A few weeks ago, I was a guest on The Attorney Post podcast. On the podcast, I discussed along with host Justin West the importance of knowing your personal injury rights in Georgia, what to do after being in a car accident, and also shared a few fun personal stories and my advice for anyone who is looking to start a law firm.
You can listen to the recorded version here and below is a summary of what we discussed on the podcast.
About James/Jimmy Grant
James/Jimmy Grant began his career as an Assistant Solicitor-General with the Gwinnett County Solicitor-General’s Office and the Municipal Court of Suwanee, advocating for the rights of the State of Georgia and those victimized by criminal defendants. During which time he successfully argued a case before the Supreme Court of Georgia
After his years of service as a prosecutor, James accepted a position as an Associate Attorney with a boutique personal injury law firm. After consistently proving himself as a top-tier litigator and client advocate, he was promoted as a Senior Associate Attorney.
Now, James is a founding partner of Georgia Trial Attorneys at Kirchen & Grant, LLC, where represents and counsels each client and prospective client as a highly trained and hyper-aggressive attorney.
Learn more about James/Jimmy Grant.
Prepare yourself for a car accident in Georgia
Whenever you are in a car accident, after the fact, you have a lot going through your head. Not only is your car wrecked, but you could be hurt, and now you are missing time from work. So, my biggest advice to you is to work backward. Prepare yourself for a car accident.
If you live in Georgia, specifically in the Atlanta area, it’s a matter of when you will get in a car accident. So, here is my advice on what you should do.
- You shouldn’t go with the first personal injury attorney in Atlanta that you find on Google. It should be someone that you already know and trust
- You can find me, accident attorney JG on all social media platforms giving out advice and tips (Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, TikTok)
James Grant – on becoming a personal injury attorney
In law school, I had the opportunity to actually try cases through the district attorney’s office. I was supervised, but even without a bar license, I was able to try cases in the criminal court system. Once I had a taste for litigation, I just knew that was what I really wanted to do.
Some of the cases I got to be a part of include;
- DUI’s
- Criminal trespassing
- Family violence
- Battery
- Advocating for injured victims
That experience taught me such an important and valuable skill on how to fight for people. I took that skill and experience and transferred it to people who have been injured – and are also getting wronged by the insurance company.
What makes personal injury law so unique in Georgia?
It’s not that personal injury law is so unique in Georgia. It is that we are highly skilled and qualified in our specific area. When my partner and I decided to start our law firm – Georgia Trial Attorneys, we wanted to be specialists in personal injury law. If you are a specialist, you are going to be good at what you do.
What is your facet of personal injury law?
We are different from other personal injury law firms because we focus just specifically on car accidents. We can work with you to help you find a great attorney for another aspect of personal injury – however, our biggest and most important focus is any personal injury accidents related to car accidents.
How has COVID affect your law firm?
We had already set up our law firm to be completely digital. Our law firm is completely paperless. We have always been that way. So when COVID hit and everything shut down, we could turn the switch to go virtual.
We were still able to serve all our clients the very next day.
The bad thing at first was getting our clients to the doctors. That was not happening at the beginning of COVID. However, we started working with doctors that were able to do things virtually with their patients. These doctors could do virtual evaluations and even go over exercises and things like that with patients.
What should you do the moment you get in a car accident?
The important thing to know is that the insurance companies are not here from you. They are not on your side. They are a business. The first thing you need to do is to find a car accident attorney that you trust. You need to protect yourself right from the beginning.
- You don’t need to talk to the police and go into a big story – just give them their information
- Take as many photos and/or videos of the accident as you can
- Get the other person’s insurance card
- You should absolutely get yourself checked out
- Then hire a personal injury attorney
Those are the most important, big-ticket items.
The status of limitations in Georgia is you have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit.
What are some stories of when you have failed?
Not, that I failed per se but I would tell my younger self that you should get a business coach to help you learn how to be good in business. That is something I wish I knew when I was younger. They teach you in law school how to be a lawyer, but not how to be a good business person. [Listen to more in detail about why a business coach is important at 17.07 on the video]
What are some great stories or success stories that have happened to you?
This is one story you really have to listen to. [Listen at 19.28]
What is one thing you would change about the law?
I wouldn’t change the law, I would change the way the insurance companies work and treat their “customers”. I just want the insurance companies to do the right thing [Listen at 28.37]
Any final words?
Don’t be afraid of attorneys. You want someone who you can trust and is on your side. You also need to make sure that you take care of yourself and that you get checked out after being in a car accident. Know your rights. A great attorney will know how to help you.
A huge thank you to The Attorney Post and to Justin West. It was a pleasure to chat with you.
Have you been in a car accident? We can help you get your injury compensation claim.
If you are ready to take the next steps? If you are ready to meet with an attorney you can contact us and call 833-4TheWin to speak with one of the experienced personal injury attorneys from Georgia Trial Attorneys.