10 Reasons Why You Should Call a Lawyer After a Car Accident

Wondering What to do after a Road Accident?

Hiring a lawyer after a car accident is a crucial decision that can significantly impact your well-being and financial stability. While it's tempting to handle the aftermath of a collision on your own, there are several compelling reasons to seek professional legal assistance.

Here are ten important points to remember!

Legal Expertise

Lawyers are well-versed in the intricacies of personal injury law and can navigate the complex legal system with ease. They can help you understand your rights and options, ensuring you don't make costly mistakes.

Objective Assessment

An attorney can provide an objective analysis of your case, helping you determine whether it's worth pursuing a claim. They can advise you on the potential outcomes and settlements, enabling you to make informed decisions.

Investigation and Evidence Gathering

Lawyers have the resources and experience to conduct thorough investigations, collecting crucial evidence like witness statements, accident reports, and medical records to support your claim.

Negotiation Skills

Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts. A skilled car accident lawyer can negotiate with insurers to ensure you receive fair compensation for medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Legal Procedures

Attorneys are well-versed in court procedures, deadlines, and paperwork, ensuring that all legal requirements are met, thus preventing any procedural errors that might harm your case.

Understanding of Insurance Policies

Lawyers can decode complex insurance policies, ensuring you access all available benefits and coverages to maximize your compensation.

Experience with Similar Cases

Experienced personal injury lawyers have dealt with numerous cases like yours and understand the nuances and potential challenges specific to car accident claims.

Stress Reduction

It’s difficult to know what to do after a road accident. Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident can be incredibly stressful. Hiring a lawyer takes the burden of legal matters off your shoulders, allowing you to focus on your recovery.

Contingency Fees

Many personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means they only get paid if you win your case. This arrangement eliminates upfront costs and motivates them to secure the best possible outcome for you.

Maximum Compensation

Lawyers have the skills to assess the true value of your claim and fight for the compensation you deserve, not settling for less than your case is worth.

Need a Car Crash Attorney? Call Lloyd

Wondering what to do after a car crash? Hiring a car accident lawyer after a collision is a wise decision that can make a substantial difference in the outcome of your case. They bring legal expertise, objectivity, and the ability to maximize your compensation, allowing you to focus on healing and rebuilding your life. Remember that time is of the essence in personal injury cases, so it's crucial to consult with an attorney as soon as possible to protect your rights and secure the best possible outcome.

Contact Lloyd H. Thomas Law for an experienced and trusted attorney who specializes in car accidents. We are located in Atlanta, Georgia and are here to help you navigate the aftermath of a car accident.

Give us a call at (404) 848-8898. 

10 Statistics that Drivers Shouldn’t Ignore

Driving and Car Crash Statistics that Every Driver Should Know

The United States is a large country with an ever-growing population. With a population well over 300 million people, you can imagine that there are a lot of registered drivers. According to Statista, there were about 232.8 million licensed drivers in the United States in 2021 – not to mention all of the unlicensed people who are driving illegally. Considering just how many people that really is, there is no surprise that auto accidents occur and personal injuries are sustained thousands of times every year. We are Lloyd H. Thomas Law, a car accident and personal injury law firm, and we want to share with you some important driving statistics that every licensed driver shouldn’t ignore.

Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Statistics

Each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, who are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, break down all reported traffic crashes. Here are 10 of the most jarring and important statistics that we found in their report.

1. Fatalities – There were 42,939 people killed in car crashes in 2021

2. Injuries – There were 2,497,657 people injured on U.S. roads in 2021

3. Police Reports – There were 6,063,428 police-reported non-fatal traffic crashes in 2021

4. On the Rise – All categories of fatalities increased, 10% overall increase from 2020 to 2021

5. Cars – 32% of fatalities were passenger car occupants, 30% light-truck, 20% pedestrian

6. No Seat Belt – 11,821 fatalities in 2021 by unrestrained drivers

7. Alcohol – 10,049 fatalities in 2021 by alcohol-impaired drivers

8. Speeding – 8,464 fatalities in 2021 by speeding drivers

9. Time of Day – 13,194 daytime and 12,931 nighttime fatalities – almost equal

10. Urban vs. Rural – 25,698 fatalities in urban areas, and 17,103 in rural areas

Check out the NHTSA’s full report: Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2021.

Car Crash Statistics Takeaways

These numbers will scare many of you – and they should! Driving started as a luxury and a convenience, but overtime has become a safety hazard and a problem. It is important that every time you drive you are sober, alert, and cautious. It is better to assume that others will drive unsafely and be prepared for it, than assume that they will drive properly and end up sustaining a personal injury, or worse, becoming a fatality. Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Wear your seatbelt at all times

• Do not drink and drive or be in the car with a drunk driver

• Do not speed, especially when combined with either of the above

• Fatal crashes occur at all times of the day

• Fatal crashes occur in all types of areas

We are both car and truck accident lawyers for a reason – 62% of all fatalities in 2021 were either passenger car or light-truck occupants. No matter who you are, what you drive, whether you are a passenger or pedestrian, whether it is night or day, whether in the city or the country, there is always a chance that an accident occurs or a personal injury is sustained.

Bottom line: be careful and cautious on the road.

Looking for a Car or Truck Lawyer? Call Lloyd

If you have suffered a personal injury in an auto accident and need help with a fair settlement, then call Lloyd at (404) 848-8898. You can also click here to send him a message. Lloyd H. Thomas Law are expert car and truck accident lawyers who have your back when you’re hit with the unexpected.

Take care and drive safely!

