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Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer

Free Consultation on Serious Injury and Wrongful Death Cases

Established in 1949, Johnson & Ward was the first and best personal injury law firm in Atlanta.

Built upon word-of-mouth referrals, the firm has never advertised on TV or billboards. The founders of the firm were also founders of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. Current members of the firm include former presidents of the State Bar of Georgia and Atlanta Bar Association, and a past national chair of the American Association for Justice Motor Vehicle, Highway & Premises Liability Section.

Our law practice is focused on select cases involving catastrophic injuries (wrongful death, brain injury, spinal injury, burns) resulting from the negligence of motor carriers (large trucks and buses), defectively manufactured products, and other negligent acts.

If you or a loved one are seriously injured, call us today at (404) 253-7862, or contact us online.

Car Accidents

We have recovered tens of millions of dollars for injured people and their families in hundreds of car and truck accident cases. These have included rear-end crashes, hit and run accidents, traffic light crashes, pedestrian accidents, drunk driving accidents, and fatal crashes. With decades of experience, we has a deep familiarity with many causes of these accidents, the insurance companies frequently involved, and how to obtain optimal recovery.

Truck Accidents

Truck crashes are not just bigger car wrecks. Serious trucking accidents involving tractor trailers, big rigs, semi trucks, dump trucks, tanker trucks, concrete mixer trucks, delivery trucks, and intermodal container chassis equipment can be vastly more complex. These cases often include numerous defendants - trucking companies, truck drivers, third-party logistic companies, equipment manufacturers, intermodal freight container equipment providers, and even ocean shipping companies. As a skilled injury lawyers serving the Atlanta area, we can identify all of the people and entities that may have been responsible for causing your injuries. We have a long track record of obtaining optimal compensation for people injured in truck wrecks, as well as families of victims killed in fatal truck accidents.

Often, a truck driver's employer can be held accountable for a truck crash if the driver was on the job at the time. This is known as the theory of vicarious liability. In other situations, a trucking company may have been responsible for a truck accident in the Atlanta area if it failed to properly maintain its vehicles or ensure that its drivers were qualified to operate them. Sometimes a trucking company will miss or deliberately overlook a red flag during the hiring process, or it may allow or encourage drivers to falsify their logbooks or violate other federal regulations. In other cases, a manufacturer may be held accountable for a defective component that caused a trucking accident. Atlanta injury attorney We have worked with accident investigators and reconstruction experts who help prepare these complex cases. In addition, we have worked with doctors, economists, and life care planners to assist in explaining to a judge and jury the financial impact of an injury on a client.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle riders put themselves at risk whenever they get on the road. Their unprotected position exposes them to serious injuries, such as brain trauma, spinal cord injuries, and road rash, when a careless or reckless driver strikes them. Georgia law requires drivers to share the road with motorcyclists, but many drivers do not heed these rules. After a motorcycle accident, moreover, a careless driver or their insurer sometimes will point fingers at the motorcyclist and allege that they caused the crash. If this argument succeeds, it can have the effect of reducing or barring a victim's compensation award. We understand the importance of battling these accusations, and he can build evidence to make sure that a defendant pays the full compensation award to which you are entitled.

Slip and Fall Accidents and Other Premises Liability Claims

As a guest or customer in a business, hotel, motel, or apartment complex, you have a right to expect that the premises will be safe and that you will be free from harm caused by the negligence of the property owner, operator, or maintenance company. But when maintenance is neglected or building codes are not followed, dangerous conditions may result in injuries to victims. Similarly, when an owner or operator of commercial property has notice of an increased risk of violent crime, there may be liability to a victim who is injured by a crime on the premises or approaches. For an injured person to recover damages under a premises liability theory, their slip and fall attorney generally must establish that the landowner had superior knowledge of the condition or hazard that caused their injury. As an injury lawyer experienced in investigating Atlanta accident cases, We have successfully brought a wide variety of premises liability claims for clients.

Product Liability

Atlanta residents come across a wide range of consumer products on a daily basis. Whether you are taking a medication to control your allergies, you are buying a toy for your child, or you are eating a packaged dinner, you do not expect to be injured or ill because one of these products was defective. However, many products reach consumers in a condition unfit for use. A product liability lawyer can help you bring a claim against a manufacturer, distributor, retailer, or other party responsible for causing your injuries. You would need to prove that there was a manufacturing or design defect in the product, or that it lacked adequate warnings about its risks. The difference between a manufacturing defect and a design defect relates to whether its flaw was inherent in its design or a result of an error in making it.

