What Is Personal Injury?
Personal injury involves physical, emotional, or financial harm caused by another party’s negligence or wrongful conduct.
In Georgia, injured victims may pursue compensation through a civil claim to recover the full value of their losses.
35+ Years As One of the Premier Atlanta Personal Injury Attorneys
When you’ve been seriously injured, the decisions you make next matter. You need clear answers, a direct strategy, and a legal team that can take on complex cases.
At Apolinsky & Associates, we bring more than 35 years of experience handling catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases across Georgia. We are a small but powerful firm, providing personal attention while delivering the resources and litigation strength needed to pursue meaningful results.
If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help you understand your options and move forward.
Our Georgia Personal Injury Practice Areas
Building & Structural Collapse Injuries
Structural collapse cases involve some of the most severe and complex personal injury claims. When internal load-bearing elements fail, a building can collapse into itself, often causing catastrophic injuries. These incidents are frequently preventable and may result from:
- Construction defects.
- Code violations.
- Poor maintenance.
- Fire-related structural weakening.
Multiple parties, including developers, contractors, engineers, and property owners, may be held accountable.
Apartment Fire Injuries
Apartment fires often lead to serious injuries due to unsafe conditions or inadequate safety systems. Property owners have a duty to maintain safe living environments. Failures may include:
- Non-functioning smoke detectors.
- Lack of fire suppression systems.
- Blocked exits.
- Electrical hazards.
When negligence contributes to injuries, victims may have a valid personal injury claim.
Elevator & Escalator Injuries
Elevator and escalator accidents can result in severe injuries when equipment is defective or poorly maintained. Liability may involve:
- Property owners.
- Maintenance providers.
- Equipment manufacturers.
These cases often require technical investigation and expert analysis.
Balcony & Window Fall Injuries
Falls from balconies or windows are frequently caused by unsafe property conditions. Common hazards include:
- Faulty or unstable railings.
- Improper construction.
- Lack of safety barriers.
- Code violations.
Property owners and contractors may be liable when these dangers are not addressed.
Roof & Ceiling Collapse Injuries
Roof and ceiling collapses can occur due to structural failure, water damage, or poor construction practices. These incidents often happen without warning and can cause severe injury. Liability may extend to:
- Property owners.
- Contractors.
- Maintenance providers.
A detailed investigation is critical to determine the cause and responsible parties.
Premises Liability & Negligent Security
If you’ve been injured on someone else’s property, you might be wondering who is responsible. The area of law that covers these situations is called premises liability.
We represent victims of serious injuries resulting from unsafe property conditions and negligent security, including incidents in:
- Apartment complexes.
- Gas stations.
- Bars and nightclubs.
- Parking lots.
- College campuses.
- Hotels and shopping centers.
These cases often involve proving that a property owner failed to take reasonable steps to ensure safety.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
We represent victims of serious injury and wrongful death in all types of motor vehicle accidents, including:
- Cars.
- Semi-trucks and 18-wheelers.
- Motorcycles.
- Buses and trains.
- Bicycles and pedestrians.
These cases often involve complex liability issues and aggressive insurance defense.
Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries have lasting consequences for victims and their families. Our firm handles cases involving:
- Traumatic brain injuries.
- Spinal cord injuries.
- Amputations and loss of limb.
- Severe burns.
- Broken bones and fractures.
- Permanent vision loss.
These cases require detailed medical analysis and long-term damage evaluation.
Further Reading: Common Types of Catastrophic Injuries Due to Negligence
Proving Negligence & Causation in Atlanta Personal Injury Lawsuits
To hold another party legally responsible for your injuries in Georgia, you must prove that they were ‘at fault’ for your injuries. What types of actions (or inactions) constitute negligence will always depend on the specific facts of the case. As such, it is imperative that victims work with an experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer. To prove negligence, your attorney must establish the following four basic elements:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care.
- The defendant breached that duty of care.
- The defendant’s breach of duty contributed to your injuries.
- You sustained real harm in the accident.
It should be noted that even if you are partially responsible for the accident that led to your injuries, you may still be entitled to compensation under Georgia’s comparative negligence law (Ga. Code Ann. Sec. 51-12-33). The statute, which establishes a modified comparative negligence rule with a 50 percent bar, holds that you can be up to 49 percent liable for what happened and still collect damages for your injuries.
Your compensation will be proportionately reduced according to your degree of fault. An attorney can advocate on your behalf to reduce any finding of comparative fault, ultimately maximizing your damage award.
Further Reading: Understanding Georgia’s Modified Comparative Fault Rules in Civil Litigation
Compensation and Damages Recoverable in Georgia Personal Injury Cases
Injured victims deserve financial compensation that is equivalent to the full value of their losses. In Georgia, personal injury compensation is available for both direct economic losses and intangible (noneconomic) damages. Of course, most personal injury cases are defended by corporations or big insurance companies, which will always fight aggressively to try to limit settlement offers.
To get fair compensation, injured victims should always obtain high-quality legal representation. Our personal injury lawyers help victims seek recovery for:
- Emergency room costs.
- Ambulance fees.
- Mental anguish
- All other medical bills.
- Disfigurement.
- Long-term disability (LTD).
- Loss of limb.
- Lost current and future wages.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Pain and suffering.
In the state of Georgia, personal injury claims are governed by the state’s strict statute of limitations (Ga. Code Ann. Sec. 9-3-33), which limits the amount of time you have to bring legal action. For the most part, you must file your lawsuit within two years of the date of the accident. (This is true for wrongful death suits as well.) While there are some limited exceptions to this rule, such as cases involving minors or cases in which the injury was not discoverable, it’s important not to delay a consultation with an injury attorney.
If you fail to file your lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out, you will likely not be able to bring a legal claim at all. Do not let yourself miss out on the compensation that is owed to you because you waited too long to get started. Get your case into the hands of a top-quality Atlanta personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident. This will allow your attorney to begin an immediate and comprehensive investigation of your case.
Further Reading: What is Pain and Suffering and How Is Compensation Value Calculated?
