What Does a Car Accident Lawyer Do in Georgia & South Carolina?

After a car accident in Georgia or South Carolina, you’re probably feeling all the emotions. Insurance companies are calling constantly as you heal from your injuries, and you just want to get back to normal.

The legal stuff can feel like too much on top of everything else you’re handling. You know something doesn’t feel right about the insurer’s final offer, but you don’t know what to do about it. You just want a fair settlement so you can move on with your life.

At M. Austin Jackson Injury Lawyers, we specialize in helping people who’ve been hurt in car crashes navigate all the complicated legal and insurance issues that come up. You need someone in your corner who really knows what you’re going through.

How Car Accident Lawyers Protect Your Rights

One of the biggest ways a car accident attorney helps you is by standing between you and the insurance companies. Adjusters are pros at their jobs, and they want to pay out as little money as possible. They know exactly what to ask and how to twist your answers to hurt your case.

When you have a lawyer, your attorney handles all the phone calls and conversations with insurance companies. You don’t have to worry about saying something that gets used against you later. Adjusters often call accident victims right after a car crash, hoping to get recorded statements or quick settlements before victims understand how badly they’re hurt.

Your Augusta car accident lawyer handles every part of your claim—the phone calls, paperwork, document requests, and settlement talks—so you can focus on getting better.

Investigating Your Car Accident Case

Every successful car accident case starts with a good investigation. Car accident lawyers know that the police report, while important, usually doesn’t tell the whole story of what happened. Furthermore, it may have inaccuracies – some small, like an occupant wasn’t listed, or some big, like incorrectly assigning who was at fault.

We dig deeper, starting with where it all happened:

Accident Scene Analysis

Legal teams do thorough examinations of crash sites, often going back to the location several times to understand how factors like road conditions, visibility, and traffic patterns might have played a role in the accident. When needed, our lawyers work with accident reconstruction experts to figure out, to the best of science’s capabilities, what really occurred. These specialists can determine vehicle speeds, impact angles, and the events that led to the crash.

Evidence Collection

Time matters when gathering evidence because important information can disappear quickly after an accident. As Austin likes to say, car wreck evidence is “fleeting.” Experienced car accident attorneys move fast to collect and save evidence before it’s lost forever. This includes getting surveillance footage from nearby businesses, talking to witnesses while they still remember things clearly, and documenting the accident scene.

Medical records are key pieces of evidence in any car accident case. Our skilled attorneys make sure all the relevant medical paperwork gets properly collected and organized.

Documentation Review

Car accident attorneys carefully look through all the relevant paperwork to build the strongest possible case for their clients. We review all insurance policies that might apply to understand coverage limits and find all possible sources of compensation. Many accident victims don’t know that several insurance policies might cover their losses.

We also rely on work records to calculate lost wages and future earning ability, especially if your case involves a serious injury affecting your ability to work.

Dealing with Insurance Companies

Insurance companies have teams of adjusters, investigators, and attorneys to protect their company’s money. They use smart tactics to minimize personal injury claims, and they’re especially tough when dealing with accident victims who don’t have lawyers.

Car accident lawyers level the playing field by handling all insurance conversations and negotiations. They understand the common tricks insurance companies use, like asking for unnecessary paperwork to slow things down, making low initial offers hoping victims will take them out of desperation, or questioning the necessity of medical treatments.

We’ve seen this story play out over and over again. Insurers make ridiculous offers, hoping you’ll take the money and go away. But when we step in with the facts and the law on our side, those offers suddenly get a lot bigger.

Calculating the Full Value of Your Claim

One of the most important things car accident lawyers do is make sure your damages are properly identified and valued. Many injury victims only think about their immediate medical bills and obvious expenses, not realizing the full amount of compensation they can receive.

Economic damages include all the money losses you can count, like:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Rehabilitation costs

But experienced attorneys also look at future economic damages, including ongoing medical care, future lost earning ability, and the cost of any special equipment you might need because of permanent injuries.

