An accident can leave you dealing with pain, missed work, and a pile of questions about what comes next. Our personal injury lawyer in High Point can help you understand your rights when someone else’s negligence caused your harm.
Van Sant Law has served Georgia residents since 2008, and we take the time to understand your situation before we build a plan for your case. Our founding attorney once defended insurance companies, so we know how they may approach your claim. If you were hurt, Make the Right Call and learn your options in a free consultation.
When You May Have a Personal Injury Claim
Not every accident leads to a legal claim. But many injuries happen because a person or business failed to act with reasonable care. When that failure causes harm, you may have the right to seek compensation for your losses.
The facts usually decide these questions. What happened, who was involved, and what evidence exists can all shape a claim. Accident reports, witness accounts, and medical records often matter a great deal.
If you are unsure whether your situation qualifies, have the details reviewed soon. Waiting can make evidence harder to find and deadlines harder to meet. An early review can also help you avoid mistakes that may hurt an insurance claim or lawsuit later.
Our Practice Areas at Van Sant Law
Our High Point personal injury lawyers handle a wide range of cases where someone else’s carelessness caused harm. Our main practice areas include:
- Car accident lawyer in High Point: Side-impact and rear-end crashes can cause whiplash, concussions, and broken ribs. We can handle the insurance claim while you get treatment and track your losses.
- Truck accident lawyer in High Point: A crash with a delivery truck or tractor-trailer can involve the driver, the trucking company, and several insurers. Our founding attorney once worked on the defense side of these cases, so we know what records to ask for.
- Motorcycle accident lawyer in High Point: Drivers who fail to check their mirrors or misjudge a bike’s speed cause many motorcycle crashes. We can help you push back if an insurer tries to pin the blame on you.
- Slip and fall lawyer in High Point: Spilled drinks, leaking coolers, and uneven pavement can cause sudden falls in stores and parking lots. We look at video, store records, and cleaning logs to see how long the danger was there.
- Dog bite lawyer in High Point: A dog attack can cause deep cuts, torn muscles, and fear that lasts long after the wounds heal. We can review whether the owner may be responsible under Georgia law and local rules.
- Wrongful death lawyer in High Point: When a preventable accident takes a loved one, a family may face funeral costs, lost income, and deep grief at once. We can explain how a wrongful death claim works and who may file one.
- Catastrophic injury lawyer in High Point: Severe brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and major burns can mean years of care and lost work. We work to account for those future costs as part of the claim.
- Premises liability lawyer in High Point: O.C.G.A. § 51-3-1 requires owners to use ordinary care to keep their property safe for customers and guests. A broken step, a missing handrail, or a dark stairwell may support a claim if it caused your injury.
Some cases involve more than one of these areas at once. A fall in a parking lot after a crash, for example, may raise both a vehicle claim and a premises claim.
Where Injuries Happen Around High Point
High Point is a neighborhood in Sandy Springs, in Fulton County, near Roswell Road and the High Point Road corridor. Roswell Road is the area’s main business route, lined with stores, restaurants, and apartments. Constant turns into and out of driveways can lead to T-bone crashes, rear-end collisions, and pedestrian injuries.
High Point Road runs through quieter residential streets, but it still carries traffic between neighborhoods, schools, and Roswell Road. Drivers using it as a shortcut may speed or roll through stop signs. People walking, biking, or waiting at bus stops can be hurt when a driver is not paying attention.
I-285 sits just south of the neighborhood and carries heavy commuter and truck traffic. Sudden slowdowns, merges near the Roswell Road exit, and distracted drivers can cause serious crashes. When a tractor-trailer is involved, the claim may include the trucking company and its insurer.
Steps to Take After an Accident in High Point
Get medical attention first, even if your symptoms seem minor. Wellstar North Fulton Hospital in Roswell is a Level II trauma center, and Northside Hospital Atlanta in Sandy Springs provides emergency care. Prompt treatment protects your health and creates a record that links your injury to the accident.