Child Injuries

One of the most devastating experiences that a parent can endure is an accident to their child. Both the child and their parents may be able to bring claims based on the accident. While the parents can pursue compensation for the medical costs related to treating the child’s injuries, the child can seek compensation for pain and suffering, as well as any future medical expenses and lost earning capacity after they become an adult. The legal issues often are complicated in these cases, so it is critical to consult an Atlanta injury lawyer who can navigate the process on your behalf. For instance, the attractive nuisance doctrine in Georgia may allow a child to recover compensation after an accident on someone else’s property when an adult in a similar situation could not.

Wrongful Death

The unfortunate reality is that many of the most devastating accidents cost a victim their life. A family coping with grief over their loss has legal rights to assert, and wrongful death lawyer Ken Shigley is ready to fight for them. He can help you seek compensation following a fatal car accident or truck crash, or any other tragedy that resulted from someone’s carelessness or misconduct. As with personal injury claims, wrongful death cases must be brought within a strict statute of limitations under Georgia law. This means that you should not delay in taking legal action to seek compensation for medical costs, funeral expenses, and the harm that you have sustained from the loss of your loved one’s presence in your life.

Learn More About Ken Shigley

Ken began his career as a trial lawyer prosecuting criminal cases, ranging from DUI to vehicular homicide and murder. Afterward, he had broad experience in a small town practice, and then he worked for a decade in an Atlanta law firm defending personal injury and wrongful death cases all over Georgia for insurance companies and government agencies. A board certified civil trial attorney of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, he published a book on personal injury law practice in Georgia and was elected by the 45,000 lawyers and judges in Georgia as president of the State Bar of Georgia.

His decade of defending cases for insurance companies was great training on how insurance companies work, but since the 1990s he has worked exclusively for individuals and families who have suffered harm due to the carelessness of someone else. As an injury attorney serving Atlanta and the surrounding communities, he works only with injured victims and families who have lost a loved one, and he is eager to assist you with your case. Call 404-253-7862 or contact us online to discuss a serious case with a serious lawyer.

Ken Shigley is the Only Georgia Attorney With this Combination of Credentials
Professional leadership
  • Past President, State Bar of Georgia
  • Past Chair of largest practice area section of national organization of trial lawyers.
  • “Short list” of nominees for appointment to Georgia Court of Appeals (2012)
Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys – Board of Governors Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Based on numerous verdicts and settlements in the millions of dollars
Triple board certification:
  • Civil Trial Advocacy (1995)
  • Civil Pretrial Advocacy (2012)
  • Truck Accident law (2019)
Diplomate, National College of Advocacy Highest peer ratings:
  • “AV”
  • “Super Lawyer”
  • “Legal Elite”
  • Avvo 10.0
Author & Teacher
  • Lead author – Georgia Law of Torts: Trial Preparation & Practice
  • Chapter author – Handling Motor Vehicle Accident Cases
  • Numerous articles in legal periodicals
  • Has taught law students at Emory and other lawyers in continuing legal education programs throughout the US

If not the “right lawyer” for your case, we have access to a broad network of legal talent across Georgia and the United States, and may be able to find the right fit for you.

Why Do People Choose Us?

We’ve been protecting the financial future of personal injury victims throughout Georgia for decades by fighting for optimal compensation in every case.

Client Reviews
★★★★★
Attorney Ken Shigley - did his lawyer thing - and increased my "take home amount" of settlement - the amount after paying core medical & legal fees - by over 3000% (three thousand percent) more than what some other law firms could do. He and courtney (his assistant) were like family! True blessings... Louise W., Client, Tennessee
★★★★★
He communicated well, was sensitive to our concerns and obtained an optimal outcome. I strongly recommend Ken Shigley to anyone going through this sort of thing.... John P., Client, California
★★★★★
He was awesome in explaining everything to us in detail and looked out for us with every step of the lawsuit. I would highly recommend him... Joan M., Client, Massachusetts
Our Blogs
Personal Injury Blog
  • If you have a non-catastrophic injury in a car or truck accident, or if you are helping someone who has a more serious injury, here are ten things to…
  • As seasoned personal injury attorneys in Atlanta, over the years we have represented numerous people with serious hand fracture injuries. Our hands…
  • Ankle fractures are a common and potentially debilitating injury that can significantly impact mobility and quality of life. Ankle fractures are…
Truck Accident Blog
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