
Voted Best Personal Injury Law Firm By Georgia Lawyers
Uninsured Motorist Accident Attorneys in Atlanta, Georgia
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TESTIMONIALS
I called Matt after several people recommended him. He was very kind and did a very good job on my son’s case. We are very thankful for the work he did. Most importantly, he was never hard to reach and answered every question we had while going through the process. Matt is the only attorney I will ever call in the future.
- Emily
My husband is a cyclist that did not fair well against an SUV recently. Matt and his team took phenomenal care of us, allowing us not to stress out (too much) about the little things. Matt and his team handled everything with professionalism. We know we made the right call.
- Jane
So glad I hired this firm after my rearend car accident. Matt embodies the skill set and values I was looking for. He treats every case like a mini war, and was a zealous advocate on my behalf. And he did so in the most competent and skillful manner. He listened, was empathetic and understood my legal and nonlegal problems.
- Jared
My 85-year old mom was in a motor vehicle accident with an uninsured motorist. His love, thoroughness and commitment to her case helped us through this accident and her cancer treatment. She underwent successful lobectomy and chemotherapy and is doing exceptionally well. We are immensely grateful.
- Lindy
It was important to me to get the maximum money I could for my broken neck and arm. After getting jerked around for months by State Farm, I interviewed several firms and chose Mr. Wetherington. I’m glad I did. He forced the insurance company to pay twenty times their last offer to me.
- Veronica
It is an honor to share my experience with Mr. Wetherington. He was able to get answers about what happened in my son’s wreck that other attorney’s were not able to do. I am so thankful for the work that he did and he was very thorough in his explanation of why the vehicle had a “defect.”
- Anonymous
My case did not settle. The person that hit me only had minimal policy limits. Fortunately, I had my own insurance, which should have provided more money. My insurance company, Allstate, treated me like garbage. We had to sue them and go all the way to trial, which we won.
- Jane Doe
Matt Wetherington is the attorney who is suing the booting companies. We need to do everything we can as a community to help him succeed. God bless you, Mr. Wetherington!
- Michael
The best! Great people and always friendly.
- Jamal
Service Location
Georgia requires that all motorists carry certain liability insurance, which will pay compensation when the policyholder is at fault for a collision. Alarmingly, however, roughly 12% of motorists in Georgia are uninsured. Even more motorists drive into Georgia each day without insurance coverage, so the number of uninsured or underinsured drivers on our roads is larger than what people imagine.
If you were injured by a motorist without insurance, you still have legal rights to compensation. At the Wetherington Law Firm, we help men and women just like you bring claims when they are hurt in car accidents. Contact us today to speak with an Atlanta uninsured driver accident lawyer.
You Should Have Uninsured Motorist Insurance Coverage
A little-known fact is that most Georgia motorists have uninsured motorist coverage, called UM. This insurance is exactly what it sounds like: it kicks in if you are hurt by a driver who lacks liability coverage. Georgia law requires that any insurer who offers a liability policy should also offer uninsured motorist coverage, so you are probably carrying it without knowing about it.
Of course, under the law, you could decline uninsured motorist insurance. But you would need to reject it in writing, and few people do. Go through your paperwork and see if you have it.
In an accident where both drivers are insured, the insurance companies decide who is at fault for the crash. The party that has the majority of blame pays compensation to the victim.
Now imagine an accident where Driver A lacks insurance, but Driver B has uninsured motorist coverage. If A is at fault for the crash, B can use his own UM insurance to pay compensation. However, if B is at fault, he can’t use his UM coverage.
You Might Have Other Coverage that Can Kick In
In addition to UM coverage, our clients might also carry:
- Health Insurance: Many people have health insurance through a job, or they bought their own policy. You can use this insurance to pay for medical care following a crash.
- Medical Payments Coverage: This insurance will pay for medical bills related to an accident. The good thing about medical payment coverage is that it is no fault. That means you can use it even if you were responsible for your wreck. You can use medical payments to cover a health insurance deductible, for example.
- Collision Coverage: This insurance will pay to repair your car when it is damaged in a crash. It is also no-fault, which means you can tap these benefits even if responsible for a wreck.
Frequently Asked Questions about Uninsured Motorist Accidents in Atlanta
We receive calls every week from people hurt by a driver who lacks insurance. Below, we answer some of the more common questions we receive.
Is It Even Worth Suing Someone Without Insurance?
Possibly. This person might have other assets which you can get ahold of, such as real estate, motor vehicles, or cash in a bank account. You might also garnish wages.
What If The Driver is Lying About Not Having Insurance?
We can usually find out. For example, we can request financial records from the defendant, or ask questions under oath. It’s usually possible to find out if they have insurance coverage.
Will My Insurance Pay My Medical Bills?
It depends on the insurance. Your liability insurance won’t. That insurance only kicks in to pay money to victims you injure. However, you probably have uninsured motorist coverage, which can definitely cover medical bills if you aren’t at fault for the wreck.
What If I Was a Victim of a Hit and Run?
This is essentially like being hit by an uninsured motorist. We can also look to other insurance that you might have for compensation.
What If I Was a Victim of a Hit and Run?
This is essentially like being hit by an uninsured motorist. We can also look to other insurance that you might have for compensation.
What Should You Expect When Suing an Uninsured Motorist?
Suing an uninsured or an underinsured driver is slightly different from suing a driver with a policy. First, it might take longer. Your attorney needs to see if the at-fault driver has any assets that could be used to pay a settlement. If the driver is completely poor—no property, no money in the bank—then suing him or her might be a waste of time. There are techniques your attorney can use to uncover what assets the defendant owns.
Second, you should prepare for the defendant to point the finger at you. This is one way they can avoid liability for the crash. Under Georgia law, you can only receive compensation if you are less at fault than the other parties. In practice, this means you must be less than 50% to blame.
The lawsuit itself won’t be much different. Every case turns on two areas of dispute: who is at fault for the wreck and the severity of your injuries.
If you win your case, the court awards you a judgment in your favor. Essentially, this is nothing but a piece of paper. At the Wetherington Law Firm, we can use certain techniques to get assets:
- Wage garnishment. If the defendant has a regular job, you can typically garnish up to 25% of wages to pay toward the judgment you received.
- Summons of garnishment against a bank account. The defendant might have an account with money in it, which we can seize.
- Property lien. We can record a lien—which is a right to payment—against any real estate owned by the defendant. We do this by filing a lien in the county where the real estate is located. We can also get a lien in place for personal property, like motor vehicles. This lien guarantees a right to payment if the defendant sells the asset.
If the defendant has absolutely no assets, you can try to renew your judgment in case he or she comes into money later.
No Insurance? No Problem.
If you’ve been involved in a wreck, the Wetherington Law Firm is the place to call. Our legal team has brought claims for all sorts of car accidents, and we can analyze your options if you reach out to us. Please call (404) 888-4444 to schedule a consultation.