Ibrahim J. Awad

Top rated Personal Injury attorney in Marietta, Georgia

The Awad Law Firm
Ibrahim J. Awad
The Awad Law Firm

Practice Areas: Personal Injury; view more

Licensed in Georgia since: 2012

Education: Georgia State University College of Law

Languages Spoken: Arabic, English, Spanish

Selected to Rising Stars: 2019 - 2025

The Awad Law Firm

4076 Ebenezer Rd.
Marietta, GA 30066 Visit website

Details

Attorney Ibrahim J. Awad is the founder and owner of The Awad Law Firm, in Atlanta, Georgia. A highly rated, award-winning trial lawyer with more than a decade of legal experience, Mr. Awad provides unmatched counsel and support to clients throughout the greater Atlanta metro region and surrounding areas who have legal needs involving criminal defense or personal injury law.

Over the course of his legal career, Mr. Awad has achieved considerable success fighting to protect those injured of no fault of their own, whether it is due to reckless drivers on the road or medical doctors who operate below the standard of care.

Intensely passionate about the law, Mr. Awad had an abiding interest in becoming a lawyer early in life. Even before attending law school, he worked at the Whitfield County District Attorney’s Office, where he helped with the prosecution of more than 100 felony criminal cases. During law school, he completed an internship with the DeKalb County Solicitor General’s Office, assisting attorneys in the Special Victims Unit.

Mr. Awad's prosecutorial experience provided him with a unique insight into the criminal justice system, which he uses to devise the most effective defense strategies possible for his clients facing a wide range of felony and misdemeanor charges. As a criminal defense attorney, he has secured many dismissals, acquittals and reductions of charges for his clients, and he has recovered numerous substantial settlements and verdicts for his plaintiff injury clients through his personal injury practice.

A 2009 summa cum laude graduate of Kennesaw State University, Mr. Awad obtained his Juris Doctor from Georgia State College of Law in 2012. He is also a graduate of the intensive Trial Lawyers College, and he is an active member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and the Atlanta Bar Association, among his other professional affiliations.

Practice areas

Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff

Focus areas

Animal Bites, Assault, Brain Injury, Construction Accident, Dram Shop Laws, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Defense, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death

