In this video, attorney Ted Spaulding details in what instance you can be help responsible for another person driving your car and getting into an accident. He explains how insurance coverage works in this scenario. 

When are you liable when another person is driving your vehicle and gets in an accident? Hi, I’m Ted Spaulding, an Atlanta personal injury trial lawyer, and the founder here at Spaulding Injury Law: Atlanta injury lawyers. So, this is an important question. You have lent your vehicle to a friend, a family member, and they’ve gone out and wrecked your vehicle with someone else and injured them and obviously, damaged that vehicle as well. So, when are you liable?

Well, the answer is, very rarely are you independently liable. And that’s where people get confused because, well, wait a minute, my insurance is covering this? Well, yes, your insurance, your auto insurance follows the vehicle. Okay. And as long as you have given that vehicle to someone, meaning you gave them permission to drive it, your auto insurance should cover for the negligence of that party. But you’re not legally liable, meaning the injured party can’t come after you personally in most situations.

The typical situation where you could be is if you lent that vehicle to someone who, let’s say was knowingly drunk or high, or you knew in advance had been in a ton of other wrecks. So, you knew they were a dangerous driver. That may lead to liability on your behalf, separate from the negligent acts by that person. But guess what? Your auto insurance still covers you for that. So, that’s why you have auto insurance. And it always would be a good thing to have additional coverages, just in case like an umbrella policy, and those sorts of things.

So, the short answer is, it’s very rare that you’re gonna be liable for the negligent acts of another party driving your vehicle. Your auto insurance will cover, but not because you are liable. Anyway, I hope that answers that question for you. If you have any questions or concerns about this topic, or you have a potential case you would like to see if my firm can handle, comment to this video below. Go to my website spauldinginjurylaw.com. We have a contact form on there that you can fill out and two phone numbers for you as well, 770-758-1382 and 470-291-5078. Thank you so much for watching this video.

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In this video, attorney Theodore Spaulding answers the question of how truck accident attorneys are compensated during personal injury cases.

How much does a truck accident attorney cost?

Hi. I’m Theodore Spaulding. I’m an Atlanta trial lawyer and the founder here at Spaulding Injury Law. Keep watching this video to find out the answer to this question.

So tractor, trailer, and truck accident cases are one of the specialties that we have here at Spaulding Injury Law. We handle a number of these cases every single year. These tend to be bigger cases, injuries are much more severe. So the question is what does it cost to hire a truck accident attorney in Georgia? So the short answer is it costs you nothing upfront, but be careful because you need to know what is it going to cost you at the end. So you see a lot of advertising all over the place that, you know, “No fee unless we win. You won’t pay anything unless we win.” While that is not a false statement, it is not the full statement.

So what we have here is two components of what you owe a truck accident attorney, but you don’t owe it until there is a recovery, right? So first and most importantly and obviously the largest chunk would be the attorney’s fees. You are not paying on an hourly basis, you are not paying a retainer upfront like you would for an hourly attorney. It’s a contingency fee. So that’s the part that you only owe if you win, okay? And that number ranges from typically a third, so 33 1/3%, up to 40%, 45%, or 50%. We don’t go any higher than 40% and we explain all that in grave detail to our clients so they understand when that triggers and all of that. But some firms charge even more than 40%. So that’s the one component.

The other component that is not caught when you see commercials and things saying you don’t pay anything and the like is you also reimburse at the end any expenses that the law firm has fronted on your behalf to pursue your claim or case. These are things like court filing fees, and fees to take a deposition of the truck driver or the representative for the trucking company. All those things can add up. That component is owned separately. And many firms charge that regardless of whether you win. So be very careful about how all of that works in your case or claim with your attorney.

So I hope that answers the question, what does it cost to hire a truck accident attorney? If you have any questions about this topic or any others, comment below on this video, go to our website, or give me a phone call. Two phone numbers for you: 770-744-0780 or 470-695-9950. Thanks so much for watching this video.

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IIHS Dubs Rear Automatic Braking as a “Standout Feature” in Research on the Impact of Crash Avoidance Technology Systems. In its latest tech roundup, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave props to rear automatic braking for its effectiveness in reducing the severity and frequency of reverse rear-end accidents. The IIHS compared this latest technology with other driver assistance systems in its compilation of research on the impact of crash avoidance technologies.