Non-economic damages represent how the accident has affected your quality of life. This includes money for:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• The impact on your relationships with family members

While these damages are harder to put a number on, skilled attorneys know how to present evidence that supports fair compensation for these very real losses.

In cases involving particularly bad behavior, like drunk driving or extreme recklessness, punitive damages might also be available.

Building Your Legal Case

Car accident lawyers build cases by putting together all the evidence, expert testimony, and legal arguments needed to prove who was at fault and show the full extent of your damages. This process often involves working with medical experts who can explain complicated injuries in terms that insurance adjusters and potential jurors can understand.

We always prepare for the possibility that your case might not settle and could go to trial. This means organizing evidence to tell a compelling story and developing legal arguments that will connect with a jury.

The Legal Process with a Car Accident Attorney

When you work with M. Austin Jackson Injury Lawyers, our process usually starts with a comprehensive consultation. We learn about your accident, look at any paperwork you have, and explain your legal options. Our firm handles cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay attorney fees unless we get compensation for you.

Once you decide to move forward, our team immediately starts investigating your case and handling all conversations with insurance companies. We keep you in the loop throughout the process, explaining what’s happening and why.

Most cases get resolved through settlement negotiations, but we prepare every case like it’s going to trial. This thorough preparation often leads to better settlement offers because insurance companies know we’re ready to take the case to court if needed.

When Car Accident Cases Go to Court

While most cases settle out of court, some cases need litigation (a lawsuit filed, the conclusion of which is a trial) to get fair compensation. This might happen when insurers refuse to make reasonable settlement offers, when there’s serious disagreement about who was at fault, or when the damages are so significant that the difference makes it worth the extra time and risk.

When cases do go to trial, experienced car accident attorneys guide their clients through every step of the process. We present evidence through witness testimony, expert opinions, and visual exhibits that help the jury understand what happened, as well as the physical, emotional, and monetary losses of our clients.

When You Need a Car Accident Lawyer

While not every minor fender-bender needs legal help, many situations call for professional legal representation. You should contact a lawyer if:

• You suffered moderate injuries requiring any amount of medical care.
• You suffered serious injuries requiring emergency or ongoing medical care.
• There’s disagreement about who was at fault for the accident.
• The insurance company is using delay tactics or making lowball offers.
• Your accident involves multiple vehicles, commercial trucks, or government entities.
• Insurers are pressuring you to accept a quick settlement before understanding your injuries.

Trust your gut when it feels like that so-called generous offer isn’t right. We helped clients who were offered $30,000 get settlements of more than $600,000. We’ve secured six-figure settlements for concussion cases that adjusters tried to brush off as minor injuries.

How M. Austin Jackson Helps Car Accident Victims

At M. Austin Jackson Injury Lawyers, our comprehensive approach to car accident cases is rooted in our deep connection to the Augusta community we call home. Every accident is different, and we customize our investigation methods and negotiation strategies to fit your case.

Our team has spent years building relationships right here in the CSRA, giving us insider knowledge of local roads, common accident patterns, and the challenges our community faces. This hometown advantage, combined with our deep knowledge of Georgia and South Carolina laws and courts, helps us identify all potential sources of compensation and navigate both states’ legal systems.

We have strong relationships with trusted medical experts and accident reconstruction specialists throughout the region who can provide the expert testimony needed to build strong cases. They’re part of our extended network of professionals who care about our clients and the people in our community.

We’ve recovered seven-figure settlements for local families injured by logging vehicles, over half a million dollars for Augusta-area clients hit by commercial trucks, and we’ve turned initial lowball offers into settlements that were 15 times higher.

Before insurers wear you down, call M. Austin Jackson Injury Lawyers for a free consultation. We’ll sit down with you right here in Augusta and show you how our local knowledge can help you get every penny you deserve.

Frequently Asked Questions About Car Accident Lawyers