  • 100% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff

First Admitted: 2012, Georgia

Professional Webpage: https://theawadlawfirm.com/dt_team/ibrahim-awad/

Bar/Professional Activity:
  • American Association for Justice, 2015
  • Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 2014
  • Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2013
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
  • $125,000.00 K.A. - Policy Limits For Scaphoid Fracture, 2019
  • $500,000 - Confidential, 2020
  • $455,000 M.J. - FedEx Tractor Trailer, 2018
  • $250,000.00 D.R. - Policy Limts For Broken Femur, 2019
  • $250,000 L.C. - Policy Limits (Car Wreck), Posterior Vitreous Detachment ($12,000 in medical bills), 2019
  • $2,000,000 E.O. - Disputed Liability Wrongful Death Tractor Trailer Crash, 2018
  • $203,000.00 A.E & S.S, 2017
  • $100,000.00 R.M. - Policy Limits, 2017
  • $250,000.00 F.K. - Policy Limits, 2017
  • $100,000.00 J.C. - Policy Limits, 2017
Videos:
  • Should I go to the hospital after I've been in a car crash? We get asked this question all the time from individuals who've just been in a crash, and the short answer is, if you're injured, then yes!  But why? I didn't black out or anything like that. Plus, I have a pretty high pain tolerance. I can take it. The reason: you have a duty to mitigate your damages., Should I go to the Hospital?, Injured People, 2018
  • Join CAIR Georgia, The Awad Law Firm, and Masjid Jafar for a community town hall about issues related to police shootings, mental health, and implicit bias on Saturday, July 28th, at Masjid Jafar in Johns Creek. Learn new details about what happened to Shukri and ways to prevent it. Shukri’s family plans to share the first public details about how she was killed, as shown in dashcam video the Georgia Bureau of Investigation allowed the family to view. We will then move into a panel discussion featuring mental health experts, a civil rights attorney, and a family representative. Community members are encouraged to attend and ask questions of the panelists. We will cover how families, faith groups, and law enforcement can better address issues related to mental illness and implicit bias., What Happened to Shukri Ali Said? Police Shooting Case, Injured People, 2018
  • Blue lives matter because they protect and serve us. Blue lives risk their lives for our safety and our security.  Blue lives take an oath so that they are entrusted with this responsibility. But, if someone wears that uniform, looking forward to the chance of roughing someone up, then he’s not our brother in blue. If he gets aroused at the opportunity to physically put his hand on his holster and mentally salivate with his “make my day” appetite, he is not our brother in blue. If he looks for a reason to pull the trigger and dismisses the hundred reasons why he shouldn't, he is not our brother in blue. He should be stripped of his blue uniform, and he should be put in an orange one.  Society must be protected from him and not by him. The uniform doesn't automatically make him worthy.  His actions are what make him worthy. The officers that murdered Alton Sperling and Philando Castile have put all officers lives in danger.  They are not our brothers in blue.  Don't tell me they had to kill those Black men.  And though they were Black, this is not just a Black problem. Though White men are getting killed by the police as well, it cannot be compared to the way it happens to our Black brothers, our Latino brothers, and our brothers of various ethnic minorities. Don't tell me “Well you weren't there; you don't know what happened; you don't know how it's like.” It’s precisely why I'm not a police officer. They are trained to handle dangerous situations. They are not to be judged by a reasonable person standard. They are to be judged as public servants trained to protect us. Let's call out the problem for what it is: an over-militarized and under-trained police force. We are supposed to have preservation of life in this country. We have more scrutiny on our soldiers who are trained on de-escalation tactics and rules of engagement when they are in enemy territory than we do on our own police force that are entrusted with our wellbeing. Enemy combatants are not paying our soldiers to protect them.  We are paying our police force, with our hard-earned money, their salaries.  Our kids are growing up believing that police are going to be taking their daddies away.  No matter what we tell them, the obligation and burden is on our police force to form a relationship with us. People are criticizing how the #BlackLivesMatter movement are displaying their justified anger when there is blood on the streets. People want to discuss high etiquette when people are being shot to death. Let's focus on the real problem and not the imperfect way it's being highlighted. The real problem is incompetent officers that are putting all of our lives in danger. Our brothers in blue, God bless them, should do their duty by locking up these trigger-happy buffoons. No one is above the law and no one is above accountability.  #BlueLivesMatter because they have explicitly vowed to protect us and implicitly expressed that our lives matter more than theirs by putting themselves in harm’s way for us. They have made the cognizant decision that our society should be a safe one, and to ensure that, they are willing to put themselves in dangerous situations to remove the criminal elements from our society. Our brothers in blue are selfless heroes and not those who fabricate reasons to pull the trigger. Our brothers in blue are held in that high regard and standard. May God protect our brothers in blue, and may God protect us all., Who Are Brothers In Blue?, Injured People, 2017
  • My old friend from Dalton High School, Frank Pinson, invited me on his program several months ago to speak about my journey about becoming an attorney.  It's always nice going back to my hometown and spending time with old friends. #DaltonGeorgia #HumbleBeginnings #CriminalDefense #PersonalInjury #AwadLawFirm, One On One With Frank Pinson, Injured People, 2017