Effectiveness of Rear Automatic Braking Systems

The IIHS studied the effectiveness of rear automatic braking systems. These systems often include ultrasonic sensors and short-range radar systems that help drivers avoid colliding with people or objects behind them when backing up. Beeps or seat vibrations usually alert motorists about impending hazards. Some systems automatically brake if drivers do not respond quickly enough.

In its study, the IIHS compared vehicles that did and did not have rear automatic braking systems to examine their effectiveness. Specifically, it studied 2015 – 2018 Subaru vehicles and 2014 – 2015 General Motors vehicles. The IIHS found these systems helped reduce property damage claims by 28 percent. Furthermore, the IIHS found that rear automatic braking could help prevent up to 17 percent of all low-speed back-up collisions that involve property damage claims of less than $2,000. From 2010 to 2017, $8 billion in claims were filed for just these types of claims alone, so a 17 percent reduction could save auto insurance companies and their insured millions of dollars.

As part of the study, the IIHS also evaluated the effectiveness of rear automatic braking systems in comparison to other driver assistance systems, including parking sensors and rear backup cameras. Those technologies were only found to be 5 percent effective in reducing property damage claims.

Today’s modern vehicles may come equipped with various types of crash avoidance technologies and driver assistance systems, such as:

• Forward collision warning systems

• Forward automatic emergency braking

• Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

• Rear automatic emergency brakes

• Backup camera systems

• Lane departure warning systems

• Blind spot detection systems

These technologies have helped reduce the frequency and severity of car accidents in Georgia and throughout the nation. However, they are no substitute for safe driving.

Involved in an Accident? Call Our Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer

While rear automatic braking may help reduce the number of car crashes, it will not prevent all of them. If you were involved in a car accident in Georgia, Spaulding Injury Law is here to help. We are real lawyers helping real people just like you who were hurt in a car accident through no fault of their own. You can discuss your claim during a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Georgia car accident attorney. Call or contact us today to learn more about how we can help with your car accident case.

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Parts of your back are involved in almost every movement that most people make. For this reason, back injuries can cause significant and continuous pain and can also substantially limit your movements and abilities. To make matters worse, the discomfort and pain caused by a back injury can often be chronic and long-lasting and may require extensive medical attention.

If you have suffered a painful back injury in an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence¹, you deserve to receive just compensation for all of your losses and suffering. At the law office of Spaulding Injury Law in Atlanta, our experienced personal injury attorneys are committed to helping injured victims receive the maximum possible settlement or award. Call us for a free consultation at (770) 744-0890 today.

What Constitutes a Back Injury?

The medical profession defines a back injury as damage to any of the following:

• Spinal cord vertebrae
• Spinal cord discs or the tissue cushioning the vertebrae
• Ligaments, tendons, muscles, or other soft tissue

All of these different types of back injuries may prevent a victim from working, participating in fitness activities, completing ordinary household activities, and more. Generally, back injury victims cannot do much more than simply lie down and attempt to remain still without causing severe pain. This generally means that back injury sufferers lose out on a substantial amount of income and enjoyment of life.

Furthermore, chronic back injuries can require a large amount of medical treatment, including physical therapy, prescription medications, and possibly corrective surgery. Not only is medical treatment time-consuming, stressful, and even painful, but each medical procedure or appointment can be extremely costly. This means that in addition to losing income from work, back injury victims often face overwhelming medical bills.

Who Can Be Held Responsible?

Common examples of incidents that cause back injuries include:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Truck accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Workplace injuries
• Slips, trips, and falls
• Falls from heights or down stairs
• Sports injuries

If a back injury is caused in an accident due to another party’s negligence, the victims should be able to recover for their losses from the responsible party and should contact a personal injury lawyer for help today.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negligence

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In this video, attorney Ted Spaulding reviews one of his top recommendations for safe motorcycle riding. 

Hi, Ted Spaulding here. Listen, the other day I had the honor and privilege of talking to a real motorcycle safety expert. I like to say I play one on TV, right? I try to do my best to give safety tips that I hear about, know about, have come across in my legal career helping motorcycle injury victims, but I don’t know everything. And certainly most of us out there riding motorcycles don’t know everything. And that was the point of what he said, what I captured out of everything that we talked about, was this overarching theme that he had, which is, don’t rest on your laurels.

