If you are in pain, go to a medical doctor, chiropractor, urgent care, or ER as soon as possible. Your health is extremely important. Be proactive about getting a proper diagnosis and obtaining medical treatment for your injuries. Do not delay! The opposing party may attempt to use any delay in treatment against you. You should also make a claim with your auto insurance carrier and the other driver’s insurance carrier. If the other driver’s insurance company calls requesting a statement—do not give them one. You are not obligated to speak with them and should first seek the representation of an attorney. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

Whenever you are injured because of a dangerous condition on someone else’s property, you may have a claim to recover compensation for those injuries. Landowners have a duty to keep their property safe and to warn of dangerous conditions. As with any personal injury claim, the most important thing you can do is find an experienced attorney to help you preserve your evidence and protect your rights. Any delay may adversely affect your claim. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

If you were injured because of someone else’s carelessness or negligence, you may have a claim. If there are any witnesses to the injury or documentation, please be sure to make note. Also make sure to get contact information for the responsible party, as well as any witnesses. This information will help a jury understand what happened and why you deserve a recovery. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

Every case is different, and there are many factors that determine whether you are likely to recover if you bring a claim. The most important factors are legal concepts like “fault” and “causation.” In Georgia, a jury can assign a percentage of fault to every person who bears any fault for causing an injury, even people not involved in the lawsuit. For example, if a jury determines that you are 50% or more at fault, then you would not be able to recover anything. If the jury determines that you are less than 50% at fault, then you may recover if the Defendant’s negligent act “caused” your injuries. Again, the likelihood of recovery is based on many factors and can be very complicated to those without experience. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

Typically, the parents or guardians of the children can bring a claim. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your child’s potential claim.

Absolutely. In fact, most clients want to avoid going to court. The Hillis Firm does our very best to come to a reasonable settlement before filing a lawsuit. If no reasonable settlement can be reached, it remains your decisions whether you even file a lawsuit. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

More often than not, our new clients have begun the insurance claims process without an attorney and find it stressful, confusing, and expensive. Once we are retained by a client, we immediately begin gathering the necessary information and immediately inform the insurance carriers to direct all communication to The Hillis Firm. It is our goal to alleviate as much of our clients’ stress as possible allowing them to focus on getting healthy again, both mentally and physically. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

It is important to remember that your interests and the insurance company’s interests are not the same. While it is illegal for a non-attorney, such as an insurance adjuster, to provide legal advice, they often do, and it usually is not very good advice. You should always seek an opinion from a personal injury attorney to get an unbiased legal opinion regarding your case and your rights. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

The timeframe that you have to file a lawsuit is referred to as the statute of limitations. If you fail to file a lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires, your case will be forever barred. For most personal injury actions in Georgia, such as auto accidents, you have two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit against the responsible parties. However, with respect to claims against counties, cities or other government institutions, the statute of limitations can be much shorter. Therefore, due to the time-sensitive nature of personal injury claims, you should immediately contact an attorney regarding your injury. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

A case can settle at any time. Your attorney will need time to investigate various aspects of insurance, obtain medical information, contact witnesses and pursue other “pre-suit” discovery items. This process usually takes around three (3) to four (4) months. Thereafter, if appropriate, a demand for settlement will be made and if you so choose a lawsuit will be filed. The length of time a lawsuit takes varies case to case. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

The amount of damages you are allowed to recover will depend largely on the type of case and the injuries sustained. You may recover: (a) past, present, and future medical treatment; (b) past, present and future lost wages; (c) pain and suffering; (d) loss of enjoyment of life; (e) emotional distress; and (f) inconvenience associated with the injury. In some cases, you may also recover “punitive damages,” damages intended to punish the wrongdoer because that wrongdoer’s actions were intentional or reckless. When valuing these damages there is no one formula for assigning a value to a case. It is based on a consideration of the totality of circumstances. There are several considerations when attempting to place a monetary value on a case. Some attorneys will tell you that your case is worth some multiplier of your medical bills. This is nonsense. Every case is different and you need an experienced personal injury attorney to help you evaluate and maximize the value of your recovery. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

Absolutely, what most people do not realize is they are entitled to the full value of their medical treatment—the actual cost incurred for the treatment, not just their co-pay, deductible, or the amount their insurance company paid. Often times, insurance carriers attempt to reduce an injury victim’s damages by offering to pay only their “out of pocket” expenses, which leaves the injured person less than whole. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

Not in all cases, but often time yes. Health insurer liens and medical provider liens are subject to complicated reimbursement laws. If there is a lien from a health insurer or medical provider when the case concludes The Hillis Firm will help you determine if your health insurer or medical provider is entitled to reimbursement and will request a waiver or negotiate reduced payment of the lien. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

For personal injury cases, The Hillis Firm offers its services on a “contingency fee” basis. A contingency fee means you will not pay us anything unless we obtain a recovery for you. When you are injured by someone else, you will likely incur substantial medical expenses, lose time from work, and the last thing you need is another expense. We can advance all legal case expenses such as the costs of obtaining medical records, court filing fees, court reporters, etc., if necessary. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

You should bring all documents in you have related to your claim. For example, with respect to auto accidents, you should bring a copy of the police or incident report, a copy of your automobile insurance declaration page, photographs of your automobile, photographs of your injuries, copies of medical records for treatment since the accident, correspondence from the insurance companies, estimates and repair records and receipts for your automobile, receipts for towing and car rental, and any wage loss information. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

This type of loss is referred to as a wrongful death. Spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, siblings, and grandparents can have a claim for wrongful death against the responsible parties. The relationship with the decedent will dictate the priority of the claim. The types of damages that can be sought depending on that relationship are: (a) financial support that the survivor(s) would have received; (b) value of household services that would have been provided by the decedent; (c) loss of companionship, affection, love, care, comfort, society; (d) loss of consortium for the surviving spouse; and (e) funeral and burial expenses. Because the loss of a loved one can completely alter the life of the surviving family, it is important to retain an experienced personal injury attorney to get the recovery you deserve. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.

The person who caused the injuries typically is not “punished.” Defendants in civil lawsuit for personal injury do not receive jail time or criminal fines as punishment; those are common criminal sentences. However, in some cases, juries and courts can award what are called “punitive damages,” which are designed to punish defendants who have behaved recklessly or intentionally. The goal of punitive damages is to discourage defendants and others from engaging in the same kind of harmful behavior in the future. For example, one of the most common situations where punitive damages may be available is when a person is injured by a drunk driver. Contact The Hillis Firm for a free evaluation of your potential claim.