Assuming you did not cause the wreck, you and your passengers have what is known as an uninsured motorist claim. While such a claim exists under Georgia law, that does not necessarily mean there is compensation available under your policy. The key is whether your policy has uninsured motorist... View More

Ligon v. Bartis involved a personal injury matter which ultimately made its way to the Georgia Court of Appeals - twice.

The first decision was handed down in 2000. The case cite is Ligon v. Bartis, 243 Ga. App. 328, 530 S.E.2d 773 (2000). The issue at hand pertained to a motion to... View More

Once a case settles, the claimant (i.e., the person who was injured) signs a release. In that release, all claims against the party(ies) who caused the injury are extinguished including the claim for pain and suffering. Consequently, you may not sue a doctor or hospital for pain and suffering... View More

No. If you did not own the vehicle your child was driving, only your child's assets will be at risk. The insurance limits will certainly be in play to compensate the deceased individual's family, and I would expect all $1.5 m to be paid out. It is also worth noting this wreck may... View More

Rule 22 of the Uniform Superior Court Rules for the Superior Court is strict in terms of its prohibition of recording devices allowed in court rooms. Generally speaking, recording devices are prohibited unless specifically authorized by the judge. But even assuming your mom was authorized to... View More

I do agree, something seems off. It is generally the case that once a client's medical treatments are finished, it can take anywhere from 2 - 4 weeks to obtain all of the client's medical records and bills. Every now and then there will be difficulty getting a record or a bill but that... View More

There is no basis under Georgia law for a judge to appoint counsel in a civil case. It is true that in some criminal cases a judge will appoint an attorney to an accused, but that does not exist in the civil arena.

While a judge cannot appoint counsel in a civil case, that does not mean... View More

The short answer is yes - you are under the jurisdiction of the Superior Court of Barrow County once sued there. However, the longer answer is that venue is not proper in Barrow County. Venue is proper in Gwinnett County since that is your county of residence. The proper response to being sued... View More

I am sorry to hear about your situation.

In terms of your charges, O.C.G.A. § 40-6-272 refers to your duty to contact the owner of the car wash after striking the PVC pipe (i.e., a fixture). I am not aware of what statute would apply to a hit and run in your situation. Georgia does... View More

Yes. When you cause an accident, you are legally obligated under Georgia law to pay for the damages you caused. The statute of limitations in Georgia for property damage to a vehicle is four years, meaning the other party could wait until June 2026 before filing suit against you and yet still... View More

Since the work was done in Georgia but his business is located in South Carolina, you have the option to sue him in the Georgia county where the work was done or in South Carolina. Since you live in Georgia, I would file suit in Georgia as it is most convenient for you. In Georgia, magistrate... View More

The answer to your question is governed by the Georgia Nonresident Motorist Act statute (specifically, O.C.G.A. 40-12-3). Under that statute, suit against a nonresident may brought (1) in the county in which the accident or injury occurred or the cause of action originated or (2) in the county of... View More

A discovery dispute is a two step process: (1) The law first requires that you confer with the opposing party in an effort to work through the dispute. If your attempt(s) to resolve the dispute do not work, then you go to the next step (2) File a motion to compel with the Court against the... View More

It is very common for a personal injury attorney to negotiate a reduction and no formal document is executed. This situation is particularly true if the attorney and the medical care provider work together frequently. It is certainly best practices for the reduction to be confirmed in writing... View More

You may serve a nonresident using the Georgia Nonresident Motorist Act statute. In order to do so, you must serve a copy of the complaint/summons on the Secretary of State AND by giving notice of such service and a copy of the complaint/summons by registered or certified mail or statutory... View More

Once a case settles, both sides are contractually obligated to fulfill their respective ends of the deal. In most instances, that means the injured party will sign a release while the other party will pay a sum of money. In the event either party fails to uphold its end of the bargain, the... View More

It is always preferable to settle a case short of filing a lawsuit. Lawsuits are expensive, time consuming, and stressful. In dog bite cases, a good first step is to learn the identity of the homeowner's insurer. If the homeowner will provide that information, you can then file a claim with... View More

No. The Federal Rules of Evidence do not have a statute similar to O.C.G.A. 24-4-23. The closest would be FRE 301 but that would not likely help you in your specific circumstances.

If you ignore the notice, you are making the sheriff's job more difficult but you are only delaying, not permanently avoiding, service. The sheriff will be back again to serve you and it is likely only a matter of time until he catches you at home.

No. Restitution is court ordered monetary compensation for crime victims. What you are describing are benefits made by third parties (i.e., health insurance, the hospital, etc.).