Practice Areas

Personal Injury Attorneys Serving Savannah and Beyond

At Suthers & Harper, our Savannah personal injury lawyers handle nursing home abuse, medical malpractice, product liability, and other claims on behalf of victims and their families. We take pride in seeking justice for people who might not otherwise be able to secure the full extent of the compensation that they need after suffering catastrophic injuries. We also represent clients in lawsuits involving FELA claims, motor vehicle collisions, plane crashes, construction accidents, and asbestos exposure, as well as business and insurance disputes.

Nursing Home Abuse

Under Georgia’s Disabled Adults and Elder Persons Protection Act, abuse is a willful infliction of injury or pain, mental anguish, deprivation of care, or unreasonable confinement. Often, a senior citizen may be reluctant to admit that they are being abused. In some cases, elderly people are also mentally incapacitated and unable to report staff misconduct or negligence. Signs that family members should monitor include bed sores, unexplained falls resulting in bruises or broken bones, excessive weight loss or extreme thirst, pneumonia, and poor hygiene.

Nursing homes must provide reasonable and appropriate care and services for residents under both Georgia and federal laws. Appropriate services include medical care, personal attention and care, medical monitoring, proper nutrition, and keeping their spaces clean and well-maintained. At least one registered or licensed nurse must be on duty for each eight-hour shift at a nursing home. Each resident should be able to visit the doctor at least once every 30 days. Elderly people typically take longer to recover from injuries, so they may need to see a doctor more often if they are dealing with an illness or accident.

If you or a loved one has been harmed because of inadequate care provided at a nursing home, we may be able to help you bring a lawsuit. In some cases, the nursing home may be held directly responsible for negligently hiring staff members who do not have sufficient experience, negligently training staff, or ignoring signs of abuse by staff. You have two years to file a claim after discovering that your loved one has been abused or neglected in a nursing home. You may be able to recover economic damages, such as medical expenses, as well as noneconomic damages, such as mental anguish. If the defendant’s conduct was especially egregious, you may also be able to recover punitive damages.

Medical Malpractice

If you are hurt because of a Georgia health care professional’s negligence, you may be able to recover damages for medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering. The central issue in these cases is whether the doctor’s breach of the standard of care caused your injuries. The standard of care consists of the generally accepted practices and standards that similarly situated medical professionals would use to treat patients suffering from a particular illness or injury. This standard may vary depending on the personal characteristics of the patient, such as age, gender, and medical history. For example, the way that an obstetrician handles a pregnant woman’s care during labor and delivery probably would depend on her age and whether any risk factors are present.

Product Liability

Consumers should be able to trust that the products that they buy will be reasonably safe and will not harm them or their loved ones. Our firm handles product liability cases, particularly those arising out of dangerous pharmaceuticals. You may sue under a theory of strict liability in Georgia. This means that you can potentially receive compensation even if the manufacturer used reasonable care in making the product.

Under O.C.G.A. §51-1-11(b)(1), a manufacturer of personal property may be liable to anyone who suffers an injury if the property was not merchantable and reasonably suited to the use for which it was intended, and the condition when it was sold was the legal cause of the injury suffered. The product does not need to be unreasonably dangerous in order for strict liability to apply. Defects for which a manufacturer may be held accountable include manufacturing defects, design defects, and marketing defects (also known as failures to warn).

Consult a Savannah Lawyer for Your Personal Injury Claim

After a serious accident, you may be worried about how you can pay your medical bills. If a nursing home, doctor, manufacturer, or another person or entity was responsible for your injuries, you may bring a lawsuit to pursue compensation. The Savannah personal injury attorneys at the Suthers & Harper are able to provide experienced, knowledgeable representation. We also assist victims in Atlanta, Decatur, Stone Mountain, Marietta, Athens, Roswell, Lawrenceville, Norcross, and Watkinsville, as well as other communities throughout Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Clark, Gwinnett, and Oconee Counties. Contact us by calling 1.800.320.2384 or completing our online form to set up a free appointment with a nursing home abuse attorney or seek guidance with another personal injury claim.