If you need a car accident lawyer in Normaltown, Van Sant Law can explain your rights, handle insurance negotiations, and pursue compensation for your injuries.
We have served Georgia residents since 2008, helping clients with claims involving rear-end crashes, head-on collisions, hit-and-run wrecks, and other serious accidents.
We take the time to understand your injuries and develop a strategy that fits your needs. Contact us for a free consultation with a Normaltown personal injury lawyer to discuss your options.
Protecting Your Claim in the First 72 Hours
After a car accident, seek medical care and report the collision. If you can safely do so, photograph the scene, exchange insurance information, and collect witnesses’ contact details.
For crashes investigated by Athens-Clarke County Police, you can obtain traffic accident reports through the department’s approved vendors. For private-property crash reports, contact ACCPD or visit its East Precinct. Keep your report number so we can help obtain and review the report.
What Van Sant Law Does in the First 72 Hours
When you hire Van Sant Law, we begin investigating and protecting evidence before it is lost or overwritten. Depending on your case, our work in the first 72 hours includes:
- Documenting the scene: We investigate roadway conditions, vehicle damage, traffic signals, and other evidence that helps establish how the collision happened.
- Preserving vehicle data: When available, we preserve event data recorder information about speed, braking, and other details preceding the crash.
- Contacting witnesses: We identify witnesses and work to preserve their accounts while their memories are fresh.
- Sending preservation letters: We ask potentially responsible parties, insurers, and other relevant entities to retain records, electronic data, photographs, and other evidence.
- Reviewing government notice requirements: If an Athens-Clarke County or other government vehicle was involved, we identify applicable notice requirements and deadlines.
Common Causes of Collisions in Normaltown
Speeding, distracted driving, unsafe lane changes, and following too closely can cause serious collisions. Failure to yield also puts other road users at risk. Athens-Clarke County’s July 2026 crash update describes one such collision at Prince Avenue and Franklin Street, where a driver turning left failed to yield to a cyclist.
Impairment, fatigue, poor visibility, and road conditions may also contribute to a wreck. At Van Sant Law, we review photographs, witness accounts, available footage, and vehicle damage to establish what caused your collision and identify each party that may be legally responsible.
Injuries That Often Follow Serious Wrecks
A motor vehicle collision can cause injuries ranging from temporary pain to permanent disability. Your medical records help establish the diagnosis, treatment needs, and connection between the crash and your injuries.
Common injuries include:
- Whiplash and other neck and back injuries.
- Broken bones and joint damage.
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
- Internal injuries and organ damage.
- Spinal cord injuries, burns, and permanent scarring.
At Van Sant Law, we consider the full effect of your injuries when evaluating a settlement offer. That includes follow-up treatment, rehabilitation, work restrictions, and documented emotional harm.
How Our Normaltown Car Accident Lawyers Establish Fault
Our Normaltown car accident lawyers establish fault by gathering evidence that another party’s negligence caused your injuries and losses. A traffic violation can support a claim, but we must also connect the conduct to the collision and resulting harm.
Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, your damages generally decrease by your percentage of fault. If you are 50% or more responsible, you cannot recover damages. Van Sant Law carefully reviews fault allegations because they can substantially affect your recovery.
Useful evidence may include:
- Witness statements and surveillance footage.
- Vehicle damage and repair records.
- Medical records connecting injuries to the collision.
- Available cellphone records and vehicle data.
Compensation Available After a Normaltown Crash
When another party causes your injuries, compensation may cover both financial losses and the personal effects of the crash. We document each category with records and other supporting evidence.
Your claim may include:
- Emergency care, hospitalization, medication, and rehabilitation expenses.
- Future medical treatment supported by medical evidence.
- Lost income and reduced future earning ability.
- Pain, suffering, and physical limitations.
- Vehicle damage and related out-of-pocket expenses.
There is no standard settlement amount. At Van Sant Law, we evaluate your injuries, available insurance, and supporting evidence to pursue compensation that reflects your losses.
Van Sant Law’s Car Accident Case Results
Van Sant Law has recovered compensation for clients injured in a range of vehicle collisions. Our published results include:
- An $850,000 settlement for a woman who suffered neck injuries in a T-bone collision.
- A $650,000 recovery for a client who suffered a back injury in a rear-end collision.
- A $497,000 trial verdict for a person struck by a drunk driver.
Past results do not predict the outcome of your claim, which depends on its facts, evidence, and available coverage.
Dealing With Insurance Companies
Before giving the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement or signing a settlement release, speak with us about how it could affect your claim. You must also meet applicable notice and cooperation requirements under your own policy.
At Van Sant Law, we handle insurer communications and identify available coverage. David M. Van Sant’s background as insurance-defense counsel helps us anticipate and respond to insurer arguments.
We seek payment through available insurance. If a lawsuit is necessary, it generally names the responsible party, even when an insurer pays the covered damages.
Medical Liens and Your Settlement
Medical liens and insurance repayment claims can reduce the amount you receive from a settlement. For treatment in Athens-Clarke County, lien records may be filed with the clerk of the Clarke County Superior Court. O.C.G.A. § 44-14-471 also requires filing in the patient’s county of residence if the patient lives in Georgia.
We review applicable liens and repayment demands, address disputes, and explain any deductions before distributing your settlement funds.
Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit in Clarke County
Under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, you generally have two years from the crash date to file a personal injury lawsuit. This statewide deadline applies to claims filed in Clarke County. Exceptions can change that period, and claims involving government entities may require earlier notices.
When Clarke County is the proper venue, a car accident lawsuit may proceed in State Court or Superior Court. The defendant’s residence and other legal rules affect where we file. Both local courts use mandatory civil electronic filing through PeachCourt.
Van Sant Law prepares the complaint, arranges service, and tracks applicable deadlines. Filing and serving the lawsuit are separate steps, and insurance negotiations alone do not extend the filing deadline.
Speak With a Normaltown Car Accident Attorney
A Normaltown car accident attorney at Van Sant Law can review your documents and explain your next steps during a free consultation.
We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. Our firm never settles a case unless the client is happy with the result; that is the Van Sant Law client satisfaction guarantee.
We are available 24/7, offer Spanish-language services, and provide electronic case signing and home or hospital visits when needed. Make the Right Call. Contact us to discuss your claim.
