You hired your attorney, hopefully you used our 20 Questions You Must Ask Your Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer. But if needed, how do you know if they need to be fired?

Even though you do not pay them as an employee, your relationship with them is not unlike an employer and employee relationship. You hired your lawyer probably because you were in a car accident or sustained injuries from some other mechanism.  Bottom line, your lawyer should work to serve you. However, not all relationships will (or should) continue to the end of the trial as we will explain below.

Here are 3 ways to know if it’s time to find a new Atlanta personal injury lawyer:

1. My lawyer is not very experienced in personal injury cases.

It is preferable to hire a lawyer who specializes in personal injury rather than a lawyer who practices all types of law. Personal injury cases don’t just involve money; they involve your health, and therefore it is more beneficial to find a lawyer who is experienced in personal injury cases. Having experience can make a difference when it comes time to settle or go to trial.

Here are 6 Steps to understanding your Georgia personal injury claim.

2. My lawyer will not contact me or doesn’t inform me of important deadlines for court appearances.

If your lawyer does not make every effort to keep you informed about your case, he or she is acting unprofessionally. Unreturned phone calls and unavailability for meetings are warning signs that your lawyer isn’t doing all they can do for your case. A good personal injury lawyer knows that in order for your case to be successful, you, the victim, must remain involved and informed. Having a successful case may involve considerable investigation, like in the story below which discusses the audio recordings of the 911 operators in a school bus accident that killed and injured students. Evidence like this can clearly show who is to blame in an accident.

911 Tapes Released for School Bus Accident

3. My lawyer wants to settle for less than I think my case is worth or refuses to file suit for my case.

If you and your lawyer disagree about your injury case settlement, you will likely end up with less than you need to pay your medical bills and compensation for time missed at work due to your injuries. Your Atlanta personal injury lawyer should truly listen to your wants and needs as a client and do everything in his or her power to guarantee you receive compensation for your suffering. Did your Atlanta injury lawyer investigate your case thoroughly enough? Sometimes to expedite your case a lawyer might not be willing to take your case to court. At Link & Smith, PC we specialize in litigation of personal injury cases.

If you are in need of a personal injury lawyers in Atlanta or have any questions, contact Link & Smith, P.C. 24 hours a day at 1-888-315-8840.

Continue Reading

What should I do if I or someone I know has suffered a brain injury in a car accident?

Atlanta injury lawyer Mark Link discusses the steps to take after a car accident resulting in possible brain trauma.

An Atlanta injury lawyer is an invaluable asset if you or someone you know is in a car accident and sustains a brain trauma or other injury. While your first step should of course be to seek medical help, your next step should be to contact a personal injury lawyer. Your lawyer will fight to ensure you receive just compensation and see that justice is served for your injury.  These injuries could impact you for the rest of your life. However, it is crucial for you to contact your injury lawyer as soon as possible following the accident so your rights are protected.

Here are steps to take immediately after a car accident if brain injury may be present:

1. Make sure the victim is safe from dangers such as oncoming traffic.
2. Do not move the victim or allow the victim to get up if he or she seems to be injured; by doing so you risk further injury.
3. Call for emergency assistance and let them know if you have reason to believe a brain injury may have occurred. Give all the details you can.
4. Get the contact information of the other driver but do not discuss guilt or fault.
5. Do not speak to insurance representatives until after you have spoken to your Atlanta injury lawyer.
6. Have a medical examination even if you do not think you sustained a brain injury. Some head traumas do not have immediate symptoms, such as concussions.

Here are some common symptoms associated with traumatic brain injury:

• Headache, fatigue, change in sleeping patterns
• Nausea, vomiting
• Dizziness, lightheaded feelings, vertigo
• Slurred speech
• Blurred vision, difficulty hearing
• Memory loss, inability to concentrate, confusion
• Mood changes, anxiety
• Numbness, tingling

If you have any questions at all about accidents resulting in brain trauma in Atlanta, contact Link & Smith, P.C. 24 hours a day at 1-888-315-8840.

Additional Resources:

Brain Injury Following an auto accident

Bicycle helmets can prevent cycling injuries

Catastrophic Injuries

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries in personal injury accidents

Continue Reading