The Finnell Firm The Finnell Firm 2026-07-21T12:44:07Z https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/feed/atom/ WordPress /wp-content/uploads/sites/1404787/2019/11/cropped-fav-min-32x32.jpg On Behalf of The Finnell Firm <![CDATA[5 key details to look for in a car accident attorney]]> https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/?p=49339 2026-06-09T10:35:12Z 2026-06-12T10:34:20Z Substance matters more than advertising Marketing materials can only tell part of the story. An attorney’s background can reveal more than advertising claims. Before hiring legal representation, consider these qualities:
  • A strong focus on injury cases: An attorney who handles vehicle collision cases will likely understand medical records, insurance negotiations and settlement timing better than a lawyer who rarely handles injury claims.
  • Knowledge of fault rules: In Georgia, fault can affect compensation. Courts assign each party a percentage of responsibility and reduce damages based on that share. An attorney should know how to respond when an insurer tries to place too much blame on you.
  • Experience taking cases to trial: Many claims settle before court. Nonetheless, trial experience often matters. Insurers sometimes take a different approach when a lawyer is prepared to present evidence before a judge.
  • A record with similar cases: Past results do not promise the same outcome. They can still show how an attorney has handled cases involving serious injuries or disputed fault.
  • Good standing and clear updates: The State Bar directory can confirm that an attorney remains licensed. Communication also matters. You should know who handles your case and how the attorney explains the next steps.
These details work together. For example, if an insurer says you partly caused the crash, an attorney with experience in injury cases and fault disputes will likely know what evidence to review. That proof may include crash reports, witness statements and medical records.

Support that helps you move forward

The weeks after a crash often bring medical appointments, missed work and insurance questions. Each issue can affect how your case develops. During this stressful period, an attorney can help you understand deadlines, organize evidence and evaluate the strength of a personal injury claim. They may also prepare you for questions about fault and financial losses as your case progresses.]]> On Behalf of The Finnell Firm <![CDATA[Where do most car accidents happen in Atlanta?]]> https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/?p=49333 2026-05-20T16:58:44Z 2026-05-20T16:58:44Z heavy traffic creates a constant risk for drivers across the metro area. This risk is warranted, as publicly reported totals show a 24% increase in traffic accidents in the Atlanta region from 2018 to 2022. Knowing common areas for traffic accidents can help to protect your everyday safety, route planning and defensive driving habits. It also matters after a wreck, since location can affect fault analysis, camera evidence and road design issues.

Why Atlanta has so many car accidents

The Atlanta area reports a high number of accidents because it continues to grow. This means more residents, more commuters and more delivery vehicles are using the same corridors than ever before. Congestion increases braking and merging as well as the need for quick and unexpected lane changing – all factors that can increase the risk of a car crash.   Aggressive driving adds another layer. Speeding in the Atlanta region is up by 39%. This, combined with tailgating, unsafe lane changes and red light running are common contributors to accidents in heavy Atlanta traffic. The region’s highway system is also complex, with multi lane interchanges, short merge zones, split exits, left side ramps that create last second decisions. All of these factors lead to predictable hotspots, where crash volume stays high year after year.

Top locations for car accidents in Atlanta

Major highways

Major highways in Atlanta see frequent crashes due to high speeds, dense traffic, tight merges and frequent construction. Small mistakes become multi vehicle collisions within seconds.  
  • I-285 (“The Perimeter”): Constant merging at major junctions plus heavy truck traffic create sideswipe, rear end and rollover risk. Weaving drivers between exits add crash frequency during peak hours.  
  • I-75 / I-85 Downtown Connector: Heavy volume plus short ramp spacing creates sudden slowdowns and chain reaction rear ends. Tourist drivers plus last second lane shifts around downtown exits increase collision risk.  
  • GA-400 (State Route 400): High speed flow plus frequent commuter congestion create sharp speed differentials. 