Don’t get cocky, don’t think you know everything, you’ve seen everything, you know how to handle every situation. Why? His point was, look, at best, you’re gonna come up on new situations or novel situations once or twice, or maybe three times a year, right? And that’s not a lot of practice. That’s not a lot of experience. You may face it once and then not again for another three to four or five years, you know, a safety hazard that’s unique. A certain situation when you’re coming around a tight curve, right? Maybe a tractor trailer is coming the other way, maybe a car coming over the line. There’s so many things as we know that can happen out there when you’re riding that can be safety issues for you. It’s hard to get all that experience certainly before you ever go out there and start riding after you get your license, but much less in the first 1 to 5, to 10 years. You’re not gonna to hit every single scenario that’s out there, right? Much less you’re gonna do it repeatedly so you become an expert at handling that situation.

So I just really thought that that encapsulated everything that I’m about in trying to educate on safety issues and things. Everything that we talk about in my Facebook group, obviously the Georgia Bikers Unite!, trying to keep the safety issues out there in the forefront, reminding you of things, “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,” or, “Oh, that’s a good tip.” Right? So he kind of encapsulated that whole thing.

So the theme for today’s video is, “Please don’t rest on your laurels, that you are an amazing motorcycle rider.” I’m sure you probably are, but always be learning. Get refresher courses. I’ve talked about this before. Maybe not every year, but certainly do it every couple of years. Hey, let me go back through a more advanced safety course. If I’ve been riding 10, 20, 30 years, just to get a refresher. Maybe I hear something new, at the very least, you’re gonna get more practice on those, not once in a lifetime, but once every five-year kind of safety issues, right? And you can get on the bike and practice it in a safe environment. So, again, I think it was a super great advice. Wanted to pass it along to you, guys, I think it’s invaluable. If you would, comment to this video below, guys. Let’s engage, let’s talk, let me know any other questions you have, let me know what you think about this safety tip. Love to hear from you in the comments below. Let’s get that going.

Thanks so much for watching this video. Again, Ted Spaulding. I appreciate you very much. Thanks.

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In nearly every state, wearing a helmet is required for certain motorcycle riders. While Georgia law requires all motorcycle riders and passengers to wear helmets, failure to do so will not automatically prevent you from taking legal action if you were hurt in a crash caused by someone else.

In fact, under Georgia’s “modified comparative fault” law, you can still recover compensation from a negligent party, as long as you’re considered less than 50 percent at fault for the accident. However, your financial reward may be reduced by the percentage of fault attributed to you.

Suppose you were injured in a motorcycle accident and weren’t wearing a helmet. In that case, the Atlanta motorcycle accident attorneys of Spaulding Injury Law: Atlanta Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyer can walk you through your legal rights and options for compensation during a free case evaluation. 

Are Helmets Required When Riding a Motorcycle in Georgia? 

Georgia law requires all operators and riders of motorcycles to wear helmets that meet the standards set by the Georgia Commissioner of Public Safety. By Georgia’s helmet law, the commissioner of public safety issued Rule 570-13, which states that helmets must meet the standards set forth by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218. Riding without a GDOT-approved helmet is considered a misdemeanor offense that carries up to a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail.

FMVSS 218 requires that the U.S. Department of Transportation approve a helmet. DOT-approved helmets will have a DOT sticker on the helmet, along with a manufacturer’s label providing the helmet model name, date of manufacture, and materials used in the helmet. 

Georgia Motorcycle Accident Statistics 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that motorcycle operators and riders are five times more likely to suffer injuries in a motor vehicle accident compared to the occupants of passenger vehicles. According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, there were 170 reported fatalities of motorcycle operators and riders in Georgia in a recent year. Of these fatalities, 15 individuals were known to have not been wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

However, NHTSA statistics show that motorcycle rider fatality rates are far greater in states that lack universal helmet laws, when compared to a state like Georgia that mandates helmets for all persons riding a motorcycle. The NHTSA reports that helmets can reduce fatalities by up to 37 percent and brain injuries by up to 65 percent. 

How a Helmet Can Help?

