As the nation is taking measures to reduce and prevent the spread of the coronavirus, personal injury cases are still active. The Georgia court system is taking precautions to prevent unnecessary exposure to the virus. This includes removing all hearings that are not deemed essential from the calendar to be rescheduled.
On a positive note, we are still working diligently on our cases. We want to discuss the measures the courts are taking, how they impact our cases, and keep everyone informed and up to date as things develop.
What hearings are “essential”?
Hearings involving the following are deemed “essential”:
- – Domestic Abuse
- – Mental Health
- – Criminal
- – Police Procedures
- Search Warrants
- Arrest Warrant
- Bond Reviews
- Other cases by case criteria not listed here.
This list does not include personal injury unless the case includes any of the above criteria, it will not be included on the trial calendar at this time. Although this is a big step, it is a needed precaution to prevent further spread of the virus, and ideally will lead to businesses reopening sooner due to fewer transmissions now.
So what about my injury case?
Well, fortunately, even if a case is put on hold with the court, there are still many things that we can do to progress. Depending on the case, we may be able to negotiate with the insurance company to get the case settled before court. They are in a similar situation just waiting for the trial to take place, which can lead to a willingness to settle instead of push the case off to a future date.
We are also providing video depositions and remote mediations to our clients. Regardless of the court system being on hold, we can still build a case as usual. Remote mediations are extremely helpful as they can lead to a settlement for our clients without the courts having to re-schedule their hearings, and waiting until the hearing date to get the case completed.
Our firm takes pride in our ability to spend extra time on each case because we operate differently than most other firms. We operate with the philosophy that quality is better than quantity, and are able to meaningfully and strategically evaluate each case. It also gives our legal assistants, paralegals, and attorneys a chance to answer client questions, and reach out on a regular basis.
What if the insurance company does not want to negotiate my case?
We work on each case up to, during, and after each case – so even if the trial date is rescheduled, we are working on your case. If the insurance company is unwilling to negotiate, then unfortunately we cannot do much in regard to getting a settlement to our clients, but we are still capable of doing many things that benefit our clients immensely.
If you are looking for representation, or have any questions about your case specifically, please contact us! This is a difficult time for all of us, and we want to make sure, as always, that this process is as pain and stress-free as possible.