Busy roads and surface streets

Surface streets can be just as dangerous as interstates, since they combine higher traffic with driveways, pedestrians, signal timing and turning conflicts. Distracted driving becomes more costly in stop and go corridors.  
  • Buford Highway: Dense commercial entrances plus frequent left turns create constant conflict points. Pedestrian activity raises the stakes for inattention.  
  • Moreland Avenue: High volumes plus speeding create severe angle crashes. Multiple signalized intersections increase red light violations.  
  • Peachtree Street: Heavy local traffic plus turning movements near businesses lead to side impact and rear end collisions. Mixing buses, rideshares and pedestrians raises complexity.  
  • Covington Highway: Fast moving stretches meet signalized intersections with limited sight distance. Congestion near shopping areas leads to sudden stops.  
  • Old National Highway: Busy commuter traffic plus frequent driveway access produces turning crashes. Nighttime visibility issues can worsen crash severity.

High-traffic intersections

Intersections concentrate risk, since vehicles cross paths, turn across lanes, stop suddenly. Yellow light decisions and blocked boxes create frequent impact patterns.  
  • Peachtree Street & Lenox Road: High turning volume plus heavy pedestrian activity increases conflict points. Congestion can tempt red light running.  
  • Covington Highway & Panola Road: High speed approaches meet heavy cross traffic, increasing angle crash risk. Signal timing issues plus distracted driving contribute to collisions.  
  • Memorial Drive intersections: Multiple closely spaced intersections create repeated stop cycles. Rear end crashes rise during congestion and aggressive acceleration.

When accidents are most likely to happen

The National Safety Council reports that crashes are often common from 4 p.m. to midnight. The combination of rush hour and dinner crowds contributes to increased crash risk. Weekends also experience higher rates of accidents. 

Injured after a car accident? Contact an Atlanta car accident lawyer

Atlanta crashes often cluster on major highways like I-285, on busy corridors like Buford Highway, and at high conflict intersections such as Peachtree Street and Lenox Road. If you've been involved in a car wreck, protect your health, document the scene and seek legal help when facing injuries, liability disputes and insurance resistance. Legal support is warranted after serious injuries or disputed fault, especially when a crash involves multiple vehicles, commercial drivers or unclear responsibility. Insurance challenges also arise quickly, with recorded statements, low settlement offers, delays and medical billing pressure. An experienced attorney can help document damages, preserve evidence, negotiate with insurers and work to pursue full compensation for medical costs and lost income as well as pain and suffering. ]]> On Behalf of The Finnell Firm <![CDATA[Is it worth getting an attorney for a car accident?]]> https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/?p=49311 2026-04-10T12:24:04Z 2026-04-15T12:23:30Z The insurance company offers $5,000 after your Rome, Georgia car accident, so you accept it. Months later, you need surgery and lose your job, but that settlement is long gone. Negotiating alone means you may not understand what your case is actually worth until it is too late to recover what you have lost.

What Georgia's 2026 laws say about your claim

Under Georgia Code § 9-3-33, you have two years from your accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit in Floyd County. However, if a City of Rome or Floyd County vehicle hit you, you must file a formal Ante Litem Notice within 6 months (city) or 12 months (county) or lose your right to sue entirely. Missing these deadlines means losing your right to compensation, regardless of how severe your injuries become. Georgia's 2025 Tort Reform Act also changed the rules for accidents after April 21, 2025. Courts now allow juries to hear whether you wore a seatbelt and defense lawyers can use this to argue you caused your own injuries. The amount hospitals actually received in payment (often much lower than what they billed) now limits what you can recover.

What happens when you negotiate alone

Insurance companies employ teams of lawyers and claims specialists who handle thousands of cases annually. They know exactly how to use tactics that work against individuals who have never filed an injury claim:
  • Question your account of the accident to shift blame onto you
  • Minimize your injury descriptions to justify lower payments
  • Use your social media posts to argue you are not really hurt
  • Pressure you to accept settlements before you consult anyone
Accepting an early settlement for the car accident means signing away your right to pursue additional compensation later. When your back pain turns into herniated discs requiring surgery six months later, or when your employer terminates you because you cannot perform your duties, that early check will not cover those losses.