  • We connect with you. We were once in your shoes, but fortunately, a helping hand pulled us through. We want to be that helping hand for you. Attorney Ibrahim J. Awad practices throughout Georgia. Though his teammates follow up with everyone of his clients, he makes it a point to personally meet every single person. He has spent hours and up to days in clients' homes trying to understand their story. Being reimbursed for a catastrophic incident is so much more than physical pain on a pain scale. The much greater harm is the emotional and psychological impact. Thank you for watching our story. We would be honored to learn yours. The Awad Law Firm, P.C. 66 Lenox Pointe NE Atlanta, Georgia 30324 (706) 890-0000 www.theawadlawfirm.com Serious Injury & Wrongful Death Attorney, Why do we care?, Serious Injury, Wrongful Death, 2019
Honors/Awards:
  • https://isbatlanta.org/influential-ga-muslims/40-under-forty-ga-muslims/ "Many Muslims may say that, to avoid prejudice and help reduce intolerance, it is important for individuals to have knowledge. Ibrahim Awad, however, takes it one step further, combining knowledge and activism tempered with wisdom. Awad, a graduate of Georgia State University Law School, is a criminal defense and personal injury attorney in Atlanta, Georgia with his firm, The Awad Law Firm. He represents persons accused of crimes as petty as speeding tickets and as serious as drug trafficking, as well as those injured in car and truck accidents. Awad gives presentations to the community about the Fourth Amendment - the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures - and the Fifth Amendment - the right not to incriminate oneself. Especially after the summer of 2016, when social justice issues and violence were in the spotlight across the United States and the world, Awad expressed how important it is for individuals to learn their rights, how to respond to authorities, and how to avoid injustice. He believes people are often aware of their rights, but are unaware of how to assert those rights in an effective or legal manner. Faith plays an active role in his life and career.  Awad tells the story of a Muslim client who was acquitted after he and Awad spent the night in worship, during the 27th night of Ramadan, before the jury returned a verdict. This and other events, he says, are a constant reminder that if one remembers God, God remembers him. In addition to faith in his professional life, Awad has given Friday sermons at various mosques in and outside Atlanta. The dedicated husband and father to his family believes in balancing one's spiritual and professional life."  , Forty Under Forty GA Muslims, Islamic Speakers Bureau, 2016
Educational Background:
  • Trial Lawyer's College, 2017
  • Dalton State College- Associates Degree in English, 2007
  • Kennesaw State University- Bachelors Degree in English, Summa Cum Laude, 2009
  • Dalton High School, 2005
Firm News (Newsletters):
  • Hold on a second. Yes, we have a lot of rough edges, and if I don't stick up for them, who is? If I am not their brother who prays next to them at the masjid that's going to feel for them, who is? My advice, to myself firstly and to all of you, is we have to be more patient with one another and continually support one another. I just had a post I saw this morning. Hassan Shibly, the Executive Director of CAIR Florida said, "Why are there so many fundraisers going on on GoFundMe and all these other crowdfunding platforms when LaunchGood is our own Islamic crowdfunding platform? And this other brother who I have a lot of respect for, he's actually an Imam of a masjid, is like, "They charge too much. They charge like 5 percent more than GoFundMe." I'm like, "But we're investing in ourselves. Think long-term." Okay? Yes, go to Walmart. You will find bananas at 49 cents a pound. When you go to your local grocery store that is run by your mom and pop store, small store, you will find them maybe 79 cents a pound. Is it more expensive? True. But are you willing to sacrifice those few pennies more so that long-term, that mom and pop store can grow and they can support the same things you support, because they have the same values you have, so that they can feel for our Muslim brothers and sisters overseas like you do. Is the few pennies too much? That's the kind of thing that I continually try to focus on, because I know I'm hyper critical of my own Muslim brothers and sisters. The last thing I'll say is, anybody here watch UFC? Okay. Khabib, right? Khabib is the champion, right? Khabib, when he fought Conor McGregor, beat the hell out of him. I was so happy. But then he jumped over the fence and wanted to start beating up the cornerman. Okay? And I remember feeling, I'm never going to support Khabib ever again, even though he's the Muslim icon when it comes to fighting. Right? And I was like, "Why am I being so hypercritical of him? Why am I being so hypercritical of other Muslims?" There is no perfect Muslim. You know what I'm saying? Living, I should say. All right? There is no living perfect Muslim. We're super, super critical. I talk about myself. I'm super critical of other Muslims, and then I have to bring myself down to reality. Who are you to to judge others as imperfect when you yourself are nowhere near perfection? I just remind myself, be more patient., How Can Muslim Attorneys Best Contribute to the Muslim Community?, Humanity
  • After every court appearance, I take the time to document a summary of the case plus any quirky nuances I experience. Among these items are of course, the name of the court and prosecutor, name of the client, past history, charge/s at hand, and the agreed upon negotiation with the State. This data enables me to predict what type of negotiation I could reach when a similarly situated client has a case in the counties in which I practice. That’s what clients want to know- “What’s going to happen with my case?” Not only is this beneficial to clients, but when a colleague calls to ask about a particular prosecutor, I have more to say than just, “Oh, she’s great to work with.” Day in and day out, I come across many similar and sometimes almost identical fact-patterns, and for some reason, in the same county, same courthouse, but with a different prosecutor, the State’s offer drastically differs. When this disparity is mentioned, the response generally is, “I’d never offer that.” Sure, but only 50 feet away, your prosecutor colleague did. What’s the beef? A recent study sheds light on the inverse trajectories of police officers and prosecutors. Rookie officers aspire to help the members of their community by transforming lives, while