After a crash, call 911 so the Sandy Springs Police Department can respond and write a report. You can get the crash report later at police headquarters, through the department’s online portal, or through Crashdocs.org. If you can, take these steps as well:
- Follow your treatment plan and keep every discharge paper
- Report a fall or other injury to the property owner or manager
- Save photos, receipts, and contact details for witnesses
- Do not sign releases or medical forms you do not understand
- Talk with a lawyer before you accept a settlement
Avoid discussing fault at the scene or giving a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer. Comments that seem harmless can be used to argue that you caused the accident. Notes about your symptoms and missed work can also help as your case develops.
What We Do in the First 72 Hours
The first three days after you hire us often shape how strong your case becomes. Here is what we typically aim to do in that time.
Initial Case Evaluation
We begin with a long talk about the accident, your injuries, and how your life has changed. We review the papers you have and look at who may be legally responsible. By the end, you should understand your options and our plan.
Evidence Preservation
Evidence does not wait for anyone. Security cameras may record over footage, and vehicles may be fixed or junked. We act fast to secure video, photos, and records, and we may inspect the scene or vehicles ourselves.
Insurance Hold Letters
We put every insurance company on notice in writing that we represent you. Adjusters should then send their questions to us instead of calling you. The letters also tell the at-fault side to keep evidence such as video, vehicle data, and driver records.
Medical Referrals
Good medical care helps you heal and helps show the full extent of your injuries. If you need help finding treatment, we can connect you with medical resources. We also start pulling your records so each visit is documented.
How a High Point Personal Injury Lawyer Proves Fault
A strong claim begins with facts, not guesses. A personal injury lawyer in High Point looks at how the accident happened, who may be responsible, and what proof supports your side. That proof may include photos, video, witness statements, reports, and medical records.
Fault is not always simple. A crash may involve a careless driver and that driver’s employer, while a fall may involve both a property owner and a management company. We look past the obvious defendant when the facts support it.
Insurers often claim you were partly to blame. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, your recovery may be cut by your share of fault, and you may recover nothing if you are 50% or more at fault. Clear evidence can help keep the blame where it belongs.
Filing Deadlines and the Fulton County Court Process
Under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, Georgia generally gives you two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. A claim against a government body comes with an extra step. You must first send a written ante litem notice, often well before the two-year deadline.
Claims against Fulton County generally need notice within 12 months, and claims against the City of Sandy Springs within six months. Claims against the State of Georgia need notice within 12 months under O.C.G.A. § 50-21-26. Missing one of these deadlines could cost you the right to recover.
Many clients tell us they do not want to sue anyone, and many claims do settle through insurance. If yours does not, the case may be filed in the State Court of Fulton County with a complaint filed online. The defendant generally has 30 days to answer after being served, and both sides then share evidence in discovery before mediation or trial.
What Compensation May Be Available?
A claim may seek money for medical bills, surgery, therapy, and future care. It may also cover lost wages and a reduced ability to earn if your injuries keep you from working the way you did before. Pain, emotional distress, and the loss of activities you enjoy may also be part of the claim.
The amount depends on the evidence, the type of injury, and how the accident has changed your daily life. Early settlement offers often come before your doctors know your full outlook. Once you sign a release, it is usually too late to ask for more for the same injury.
Why Work With Van Sant Law?
Our founding attorney, David M. Van Sant, once represented major employers, insurers, and some of the largest motor carriers in the world as insurance-defense counsel. He also worked directly for insurers that covered trucking companies. In one case, we recovered $1.32 million for a man hurt in a T-bone collision, though past results do not predict future outcomes.
“High Point is a quiet Sandy Springs neighborhood, but Roswell Road and I-285 bring serious traffic dangers right to its doorstep,” said David M. Van Sant, founding attorney of Van Sant Law. “When an accident happens here, we move fast to gather the evidence a strong case may need under Georgia law.”
We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, are available 24/7, and offer Spanish-language services. You can sign your case electronically, or we can visit you at home or in the hospital. Our attorneys live in the communities we serve, and we have an office in Sandy Springs.
Talk With Van Sant Law About Your Next Steps
After an injury, not knowing what comes next can be one of the hardest parts. A High Point personal injury lawyer can answer your questions, explain your options, and handle the insurance company while you heal.
Contact Van Sant Law today for a free consultation about your injury claim. We never settle a case unless the client is happy with the result; that is the Van Sant Law client satisfaction guarantee.