How legal representation protects your recovery

Skilled personal injury attorneys in Rome know how to value your injuries and what insurance companies hope you never discover. Your decision in the days after your accident determines whether you recover what you have lost or spend years wondering what you could have received.]]> On Behalf of The Finnell Firm <![CDATA[5 steps to take after a child gets hurt in a Georgia truck crash]]> https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/?p=49301 2026-02-17T06:28:55Z 2026-02-20T06:28:10Z 1. Gather evidence immediately As long as it is safe to do so, parents involved in serious collisions may want to step out of their vehicles to take pictures and record video footage of the scene of the crash. They can then move their vehicle to a safer location, if it is not fully disabled, to reduce the likelihood of another collision occurring while they wait for first responders.

2. Seek medical attention

Children's injuries have the potential to cause devastating consequences. A cut to the face could cause a disfiguring scar is the child continues to grow. A fracture could damage the growth plate of the affected bone. Medical evaluation as soon as possible is likely necessary to ensure the best outcome for an injured child.

3. Document all losses

Keeping copies of medical bills and receipts for crutches or other medical devices can help validate the total expenses generated by a semi-truck crash. Parents may also need to track the days they take off of work and any other economic losses directly associated with the collision. Those costs can all factor into the final settlement amount.

4. Retain legal support

Commercial trucks are subject to much higher insurance requirements than passenger vehicles. While the policy might cover crash expenses, negotiations are likely to be more aggressive due to the higher policy limits. Parents may need help managing interactions with the insurance company.

5. Review offers carefully

All too often, parents supporting injured children become so stressed that they make improper decisions. Insurance companies are aware of how tired and anxious parents with injured children may be. They may offer low settlements as a means of eliminating company liability. Even when a settlement offers seems reasonable, it may be necessary to go over it at length with an attorney to make sure that it addresses all current expenses and likely future expenses as well. Knowing how to handle the aftermath of a semi-truck collision can help parents give their children the support they need. Parents who have appropriate legal guidance and support during insurance negotiations are less likely to sustain long-term financial setbacks after a preventable semi-truck crash.]]> On Behalf of The Finnell Firm <![CDATA[Can family sue on behalf of loved ones incapacitated by crashes?]]> https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/?p=49298 2025-12-16T07:40:36Z 2025-12-19T07:39:50Z Legal authority is necessary for litigation People generally take legal action on their own behalf when they assert that another party is to blame for serious financial setbacks. In scenarios where the injured party is a child and the concerned family members are parents, it may be possible to pursue a personal injury lawsuit on behalf of the incapacitated minor without taking additional steps. When the incapacitated person is an adult, the matter becomes a bit more complicated. The simplest solution requires prior action on the part of the incapacitated party. If they previously signed power of attorney documents designating a family member as their agent or attorney-in-fact, the empowered individual can initiate litigation on their behalf during their incapacitation. Without pre-existing powers of attorney, those hoping to file a personal injury lawsuit must go to court first. They must pursue guardianship over the incapacitated person to take legal action on their behalf. The courts can facilitate guardianship in scenarios where an individual has experienced protracted incapacitation due to traumatic injuries. Once family members have the necessary legal authority, they can then begin calculating damages and preparing for the legal process of seeking compensation. Reviewing the circumstances of a recent car wreck with a skilled legal team can help concerned family members understand their options. Concerned family members can often take action on behalf of an injured person if they follow appropriate procedures and their circumstances meet certain criteria.]]> On Behalf of The Finnell Firm <![CDATA[Is emotional distress grounds for a Georgia car crash lawsuit?]]> https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/?p=49283 2025-10-09T09:55:05Z 2025-10-14T09:54:34Z Those with injuries may have grounds for a lawsuit Georgia does allow for compensation requests based on the emotional damage caused by a collision. If the aftermath of a crash affects a person’s happiness or peace, they may be able to request compensation. However, to pursue such a claim, people generally need to have suffered a physical injury. The mental trauma that comes from sustaining severe injuries or fearing for one’s life could require extensive treatment to address. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are common in cases where people witness another person dying or fear for their own safety in a car crash scenario. Those involved in violent collisions could also develop symptoms of anxiety and depression. They might become fearful of traveling in vehicles after the wreck. They may also experience social withdrawal, as they may struggle to connect with others in the wake of what they experienced. Any of those forms of emotional distress could potentially add to the total amount of compensation sought in a car crash personal injury lawsuit. People can request compensation for the economic impact of their emotional suffering, including the estimated cost to treat the symptoms they developed, as well as the non-economic impact of their emotional distress. Car crash lawsuits are often necessary when collisions cause extensive injuries and significant expenses beyond what basic insurance can cover. Reviewing what happened during a car crash with a skilled legal team – in addition to reviewing the aftermath it caused for those involved – may lead to a more effective compensation claim after a collision.]]> On Behalf of The Finnell Firm <![CDATA[Could you be held liable after a car accident with an uninsured motorist?]]> https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/?p=49250 2025-08-13T06:58:30Z 2025-08-18T06:58:10Z Being involved in a crash with an uninsured motorist can be stressful and confusing. If the other driver involved lacks insurance, many people assume liability falls squarely on that person. However, under certain circumstances, the victim of an uninsured driver’s negligence could still be held partially or even fully liable for the accident, depending on how it occurred and what the evidence shows. Georgia drivers are required to carry minimum liability insurance, but many also choose to carry uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. UM insurance can help you recover medical expenses, lost wages, and even pain and suffering if an at-fault driver cannot pay damages for the harm they’ve caused you due to their lack of coverage. If you don’t have this coverage, your options for compensation are more limited, and you may have to explore alternative options for compensation with a skilled legal team.