veteran officers are much more callous and cynical about criminal suspects and the courts. For policemen, the lengthier their careers, the more paranoid and distrustful they become- manifesting a disservice to the community they have sworn to protect. On the flip side, “young prosecutors are often aggressive in their filing or plea bargain strategies and more resistant to defense requests for mercy,” but with time, they become more balanced and actually end up “regretting the highly adversarial, even cartoonish, posture they adopted in the early years of their careers.” This contest to prove self-worth and constant quest for trial is called Young Prosecutors’ Syndrome. Of course no one is asserting that all young prosecutors nor all veteran officers are this way- there are exceptions to every rule- I know of many excellent young prosecutors and chivalrous veteran officers in several counties. However, in general terms, young prosecutors have a lot to prove to themselves and to others. By understanding that, defense attorneys can help young prosecutors drift into a new way of thinking about their professional self-image, moving from a black and white worldview to an ability to see shades of gray. Great defense attorneys need to help iron out the wrinkles in young prosecutors’ angular understanding. How can this seemingly impossible feat be accomplished? Simple. Humanize the defendant. But what if the defense attorney cannot reach a reasonable negotiation- does he just avoid that prosecutor at all costs? People change with time. The prosecutor’s transformation ultimately takes time. So what does the defendant do? Pray that if he gets stopped and cited it’s by a rookie officer and then the case magically finds itself on a veteran prosecutor’s desk, who has the time to delve deeply into his/her case and appreciate the defendant as more than just a case number? You know why most prosecutors always refer to you as the defendant, right? Because it’s much easier to convict the defendant than John or Jane Smith; you are the defendant. Though it takes time, we can help accelerate the process for young prosecutors. Humanize your client. I did something the other day, which I felt I had to do. I told the prosecutor that my client would like one minute to speak with you, face to face. She told me that’s a highly unusual thing to do: a represented defendant speaking with the prosecutor. I agreed, and I told her, “I’m a highly unusual attorney, but it’ll only take one minute.” I wanted the prosecutor to see the defendant, to listen to the defendant’s side of the story, and to understand that the limited information, which you used to label the defendant, is a one-sided set of facts that constitutes the worst cross-section of my client’s life. The truth of the matter is that if we had perfect prosecutors, we wouldn’t need defense attorneys or even judges, but we’re all imperfect. Unless we see each other’s humanness- that is, our natural imperfections, our humanity, we’ll never progress. Let's progress. We all need a second chance, because we're all human and we are not infallible., Humanize the Defendant: They Are Humans Too, Injured People
  • “When was the last time you smoked marijuana in this car?” “I’ve never smoked marijuana in this car.” What am I saying? I’ve never smoked marijuana ever! He’s already assumed that no only do I smoke marijuana, but I’ve smoked in this car. “Since I smell marijuana, I have probable cause to search this car. Get out of the car, sir!” “Can you tell me why I was stopped?” Placing his hand on his weapon, “Sir, get out of the car; I’m not going to repeat myself.” Yes, I am 6’2” but it doesn’t really matter when a few bullets spray in the direction of my torso. I’m shaking, but I slowly get out. “Place your hands on your vehicle.” He pats me down. “You carrying anything? Is there anything that I need to know about? It’s better if you tell me now.” “No, I don’t have anything.” What the heck is this guy talking about? Why is he treating me like this? “Step to the back of the vehicle, sir. I’m not going to ask you again. Am I going to find anything in this car? Sit on that curb for me, please.” “No, no,” I respond. I can feel beads of sweat running down my back. Five minutes turn into ten, ten into twenty, twenty into what feels like forever. He finally gets out of my car. “Can you please tell me what is going on, sir?” “You got lucky this time. You can go now.” Those were the officer’s final words as he handed me a warning for my faulty brake lights and left in his patrol car. This was my friend’s encounter with a local policeman not too long ago in Gwinnett county. He is Arab-American with no previous criminal record or interaction with law enforcement. His hair is in dreads, and he often wears long flowy garments, close to traditional African robes. This was his first experience being pulled over. I hate that. Imagine the humiliation and embarrassment that a completely innocent, legal citizen was subjected to and not a single shred of contraband was found. So what do normal people do when they make a mistake in judgment? What do we expect people to do when they falsely accuse us? We expect them to apologize. The account given above is disheartening. With the backdrop of recent disastrous encounters of minorities and their local police, one would like to believe that law officers are consciously reconsidering their interaction with the people they are sworn to protect. I want to consider this confrontation to be an aberration, but regrettably, this is closer to the norm for many in minority communities. I always wonder why police seem so concerned about my faulty brake light, but they pass right on by when my car breaks down on the side of the road. I understand the enormous pressure accompanied with attempting to maintain expected law and order. Law enforcement is an extremely difficult, complex and at times, dangerous vocation. Safeguards must be present and police must be allotted significant discretion. And, to be fair, my profession as a defense attorney provides me the opportunity to have numerous positive experiences with law enforcement officers. There are many courageous, hard-working law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line everyday.  