I. Background & Introduction

Andy Goldner has been handling serious injury and wrongful death lawsuits in Atlanta, Georgia for over a decade. He has recovered millions of dollars for clients who have been injured or lost loved ones as a result of car or truck collisions in Georgia. Andy has been consistently voted by his peers as a Georgia “Super Lawyer” and was also selected by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of Georgia’s “Legal Elite.” The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association selected Andy to serve as the Chairman of its Auto and Trucking Seminar, one of the Association’s signature meetings, where well-regarded lawyers teach their peers how to litigate car and truck collision cases in Georgia.

This booklet is born from over a decade of experience in handling serious personal injury and wrongful death matters in Atlanta, Georgia and the surrounding areas. The majority of the cases handled by my law firm have involved auto and trucking accidents. What many clients and numerous cases have taught me is that what comes second nature to lawyers is often foreign to non-lawyers. The printed literature and internet are flooded with “how-to” manuals for attorneys who routinely handle car and truck wreck cases; however, there are few reliable strategies, hints, and practical advice for people who are actually injured and who desperately need advice on how to handle, or at least begin, the daunting personal injury claim process.

Equally important, even after retaining an injury lawyer, many clients are confused and intimidated by the legal process. Why? Truthfully, lawyers sometimes do a poor job of taking the time to explain the mechanics of pursuing a claim after an auto or trucking wreck. This important step is often overlooked by injury lawyers.

I hope that this short question/response format will answer some of the more important questions that arise during the claims and injury lawsuit process that often follow serious auto and truck wrecks in Georgia. This paper is written for the non-lawyer. It is written in plain, easy-to-understand language. You will not find any “lawyer-talk” or case citations within these chapters. If, after reading this information, you feel more comfortable with the claims and lawsuit process in Georgia car and truck wreck accidents—mission accomplished.