Legal Question in Personal Injury in Georgia
information needed
On 2/29/00 I was in a one vehicle car accident. In attempting not to hit an animal in the road I instinctively swerved. I am certain that I did not swerve enough to cause what followed next. The car completely turned all the way around, while at the same time I am attempting to regain control, but it was not to be found. Since then, we have learned of a recall of that vehicle ( 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier, for steering malfunctions). The car eventually went down a 20 foot embankment hitting a tree which caused it to stop. The car needed to be cut apart to remove me from the vehicle. That was two years ago, and I have not been able to return to work, my husband and I have had to file for bankruptcy, and he now works in New Jersey where the pay scale is better, just to keep us afloat. What we want to know is what are our options. I must also add that after the accident, we called gm to inquire if there were any steering problems with that car and they told us ''no''.
A reply to this e-mail would be reatly appreciated, and we thank you in dvance for your time.
Sincerely
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: information needed - automobile defect
Unfortunately, in Georgia one must begin a lawsuit to recover damages from a personal injury within two years of the date the injury occurred. There are some exceptions to this rule, but they are few and you will need assistance of an attorney to determine if any of the exceptions apply. If the accident happened outside of Georgia, usually the state in which the accident occurred determines how long you have to bring a lawsuit.
On the other hand, you have a good shot at recovering property damage that you sustained (don�t ask me why, but you have four years in Georgia to bring a lawsuit for the recovery of property damages). Earlier this week, a recall was instituted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for certain 1998 Chevrolet Cavaliers that have steering defects that could cause the accident that you described (NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 02V286000).
As usual, you should contact competent counsel to assist you.
This answer, though responsive to the question is general in nature. It is not designed to be and should not be relied on as your sole source of information when analyzing and resolving a specific legal issue. Each fact situation is different; the laws are constantly changing. If you have specific questions regarding a particular fact situation, I urge you to consult with competent legal counsel.
Related Questions & Answers
Looking for something else?
10,200 active attorneys ready to answer your legal questions today.
Featured Attorneys
Earn additional revenue and grow your business.