The photo attached shows Officer Lawrence DePrimo of the NYPD buying a pair of boots for a homeless man and then offering to put them on for him. I can attest to several similar heartwarming stories. Conversely, I am also intimately privy to the adverse and frequent cases of subtle profiling and discrimination that permeate law enforcement in far too many instances. Granted, we are all guilty of stereotyping and pre-judging others, but I am not wearing a gun. I have not sworn to protect the citizenry, but I still apologize when I make a mistake. In the interest of diplomacy, rapport and mutual respect, not only is it reasonable to expect an expression of error and apology when an obvious and/or proven mistake in judgment occurs, but it is mandatory when that mistake is made from a person in such a position. What becomes lost in the rigid application of processes, profiling, presumptions and prejudices is compassion. Suppose the officer in the preceding account understood his error in pre-judgment and actually apologized to my friend, an innocent, compliant citizen. How far could that gesture go in fostering a better relationship between his precinct and the local community? This is not a novel suggestion. Some police forces have realized errors and have issued reported apologies to the offended in recent accounts. A compassionate response to a blatant error has no detrimental effect on law enforcement, nor does it compromise future cases. Instead, it fosters an advantageous relationship with the community. The community would reciprocate the consideration and build a deeper trust with its police officers. “I am sorry to have assumed criminal activity here. I apologize for inconveniencing you. I am only trying to do an effective job and protect this community. You are free to go, sir. Again, I am sorry." How difficult was that?, How do I get out of my speeding ticket?, Injured People
  • 1. Always place your hands on the wheel. - Avoid jerky movements or reaching under your seat or center console. 2. Know you are protected by the 5th amendment - Consider answering non-invasive questions related to the reason for the stop. - Don't volunteer information 3. Be Polite - Answer with "Yes, sir" and "No, sir" 4. Always ask for the reason you were stopped 5. You have the right to refuse a search - Understand that your car may be searched regardless - Do not ever physically resist the search - Only verbalize your refusal 6. Do not be intimidated by the officer - Be persistent, but polite 7. Do not compromise your position & open the trunk - If you do consent to a search, you may withdraw your consent at any time. 8. In GA, only one party needs to consent to an audio/video recording. - Place the recording device away from officer so as to not assume a confrontational posture 9. If questioned about recording, say that is for your protection 10. If a K-9 unit arrives, the dog may check the perimeter of your vehicle - Police may not unreasonably prolong your detention waiting for the K-9 unit - Record amount of time K-9 unit takes to arrive - To ensure appropriate commands are administered, video record the police guiding the K-9, 10 Useful Tips When Pulled Over, Injured People
  • The framers of the Constitution of the United States, with varying religious convictions and worldviews, thought enough of the idea of justice that they agreed to make it the leading moral principle while creating their central document of governance. One hundred and three years after the Constitution’s ratification, Francis Bellamy penned the “Pledge of Allegiance” – which ends in “…and justice for all.”  I join these men in agreement with justice being inseparable from legal and moral establishment of order.  The reality is that there is not “justice for all,” though there should be.  In practical terms, there is only justice for a certain class of citizenry, and I’m not talking about race.  Unfortunately, I often come away from a case believing more often than not that the pledge of allegiance is missing a few words, words that add a monetary condition to the availability of justice. If we aim for accuracy, a more truthful reading of that last sentence would be: “justice for all…who can afford it.” Indulge me for a moment to elaborate on a client’s encounter with our justice system and my legal and moral rationale behind the title of this article. An officer clocks my client traveling excessively over the speed limit, subsequently blue lights the suspect, and instructs my client to get out of his car.  My client admits that he does not have a valid driver’s license.  The officer states that he smells marijuana and my client confesses to having two puffs approximately 90 minutes earlier.  The officer handcuffs my client to check on his license, and a short while later he informs my client of the suspended status of his license.  My client pleads to the officer to let him go, but the officer rightly refuses and says, “I don’t have a choice, bud.”  At this point, the officer administers the common DUI Field Sobriety Tests.  As a result of the testing, the officer establishes that my client was driving under the influence and takes him to jail. The entire encounter was recorded via the officer’s patrol camera system and the situation appears bleak for my client. However, we are all bound by the letter of the law and the implication is that there is a moral obligation to follow the law.  It is reasonable for anyone outside of the legal field to assume that this is an “open and shut” DUI case: a valid reason for the stop, an admission of smoking marijuana and driving thereafter, etc., but it’s quite the contrary.  After requesting the police vehicle’s video of the encounter and subsequent arrest, I had an opportunity to view it and so did the prosecuting attorney.  With my client facing serious charges of driving under the influence, speeding, and driving with a suspended license, my client was in the desperate position.  We begged the prosecutor to allow us to plead guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving, if the prosecutor would agree to dismiss the DUI. Why should the prosecutor agree to reduce my client’s charge?  It is simple.  My client’s rights were violated.  Unless my client is in custody, the officer can freely ask my client as many questions as he wants without advising him of his Miranda rights.  Read the account above again.  At which point was my client in custody?  