What if you are partially to blame?

It’s also possible to face a lawsuit from the other driver—even if they are uninsured—if they allege that you caused or contributed to the crash. While their lack of insurance may hurt their credibility, it doesn’t prevent them from taking legal action. Your liability will depend on the evidence, not the other driver’s insurance status. Georgia follows a modified comparative fault system. If you have recently been involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, that could impact you if you were even partially at fault for your own harm. If you are found to be 50 percent or more at fault for a crash, you cannot recover damages from the other party—even if they were uninsured. If you're less than 50 percent at fault, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of responsibility. So, even if the other driver broke the law by failing to carry insurance, your own actions before or during the crash will be closely scrutinized. Let’s say you were rear-ended by an uninsured motorist. In most cases, the other driver would be considered at fault. But if you had brake lights that were out or made a sudden, unsafe stop, you might share some blame. If a police report or eyewitness testimony supports that view, it could affect how your own insurance company handles your claim. To protect yourself after a crash involving an uninsured driver, seek legal guidance right away. Crashes with uninsured motorists are complex, but legal guidance and support can make the process more manageable.]]> On Behalf of The Finnell Firm <![CDATA[3 steps to take when a doctor dismisses medical concerns]]> https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/?p=49251 2025-06-17T10:48:31Z 2025-06-17T10:48:31Z Ask them to note the conversation Doctors generally have an obligation to update a patient's chart after every interaction and appointment. In many cases, they may only include the bare minimum details about the encounter. Asking a doctor to specifically include the symptom complaints that the patient reported and the doctor’s dismissal of the symptoms can sometimes prompt a physician to reconsider their opinion. If nothing else, the chart should then accurately reflect the encounter the patient had with their doctor.

Request a copy of the medical records

After having the doctor add notes to the chart about the interaction, the patient can then ask the support employees at the practice to provide them with a copy of their medical records. Under federal statutes, patients have a right to review their medical records and to request physical copies. In some cases, they may have to pay for printing. However, they should be able to leave the office with a copy of their recent chart records.

