Macon Personal Injury Lawyers
Are You in Need of a Personal Injury Attorney in Macon, Georgia?
There are a lot of careless people out there. But that doesn’t mean you should be expected to pay for their mistakes. If you were seriously injured due to someone’s negligent behavior, Butler Prather LLP has got your back. We’ll find out who’s liable for your injuries and file a claim or lawsuit that reflects the true cost of your injuries.
Why Choose Us Over Other Macon Personal Injury Lawyers?
Butler Prather LLP has been helping accident victims in Macon for over 30 years. We won’t be intimidated by anyone when seeking justice for our clients. In fact, we’ve taken some of the most powerful interests in America to court and have won landmark verdicts for our clients.
Butler Prather LLP | Personal Injury Law Firm in Macon
- We’ve won nine verdicts over $100 million.
- We’ve won more than 60 verdicts and settlements over $10 million.
- We’ve won more than 175 verdicts and settlements over $1 million.
- Our firm has successfully represented clients in more than 30 states across the country.
- Our partners are recognized by Super Lawyers based on peer reviews and independent research.
Schedule Your FREE Consultation | Call (706) 322-1990
Do I Have a Personal Injury Case in Macon?
Everyone has a duty of care to avoid actions that may cause reasonably foreseeable harm to others. If someone breached their duty of care and you were injured as a result, you have the right to seek compensation to cover your medical bills and other expenses caused by the accident. Examples of negligent behavior that may result in a personal injury lawsuit include driving under the influence, speeding, failing to provide a safe environment for visitors, and refusing to address vehicle defects.
When you sit down with Butler Prather LLP for your free consultation, we’ll review your case and advise you about your options moving forward.
What Types of Compensation Can I Recover?
In Macon personal injury cases, damages refer to the monetary compensation awarded to a plaintiff for losses or injuries caused by another person's negligence. Economic damages, noneconomic damages, and punitive damages can all be sought in a claim.
Economic damages are quantifiable financial losses directly resulting from an injury. These damages cover a wide range of expenses, aiming to alleviate the financial burden of the injured party. For example, medical expenses are typically a major portion of economic damages. This may be bills you receive for emergency room visits, surgeries, hospital stays, and ongoing medical care such as follow-up appointments and physical therapy. The cost of necessary medical devices like wheelchairs and walkers also falls under the heading of economic damages.
Home modifications are often required for victims of catastrophic injuries. This may include ramps and widened doorways for wheelchair access. Common bathroom modifications are grab bars and assessable showers. Additional modifications such as voice-activated light switches, stair lifts, and lowered kitchen countertops may also be required.
Additionally, lost wages due to the inability to work during recovery are another important facet of economic damages. Loss of future earnings may also be considered if the injury affects your long-term employment prospects. Calculating lost wages in a Macon personal injury claim involves a detailed assessment of the income that you would have earned if the accident hadn't occurred. Butler Prather LLP may call upon professional testimony from vocational authorities who will assess the injury’s impact on your career path.
Noneconomic damages refer to compensation for intangible losses that negatively impact the victim's quality of life. These damages are designed to address the physical and emotional toll of an injury. Damages for pain and suffering compensate you for the discomfort and ongoing physical limitations that you are forced to live with.
Moreover, emotional distress covers the psychological impact that results from the traumatic event, such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD. Loss of consortium addresses the negative effects on personal relationships, often experienced by spouses due to the injury's impact. Reduced quality of life encompasses your diminished ability to enjoy daily activities or hobbies.
In Georgia, punitive damages may be available in cases where the perpetrator’s actions exhibit willful misconduct, malice, fraud, wantonness, oppression, or that entire want of care. These damages are meant to punish appalling behavior and discourage others from committing similar acts in the future.
How a Macon Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
Butler Prather LLP will investigate the accident and file a claim or lawsuit against anyone whose negligent behavior contributed to your injuries. Collecting and preserving evidence is vital for building a strong personal injury case in Macon. This process begins by obtaining photographs of the accident scene and any available dash cam or surveillance camera video.
We’ll also scrutinize medical records, witness interviews, police reports, and incident reports to build a robust Macon personal injury claim. We may seek the assistance of professional witnesses such as doctors, economists, mechanics, engineers, and others to clarify how the accident occurred and the impact it’s having on your life.
The next step is negotiating with the insurance company. Insurance adjusters often attempt to deny claims or offer lowball settlements that don't come close to covering your losses. Our firm leverages our courtroom experience and deep knowledge of personal injury law to effectively counter inadequate settlement offers.
When negotiations with insurance companies fail to yield a fair settlement, Butler Prather LLP won’t hesitate to take your case to trial. We use extensive planning and strategic execution to present a compelling case before the court with the aim of securing a favorable verdict that provides just compensation for your injuries.
Don't Wait | The Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury in Georgia
The statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit in Macon, Georgia, is two years. Missing this deadline can forfeit your right to seek compensation. By hiring an attorney, you ensure that all legal procedures are followed correctly and your case is based on a solid foundation. This dramatically increases your chances of securing a favorable settlement.
Understanding Negligence in a Macon Personal Injury Case
Establishing negligence is required for filing a successful personal injury claim or lawsuit in Macon. That means proving that the other party failed to exercise reasonable care and demonstrating how this negligence was the direct cause of your injuries.
At Butler Prather LLP, we handle most types of PI and wrongful death cases. Some of the cases we see most often involve car accidents, semi-truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and fall accidents, and injuries caused by defective products.