Asked another way, when would a reasonable person in the suspect’s position believe they are not free to leave? Would a reasonable person believe he is free to leave after admitting to smoking marijuana? Would a reasonable person believe he is free to leave after being informed by the police that their license was suspended? Would a reasonable person believe he is free to leave after pleading with the officer to not take him to jail only to be met with the answer, “I don’t have a choice, bud.” According to the U.S. Supreme Court, law enforcement officers are obligated to advise suspects of their Miranda rights when they are in custody:  “You have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say or do will be used against you in a court of law.  You have the right to an attorney.  If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you.” If a suspect is not Mirandized, when in custody, then the evidence obtained after this point would be inadmissible.  The crux of the issue is when is my client in custody?  Having spoken with many attorneys about this case, with the video-taped facts stated above, it is awfully clear that my client is in custody before the officer begins his DUI investigation.  And since he was not Mirandized, the entire DUI investigation and the evidence obtained therefrom would be inadmissible. Instead of the prosecutor obtaining some sort of punishment for his reckless driving, which everyone would agree that my client is guilty of, the prosecuting attorney refuses to deal, and presses my client to plead to DUI, knowing full well that the evidence of the DUI investigation could not be used in trial.  While the prosecutor attempts to test my knowledge of the law and diligence with those I’ve been entrusted to represent, the paramount principle of seeking justice is completely lost.  In order to hold the police accountable for violating the law, my client and I are forced to file a Motion to Suppress.  This is a formal request to be heard by the court to describe the circumstances that derived illegal evidence and our argument of why that evidence should be suppressed.  As you can imagine, this requires occupying premium court time, several trips to a remote area and causing my client to miss valuable time at work.  Thankfully, the judge, realizing the officer’s errors, grants our motion.  Finally, with the DUI investigation officially thrown out, the prosecutor agrees to dismiss all charges except for a single charge of driving with a suspended license (a charge that we were ready to plead guilty to along with reckless driving). Though this was a great result, the problem with it is my client had to be able to afford to proceed in seeking justice when the other side of the justice system was simply interested in a game of legal chess.  Had he not been able to proceed with the Motion to Suppress hearing, then, he would not have known that he had an outstanding legal argument of excluding the DUI investigation.  I am fairly certain that these scenes are far too common in what is determined to be one the best justice systems in the entire world.  The establishment of order in society hinges on justice.  The laws are in place to protect us all – not just the legally prudent or those with the financial means to afford it.  Fortunately, my client was among the lucky ones. P.S. Public Defenders are often rumored to be incompetent and overworked.  While the latter is generally true, some of my best friends are and were public defenders, and they are brilliant.  In fact, I have seen many more clueless private attorneys than public defenders.  So how can it cost someone when they are receiving “free” legal help?  Money is but one factor.  Time and energy are key parts of the equation. P.P.S. While the behavior of the prosecutor described in this article is unreasonable, most prosecutors strive to be fair.  Nonetheless, there is a considerable minority who need to reexamine their list of priorities. , The Missing Words from the Pledge of Allegiance, Injured People
  • Should I go to the hospital after I've been in a car crash? We get asked this question all the time from individuals who've just been in a crash, and the short answer is, if you're injured, then yes!  But why? I didn't black out or anything like that. Plus, I have a pretty high pain tolerance. I can take it. The reason: you have a duty to mitigate your damages., Should I go to the Hospital?, Injured People
  • Regardless of one’s personal perception of the grand jury’s decision in Ferguson, reasonable citizens can agree that continued violence and destruction of property have no historical precedence in solving injustice (perceived or real) within this country.  It cannot and should not be condoned in any way, shape or form.  Political alliances aside, we can all rationally agree that this country remains in a world-leadership position and relatively civil based on the respect for law and order. Reading the published grand jury documentation, detailing the accounts of 60 witnesses and Darren Wilson himself, I cannot divorce myself from the application of law, the subsidiary intention of the law and personal experience with prosecutors.  While the media covers the Ferguson grand jury proceeding in trial-like fashion, it is important to remember that this particular process is not an actual trial.  The referenced sessions were indictment proceedings with significantly different legal characteristics and expectations.  The evidentiary standard for “probable cause” does not come close to the standard to determine guilt “beyond any reasonable doubt."  It is the assigned District Attorney’s duty and responsibility to present the case – proving probable cause to indict and proceed with an appropriate trial. District Attorneys are accustomed to assembling evidence from various sources, witnesses and importantly enough, police officers.  These police officers are within the same jurisdiction of the District Attorney and naturally familiar to him or her – given the interconnectedness of both parties.  Trusting relationships between the local District Attorney and the jurisdiction’s police officers are built and relied upon to try cases.  Here is the underlying dilemma: what are the expectations of the local District Attorney’s prosecution of his own trusted law enforcement colleague?  Essentially, who polices the police in cases of accused misconduct? Grand jury proceedings are private sessions that have only the grand jury, witnesses and the defendant present.  