Georgia Car Accident Lawyer

Georgia is an at-fault state

Georgia is not a no-fault state. The driver who caused the crash, and that driver's liability insurer, are generally responsible for the harm. Georgia does not require personal injury protection (PIP) coverage the way no-fault states do.

Most Georgia drivers must carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage, plus $25,000 for property damage (O.C.G.A. §§ 33-34-4, 40-9-37 and 33-7-11(a)(1)(A)). Serious injuries can exceed those limits quickly, which is why other coverage often matters.

Insurance that may apply

• The at-fault driver's liability insurance.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) coverage on your own policy, if you kept it. Georgia's default UM is “add-on” coverage that pays in addition to the at-fault driver's limits; a policyholder can instead choose “reduced-by” coverage, or reject UM, but only in writing (O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11).
• Medical payments (MedPay) coverage, if your policy includes it. It is optional in Georgia and typically helps with medical bills regardless of who was at fault, depending on the policy terms.
• Hit-and-run crashes. If the driver who hit you is never found, your UM coverage can treat that driver as uninsured. To claim it, Georgia requires either physical contact between the unknown vehicle and you or your vehicle, or an eyewitness other than you who corroborates what happened, plus a prompt police report (O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11).

Seat belts and your claim: a 2025 change

Not wearing a seat belt does not bar an injury claim in Georgia, and it is not evidence of who caused the crash. Since April 2025, however, Georgia law allows the other side, in cases the new rule covers, to argue that a seat belt would have prevented or reduced certain injuries (O.C.G.A. § 40-8-76.1). Exactly which cases the change applies to is not yet settled. Our seat-belt article, linked below, explains the details.

Proving medical expenses after April 21, 2025

A 2025 law changed how hospital and doctor bills are counted in court. If your crash happened on or after April 21, 2025, you can recover only the reasonable value of care that was medically necessary, and jurors may see both the billed charges and the amounts your health plan would need to pay to satisfy them, whether or not you used it (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-1.1). Crashes before that date fall under the earlier rule.

If you were partly at fault

Georgia divides responsibility by percentage. Any share of fault assigned to you reduces your damages by that share, and you recover nothing if your share is 50 percent or more (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33). Because a few percentage points can change the outcome, the evidence about how the crash happened matters.

Evidence that may matter

Evidence that helps show what happened is easier to gather early. Depending on the crash, it may include:

• The police crash report and the officer's notes.
• Photos and video of the vehicles, the scene, skid marks and traffic signals, including nearby business or traffic cameras.
• Witness names and statements.
• Vehicle data, such as event data recorders, where available.
• Phone-use evidence when distraction is suspected. Georgia's hands-free law generally bars drivers from holding a phone or reading or sending texts while driving (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-241).
• Medical records that connect your injuries to the crash.

Deadlines

Georgia's statute of limitations gives you two years from a car crash to sue for your injuries (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33); damage to your car has a longer, four-year period (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-31). If the other vehicle belonged to a government, or a road defect played a part, a written ante litem notice comes first, due within six months for a city (O.C.G.A. § 36-33-5) or within 12 months for a county (O.C.G.A. § 36-11-1) or the State (O.C.G.A. § 50-21-26). And when the at-fault driver is prosecuted for a crime connected to the crash, such as DUI, the injury deadline can be tolled until the prosecution ends, for up to six years (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-99). These rules have exceptions, so check your dates early.

What to do after a car accident

• Check for injuries and call 911. Georgia law requires drivers in a crash involving injury, death or apparent property damage of $500 or more to notify police immediately (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-273).
• Get medical care the same day if you can, and keep every follow-up appointment.
• Photograph the vehicles, the scene and your injuries, and exchange information with the other driver.
• Write down the names and phone numbers of witnesses.
• Tell your own insurance company about the crash, as your policy requires. If the other driver's insurer asks for a recorded statement, you can decline until you have spoken with a lawyer.
• Keep medical bills, repair estimates and records of missed work in one place.

How SinghToro Law can help

After a car crash, our work starts with the facts: the report, the scene, the vehicles and the witnesses. We then line up every insurance policy that could apply, keep your medical and wage records organized, and take over the calls from adjusters. Our principal attorney, Vishay Singh, Esq., is admitted to the Georgia Bar.

There is no charge to talk with us, and the conversation is confidential. If we take your case, our fee is contingent: you pay no attorney's fee unless we obtain money for you.