Wearing an approved helmet can reduce the risk that you suffer serious injuries if you are involved in a motorcycle accident. The hard shell on the outside of a helmet can protect you from skull fractures if you are thrown from your bike in an accident. The soft padding inside the helmet can also cushion any impact to your head and help reduce the risk of concussion and other traumatic brain injuries. If your helmet has a full face shield, as is generally recommended, you can also protect yourself from eye trauma and other facial injuries in the event of an accident. 

Contact Our Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today 

If you were injured in a motorcycle crash in Atlanta, contact the attorneys of Spaulding Injury Law today for a free consultation. We’ll discuss the details of the accident. You can learn more about your legal rights and options for seeking compensation for your injuries, especially if you may not have been wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. We are “real lawyers helping real people” recover from their injuries and losses following devastating accidents.

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The city of Atlanta proudly boasts the eighth busiest heavy rail rapid transit system in the United States. Thousands of people board the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) trains every day to commute to work, school, or other obligations. Though the MARTA train system is a fantastic resource for all residents of Atlanta, riding the train also comes with the risk of possible injury.

Types of MARTA Train Injuries

MARTA is run by the government, and the government has the duty to keep all persons who use MARTA trains safe from foreseeable harm. This means having safe facilities, trained operators, adequate security, and more. Unfortunately, the following injuries are common:

• Falls on poorly maintained escalators
• Slip and falls due to debris or hazards in the railway stations
• Passenger injuries due to erratic or improper operation or braking of the train
• Passengers getting assaulted or injured due to inadequate security on the train
• Pedestrians getting hit or nicked by a train

If you suffered the above or any other type of injury due to negligence of MARTA, the government should be held liable for its actions.

If you have suffered an injured on a MARTA train, taking on a government agency in court may seem daunting. To be honest, this type of claim is usually more complicated than a personal injury lawsuit against a private individual for several reasons. First, lawsuits against the government have some different rules and procedures that must be followed in order to ensure you can recover. Additionally, government entities always have legal teams in place who will work to avoid liability. For these reasons, if you have been injured on a MARTA train, you always want to make sure you consult with an attorney who has experience in this particular type of claim against the government.

Contact an Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation

The personal injury lawyers at Spaulding Injury Law are highly experienced in representing clients who have suffered an injury on MARTA trains or buses. We know how to handle the peculiarities that may come with a MARTA case, and will always work to make sure you receive the full settlement or award you deserve. If you have suffered an injury, call our Atlanta office today at (770) 744-0890 to schedule your free consultation today.

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In this video, attorney Ted Spaulding details in what instance you can be help responsible for another person driving your car and getting into an accident. He explains how insurance coverage works in this scenario. 

When are you liable when another person is driving your vehicle and gets in an accident? Hi, I’m Ted Spaulding, an Atlanta personal injury trial lawyer, and the founder here at Spaulding Injury Law. So, this is an important question. You have lent your vehicle to a friend, a family member, and they’ve gone out and wrecked your vehicle with someone else and injured them and obviously, damaged that vehicle as well. So, when are you liable?

Well, the answer is, very rarely are you independently liable. And that’s where people get confused because, well, wait a minute, my insurance is covering this? Well, yes, your insurance, your auto insurance follows the vehicle. Okay. And as long as you have given that vehicle to someone, meaning you gave them permission to drive it, your auto insurance should cover for the negligence of that party. But you’re not legally liable, meaning the injured party can’t come after you personally in most situations.

The typical situation where you could be is if you lent that vehicle to someone who, let’s say was knowingly drunk or high, or you knew in advance had been in a ton of other wrecks. So, you knew they were a dangerous driver. That may lead to liability on your behalf, separate from the negligent acts by that person. But guess what? Your auto insurance still covers you for that. So, that’s why you have auto insurance. And it always would be a good thing to have additional coverages, just in case like an umbrella policy, and those sorts of things.

So, the short answer is, it’s very rare that you’re gonna be liable for the negligent acts of another party driving your vehicle. Your auto insurance will cover, but not because you are liable. Anyway, I hope that answers that question for you. If you have any questions or concerns about this topic, or you have a potential case you would like to see if my firm can handle, comment to this video below. Go to my website spauldinginjurylaw.com. We have a contact form on there that you can fill out and two phone numbers for you as well, 770-744-0890 and 470-695-9950. Thank you so much for watching this video.

