Category Archives: Auto Accidents
How long does it generally take to settle an accident claim?
Greg Stokes: We try to target 11 months from start to finish. But what really determines how long it is going to take is how long it is going to take that person to recover. We do not want to settle their claim until they reach maximum medical improvement. We would like to get… Read More »
The police officer sometimes will accept the opinion of the first person who called 911. Can you dispute the accident report if it is wrong?
Greg Stokes: Well, it is a good idea to argue against any facts that do not give a full picture of what happened. When there are 911 calls, one of the things we do is an open records request to the police department and the 911 operators. We get a digital recording of the… Read More »
What about physical damage to the vehicle? How to determine diminished value of the car after accident?
Greg Stokes: This comes up very often. You are always entitled to the repairs. The insurance companies have computer programs that spec out the cost of the equipment and the cost of the labor and they can get that right down to the penny, but the second part is the diminished value of a… Read More »
In general, who is at fault in a car accident?
Greg Stokes: In general, who is at fault is the person that broke the law. We all know that you have to stop at a red light. If you run the red light and there is a crash, and it can be determined that the person ran the red light, that is who is… Read More »
What are the steps for how to sue after a car accident?
Greg Stokes: The preliminary step usually is to hire an attorney. Your attorney is going to gather all of the evidence, do his investigation, get all the medical records, document the claim, and make a demand on the insurance company. They are going to negotiate back and forth and try to get the case… Read More »
In speaking to your clients, how do you advise them how to get over a car accident?
Greg Stokes: We handle a lot of different claims for a lot of different people with a lot of different injuries. What we really want that individual to do is try to get back to 100 percent health. There is a duty on their part to actually seek medical treatment and follow the doctors’… Read More »
What are the top reasons for car accidents, particularly for Atlanta, and where do they occur most often?
Greg Stokes: We see these ten things occur day in, day out, week in, week out:Following too closely Failure to yield the right of way Running a red light Improper lane change Reckless driving Speeding DUI Crossing the center line Failure to control the vehicle Failure to post a proper lookout When you get… Read More »
After an injury wreck, how much is my car accident settlement worth?
Greg Stokes: For a car accident settlement, we will take all your medical bills, add those up; take all your future medical bills, we will bring in a registered nurse to estimate what the future medical bills will be; take all your past lost wages, all your future lost wages, and sometimes we will… Read More »
What is whiplash from a car accident and when is it evident or not evident?
Greg Stokes: What usually happens in a car crash is there is sudden, violent movement to the neck and the spine. If you picture the head as a bowling ball that weighs about six or seven pounds and you picture this all happening within about 300 milliseconds, the G forces are pretty severe on… Read More »
Are car accident settlements taxable, either state or federal?
Greg Stokes: In general, personal injury settlements are not taxable. The IRS has a specific code section that deals with settlements that come from physical injury claims. If you have been injured and you receive a settlement, it is considered a loss to your body and it is not taxable income. The example I… Read More »