Leslie has over 3 decades of civil litigation and trial experience for personal injury and family law. She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia litigation and family law sections.
If you’ve been in a car accident in Fayetteville, Georgia, you may be wondering what kind of compensation you can recover and how much your case is worth. Medical bills, car repairs, missed work, and pain from your injuries can add up quickly, and dealing with insurance companies can be overwhelming. At Wade Law, we help car accident victims understand their legal rights and fight for the full compensation they deserve.
In this blog, we’ll break down the different types of car accident damages you may be able to recover, what factors can affect the value of your case, and why having the right Fayetteville, GA, car accident lawyer on your side can make a big difference.
Car Accident Damages: How Much Is My Case Worth?
Not every car accident case is worth the same, even if the crashes look similar on paper. In Georgia, several factors influence how much compensation you may be able to recover after a car accident. These include the severity of your injuries, whether you’ll deal with long-term effects, how much blame each driver shares, and even the insurance policy limits involved.
Injury Severity
One of the biggest factors in your case value is the severity of your injuries. A broken bone that heals in six weeks will likely result in a smaller settlement than a spinal injury requiring surgery or lifelong treatment. If your injuries cause permanent disability, chronic pain, or loss of earning ability, the value of your case increases significantly.
Shared Fault
Georgia has a modified comparative negligence rule. This means that if more than one person is responsible for a crash, the law allows blame to be divided among the parties. If you’re found to be partially at fault, you can still recover compensation, as long as you are less than 50% responsible for the accident. However, your total compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are awarded $50,000 in damages but are found to be 20% at fault, your recovery would be reduced by 20%, leaving you with $40,000.
Insurance companies often try to use this rule to their advantage by shifting as much blame as possible onto you to reduce their payout or eliminate it. They may argue that you were speeding, distracted, or made an unsafe maneuver, even if the other driver caused the crash. That’s why having a skilled car accident attorney is so important.
The At-Fault Driver’s Insurance Limits
The at-fault driver’s insurance policy limits play a major role in determining how much you can recover after a car accident in Georgia.
Here in Georgia, all drivers are required to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance to cover injuries and property damage they may cause. The required minimum auto liability insurance in Georgia covers:
- $25,000 for bodily injury per person
- $50,000 for bodily injury per accident
- $25,000 for property damage per accident
The insurance company will only pay up to what the other driver’s policy covers. In some cases, your attorney may be able to pursue other options, such as filing a claim through your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage or suing the at-fault driver personally, although collecting from personal assets can be difficult.
Your Car Accident Attorney
Having the right attorney can make a big difference in how much compensation you receive after a car accident. Insurance companies often try to settle quickly and for as little as possible, but an experienced attorney knows how to build a strong case, gather key evidence, and push back against lowball offers.
A skilled lawyer understands Georgia’s laws and how to calculate car accident damages. At Wade Law, we know what your case is truly worth, and we fight for the full amount you deserve.
What Damages Can I Claim After a Car Accident?
Victims can seek compensation for financial losses and pain and suffering in a car accident case. There are three main kinds of damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are those that can be estimated in terms of money. These include the cost of medical bills, recovering the lost income, car vehicle damages (the cost of repairing), etc.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-financial damages compensate you for the accident’s impact on your life. Estimating the value of pain and suffering compensation is more complex. Such damages include compensation for pain and suffering, poor mental health, degraded standard of living, anxiety, depression, and other issues.
Punitive Damages
These damages are only awarded in cases where the driver’s actions were especially reckless or intentional, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, street racing, or fleeing the scene of a crash. Unlike regular damages for medical bills or lost wages, punitive damages require clear and convincing evidence of extreme misconduct. Georgia law typically caps punitive damages at $250,000, but this cap does not apply in DUI-related cases.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for a Car Accident Lawsuit in Georgia?
In Georgia, the statute of limitations for car accident lawsuits is generally two years from the date of the crash. That means if you’re injured in an accident, you have two years to file your legal claim in court. If you wait longer than that, the court can dismiss your case, even if you have strong evidence that someone else was at fault.
Some exceptions can affect this timeline. Don’t wait to contact a car accident lawyer in Fayetteville, GA.
Contact Wade Law Today
If you’ve been injured in a car accident in or around Fayetteville, Georgia, you don’t have to navigate the legal and insurance process alone. At Wade Law, we’re committed to protecting your rights, handling the details, and fighting for the maximum compensation you deserve.
To understand how much your case may be worth, talk to a Georgia personal injury attorney. Contact us today for a free consultation, and let us help you take the next step toward healing and justice.
