How Does Car Insurance in Georgia Work?

How Does Car Insurance in Georgia Work?

You probably only think about car insurance in Atlanta, Georgia, when you shop for a new policy. And even then, you likely focus on the price and not necessarily the coverage. But the coverage you buy could come into play after a car accident.

Georgia requires a minimum level of coverage for all vehicle owners. The insurance benefits you receive for an injury claim will come primarily from the other driver’s insurance. Understanding all of your options under both your and the at-fault driver’s policy will help you maximize your compensation.

How Hasner Law, PC Can Help After a Car Accident in Atlanta, Georgia

How Hasner Law, PC Can Help After a Car Accident in Atlanta, Georgia

Hasner Law PC was established in 2011 by an experienced insurance defense lawyer. For the past 12 years, our personal injury law firm in Atlanta, GA, has used its understanding of how the other side works to help its clients. Our Atlanta car accident attorneys have over 80 years of experience representing accident victims against those who injured them.

Our firm has earned more than 200 client reviews. We are one of the highest-rated Atlanta car accident law firms, with perfect 5.0-star client review averages on:

  • Avvo
  • Martindale-Hubbell
  • Google

Hiring us means we’ll have the ability to help with your car accident claim by:

  • Fully assessing your damages and collecting evidence to prove your case
  • Demanding compensation from the at-fault party and negotiating an adequate settlement
  • Potentially filing a lawsuit on your behalf if needed

Auto insurance companies will fight your claim using every tactic available to them. To discuss how an experienced car accident lawyer can help you with your injury claim, contact Hasner Law PC at 678-888-4878 for a free consultation to talk about the types of car accidents and the most common injuries.

Car Insurance in Georgia

In Georgia, all vehicle owners must carry auto insurance. The minimum insurance coverage required in Georgia includes:

  • Bodily injury liability (BIL) coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
  • Property damage liability (PDL) coverage of $25,000 per accident

In theory, the auto insurance mandate means that accident victims in every crash should have a source of injury compensation. But not everyone buys auto insurance. Over 12% of Georgia vehicle owners lack auto insurance. This places Georgia 23rd in the country for uninsured motorists.

Overview of How Car Insurance in Georgia Works

Georgia uses a fault-based system of auto insurance. Under this system, used by 38 states, all the accident victims file claims against the at-fault driver. This system contrasts with the no-fault system used in Florida and 11 other states. Under the no-fault system, each accident victim files an injury claim with their own insurer.

How To Get Compensation from a Car Insurance Claim

Under the fault-based system, you must generally prove negligence to get injury compensation.

When someone else’s actions cause your accident, you can recover compensation if you can prove:

  • Duty
  • Breach
  • Damages
  • Causation

Drivers have a legal duty to drive with reasonable care. They breach this duty by doing something unreasonably dangerous. In many cases, the at-fault driver received a traffic ticket for causing the crash.

When an at-fault driver breaks a traffic safety law, you can take advantage of a doctrine called “negligence per se.” Under this doctrine, the law presumes negligence when a driver’s violation of a traffic safety law causes a crash. But you can still prove negligence even if the driver did not break a traffic safety law.

Suppose a distracted driver hit you while talking on their cell phone. If the driver was holding the handset, they broke Georgia’s hands-free law, and therefore, the driver was negligent per se. If they were using earbuds, they may still be negligent, but you must prove the distraction caused by the phone call was unreasonably dangerous.

Additionally, you must prove that the breach caused your injuries. Causation means the breach fell within the sequence of events that led to your accident. It also means the at-fault driver’s actions were the type that would foreseeably cause injuries.

Damages Recoverable From Car Insurance Claims in Georgia

You can recover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover all the financial costs you incurred due to your accident. These include:

Non-economic damages cover all the ways your injuries affected your quality of life. These losses do not come with a price tag. But they nonetheless take a toll on you. Examples of non-economic losses include:

  • Pain
  • Suffering
  • Disability
  • Disfigurement
  • Diminished enjoyment of life

Claim adjusters put a price tag on these losses based on the severity and duration of your injuries. If you suffer a permanent disability, such as paralysis or a brain injury, you will have greater economic losses than if you suffered an injury that eventually healed, like a broken bone.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Atlanta Car Crash Lawyer

Car insurance can provide valuable compensation after an accident. But you will need to fight the insurer for a fair settlement. To discuss your accident and how an experienced Atlanta car accident attorney can help, contact Hasner Law PC for a free consultation today.

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