The Law and Your Home: Avoiding Liability for Accidents
(Separate Website)
You might be legally liable if someone has an accident in your home. Did your negligence or carelessness contribute to an accident or injury? Pitfalls include someone slipping and falling on an icy sidewalk, and accidents involving power lawn mowers, swimming pools, boats, and other recreational vehicles. The best way to avoid liability is to prevent injuries on your property in the first place and protect yourself with a solid insurance policy in the event the unavoidable and unexpected does occur. This web site contains more information on how you can keep your home safe and protect yourself from liability.
By: American Bar Association
Liability Insurance
(Separate Website)
The liability portion of your homeowner's policy is designed to cover unintentional injuries on the premises and unintentional damage to other people's property. In other words, injuries caused by your negligence are covered; those you inflict on purpose are not covered.
Here are a few tips on how to cover yourself adequately. Remember, it takes only one person who is seriously injured by your negligence to generate a huge liability award and deplete your financial nest egg, not to mention your psychological well being.
By: American Bar Association
Medical Malpractice
(Separate Website)
Quick Facts on Medical Malpractice - What You Need to Know To Protect Consumers
By: Georgia Civil Justice Foundation
Personal Injury Lawsuits
The Difference between Torts and Crimes
This document explains the difference between torts and crimes and the different proceedings for each kind of case, excerpted from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004).
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
The Law of Personal Injury
(Separate Website)
Personal injury law, also known as tort law, is designed to protect you if you or your property is injured or harmed because of someone else's act or failure to act. In a successful tort action, the one who caused the injury or harm compensates the one who suffered the losses. This web site contains information about: (1) Personal Injury Claims, (2) Negligence, (3) Medical Malpractice, and (4) Product Liability.
By: American Bar Association
Fast Facts on Consumer Rights
(Separate Website)
Quick tips on your rights in certain consumer issues
By: Barnes Law Group
Bringing a Law Suit for Accidents and Injuries
This document describes a basic civil law suit for accidents and injuries caused by negligence and other harmful actions done "on purpose". The document describes (1) who can be held liable, (2) what kinds of damages can be awarded and (3) ways those damages are limited by the law or by defenses that the defendant can claim. The document is an excerpt from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004).
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Contingent Fee System
(Separate Website)
Keys to the Courthouse - Quick Facts about the Contingent Fee System. This web page provides information about the contingent fee system - a system for clients to pay lawyers a percentage of the judgment that they receive if they win a law suit (rather than an hourly rate based on the amount of time the lawyer spends working on the case). This form of payment system is used most often for personal injury cases.
By: Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, Pro Se Litigants Committee of the Judicial Council of Georgia, Administrative Office of the Courts
Defenses to a Lawsuit for Accidents and Injuries
This document describes the basic defenses to tort claims (harm caused by negligence or by intentional actions). The document is an excerpt from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004).
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
LegalAid-GA is a project of Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Georgia Legal Services Program and the Pro Bono Project of the State Bar of Georgia. The project is funded by the Legal Services Corporation and the Georgia Access to Justice Project.