East Point, Georgia is home to many historical attractions and sports facilities, including the Dick Lane Velodrome, built in 1974. The East Point Velodrome Association (EPVA) provides youth services to the city, in particular bicycle programs and bike safety clinics. Meanwhile, I-285 runs through East Point, offering easy travel to nearby suburbs.
But I-285 is also the site of many car accidents. These can be devastating, and when they happen, you need an East Point personal injury lawyer to protect your rights. Ali Awad, the founder and managing attorney at the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, is eager to take on big insurance companies to help his clients. Known as the “CEO Lawyer,” Mr. Awad took a tiny business to an 8-figure firm in only three years. Additionally, his firm was voted the fastest-growing law firm in the United States, besting 499 others in 2021. The CEO Lawyer has more than a million followers on social media, where he provides timely legal advice.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, don’t wait to call Ali Awad for a no-obligation consultation about the circumstances of your case. The CEO lawyer and his team of injury and accident attorneys operate on a contingency basis, so they don’t get paid unless you do. You have nothing to lose by calling (470) 323-8779 to discuss your case and your options for proceeding.
I-285 and Interstate Traffic Issues
The section of I-285 that passes through East Point, Georgia has seen about 15 fatal accidents in recent years, and even more crashes with injuries. Another cluster appears on a section of I-85 running through the Egan Park area of East Point. There were also several fatal accidents on roads leading to I-285, and multiple crashes with fatalities on Washington Road.
In general, interstates can be dangerous places to drive due to the high-speed limits both increasing the risk of accidents, as well as the risk of injury or death if one occurs. There are some steps you can take to reduce your risk when driving on the interstate:
- Steer carefully and don’t overcorrect. Don’t turn the wheel too sharply when traveling at higher speeds.
- Make sure to remember to use your turning signal when changing lanes, and don’t try to change multiple lanes at once.
- Keep an eye out for vehicles trying to merge onto the highway. Merging drivers are supposed to yield to those already on the roadway, but sometimes this doesn’t happen. Be prepared to move to another lane to accommodate them if necessary and if you can do so safely.
- Avoid other cars’ blind spots, especially if the other vehicle is a semi truck or other large vehicle. The bigger the vehicle, the bigger the blind spot.
- Maintain a safe following distance for your speed, allowing at least three full seconds between your car and the one ahead of you. Add extra space if possible, especially for large vehicles like tractor-trailers and buses, and for motorcyclists.
- Also be on the lookout for driving hazards further down the road. Remember that the faster you’re going, the longer it takes to stop. It’s a good idea to scan 20 or 30 seconds down the road so you have ample time to stop or change lanes if there is an issue.
- Don’t speed. Interstate speed limits are high enough – there is no need to exceed them and doing so further increases your risk of an accident and being seriously injured if you have one.
- Don’t drive if you’re overtired and avoid distractions so you can pay attention to your driving.
- Avoid last-minute lane changes if you suddenly realize you missed your exit or are about to. Many accidents happen when people notice they’re missing an exit and try to quickly cross lanes to get off. It’s much safer to take the next exit and backtrack to where you were going than to cut off other vehicles going 65 MPH or more.
Of course, you should control for as many factors as you can to make your driving safer, but you can’t control what other drivers do. If another motorist’s negligence has caused an accident that harmed you or a loved one, you may be struggling with medical bills, pain, and a loss of income from being unable to work. When this happens, please contact an East Point personal injury attorney right away to better understand your options.
What to Do After An Accident
Car crashes tend to happen suddenly, and it can be hard to think straight when you may be in shock. When you’re able, check to see if you or anyone else in the car is injured, then see if you can move your car out of the roadway. If not, turn your flashers on to warn other vehicles while you call 911 to report the accident.
If you can do so safely, get out of the car and take pictures of any damage. Exchange contact and insurance info with the other driver, and make note if you see anyone else around who may have witnessed the accident. If you can’t get their name, write down as thorough a description as you can.
Even if you think your injuries are minor, you should still seek medical attention. Sometimes people think they just have a sore neck or back from the impact, and that they’ll be fine in a few days. But this doesn’t always happen. In some cases, accident victims may end up with chronic pain, or need months of physical therapy, for these types of injuries. There are also many other kinds of serious injuries you may suffer in a car crash:
- Broken bones, including the arms, legs, pelvis, and collarbone.
- Head and neck injuries, including concussion, skull fractures, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and whiplash or soft tissue injuries in the neck.
- Internal bleeding.
- Cuts or lacerations from broken glass.
- Crush injuries in situations where the victim was pinned in their vehicle.
- Burns may occur if a vehicle caught on fire due to the collision.
- Psychological injuries. Being in a car crash can be very traumatic, and may lead to depression, anxiety, trouble sleeping, or PTSD.
What Can You Do to Cover Your Expenses After a Serious Car Accident?
If your bills are multiplying, and you still can’t work or previously missed several days or weeks of work, you may feel desperate. This can be another cause of anxiety after a car accident! No one wants to wonder how they’re going to pay the rent or afford the medical treatment they need.
The first thing you should do is contact an experienced attorney who handles personal injury law in East Point and ask for a free consultation. Your lawyer will go over the details of your accident, answer your questions, and explain the options.
In most cases, you can file a claim with the other driver’s insurance policy. However, if you have a lot of medical bills, the limits of their policy may not cover everything. Under Georgia law, motorists are only required to carry $25,000 in liability coverage per person, or $50,000 per collision. Some people do buy more coverage, but many don’t want to pay the higher premiums. In other cases, you may find that the other driver is uninsured. Often people think these situations are the end of the road and they’ll never get sufficient compensation, but that isn’t always true. A good attorney may be able to suggest other options, such as suing the other driver directly, suing another third party who may have some responsibility in the accident, or making a claim on your own insurance if you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. (If you don’t have this type of coverage, it’s a good idea to consider buying some.)
FAQ: What If the Insurance Company Claims I’m At Fault?
This is a common tactic due to Georgia’s comparative negligence laws. Even if the other driver was ticketed for the accident and you weren’t, the insurance company may try to claim that you contributed to the crash. Under comparative negligence laws, if you’re found to be more than 49 percent at fault in a collision, the insurance company doesn’t have to pay anything. If you are found to be some percentage less than 50 percent at fault, your damages will be diminished by that amount.
For this reason, we advise people not to talk to the other driver’s insurance company until they’ve spoken with a lawyer. File a claim online and then speak with a lawyer, or let your attorney file the claim for you.
Often an insurance adjuster will call you up and act very friendly. They may say that they’re eager to get your claim approved and just need to ask you a few questions. The next thing you know, they’ve misinterpreted something you said and you’re getting a letter stating your claim is denied because you contributed to the accident. This can be frustrating, but calling and arguing with the insurer yourself is not a good idea. Instead, take the letter to your East Point personal injury lawyer. They will know the most effective strategies to negotiate with the insurance company and help you secure the compensation you deserve. If the company won’t give in, your attorney can take them to court and present evidence that the crash was not your fault.
Millions of followers on social media know that attorney Ali Awad brings legal power to the people, and he fights to get results for his clients. Most people don’t have the legal knowledge to aggressively pursue their own claim, but with the CEO Lawyer Injury Personal Injury Law Firm in their corner, they can stand up to big insurance companies and secure the compensation they deserve. Call (470) 323-8779 or contact us online today.
