handle virtually all personal injury cases in Cartersville, some of those we have successfully handled include:

Cartersville Wrongful Death: The overwhelming emotional and fiscal challenges of losing a close family member can be devastating to a family left behind. Many times family members struggle even more knowing that the premature and unnecessary loss of their loved one was caused by the negligent or intentional acts of another. We have been fighting for families of wrongful death victims in Cartersville for almost three decades.

Cartersville Premises Liability Cases: Premises liability cases cover a broad range of injury cases, such as slip and fall accidents, negligent security cases, animal attacks, spa entrapment accidents, pool drowning accidents, construction site injuries and many more. When you are injured on the property of a business owner, public agency or private residence, you may have a right to bring an action for your injuries depending on the specific facts. These cases require a careful review of the facts to determine whether the property owner is liable so we offer a free consultation to evaluate your claim.

Cartersville Motor Vehicle Crash Claims (Auto Accidents): Motor vehicle accident claims are the most common type of personal injury claim by a wide margin. Tens of thousands of people per year suffer wrongful death and millions are injured in motor vehicle accidents. Our long history of aggressively pursuing Cartersville motor vehicle collision claims in Cartersville means that we can handle the full spectrum of cases including: tractor-trailer collisions, drunken driving accidents, distracted driving collisions, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle collisions, bus crashes and more.

Cartersville Animal Attacks (e.g. dog attacks/maulings): When residents of Cartersville and the surrounding areas choose to own pets, they generally are responsible for taking appropriate precautions to prevent injury to others. Nonetheless, dog bite claims account for over $410 million dollars in settled and litigation claims against homeowner’s policies annually throughout the United States. Cartersville dog attacks may result in severe injuries requiring surgery, especially when the incident involves a vicious breed.

Cartersville Nursing Home Abuse or Negligence Claims: Nursing home facilities in Cartersville and throughout Georgia have an obligation to provide adequate care including nutrition, hydration, and access to or assistance with hygiene. When Cartersville nursing homes fail to fulfill this obligation or worse engage in physical, emotional, sexual or financial abuse of a resident, our experienced Cartersville nursing home abuse attorneys may be able to represent your loved one in seeking financial compensation.

Cartersville Defective Products: An increasing number of products marketed in the United States are manufactured in China and other countries with poor quality control and minimal safety standards. Consumers have a right to expect that products made available to the public have been safely constructed and adequately tested to ensure that they do not pose a danger to consumers. If a defective product injures you, our experienced Cartersville defective product injury attorneys may be able to assist you in pursuing compensation for your injuries.

Cartersville Workers' Compensation Cases: Most employees experiencing an injury on a construction site, suffering mesothelioma resulting from asbestos exposure in the workplace, or enduring a painful repetitive motion injury like carpal tunnel have a right to seek workers' compensation benefits. While the workers' compensation system is a no-fault insurance benefit, it often provides far less compensation than a personal injury claim. We explore the possibility of both types of claims where a third party has contributed to your injury.

Cartersville Pedestrian Accidents - While most pedestrian accidents are caused by negligent (i.e. unreasonably unsafe) or reckless drivers of motor vehicles, this is not the only cause of serious or fatal Cartersville pedestrian accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured crossing the street, walking on a sidewalk or across a parking lot, call us for your free consultation.

If you or someone you love has suffered a serious personal injury or a loved one has died, our experienced Cartersville personal injury lawyers are committed to representing personal injury and wrongful death victims in obtaining compensation to rebuild their lives and support their families. Call now for your FREE CONSULTATION with Montlick and Associates' experienced Cartersville personal injury attorneys. Our attorneys are available to help you and may even visit you if needed. You can call us anytime 24/7 at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) for a FREE CONSULTATION. Alternatively, you can visit our website, www.montlick.com, to make use of our FREE CASE EVALUATION FORM or 24-hour live online chat service.

People cross the street everyday to exercise, walk to the store and accompany their children to school. It is rare that we stop and think about the danger involved in this commonplace activity that is so fundamental to our lives. When a pedestrian is hit by a motor vehicle while walking or jogging in Cartersville or throughout Georgia, there is a high probability that he or she will suffer life-altering injuries or even wrongful death. There is simply no such thing as a minor pedestrian accident. The human body is not designed to withstand the impact of thousands of pounds of steel moving at high rates of speed. More than 4,000 people per year die in fatal pedestrian accidents and another 59,000 people suffer injuries in pedestrian collisions annually. When a pedestrian is hit by a motor vehicle in Cartersville, whether a car, truck or SUV, the results are generally devastating.

Understanding the Causes of Cartersville Pedestrian Accidents

While most pedestrian accidents are caused by negligent (i.e. unreasonably unsafe) or reckless drivers of motor vehicles, this is not the only cause of serious or fatal Cartersville pedestrian accidents. Pedestrian accidents may also be caused by the defective design of a roadway or intersection or motor vehicle defects, which inhibit a driver’s ability to respond properly when it is necessary to stop or swerve to avoid a pedestrian accident. One of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents is poor public safety planning when constructing roads and highways in Georgia. Because so many pedestrian accidents are at least partially caused by poor safety planning by public entities, it is essential to work with an experienced pedestrian accident attorney in Georgia that understands the special rules and procedures involved with pursuing a claim against a public entity, as well as possessing the resources to prevail such litigation. Georgia cities consistently appear in ranking of the most dangerous cities in the U.S.

