How We Handle Everything

Q: Will I be involved in case decisions?

For the big ones, always. Whether to accept a settlement, whether to file suit, whether to go to trial - those are the client decisions. Day-to-day procedural decisions are handled by the firm.

Q: How often will I hear from you?

Substantively, every two to four weeks during active phases, more often when there is news. We respond same-day to any client question.

Q: What if I disagree with how the case is being handled?

Tell us. If something does not make sense, we explain why. Georgia clients have the right to switch attorneys at any time.

Q: Can I settle the property damage on my own while you handle the injury case?

Yes, but the firm should review any release language first. Broad release language can close out the injury claim too.

We take on the hard work so you don’t have to. Let our team handle everything from start to finish for you.

When you hire Pirkle Law Firm, our office handles every part of your Georgia personal injury case that isn’t medical treatment – insurance communications, record collection, demand preparation, negotiation, and litigation if it comes to that. You focus on healing. We handle the case. Call Pirkle Law Firm at 770.882.2200 to talk through what that means for your situation.

What Pirkle Law Firm Handles vs. What You Handle

The division of work on a represented case is heavily weighted toward the firm. That’s the point of representation – you have the injury and the recovery to manage, not a case file to drive.

Pirkle Law Firm Handles	You Handle
All insurance communications (yours and theirs)	Going to your medical appointments
Pulling the accident report and reading it	Following your doctor’s treatment plan
Requesting 911 audio and dispatch records	Letting us know if your condition changes
Connecting you with medical providers if needed	Telling us if you switch doctors or stop treatment
Pulling and organizing all medical records and bills	Forwarding any letters or calls from insurance
Calculating actual case value	Showing up for your deposition if filed
Drafting and sending the demand letter	Coming to trial if it goes that far
Negotiating with adjusters and corporate counsel	Avoiding social media posts about the accident
Filing the lawsuit when necessary	Telling us about new accidents or new injuries
All discovery – depositions, written discovery, motions	(Nothing else – we drive the case)
Mediation and trial preparation
Lien negotiations with medical providers
Final settlement disbursement and accounting

How a Case Moves From Call to Check

The same case file flows through the same stages in roughly the same order. Different cases take different times at each stage, but the order rarely changes.

Intake. Free consultation. Decision on whether to take the case. Contingency agreement signed if yes.
Investigation. Representation letters out. Accident report pulled. Photos, witness statements, and any available video collected. Insurance policies reviewed for all available coverage.
Treatment phase. You focus on healing. We track records, coordinate with providers, and update the file as treatment progresses. This phase usually takes the longest.
Demand preparation. Once treatment stabilizes, we assemble the complete medical picture into a demand package: records, bills, lost-wage proof, liability analysis, and a settlement demand figure.
Pre-suit negotiation. Demand sent to the adjuster. Negotiation usually runs 1-3 months. Most cases settle here.
Filing suit (when needed). If pre-suit negotiation stalls or the case requires it, we file in the appropriate Georgia court. Filing changes the leverage and brings in corporate counsel on the defense side.
Discovery. Written discovery, document exchange, and depositions – usually including yours. We prepare you thoroughly.
Mediation. Most filed cases settle at mediation. A neutral third party helps both sides reach a number both can accept.
Trial (rare). If mediation fails and the offer remains unreasonable, the case goes to a jury. Less than 5% of cases reach trial.
Resolution and disbursement. Settlement funds go to our trust account. Medical liens, case costs, and our fee come out. You receive the remainder with a line-by-line accounting.

How Long Each Phase Takes

Intake and investigation: 1-4 weeks
Treatment: 3-12+ months (variable, driven by injury severity)
Demand preparation: 2-4 weeks once treatment stabilizes
Pre-suit negotiation: 1-3 months
Filing to mediation (if filed): 6-14 months
Mediation or trial through resolution: 1-6 months

Why a Lawyer-Run Case Outperforms a DIY Claim

Insurance research consistently shows represented claimants receive significantly higher settlements than unrepresented ones – usually 2-3x higher even after the contingency fee comes out. The reasons:

Adjusters take represented cases seriously. Without a lawyer, the adjuster knows the strongest threat is a frustrated phone call. With a lawyer, the threat is a filed lawsuit and a jury verdict. Different math, different offer.
Demand packages frame the case. A well-prepared demand makes the adjuster’s job easy – here are the medicals, here are the wages, here’s the legal theory, here’s the demand. Unrepresented claimants typically can’t assemble that package, so the adjuster builds their own version, which is always tilted against the claim.
Lawyers know what’s actually recoverable. Stacked UM coverage. Diminished value. Future medical care. Loss of consortium for the spouse. These categories disappear in DIY claims because most people don’t know to claim them.
Adjusters can’t manipulate you the same way. Recorded statements, broad releases, premature settlement pressure – none of these happen when a lawyer is the point of contact.

Beau Pirkle has spent 16+ years on Georgia personal injury cases, with more than 1,000 cases handled and over $85 million recovered for clients across all 159 Georgia counties.

Make an appointment – Get a free first consultation and we’ll walk you through what your case looks like in our hands.

Common Questions About How We Handle Cases

Will I be involved in case decisions?

For the big ones, always. Whether to accept a settlement offer, whether to file suit, whether to go to trial – those are your decisions. We give you the information and our recommendation. You make the call. Day-to-day procedural decisions (when to send the demand, which adjuster to contact next) are handled by the firm.

How often will I hear from you?

Substantively, every 2-4 weeks during active phases, more often when there’s news. Routine treatment phases sometimes have stretches with less contact – when nothing is moving on our side, calling just to say “nothing’s moving” doesn’t help. We respond same-day to any client question.

What if I disagree with how the case is being handled?

Tell us. If something we’re doing doesn’t make sense to you, we explain why. If you still disagree, we discuss alternatives. Georgia clients have the right to switch attorneys at any time, but that’s almost never necessary if we’re communicating.

Can I settle the property damage on my own while you handle the injury case?

Yes – but let us review any release language before you sign. The danger is broad release language that closes out the injury claim too. We catch that routinely.

What does your team look like?

Attorneys lead the legal strategy. Case managers handle day-to-day client contact, records, and coordination. Paralegals support both. Every client has an assigned case manager and a primary attorney.

If you’re trying to decide whether to handle a Georgia injury claim yourself or bring in a firm, Call Pirkle Law Firm at 770.882.2200 for a free consultation. We’ll be honest about what the case is worth in either path – and you’ll decide from there. No fee unless we recover.