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In this video, attorney Ted Spaulding explains how motorcycle accident attorneys determine rates during a personal injury case. He details the two main variables and how they will affect you.

What do motorcycle accident attorneys charge? Keep watching this video to find out the answer to this question.

Hi, I’m Theodore Spaulding. I’m an Atlanta personal injury trial lawyer, and I’m the founder here at Spaulding Injury Law. So this question is an all-important one when you are hiring an attorney. So you need to be careful because you see a lot of commercials out there, billboards and things saying, “No fee unless you win,” or “You owe nothing unless you win.” But that’s not the whole story so be very careful.

Motorcycle accident claims and cases are a large component of our practice here at Spaulding Injury Law. So one of the questions we always get is so what is owed? What is charged by the attorney to handle these cases? So it’s two components. It is the attorney’s fees, which has always the larger amount owed, and any expenses that are fronted by the firm to pursue your case.

So let’s first talk about the attorney’s fees. That’s on a contingency fee basis. Every firm does it this way. You are not paying an hourly rate. You are not paying a retainer upfront. You’re not being billed monthly and owing that money every month, like a traditional attorney. That’s the portion that isn’t owed unless you win. It’s contingent on you winning your case. So that part is absolutely true in those statements.

The part that is not often is there’s a second component, which are your expenses, okay? Now, what are those? Those are typically things like a court filing fee, fees to get your medical records, fees to take a deposition of the at-fault driver in litigation, fees to get exhibits and everything ready for trial, to subpoena witnesses, those sorts of things. Now, many firms require payment of those expenses back because that’s hard money that the firm is using to pursue your claim regardless of the outcome of your case. So be very, very careful about that component of it. You need to know that that’s the situation in advance so you know what you’re getting into.

So I hope this answers the question “What does it cost and what is charged by motorcycle accident attorneys?” If you have further questions or you have a claim or case you’d like to see if my firm can handle, please comment to the video below, go to our website, spauldinginjurylaw.com, or give me a phone call, 770-744-0780. Another number, 470-695-9950. Thanks so much for watching this video.

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In this video, attorney Ted Spaulding details how to value pain and suffering after a car accident in Georgia. He also explains how limitations factor in.

What is pain and suffering worth after a car accident? Keep watching this video to learn ways to value your pain and suffering.

Hi, I am Ted Spaulding. I’m an Atlanta personal injury trial lawyer, and I’m the founder here at Spaulding Injury Law.

So this is, ultimately, the biggest issue in any single personal injury claim or case. Most of the other components of your damages that equal the value of your claim are pretty empirical. We know what the medical bills are. We know what your lost wages are. As long as those are related to your injuries, they’re compensable. So those are pretty rock-solid numbers. But the big one, and what we’re all, quite frankly, adjusters and lawyers are guessing as to, is what is a jury going to give the plaintiff for pain and suffering? And that’s the scary part certainly for a layperson.

Yes, we are all guessing. Well, we’re doing that with some education, right? I mean, it’s an educated guess in the sense that we are using our experience, prior verdicts in that jurisdiction with similar facts of injuries and that sort of thing. We’re doing research as well to see what others have received in recent trials. The adjusters are doing the same thing. And so we have a reasonable range where we think, “If we tried this case 10 times, here’s what a jury would do probably 60% to 70% of the time. We’ll be somewhere in this tight range.” And that helps form the basis of the overall value of the claim because pain and suffering is just one component. It’s oftentimes one of the largest components, but it is only one of several.

So anyway, that is how you can try to value your pain and suffering. It has to do with your limitations. How have your injuries affected your daily life and how are they going to do that going forward? Do you have a permanent injury and therefore, pain and suffering for the rest of your life? To what extent is that pain, is that suffering, are those limitations? So that’s what you’re looking at to build that component of pain and suffering.

I hope this answers your question. If you have any more, feel free to leave me a comment on this video, or if you have a claim that you would like to see if our firm can handle for you, go to our website. We have a contact form on there. Or give me a phone call. Two phone numbers for you, 770-744-0890 or 470-695-9950.

Thanks for watching this video.

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