Atlanta, Savannah, & All of Georgia

Think there are more fatal auto accidents in Atlanta than rural parts of Georgia? Think again. At the Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, we recently learned that drivers in Atlanta are less likely to be in a fatal motor vehicle accident than the rest of the state. A study conducted by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the same to be true for the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. These cities have fewer fatal auto accidents than the national average. But don't get too comfortable on the streets of Atlanta. The CDC report determined that more people died in Atlanta auto accidents than the national average.

The CDC based its findings on national motor vehicle accident data for 2009. That year, a total of 34,485 people died nationwide in auto accidents. That's 11.1 deaths per 100,000 people. In Atlanta, 64 people or 12.0 per 100,000 died in auto accidents that same year.

Such figures might seem frightening to Atlanta drivers. But compared to the rest of Georgia, Atlanta had fewer fatal auto accidents. In Georgia, 1,311 people - or 13.5 per 100,000 - died in auto accidents in 2009.

But no matter what the statistics, a serious accident can happen to anyone at any time. Just recently, a 59-year-old Atlanta woman died as a result of an auto accident that injured an Atlanta police officer. The fatal auto accident happened on Cascade Road in Atlanta while the police officer was responding to a call.

At the Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, we understand the dangers drivers face every day. If you've been injured in an accident, allow a Georgia car accident attorney at our law firm to review your case with you. Even if your accident seems straightforward, there might be issues you haven't even considered, including whether to file an auto accident lawsuit in Georgia.

Atlanta may be safer statistically than the rest of Georgia. But accidents happen. Don't leave your future to chance. Take back control. Contact a Georgia auto accident lawyer who puts people first. Contact the Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C., 3098 Breckinridge Boulevard, Duluth, GA 30096.

According to a recent report by the Consumer Federation of America, accident injury victims are being cheated on insurance claims by a system that puts more money in insurance company pockets while short-changing injured consumers. Because there are so many types of serious injuries that occur in this country every year-from head or brain injuries and severe burns to broken bones and neck or back injuries-this issue affects millions of people.

Entitled "Low Ball: An Insider's Look at How Some Insurers Can Manipulate Computerized Systems to Broadly Underpay Injury Claims," the 23-page, in-depth report sheds light on what the CFA perceives as an industry-wide problem. Until the late 1990s, the process of assessing bodily injury claims for car, home or property insurance was based on the expertise of insurance claims adjusters, according to the report. But since then, computer-based systems have become the main method of assessment, which can be easily manipulated by insurers.

The reliable and experienced Georgia personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays encourage anyone who has been injured or who has an injured relative to read the CFA report. Though intended to alert regulators as to complexities in bodily injury assessment systems and ways insurers are using it to line their pockets, it provides valuable insights for consumers as well.

With a focus on medical evaluation software, the report details everything from how injury victim medical bills are manipulated by health insurers to ways accident victims are fooled into thinking they're responsible for part of their injury treatment costs. The CFA urges the national and state insurance regulators to improve procedures in order to ensure proper market conduct and oversight activities.

The core message to everyone-whether you were injured in a car accident, are dealing with a premises liability case from a parking lot injury or trying to file a nursing home injury claim-is to be aware that the insurance company may be trying to low-ball your injury insurance settlement so it can make more profits.

If you or a loved one suffered an injury of any kind, you need tough legal representation to make sure that you are not a victim of insurance company bullying and manipulation. Contact the reliable, aggressive Atlanta personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Gary Martin Hays & Associates. Call us at 1-800-898-HAYS or fill out our online contact form today.

The Law Office of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.

3098 Breckinridge Blvd.

Duluth, GA  30096