Atlanta is the capital as well as the most populous city in Georgia. The city is a commercial hub, bustling with workers from all industries, with tall buildings that light up the skyline every night. But no matter how amazing a city seems, accidents are bound to happen.
When most people hear the term “personal injury,” in Atlanta, their first thought is usually a car accident. And sure, that’s a big part of it, but personal injury law in Atlanta actually covers a much wider range of situations. Basically, if someone gets hurt because someone else wasn’t careful, that’s what personal injury law is for.
Personal injury attorneys in Atlanta are busy every day helping people who were injured at work, hit by a distracted driver, or hurt because a business didn’t take safety seriously.
And because Georgia law gives people the right to seek compensation when they’ve been wronged, understanding the types of personal injury cases is important, even if you’re not dealing with one right now. You never know when you might need this.
Car Accidents
This is by far the most common kind of personal injury case. Car accidents are the most common type of personal injury case. With so much traffic in and around the city every day, it’s not hard to see why.
You’ve got commuters, delivery drivers, and rideshare vehicles constantly moving around. If someone runs a red light, speeds through an intersection, or drives under the influence and causes a crash, and you end up hurt, that’s a personal injury case.
Georgia law requires every driver to carry a minimum amount of insurance, but that doesn’t always mean it’ll be enough to cover serious injuries. As victims, you have the right to get compensated for your medical bills, lost income, and the pain you’ve gone through.
Slip and Fall Cases
If you fell because a floor was wet and there was no warning sign, or if there were loose tiles, broken stairs, or poor lighting, and the property owner should have fixed it or warned you, then you might have grounds to file a PI case against them.
Business owners and property managers have a legal duty to keep their space safe for people. That includes cleaning up spills, fixing hazards, and putting up clear warnings when something’s not safe yet. If they fail to do that, and someone gets hurt, they can be held responsible.
Dog Bite Cases
If a dog bites you and you didn’t provoke it, the owner may be legally responsible for the injury, especially if they knew the dog was aggressive or weren’t keeping it under control.
Some states (aside from Georgia) have what’s called a one-bite rule, which means the owner might only be liable if they knew the dog had bitten someone before. But in Georgia, the rules are stricter. If the owner didn’t properly restrain their dog, or if the dog had a history of aggression, they can be held responsible for the injuries.
Dog bites can cause serious infections, scarring, or even permanent damage, especially when the victim is a child. That’s why these cases are taken seriously under personal injury law.
Product Liability
This type of case comes up when something you bought ends up hurting you because it wasn’t made or labeled properly. That could be a battery that explodes, a pressure cooker that malfunctions, or even a toy that breaks apart and becomes a choking hazard.
When a product causes an injury, you don’t always have to prove that the company meant to do harm. You just need to show that the product was defective, either in how it was made, how it was designed, or how it was labeled, and that it led to your injury.
These cases are handled under strict liability, meaning the manufacturer can be held responsible as long as the product wasn’t safe for normal use.
Workplace Injuries
If you’re injured on the job, you’re usually covered under workers’ compensation. This is a system that helps employees get medical treatment and partial wages without having to prove fault.
In most cases, you can’t sue your employer for a workplace injury, but you can still get benefits to cover your treatment and lost income. However, if someone else was involved, e.g., a contractor or a third-party vendor, there may be a personal injury case on top of the workers’ comp claim.
Workplace injuries are common in construction, manufacturing, and warehouses, but they can happen in any job. It’s important to know that workers have rights when they get hurt doing their job.
Source: Monge & Associates, Atlanta, GA