As a criminal defense attorney, I am not allowed in those proceedings with my client.  The prosecutor has almost free range to question the accused without any rebuttal from a defense attorney.  As a practical matter, a grand jury will almost always return an indictment presented to it by a prosecutor. This is the basis for Judge Sol Wachtler's famous saying that a prosecutor can get a grand jury to 'indict a ham sandwich.'" The documented testimony is rife with conflicting testimony by the officer and other witnesses.  For example, Officer Wilson believed that a third blow from a 295-pound young man could have been fatal, but one cannot see the first two blows anywhere on his face, and he saw no need to seek medical attention prior to consulting with his attorney.  A grand juror (not the prosecuting District Attorney) asks Wilson if he thought that Michael Brown had a gun, to which Wilson responds, “I wasn’t thinking about that at that time” – with no follow-up question from the prosecutor.  Wilson’s department never asks him to give a statement, and Wilson only gave the one that he wrote for his own attorney – conveniently protecting it from initial disclosure.  These developments do not prove guilt or innocence, but, combined with the loss of life, do rise to the level of trial consideration to determine guilt or innocence. My suspicions were justified after reading the prosecuting attorney’s unusually accommodating line of questioning and even apologetic statements when he believed that he was applying "too much stress” on Wilson.  This posture is the exact opposite expectation of vigorous cross-examination questioning and displays special treatment afforded to Officer Wilson.   Wilson was allowed over four full hours to present his testimony and he was never asked how Michael Brown was a threat if Brown was running away.  This is highly uncommon for criminal cases, according to legal experts and collective experience.  The truth is the District Attorney did not want to reach an indictment in this case.  Why does this especially lenient questioning only apply to Officer Wilson?  Why doesn’t this also apply to every other citizen that is accused of unlawful murder?  It is so obvious to me and any reasonable colleague.  Given that pending and future cases hinge upon the testimony and evidence provided by his jurisdiction’s police force, one can reasonably understand (and not agree) with his lack of vigor. It is my suggestion to remove the possibility of personal and professional conflict by appointing an independent prosecutor in cases of police misconduct.  This one straightforward act could go a long way in creating the impression of impartiality.  It also restores the public’s faith in fair prosecution of law enforcement injustice.  It is clear that across America, policemen are charged with using excessive force.  It is also clear that cases involving fatalities aren’t always fairly presented in front of grand juries or trial juries.  There is no better time than the present to address these perceived inequalities.  Policemen are charged with enforcing the law and are not above it.  At times, the police need policing too.  No jurisdiction should have the common District Attorney prosecute any law enforcement officer in a criminal case, especially one that resulted in a human being's death., Policing the Police: The Need for Special Prosecutors in Ferguson, Injured People
  • My old friend from Dalton High School, Frank Pinson, invited me on his program several months ago to speak about my journey about becoming an attorney. It's always nice going back to my hometown and spending time with old friends. #DaltonGeorgia #HumbleBeginnings #CriminalDefense #PersonalInjury #AwadLawFirm, One On One With Frank Pinson, Injured People
  • Blue lives matter because they protect and serve us. Blue lives risk their lives for our safety and our security. Blue lives take an oath so that they are entrusted with this responsibility. But, if someone wears that uniform, looking forward to the chance of roughing someone up, then he’s not our brother in blue. If he gets aroused at the opportunity to physically put his hand on his holster and mentally salivate with his “make my day” appetite, he is not our brother in blue. If he looks for a reason to pull the trigger and dismisses the hundred reasons why he shouldn't, he is not our brother in blue. He should be stripped of his blue uniform, and he should be put in an orange one. Society must be protected from him and not by him. The uniform doesn't automatically make him worthy. His actions are what make him worthy. The officers that murdered Alton Sperling and Philando Castile have put all officers lives in danger. They are not our brothers in blue. Don't tell me they had to kill those Black men. And though they were Black, this is not just a Black problem. Though White men are getting killed by the police as well, it cannot be compared to the way it happens to our Black brothers, our Latino brothers, and our brothers of various ethnic minorities. Don't tell me “Well you weren't there; you don't know what happened; you don't know how it's like.” It’s precisely why I'm not a police officer. They are trained to handle dangerous situations. They are not to be judged by a reasonable person standard. They are to be judged as public servants trained to protect us. Let's call out the problem for what it is: an over-militarized and under-trained police force. We are supposed to have preservation of life in this country. We have more scrutiny on our soldiers who are trained on de-escalation tactics and rules of engagement when they are in enemy territory than we do on our own police force that are entrusted with our wellbeing. Enemy combatants are not paying our soldiers to protect them. We are paying our police force, with our hard-earned money, their salaries. Our kids are growing up believing that police are going to be taking their daddies away. No matter what we tell them, the obligation and burden is on our police force to form a relationship with us. People are criticizing how the #BlackLivesMatter movement are displaying their justified anger when there is blood on the streets. People want to discuss high etiquette when people are being shot to death. Let's focus on the real problem and not the imperfect way it's being highlighted. The real problem is incompetent officers that are putting all of our lives in danger. Our brothers in blue, God bless them, should do their duty by locking up these trigger-happy buffoons. No one is above the law and no one is above accountability. #BlueLivesMatter because they have explicitly vowed to protect us and implicitly expressed that our lives matter more than theirs by putting themselves in harm’s way for us. They have made the cognizant decision that our society should be a safe one, and to ensure that, they are willing to put themselves in dangerous situations to remove the criminal elements from our society. Our brothers in blue are selfless heroes and not those who fabricate reasons to pull the trigger. Our brothers in blue are held in that high regard and standard. May God protect our brothers in blue, and may God protect us all., Who Are Brothers In Blue?, Injured People
