According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 1,209,000 auto accidents in the United States that resulted in an injury in the year 2000. The same study showed that a person is injured in a motor vehicle accident every 10 seconds in the United States, and that someone is killed every 13 minutes. In Georgia along, over 1500 people died in auto accidents in the year 2000.

There are many factors that can lead to an auto accident. Speeding, driver fatigue, weather conditions, driver distraction and intoxication caused by drugs or alcohol, are just a few. These numerous contributing factors can make an auto accident claim complicated. The NHTSA found that speeding alone was a contributing factor in 29% of all fatal crashes in the year 2000. Twelve thousand three hundred and fifty (12,350) lives were lost in the United States just due to speeding. The NHTSA estimates that the cost to society due to auto accidents caused by speeding is 27.4 billion dollars per year. The NHTSA study also looked at alcohol use. Alcohol was involved in 40% of fatal auto accidents and 8% of all auto accidents. There were 16,653 lives lost due to alcohol-related auto accidents in 2000. That translates to an average of one alcohol- related fatality every 32 minutes.

In order to protect the legal rights of someone injured in an auto accident, many complicated legal issues must be considered and properly addressed, including compliance with a potentially large number of time deadlines and careful maneuvering through the insurance company minefield is critical.

It is important to remember that insurance adjusters work for the insurance companies and not for the victims of auto accidents. Often adjusters will make offers at a very early stage in a claim - sometimes hours after the accident. They make these offers before the full extent of the injured person's injuries are known. The insurance company's goal is to give the victim as little money as possible. Insurance adjusters are paid to minimize the value of victims' claims, not to advise victims of their rights. While we all understand injuries like broken bones and scars, there is no doubt that even "soft tissue injuries," such as muscle tear, bulging discs or pinched nerves can be very serious and debilitating. Pain from these so-called soft tissue injuries can last for extended periods of time resulting in physical activities being extremely limited. In many instances, there are relapses or even pain and difficulties from these injuries that can last a lifetime. Injuries and symptoms must be properly diagnosed and treated so that an injured person gets all necessary medical attention that they need and to provide a written record documenting those injuries.