Personal Injury

If you have been injured, or if someone you care about has been injured, see to your medical needs first. If you can not find adequate medical care due to funding, check with State agencies, churches, and other charitable organizations. Securing proper medical care should be your first priority. Remember, there is a reason why doctors go to medical school and lawyers go to law school. Lawyers cannot heal you. They can only help you recover compensation for the injuries others caused you to suffer and help you recover what you lost.

After you have secured proper medical care, if you are uncertain about your legal right, see a lawyer. Most (but not all) personal injury lawyers offer initial consultations at no charge. Ask whether the consultation is free if that is a concern. If you have a case in Georgia or Tennessee, and would like to see a lawyer with this firm, there is no charge for your intial meeting with our firm (Although we limit our representation to Elders, we will still speak with you and try to answer questions.) If you are not in Georgia or Tennessee, but need legal representation, contact your local Bar Association for a list of attorneys who represent injured persons. Most cities and rural counties have a local bar association. If you do not know how to contact your local bar association, officials at your local court can probably help. If you are not satisfied with the references you get, use the phone book or the internet. One internet source for finding a lawyer is the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA). As you look for a lawyer, ask questions about the issues that concern you. Be at least as careful in hiring your lawyer as you are in chosing your doctor. Do not settle for a lawyer that has not earned your full confidence.

When you see your lawyer, bring all of the information that "might" relate to your injury with you. For example, if you were injured in a collision, bring the collision report. Bring your medical records. If you lost time at work, bring your wage records. Bring any photographs you want your lawyer to see. Be prepared to talk about what happened to you. If you were injured in some life changing way, be prepared to talk about what is different about your life after your injury.

The following is a representative list of the types of injuries and situations that a personal injury lawyer, could help you address: nursing home abuse or malpractice, medical malpractice, collisions involving any type of vehicle, injuries involving trains or railroads, motorcycles, airlines or airplanes, boating incidents, any type of wrongful death, defective products, birth injuries, and brain injury. Please note, this list is incomplete. If you suffered an injury because someone else was negligent, intentionally hurt you, or provided substandard care, then you may need to see a lawyer to determine whether you have a right to recover your losses.

What to do if you are injured

© 2004, Law Office of David L. McGuffey, LLC

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