  • "Many Muslims may say that, to avoid prejudice and help reduce intolerance, it is important for individuals to have knowledge. Ibrahim Awad, however, takes it one step further, combining knowledge and activism tempered with wisdom. Awad, a graduate of Georgia State University Law School, is a criminal defense and personal injury attorney in Atlanta, Georgia with his firm, The Awad Law Firm. He represent persons accused of crimes as petty as speeding tickets and as serious as drug trafficking, as well as those injured in car and truck accidents. Awad gives presentations to the community about the Fourth Amendment - the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures - and the Fifth Amendment - the right not to incriminate oneself. Especially after the summer of 2016, when social justice issues and violence were in the spotlight across the United States and the world, Awad expressed how important it is for individuals to learn their rights, how to respond to authorities, and how to avoid injustice. He believes people are often aware of their rights, but are unaware of how to assert those rights in an effective or legal manner. Faith plays an active role in his life and career. Awad tells the story of a Muslim client who was acquitted after he and Awad spent the night in worship, during the 27th night of Ramadan, before the jury returned a verdict. This and other events, he says, are a constant reminder that if one remembers God, God remembers him. In addition to faith in his professional life, Awad has given Friday sermons at various mosques in and outside Atlanta. The dedicated husband and father to his family believes in balancing one's spiritual and professional life.", Selected Among 40 Under 40 GA Muslims, Injured People
  • Just like clockwork, shortly after I file suit on personal injury cases, I get a call or email from the insurance defense lawyer. They always have the same question: Do you really want to try this case? Judging from my lawsuit, isn't that a given? I guess not. This time however, after I gave him my valuation of the case, he candidly replied that the insurance company "wanted" him to try more cases. What an odd thing to say. But after thinking for a moment, it's not odd at all when one realizes the true nature of insurance companies. They are relentless bullies, and they want you to know it. What's more is that there is a symbiotic relationship between insurance defense lawyers and insurance companies. By trying "a lot" of cases, insurance companies cement their dominance and insurance defense lawyers continue to line their own pockets. It's never an even playing field fighting a personal injury case. Insurance companies have the advantage of almost unlimited financial resources, but more often than not, people choose to fight insurance companies on their own, without the help of an attorney. Most parents don't even have the patience to deal with their own kids- how on earth will they have the patience to deal with an insurance adjuster, or much worse, an insurance defense lawyer, who is incentivized to fight them? Even when an injured claimant finally gets justice for their injury, the insurance company has benefited by not paying out this debt for several years. Often times, this is their strategy. Who wouldn't like to take out an interest-free loan for years? Don't go at it alone, we can help., "We Want You To Try Alot of Cases," say Insurance Defense Attorney, Injured People
  • Just like clockwork, shortly after I file suit on personal injury cases, I get a call or email from the insurance defense lawyer. They always have the same question: Do you really want to try this case? Judging from my lawsuit, isn't that a given? I guess not. This time however, after I gave him my valuation of the case, he candidly replied that the insurance company "wanted" him to try more cases. What an odd thing to say. But after thinking for a moment, it's not odd at all when one realizes the true nature of insurance companies. They are relentless bullies, and they want you to know it. What's more is that there is a symbiotic relationship between insurance defense lawyers and insurance companies. By trying "a lot" of cases, insurance companies cement their dominance and insurance defense lawyers continue to line their own pockets. It's never an even playing field fighting a personal injury case. Insurance companies have the advantage of almost unlimited financial resources, but more often than not, people choose to fight insurance companies on their own, without the help of an attorney. Most parents don't even have the patience to deal with their own kids- how on earth will they have the patience to deal with an insurance adjuster, or much worse, an insurance defense lawyer, who is incentivized to fight them? Even when an injured claimant finally gets justice for their injury, the insurance company has benefited by not paying out this debt for several years. Often times, this is their strategy. Who wouldn't like to take out an interest-free loan for years? Don't go at it alone, we can help., $250,000 Settlement for Client Injured by Drunk Driver, Injured People
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  • Injured People

Office location for Ibrahim J. Awad

4076 Ebenezer Rd.
Marietta, GA 30066

Phone: 706-514-6455

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  • Rising Stars: 2019 - 2025

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