It comes without warning. One moment you are driving to work, picking up your children, or heading home — and then a collision changes everything. In the hours and days after a serious Georgia car accident, the decisions you make can protect or undermine a legal claim worth tens or hundreds of thousands of
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How a Car Accident Attorney Maximizes Your Settlement
By Ken Shigley, Past President of the State Bar of Georgia | Johnson & Ward, Atlanta

Three days after a rear-end collision on I-285, a driver gets a phone call. The other driver’s insurance company offers a settlement that sounds reasonable — until the medical bills arrive weeks later and the total several times more…
What to do in the first 24 hours after a car accident in Atlanta | Johnson & Ward

Injured in an Atlanta car accident? Learn the critical steps to take in the first 24 hours to protect your health, your rights, and your compensation claim.
The I-285 interchange at Spaghetti Junction is an iconic symbol of Atlanta traffic. That one exchange handles over 300,000 vehicles every day. On any given afternoon, a split-second…
Choosing the Right Personal Injury Law Firm in Atlanta
When choosing a personal injury law firm in Atlanta, the important factors are experience with serious injury cases, board-certified trial lawyers, professional leadership, and legal scholarship, not advertising. Firms with long-standing practices have institutional knowledge of Georgia tort law, insurance tactics, and jury behavior. Lawyers who hold national board certifications and who have written and…
Vagus nerve injuries in car crashes
Car accidents can injure the vagus nerve through whiplash, chest trauma, or seatbelt compression, disrupting autonomic control of heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and swallowing. Symptoms may include fainting, dizziness, cardiac rhythm abnormalities, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and difficulty swallowing. Because vagus nerve injuries often involve delayed or multi-system symptoms, they are frequently overlooked without specialized medical…
What is the time limit for making a claim for personal injury or wrongful death in Georgia?

Georgia personal injury claims generally must be filed within two years of the date of injury under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. Important exceptions may apply, including tolling for pending criminal charges, wrongful death claims measured from the date of death, extended deadlines for minors and legally incompetent persons, and strict pre-suit notice requirements for claims against…
Emory and UGA Rank among top law schools

I don’t put a lot of stock in college rankings in US News and other publications. The formulas are too contrived, too subject to manipulation and present too great a temptation for institutions to misplace priorities in order to rank higher.
They can distort high education much as over emphasis on standardized testing has distorted…
Spinal cord injuries: paralysis, diagnosis and surgery (part 1)
How to be fairly paid for a spinal cord injury in Georgia.

In our law practice over several decades , we have represented numerous SCI survivors. Most had benefited from rehabilitation services at Shepherd Center or Emory Rehabilitation Hospital, both of which are near us in Atlanta. All of these clients were injured in motor…
Post-concussion syndrome after brain trauma in an accident

Post-concussion syndrome is a medically recognized aspect of brain injury in which symptoms such as headaches, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, emotional changes, dizziness, or seizures persist after a concussion—even when CT or MRI scans are normal. Medical authorities including the CDC and NIH recognize that these injuries can significantly affect daily functioning, employment, and quality…
10 Things to Do After Injury in an Atlanta Motor Vehicle Accident in 2026

After a car or truck accident in Georgia, call 911, obtain a police report, photograph the scene, and seek medical care even if injuries seem minor. Exchange insurance and contact information without admitting fault. Notify your own insurance company promptly, preserve all records, and follow medical advice. Georgia law generally allows two years to file…