Did you sustain an injury to your eye due to an accident caused by someone else? It’s hard enough to adjust to the impact of an eye injury, but it can be even more frustrating when you realize that your discomfort could have been prevented.
At Van Sant Law, you can count on our eye injury lawyers in Alpharetta to represent you and pursue compensation. We’ll focus on investigating how your injury happened, identifying potentially responsible parties, and communicating with insurance companies for you.
Founded in 2008, our law firm has recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for our clients. Make the Right Call by letting our personal injury lawyers in Alpharetta serve you.
Eye Injury Claims Can Involve Serious Losses
An eye injury can affect far more than your physical comfort. Changes in vision can interfere with driving, working, reading, using a computer, caring for your family, or enjoying activities that once felt routine. That is why an injury claim should account for the actual effect of the injury.
Medical expenses are one part of the picture, but they are not necessarily the only losses available for compensation. Depending on the circumstances, damages in a Georgia personal injury case can include the following losses:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Other consequences connected to the injury
A lawyer can examine the evidence and determine which damages are supported by the facts of your case.
The legal focus is also not simply on how painful the injury is. Your eye injury attorney in Alpharetta needs to establish why another person or entity is legally responsible and show the connection between that conduct, the injury, and your resulting losses.
Insurance Companies Have a Financial Interest in Your Claim
After an accident, an insurance adjuster might contact you about your injuries, medical treatment, the accident itself, or a possible settlement. It is important to remember that the adjuster’s job is to represent the insurance company’s interests.
The insurance company is not on your side, and its evaluation of your claim is not necessarily the same as your own assessment of your losses. A lawyer can do the following on your behalf:
- Handle communications with the insurer
- Review requests for records or statements
- Assess whether an offer accounts for the full extent of your damages
Many people hesitate to pursue an injury claim because they do not want to sue someone. That concern is understandable. However, in many personal injury cases, the claim is primarily against an insurance company rather than an individual personally.
Insurance exists to provide coverage when accidents cause injuries and property damage. Seeking compensation through available insurance coverage is not about ruining another person’s finances.
Our Alpharetta eye injury attorneys can focus on holding the applicable insurer accountable so you are not left paying expenses caused by someone else’s conduct.
Evidence Can Strengthen the Connection Between Your Injury and the Accident
Eye injuries can sometimes present challenges because an insurance company might question whether a particular symptom came from the accident. Medical documentation can help establish the timeline.
Records can show when symptoms began, what doctors observed, what treatment was recommended, and whether problems continued over time. Other evidence can also help establish the impact of the injury.
Depending on the circumstances, evidence in your case may include:
- Medical bills and treatment records.
- Employment records documenting missed work or reduced income.
- Statements from people who observed changes in your daily activities.
- Photographs or video from the accident scene.
- Accident reports and witness statements.
- Records showing recommended future treatment.
- Documentation concerning changes in your ability to perform ordinary activities.
The point is to establish the entire story rather than reducing the claim to a single medical bill. An Alpharetta eye injury attorney can organize this evidence and use it when communicating with the insurance company or presenting your case in court, if necessary.
Georgia Law Places Time Limits on Injury Lawsuits
A person who has suffered an eye injury should also understand that Georgia law imposes deadlines for filing lawsuits. Under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, the general limitation period for personal injury actions is two years from the date the right of action accrues.
That is a general rule, not a guarantee that every eye injury lawsuit has exactly the same deadline. Different circumstances can create different deadlines or requirements. Some claims can be governed by additional rules, such as those involving:
- Government entities
- Workers’ compensation
- Injured minors
The fact that an insurance company is discussing your claim does not mean you can ignore the applicable lawsuit deadline. Our Alpharetta eye injury lawyers can determine which limitation period applies and take appropriate action before the deadline expires.
Waiting too long can also make evidence harder to obtain. Surveillance footage can disappear, witnesses can become difficult to locate, and records can become harder to collect.
Comparative Fault Can Change the Amount You Can Recover
Fault is another issue that can directly affect the outcome of a Georgia injury claim. Georgia’s comparative fault statute requires the court to reduce damages based on a plaintiff’s percentage of fault when applicable.
The law also prevents recovery when the plaintiff is 50% or more at fault. Consider a situation in which an injured person is found to be 20% responsible for an accident. If their damages were $100,000, their degree of fault could reduce their recovery to $80,000.
This is why insurance negotiations shouldn’t be based solely on the amount of a medical bill. All of these details can affect the value of your claim:
- Fault
- Causation
- Liability
- Insurance coverage
- The full scope of damages
An Alpharetta eye injury lawyer can investigate the evidence behind an insurer’s fault assessment and argue for a different allocation when the facts support it.
Contact Van Sant Law for Advice From an Eye Injury Attorney in Alpharetta
When a person or entity is legally responsible for causing your eye injuries, you shouldn’t have to absorb the costs because an insurance company disputed the value of your claim. At Van Sant Law, an Alpharetta eye injury lawyer can investigate the circumstances for you.
From there, we can determine who’s responsible, identify available insurance opportunities, gather relevant evidence, and calculate damages on your behalf. We will focus on negotiating with insurers and pursuing litigation when appropriate.
We understand the legal framework that applies to your circumstances, and we’re familiar with the insurance side of personal injury litigation.
Make the Right Call and let us advocate for your right to a settlement offer that accounts for the full extent of your losses.