Seek a second opinion

With the medical records in hand, a patient can seek out another appointment with an unrelated health care professional. They can provide the chart to the other doctor if there are questions about their current treatment. The second opinion could potentially result in the other doctor ordering tests and arriving at an appropriate diagnostic conclusion. In some cases, there could be a significant gap between the doctor initially dismissing a patient's concerns and the date when they finally receive an accurate diagnosis. Their condition may have substantially worsened by then. They could face lost wages and increased medical treatment expenses. In these situations, the patient might have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Discussing what happened with an attorney familiar with malpractice litigation could help frustrated patients hold doctors accountable for dismissing their valid medical concerns.]]> On Behalf of The Finnell Firm <![CDATA[How can drivers prove who was at fault for a wreck?]]> https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/?p=48590 2025-04-14T10:42:48Z 2025-04-17T10:42:06Z Document the scene carefully The placement of the vehicles at the scene of the crash and even where debris falls can provide insight into what happens during the crash and therefore what may have caused the crash. Particularly when collisions occur on roads with high speed limits, at busy intersections or near a curve with limited visibility, drivers may want to move their vehicles after a wreck. Before moving the vehicles, however, drivers may want to take photographs or record video of the scene. The documentation that they gather could assist with a crash reconstruction later.

Speak calmly but assertively to the police

Some drivers want to avoid blaming others after a crash. They may worry that their actions might constitute snitching or being a tattletale to an authority figure. They might assume that police officers can review the situation and arrive at the appropriate conclusion regarding who caused the collision. There are so many potential factors in play that police officers may have a hard time evaluating a crash without input from the people involved. Motorists should relay any relevant information to police officers. Suspicions of impairment or distraction could guide how the officers respond to the crash. Explaining that the other driver ran a stop sign or failed to use their turn signal could also influence an officer’s perception of a collision. As a closing note, motorists generally need to avoid apologizing or otherwise making statements that imply they were the party at fault for a crash. The wrong statements can lead to officers reaching inappropriate conclusions. Drivers hoping to hold other motorists accountable for a recent motor vehicle collision may need help reviewing their options for compensation and advocating for a fair outcome, and that’s okay. Those with financial losses caused by a car crash may need support as they pursue compensation after the wreck. Seeking legal guidance is a good way to get started.]]> On Behalf of The Finnell Firm <![CDATA[How to address the emotional and financial toll of misdiagnosis]]> https://www.finnelllawfirm.net/?p=48586 2025-02-13T07:31:41Z 2025-02-18T07:31:23Z misdiagnosis is relatively common. How can families address the emotional and financial consequences of misdiagnosis?

By consulting with another medical professional

Typically, the path to recovery after medical malpractice begins with another doctor's insight. People need a medical professional to accurately diagnose them or their loved ones. In many cases, a physician can review medical records and affirm that another doctor may have made a mistake or negligent oversight. Their input can help patients and their loved ones feel less conflicted about the situation. When they realize that poor care standards, negligence or even professional burnout may be to blame for a doctor making a diagnostic error, they may feel less uncomfortable with the idea of holding that physician accountable.

By quantifying practical consequences

Diagnosing a patient with the wrong condition or failing to diagnose them entirely can have major implications for the patient. In some cases, they have to undergo far more invasive and painful treatments. They may miss more work and have more expensive medical bills to cover. Their health challenges can have a ripple effect on the rest of the family, especially if they cannot perform unpaid tasks that they usually manage for their family. The pursuit of justice after a diagnostic error often requires that families request a specific amount of compensation. Lost wages, lost future earning potential, lost benefits, lost household services and increased medical costs can all contribute to the total economic impact of a diagnostic mistake. Families grieving the loss of a loved one or coping with major medical challenges may need help with the process of establishing the economic impact of the diagnostic error.

By filing a malpractice lawsuit

Most medical professionals and facilities carry malpractice insurance. However, litigation is typically necessary to obtain reasonable compensation from those insurance policies. Injured patients and grieving families can file medical malpractice lawsuits against a specific physician or the medical business that employs them. With the right support and evidence, it is theoretically possible to hold health care providers accountable for diagnostic oversights and failures. A successful medical malpractice lawsuit can provide families with economic relief and may give them a sense of justice. Realizing that a diagnostic error might constitute malpractice can be the first step toward addressing the real-world consequences of a doctor's failings.]]>