Has a devastating accident left you struggling with injuries and turned your life upside down? It doesn’t have to define your life – nor do you have to face this alone. At The Law Offices of Jorge Luis Flores, we understand how life-altering some injuries can be, especially when caused by someone’s negligent behavior.
Our experienced personal injury attorney, Jorge Luis Flores, is here to help you heal while we tirelessly build a powerful case against those responsible for your losses. Call us at (770) 760-9292 or reach out to us online for a confidential consultation, and together, we will fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.
When to Call Our Personal Injury Lawyers for Help
At The Law Offices of Jorge Luis Flores, our St. Simons Island personal injury lawyer team specializes in representing people in Saint Simons Island, GA and surrounding areas in Glynn County who have been injured or harmed by the negligence or wrongdoing of others. Since 2002, we have helped numerous injured victims recover millions of dollars in compensation for their medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Some of the most common personal injury cases we handle are:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Medical malpractice
- Workplace injuries
- Product liability
- Wrongful death
Why Proving “Fault” and Negligence is Important
In Georgia, in order to obtain compensation for your damages from the defendant’s insurance company, you must prove that the other party was at fault for your injury. In other words, you need to establish negligence; negligence means that someone failed to act with reasonable care and caused harm to another person.
So, you must prove that:
- Duty: The other party owed you a duty of care, which means they had a legal obligation to act in a certain way towards you. For example, drivers have a duty to follow traffic laws and drive safely.
- Breach: The other party breached their duty of care, i.e., they did not act in a reasonable way towards you. For example, drivers breach their duty when they speed, run red lights, or text while driving.
- Causation: The other party’s breach of duty caused your injury, establishing a direct link between their action and your harm. For example, if a driver ran a red light and hit you, their action caused your injury.
- Damages: You suffered damages as a result of your injury, which means you incurred losses that can be measured in money. For example, damages can include medical expenses, lost income, personal property damage, pain and suffering, etc.
Our lawyers will collect evidence from the crash site, review the police reports, talk to eyewitnesses, hire accident reconstruction experts where necessary, and build a robust case for maximum damages from all the liable parties.
Sharing Fault Could Influence Your Personal Injury Settlement
Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence rule, which states that your compensation could be reduced if you are found partially at fault for the accident.
Here is how it works: If you were injured in a car crash and filed a personal injury claim seeking $10,000 in damages, but the court determines that you were 20% at fault for the accident because you were speeding. In this situation, your compensation would be reduced by your percentage of fault, which is 20%, and you will receive only $8,000.
If you are found to be 50% or more at fault for the accident, you may not be eligible to recover any compensation at all.
It’s important to note here that insurance companies do try to shift more fault onto the plaintiffs to minimize the amount they have to pay. That’s why having a skilled personal injury lawyer like Jorge Luis Flores can make all the difference in a case like this. We know what type of evidence to gather, which witnesses to interview, what kind of experts to hire for testimony to build a rock-solid case that accurately assigns fault.
What is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury in St. Simons Island?
The general statute of limitations all across Georgia is two years from the date of the injury or accident. You have two years to file a lawsuit against the party responsible for your injury, whether it was a car accident, a slip and fall, a dog bite, or any other type of negligence.
In medical malpractice cases, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the alleged malpractice. However, there is also a “statute of repose”, which sets a maximum deadline of five years from the date of the malpractice, regardless of when it was discovered.
There may be some exceptions or extensions to this two-year rule, depending on the circumstances of your case. For example, if you were under 18 or legally incompetent at the time of the injury, the statute of limitations may be paused until you reach the age of majority or regain your competence.
If the party liable for your injury left the state of Georgia before you could sue them, the statute of limitations may be stopped until they return to the state. If the at-fault party is a government entity, you may need to provide notice of your intent to sue within a shorter timeframe, often within six months to one year from the date of the accident.
What Compensation Can I Receive in a Personal Injury Case in St. Simons Island?
When someone else is responsible for your injuries, you have the right to get compensatory damages for all the losses you experience. These include two main types: economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages cover all the financial difficulties you faced, like medical bills and lost wages. Non-economic damages, on the other hand, include everything else that is not about money, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. If you’ve been injured in Saint Simons Island, the following are some of the common types of compensation you can receive to help you recover from the harm caused to you.
Lost wages
Getting back the income you lost is crucial when you have been injured, otherwise it will be extremely difficult for you to support yourself and your family. The compensation you deserve goes beyond just your regular pay. You may also be entitled to other wage-related losses, such as contributions to your retirement savings or 401(k), paid time off, vacation, sick time, holiday pay, bonuses, salary increases, health insurance from your employer, and other employee benefits.
Medical expenses
When you are recovering from your injuries, the last thing you want is to be saddled with the hospital bills that you can’t afford. Your lawyer at The Law Offices of Jorge Luis Flores will take care of calculating all the medical costs related to your injuries as we work on your claim. These might include:
- Medical devices and equipment, such as wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, or hospital beds
- Home accommodations, like wheelchair ramps, wider doorways, or shower rails to make your living space accessible
- Co-pays, transportation expenses, and prescription medication fees
- Counseling, therapy, or surgeries
- Any future medical expenses that might arise due to your injuries
Pain and suffering
As the name suggests, these damages are to compensate you for your physical pain as well as emotional trauma:
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of intimacy with your spouse
- Loss of consortium
- Disfigurement
- Mental anguish
Why You Should Have Our Highly Rated St. Simons Island Personal Injury Attorneys on Your Side
Finding your way through something as complicated as holding someone legally accountable can seem overwhelming. A personal injury claim can be overwhelming, but you don’t need to worry. Our team at The Law Offices of Jorge Luis Flores is here to stand strongly by your side every step of the way, fight aggressively to protect your rights, and recover the largest possible compensation for you from all liable parties. We have the skills, resources and experience to take on large insurance companies and powerful defendants.
Our proven track record of personal injury settlements and verdicts demonstrates our capabilities and our resolve to the defendants. In a rare case where a satisfactory settlement is not possible, we are prepared to take the case to trial in order to get the maximum compensation our clients are entitled to. Reach out to us through our online form or by phone at (770) 760-9292 – and let us fight for your rights.