The many years of experience and expertise possessed by our Cartersville pedestrian accident attorneys means that we are qualified to handle all types of pedestrian accidents. Some of the types of pedestrian accidents that we handle include, but are not limited to the following:

• Pedestrians hit by drunk or drug-impaired drivers
• Pedestrian accidents caused by inattentive drivers (distracted driving)
• Motorists who collide with pedestrians when they run red lights or stop signs
• Drivers who exceed the speed limit and are not able to stop in time to avoid running down a pedestrian
• Unsafe road design, including lack of crosswalks, poorly timed signals, inappropriate speed limits, blind curves and visual obstructions caused by overgrown foliage
• Maintenance companies that fail to properly inspect and repair buses and other public transit vehicles
• Product defects in motor vehicles

While anyone who walks in Cartersville is at potential risk of being injured in a pedestrian accident, children and the elderly are the most common victims of pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions. Almost forty percent of pedestrians injured in collisions with cars or trucks are children under the age of 15 because of children’s relative degree of inexperience and lack of maturity. Children are more likely to make mistakes that place them in the path of a motor vehicle. Scientific studies have shown part of the reason for this increased risk is that children are less able to judge distance and speed. Senior citizens are also at a greater risk of being involved in pedestrian accidents with thousands of seniors being injured in pedestrian accidents each year.

Preventing Fatal Cartersville Pedestrian Accidents

While our experienced Cartersville pedestrian accident attorneys at Montlick and Associates have helped many pedestrian accident victims throughout Georgia obtain compensation for their injuries, we would prefer that pedestrians not be injured in the first place. Despite the inherent danger of placing unprotected pedestrians and large, heavy motor vehicles in close proximity, there are still ways to reduce the risk of pedestrian accidents, including the following:

• Use Crosswalks: Pedestrians should never cross in the middle of the block. If possible, you should always use a crosswalk.
• Wear Bright or Reflective Clothing: While it is always a good idea to wear bright or fluorescent clothing that makes you visible when walking, it is even more important to do so at night when it can be very difficult for drivers to see pedestrians.
• Use Controlled Intersections: While it may not always be possible to cross at intersections with traffic signals, you should try to do so wherever possible.
• Closely Supervise Children: Because children lack the ability to accurately judge speed and distance and have less experience responding to traffic, you should closely supervise children when they are walking or crossing the street.
• Avoid Highways and Freeways: Although it might seem obvious that it is never a good idea to cross a freeway or highway where traffic is moving at a high rate of speed, many pedestrians are killed every year engaging in this extremely dangerous practice.

Anyone who is injured or loses a loved one in a pedestrian accident in Cartersville or anywhere throughout Georgia may suffer severe injuries. Pedestrians who are struck by motor vehicles frequently suffer serious head injuries, permanent brain damage, debilitating spinal cord injuries, severe fractures or broken bones and potentially fatal internal organ injuries. Our reputation for obtaining substantial settlements and judgments on behalf of pedestrian accident victims means that insurance companies must consider the risk of a substantial verdict when evaluating what to offer as a settlement of your Cartersville pedestrian accident claim. While we are more than ready to take a case to trial if we do not believe that our client is getting a favorable settlement offer, our reputation for obtaining significant verdicts means our clients are more likely to get more generous settlement offers. If you are injured or lose a loved one in a Cartersville pedestrian accident, we may be able to help you seek financial compensation including the following:

• Medical expenses and hospital bills
• Lost salary or past or present wages
• Property damage, such as the cost of vehicle repair or replacement and other out-of-pocket losses
• Future lost income from disabling injuries
• Intangible damages, such as pain and suffering and diminished enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium damages (diminished services or companionship of a spouse)
• Funeral and burial expenses in a wrongful death action
• Punitive damages (certain cases)

Contact Us Today to Reclaim Your Future

We invite you to contact us if you have been involved in a pedestrian accident in Cartersville and suffer serious injuries or someone you love has died. We understand the enormous anxiety, anger and fear that you may be experiencing when you are the victim of a Cartersville pedestrian accident. Our committed team of Cartersville pedestrian accident lawyers is available to analyze your pedestrian accident claim. Our Cartersville pedestrian accident attorneys have helped many pedestrian accident victims just like you.

Be aware of your legal rights! If you have been injured in a Cartersville pedestrian accident, you may be eligible for financial compensation. Call now for a FREE CONSULTATION with Montlick and Associates' experienced Cartersville pedestrian accident attorneys.

Our attorneys are available to help you and may even visit you if needed. You can call us anytime 24/7 at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) for your FREE CONSULTATION. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.montlick.com to make use of our FREE CASE EVALUATION FORM or 24-hour live online chat service.