If you’ve been injured and you are considering hiring an attorney to represent you in a personal injury lawsuit, you may be wondering how you will pay them for their time and effort. You know that you’ll need an attorney’s help to seek rightful compensation, but what if you don’t have the funds to pay them up front? Given that you’ve recently been injured, chances are that you’re grappling with medical bills and the impacts of taking time away from work. If you can’t afford retainer fees right now, can you still hire an experienced personal injury attorney? The good news is that many personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. Embracing a contingency fee model means that your attorney will only get paid if you’re awarded compensation. The lawyers at Dozier Law work on a contingency basis when handling injury cases. We can assist you with navigating…

When you are recovering from an accident and ready to start your lawsuit, one of the most common questions we get asked is, "how long will this take?" The answer is always, "it depends." The timeline for each personal injury case is a little different and depends on many factors. The main factors involved are the other side, the court, and yourself. This article will explain the typical timeline of a personal injury case—but remember that each case varies. Any step could go faster or slower than predicted, depending on the specific circumstances. An experienced attorney, like the attorneys at Dozier Law Firm, can review your case and give you a more case-specific timeline. To set up an appointment, call (888) 239-2129 today or contact us online. General Timeline In Georgia, as much as we wish there was a general timeline for every personal injury case, there is, unfortunately, no…

Social media is inescapable in today's society. While the number and kinds of social media platforms change every year, the effect that they can have is enormous. As these sites have grown in popularity, more people share personal information with their "friends" and "followers" than ever before. In most circumstances, sharing occasions in your life on social media sites is not a problem. However, if you are involved in a personal injury case, what you post can affect whether you win or lose. As social media has grown, prosecutors and civil attorneys search clients' or opponents' social media for useful information. The information posted there, while seemingly innocent at the time, might have a detrimental effect on the status of your case. Expert Advice And Representation In Personal Injury Cases Being involved in a personal injury case can be challenging. There are a variety of legal proceedings and expectations involved.…

The case Spires v. Thomas involves a question of summary judgment in a personal injury case. Summary judgment is a ruling in favor of one party without a full trial. To succeed on a summary judgment motion, the person bringing the motion must prove that there is no genuine dispute of fact and that they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Plainly stated, summary judgment is when one party asks the court to find in favor of them because it is clear that there is no evidence to support the other side’s claims in the dispute. In ruling on summary judgment claims, the court interprets the facts in a manner most favorable to the party not bringing the motion. If the party bringing the motion convinces the court that there is no genuine dispute of fact, their motion will be granted, and they will get a ruling…

If you or a loved one sustains a work-related injury, you need the advice of an attorney to make sense of your available options. Generally, you have two potential ways to recover compensation for your injury. First, you can file a claim for workers' compensation. Second, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit to receive compensation. There are essential differences, limitations, and restrictions between the two options. This article will discuss both options available to you. What Is Workers' Compensation? You may think of workers' compensation as an insurance program to protect employees injured while at work. Work-related injuries are common throughout the country, and Georgia is no exception. In 2020, the Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation processed 31,500 claims. Paid benefits for the year exceeded 706 million dollars. The Georgia Workers' Compensation mandatory insurance provisions exist to protect you while at work. As an employee,…

Car accidents involving rideshare vehicles, such as Lyft and Uber, are on the rise in Georgia. Uber opened in Atlanta in 2012. Lyft arrived two years later, in 2014. We often hear about the many benefits of the rideshare industry. They provide efficient and affordable transportation. While these rideshare services are generally safe, they have increased the number of accidents, including fatalities, on Georgia roadways. Georgia accidents involving the two primary rideshare services, Uber and Lyft, raise unique legal questions. These questions generally concern who is financially responsible when accidents do occur. With the possibility of multiple parties being at fault and overlapping insurance companies, the answer to these questions depends on the unique circumstances of each accident. This article will review the current legal landscape and answer many of your questions concerning a Georgia Uber or Lyft accident. If you have any additional questions, contact Dozier Law for a…

If you are involved in a Georgia car accident claim, this article will help you understand what to expect. There are three phases to your claim, evidence gathering, negotiation, and a potential lawsuit. The process can take some time. Although everyone works efficiently to resolve your claim as soon as possible, it is necessary to be thorough at each phase of the process to ensure that your interests are fully protected, and your monetary compensation maximized. Georgia has seen a disturbing increase in car accident fatalities in recent years. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) reports 1,588 fatal car crashes on Georgia roads in 2020. This represents the single deadliest year since 2007. There were 331,797 Georgia car accidents in total in 2020. This represents a decrease from the previous year. GDOT maintains that the best way to avoid accidents and catastrophic injuries is to follow three basic rules. First,…

You could be hurt by an Uber or Lyft rideshare driver in any number of ways. You might be a passenger in a rideshare at the time of the accident. Or you might be in another car involved in the accident. You could be a pedestrian or cyclist struck by the driver. Here’s more about what this means for purposes of your ability to file a claim or otherwise recover compensation in a lawsuit over your injuries. Why It’s Hard to Sue Rideshare Companies Under normal circumstances, if you are injured in an accident that is the fault of another driver who was working at the time, you can sue his employer. The law treats an employer as liable for negligence that occurs when the driver is within the scope of his employment. That is to say, the driver can make his employer liable if he was doing what he…

If a loved one has died due to the sort of incident that could lead to a personal injury case, you or another family member can file a wrongful death action. Georgia’s laws governing wrongful death cases cover who can bring a case, what kind of damages can be recovered, and who gets any awarded money. Notably, you can bring a wrongful death claim when the death was caused by someone’s negligence, by a defective product, or if someone deliberately caused it. Let’s take a look at wrongful death claims in Georgia, including how a wrongful death lawyer can help you and your family recover compensation. Who Can Sue for Wrongful Death? The order for who can serve as a representative to start a wrongful death action is spouse, child, parent, then estate representative. In other words, if your spouse dies, then you can sue on their behalf. If your…

If you are injured on the job, you may be worried about how you will pay your medical bills and how you can afford to take the time off of work that you will require to heal. Thankfully, Georgia’s workers’ compensation program was designed to address these concerns and offset the financial burden on you and your family. What Is Workers’ Compensation? Workers’ compensation is a state program that financially assists workers who become injured on the job. The program provides benefits for medical and rehabilitative expenses and lost income caused by on-the-job injuries. Am I Eligible For Workers’ Compensation? The first thing you have to do to determine eligibility is to find out whether your employer is covered by Georgia’s workers’ compensation law. If your employer has three or more employees, they likely are required to hold workers’ compensation insurance. However, federal agencies, railroad carriers, farmworkers, and domestic servants…