If you have been involved in a car accident and are now being sued, you need to obtain legal representation immediately. Unfortunately, the various legal processes accompanying an accident victim filing a lawsuit against you can be overly complex and almost impossible to navigate on your own.
It is in your best interests to retain the services of an experienced auto accident attorney who can advise you of your rights and legal options you may have moved forward. Contact our law firm and ask to schedule a free case evaluation.
Do I Have to Answer the Complaint That Has Been Filed Against Me?
In Georgia, when another party files a complaint, the defendant usually has 30 days to respond. Failure to respond to the lawsuit may cause the court to automatically rule against you. As a result, the court may rule in the plaintiff’s favor assuming that you are admitting to the claims they have made against you.
It is critical that you hire an auto accident attorney who can file a response to the plaintiff’s claim. Filing a response gives you the necessary legal grounds to ensure that your side of the story is heard by the court.
What Happens if More Than One Person is at Fault for an Accident?
Georgia has a law known as the comparative negligence rule which basically states that even if you were partially at fault for an accident you may still be eligible to recover damages. Comparative negligence means that the amount of compensation that you may be eligible to receive is reduced by the percent of fault that the court assigns to you. For example, if the court finds that you were 25% responsible for the accident occurring, and your settlement was originally $10,000 you would end up with $7500.
It should be noted however that if the court determines that you are at least 50% responsible for the accident you will not be entitled to receive compensation. This is why it pays to retain a
skilled auto accident attorney who can fight to ensure that your liability is kept to a minimum.
Should I Wait Until I Am Served With a Complaint to Hire an Attorney?
After you have been involved in an auto accident, one of the first steps that you should take is to seek legal representation. By hiring an attorney at the onset of your case, you put yourself in a better legal position. This enables your lawyer to start building and strengthening your case from the beginning rather than trying to catch up after you have been served a complaint.
How Can an Auto Accident Attorney Help Me If I Am Being Sued?
An experienced auto accident attorney will fight to protect your rights after a suit has been filed against you. In addition, we can work to try and negotiate a settlement between you and the plaintiff before ever having to go to court. If you have also suffered damages from the accident, we can fight to obtain compensation for you as well.
Contact our law firm by calling 706-420-2949 and ask to schedule a free consultation.