Motor vehicle accidents are among the most common personal injury scenarios, often resulting from driver negligence. Factors such as speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence (DUI), and failure to obey traffic signals lead to severe collisions. These accidents cause significant injuries, including whiplash, fractures, and traumatic brain injury (TBI), which may require extensive medical treatment and result in substantial financial burdens.
Trucking accidents are more likely to cause severe injuries compared to standard vehicle collisions due to the overwhelming size of big rig trucks. Truck accidents may involve factors such as driver fatigue, improper loading, or mechanical failures. Another major issue is poor breaking techniques by inexperienced truckers, which can lead to truck jackknifes and rollovers. When trucking companies engage in negligent hiring by handing over the keys of a semi-truck to someone with a poor safety record, they’re putting everyone along the highway at risk. It’s also essential for trucking firms to make sure their drivers aren’t exceeding federal hours of service (HOS) laws designed to prevent driver fatigue.
Careless drivers who disobey traffic laws and make unsafe maneuvers are a major cause of motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle accidents tend to cause serious injuries because motorcycle riders and their passengers lack the protection that’s available to people traveling inside motor vehicles. Proving negligence in a motorcycle accident requires meticulous evaluation of the available evidence.
Slip-and-fall injury claims accidents are an important legal remedy when a person is injured due to unsafe conditions on someone else's property. Businesses and property owners have an obligation to maintain safe premises. That means inspecting their property on a regular basis and immediately addressing hazards like wet floors, loose handrails, uneven surfaces, or inadequate lighting. Evidence supporting a slip and fall injury claim might include photographs of the hazard, maintenance logs, witness statements, and professional testimony.
Product liability cases emerge when product defects cause injuries to consumers who are using the product as directed. This may be the result of products that were poorly designed or a lack of testing that caused hazardous products to be released to the public. Product liability can also result from inadequate warning labels. Butler Prather LLP is one of the leading law firms in America when it comes to protecting consumers from defective vehicles.
Some of Our Personal Injury Case Results
Car Accident/Wrongful Death
Daniel v. Capital City Machine Shop, Eaton Corporation & Westmoreland Hauling, Inc., State Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia. Wrongful death action brought by the surviving parents of a 12-year-old girl who died when the automobile in which she was a passenger was struck by a wheel and axle, which separated from a large truck.
Serious Injuries from Motorcycle Collision
Thomas Kerr pre-filing settlement for uninsured motorist policy limits in a serious motorcycle wreck case involving a totally uninsured striking drive. Uninsured motorist insurer agreed to pay full policy limits despite policy stating that uninsured motorist coverage was rejected.
Tractor-Trailer Wreck/Wrongful Death – $28.5 Million
Hilliard v. Ocilla Industries, et al.; State Court of Fulton County, Georgia. A tragic case unfolded with the wrongful death of a 29-year-old wife and factory worker, resulting in a landmark legal battle in Georgia. A significant punitive damages award of $28.5 million was secured, which was, at the time, the largest verdict or settlement in Georgia’s history. Through compelling evidence, it was demonstrated that Defendant lacked a safety program and knowingly operated with gross defects in their tractor trucks. A pattern of using defective equipment was uncovered, compounded by management's decision to purchase radar detectors for their vehicles. The case was settled following the verdict.
What Our Clients Have to Say About Us
"Thorough, Available, and Compassionate” - Kathy Thrasher (5-Star Google Review)
Mr. Jim Butler and his colleagues worked diligently on my behalf. Their ability to navigate our situation gave me and my family peace of mind that our case was in competent hands. Everyone was thorough, available, and compassionate as they guided and assisted me through this difficult time.
"Got a Verdict of $150 Million” - Lindsay (5-Star AVVO Review)
We filed a wrongful death case from a car wreck and my son passed away. We went all the way to trial and got a verdict of $150 million. We couldn't have made this happen without this wonderful man and his associates.
"We Recommend Him Highly.” - Anonymous (5-Star FindLaw Review)
Mr. Butler represented my wife and me in a very professional (and successful) manner. Even after the successful settlement, his firm stayed with us to ensure that we were properly advised on the best use of our assets. His experience, professionalism, and honesty were much appreciated. We recommend him highly.
Let Butler Prather LLP Help You Today!
Contact our Georgia law firm at (706) 322-1990 for highly responsive and trustworthy legal guidance on your personal injury case.
Other Locations We Serve in Georgia
Personal Injury FAQs
What if the offender is a large business or corporation?
Butler Prather LLP has successfully taken on some of the most powerful businesses in America, including major automakers. We have the resources and experience to go toe-to-toe with anybody.
What should I do after an accident occurs?
Call 911 if your injuries require immediate medical treatment. If you feel up to it, use your smartphone to collect pictures or videos of the accident scene. Collect contact information from anyone who witnessed the event and request insurance information from anyone who may be liable for your injuries. See your doctor right away and report all symptoms, even if they seem minor. Contact Butler Prather LLP by calling (706) 322-1990.
What documents should I bring to my free consultation with Butler Prather LLP?
Bring along A copy of your insurance policy, medical records, the police or incident report, and any correspondence you’ve had with the insurance company, such as letters and emails.
What factors influence the size of a personal injury settlement in Georgia?
A major consideration for juries is the extent of the injuries suffered by the victim and your medical costs, including the need for long-term care. The skill and experience of your Macon personal injury lawyer play a major role in determining the settlement amount.