We break down our most frequently asked questions when it comes to getting injured from a motor vehicle accident or on the job. We hope you will find this information useful and easy to remember for those times when it happens to you or a loved one. Please feel free to share or bookmark this page. Let’s begin.
If You’re Driving Without a License and Someone Else Hits You, Can You Still Recover From That Accident?
The answer is ABSOLUTELY. If someone else causes the injury, it doesn’t matter if you have a license or not, you could still recover. Now, it is likely that you will get a ticket for driving without a license, but the Law Firm of Matthew C. Hines can help you with that also, and we give reduced costs to clients who we represent on an injury claim.
Just Because You’re in an Accident, Does Not Mean You Can Recover
What’s important here is that the other person is at fault. The other person has to cause the accident and warrant a ticket for doing so.
If You Are Involved in an Accident as a Passenger in a Car, Can You Still Recover?
The answer is yes, you can. It doesn’t matter if you’re driving, or whether it’s your car. If you’re in an accident and someone else caused it, you can still recover. What’s interesting in this scenario is that if you’re a passenger, it’s obvious that you didn’t cause the accident since you weren’t driving so it’s possible that you may have 2 claims. One against the other vehicle and one against the driver of the car that you were in when the accident occurred. Some people might take issue with this if the driver of the vehicle was their best friend or family member- but nevertheless the option is there if you want it.
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If You Don’t Have Car Insurance and Someone Hits You, Can You Still Recover?
The answer here is absolutely. So long as the driver who caused the accident has their own insurance, you can still recover from the damage and injuries caused by the accident. Please note that we do not want to suggest to anyone that it’s okay to drive around without car insurance, because it’s not. That being said however, if someone else hits you and they are insured, you can still recover from the accident.
If You’ve Been With an Attorney for a While and You’re Not Happy With That Attorney, Can You Switch to a New Attorney?
One of the biggest complaints we receive here at our Atlanta Law Firm is that the other attorney never returns their call, or they could never get anyone to return their phone call whenever they have a question. If you are fed up with the lack of communication from the firm you are working with, it’s not difficult at all to walk away and work with another firm. At the Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines, we could take care of that for you. We could get all the necessary documents signed without your involvement and we could make the switch for you. Our staff is trained to answer your calls, get you the answers you need and always be available whenever you need us.
After an Injury, How Long Do I have to File a Claim?
A very important question. With a car accident, you have 2 years to file a claim. This differs from a Workers’ Compensation claim where you only have 1 year to file a claim. Speaking of Workers’ Compensation, you only have 30 days to report the injury to your employer from the day of the injury. This is where a lot of people fall short- they wait too long to take action. If this happens to you and you get injured on the job:
- Send an email, a text message or a certified letter to your supervisor- something that could be documented as proof that you did in fact give them notice of your injury.
This is important because when we represent our Workers’ Compensation clients, the insurance company will oftentimes complain and say that they were never notified of the injury. This is more common than you may think! So if you send something in writing at the time of the injury to your supervisor, you now have proof that you notified them in a timely manner, leaving the insurance company without a good argument not to compensate you.
Don’t Wait to Seek Medical Treatment
One of the biggest problems we encounter when it comes to a personal injury claim, is that the person waited TOO LONG to seek medical treatment. If you were involved in an accident and you didn’t decide to see a doctor within 2-3 days from the accident, it will create a problem.
When involved in an accident, the best thing you could do is:
- Go to the hospital the same day of the accident
- Seek the guidance of a chiropractor or physical therapist the very next day and start getting treated for you injuries
What you don’t want to do is think to yourself, “Oh I’m just a little sore, I’m sure the pain will go away soon.” At our firm, we get calls all the time that our client wants to start treatment 3 or 4 weeks later because the pain never subsided, but often it’s too late as once again, the insurance companies are not buying it.
Don’t Go to Court Alone
If you get a traffic ticket or any kind of charge, don’t go to court alone. Have a lawyer by your side to protect your rights, someone who knows and understands the system and how to best handle your situation. Don’t face that judge by yourself.
If you have any questions, please give us a call at 770-800-2000 or fill out our contact form.