Warm Weather Brings Higher Traffic Volume

There are More Cars on the Road when it is Warm Outside

After the long, cold winter months it is always refreshing when the summer sun starts shining through the springtime rain clouds. However, when the weather is nice and warm people tend to get outside more often. Whether they want to flood the beaches, amusement parks, have picnics in the park, or just go for a long drive with the windows down, warm weather brings about higher volumes of traffic on the road. It is no secret that when there are more cars on the road, there are more auto accidents that occur. Lloyd H. Thomas Law is an auto collision personal injury attorney and today we are discussing how to stay safe when there are a lot of cars on the road.

Why Does More Traffic Result in More Accidents?

When there are more cars on the road, it only makes sense that there will subsequently be more accidents. However, there are a few contributing factors to why this is. Here are a few examples:

First off, more traffic means higher chances of traffic jams. Stop and go traffic jams can be a test for impatient drivers, who may make foolish, impulsive decisions, and with very little room for error, this can easily result in a collision.

Next, there are a lot more people traveling. Warm weather often makes people want to travel, which means they might be on roads that they are not familiar with. Additionally, when people are traveling they might be stressed out or take a wrong turn or miss an exit, which can result in poor decisions such as last minute turns or over-braking.

Lastly, warm weather brings about seasonal vehicles. Large RVs that folks don’t drive on a regular basis are being taken cross-country, boats trailers are being towed by cars, and sports cars that stay garaged when it’s raining and cold are reaching high spends with the top down. All of these additional vehicles that are less-frequently driven can result in auto collisions.

How to Drive Safely in Warm Weather

Here is a checklist of steps to take to ensure that you are safe while driving in the warm weather.

• Use time management to plan for traffic delays so you aren’t impatient 

• Be mindful of other drivers you and watch out for people acting reckless

• Allow extra space between you and the car in front of you in case of sudden braking

• Keep sunglasses in the car and use your visors when the sun is blinding

• If you miss a turn just keep driving and take the next exit safely, then turn around

• Only use the left lane when passing to avoid angering other drivers or disrupting traffic

• Wear your seatbelt, don’t use your phone, and keep the music at a low volume

Some drivers can be unpredictable. Make sure that you are always focused on the road to keep yourself and your passengers safe and to help you to avoid getting into a traffic accident.

Need an Auto Collision Personal Injury Attorney?

Getting into a car accident can be a headache, and it’s not always easy to be fairly compensated for collisions that you are the victim of. Contact Lloyd H. Thomas Law for an experienced and trusted attorney who specializes in car accidents. We are located in Atlanta, Georgia and are here to help you to get fair compensation for auto accidents that are not your fault.

Give us a call at (404) 848-8898.

5 Things to do after a Collision and 5 Things to Avoid

5 Dos and Don’ts in the Aftermath of a Car Accident

Owning a personal automobile is a modern luxury that millions of people get to do each year in the United States. Being a car owner gives you the freedom to drive whenever you want and wherever you want. Best of all, you can get around without needing to rely on lifts from other people, public transportation, or rideshare services. However, year after year the most commonly filed type of personal injury claim is a car accident because of the amount of cars on the road. Lloyd H. Thomas Law is a truck accident and car accident attorney helping clients to get fair compensation after suffering a personal injury during a collision. There are some things that you should do after a collision and some things that you should avoid doing. Today, we are taking a look at both. 

What to Do Right after a Collision

In the immediate aftermath of a car accident, there are some things that are important for you to do in order to properly document the incident and protect yourself to make it easier to get a settlement.

1. Get a Police Report. First off, call the police, or 911 if there is an emergency or serious injury, because you'll need a police report. Even if your injuries are not very serious, let the police officer know if you are hurt by saying something like, "I am injured, but I don't want an ambulance."

2. Document the Incident. Be sure to take photos of all vehicles and of the scene. Additionally, you should write down what happened as soon as you can so that your memory is fresh and you don’t forget about important details.

3. Make an Insurance Claim. Call your insurance company as soon as possible to report the collision and any injuries. It's likely that your insurance obligates you to do this.

4. Exchange Information. Make sure that you get all insurance information that you can from the other drivers. Also, if there are any witnesses be sure to ask them for their contact information in case it is not available in the police report.

5. Get Medical Treatment. Go for medical treatment as soon as possible to help prove to your insurance company that your injuries are a direct result of the Collison. Report all injuries from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet and if you have health insurance, please make sure to give that info to your medical provider.

What to Avoid Right after a Collision

Similarly, there are some things that you should avoid doing in the aftermath of an accident so that you don’t make the situation worse for yourself or harder to win in court.

1. Do not assume that the other driver will be honest about causing the collision.

2. Do not ever give a recorded statement to another driver's insurance company. Even your own insurance company wants to spend as little money as possible, so the less you say to all insurance companies the better.

3. Do not leave the scene or move your vehicle until the police arrive and ask you to do so unless you have taken multiple photographs with the vehicles in their original position. 

4. Do not fail to get any witness information (name, phone, address) that you can at the scene.

5. Do not delay going for medical treatment.

Of course, many of the dos go hand-in-hand with the don’ts, but it must be reiterated how important these things are. The more well-documented the incident is and the more well-prepared you are for your case, the more likely you are to win your settlement. Also, it is important to hire an attorney to help you with your personal injury claim.

If You Need a Car Accident Attorney, Call Lloyd

We hope that you stay out there on the road! If you happen to find yourself in the aftermath of a collision in the future, be sure to follow these dos and don’ts to help you with your settlement, and then give Lloyd a call at (404) 848-8898 or send him a message. Lloyd H. Thomas is a car accident and personal injury attorney with the industry experience and knowhow needed to help you properly settle your case in court. You can expect us to have your back when life hits you with the unexpected!