Atlanta continues to experience significant motor vehicle accident rates that profoundly impact victims and their families. The Atlanta Police Department reported a staggering 28,278 accidents in 2023, reflecting a slight decrease from the previous year, yet this still represents more than three accidents every hour across the city. Information on the Georgia Department of Transportation's Crash Data Dashboard shows that 182,521 motor vehicle crashes occurred in the Atlanta city limits between 2018 and 2022. Those accidents claimed 387 lives and caused 69,113 injuries. The most prevalent types of collisions include rear-end crashes, intersection accidents, side-impact collisions, and pedestrian strikes. The city had 12,218 rear-end crashes in 2023, while about 40% of the estimated 5,811,000 crashes that occurred in the United States in 2008 were intersection-related crashes. These accident types frequently result from driver negligence, including distracted driving, speeding, failure to yield right-of-way, and impaired driving. Understanding these statistics is crucial for personal injury claims, as the type and severity of accident directly influences the compensation available to victims. Whether dealing with whiplash from a rear-end collision, traumatic brain injuries from intersection crashes, or catastrophic injuries from high-speed highway accidents, accident victims have legal rights to pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages when another party's negligence caused their injuries.

Legal Rights and Considerations

Georgia follows a traditional "fault"-based system, meaning the person at fault for the car accident is also on the financial hook for injuries, vehicle damage, and other effects. The state operates under a modified comparative negligence rule, where you can recover against any party who was more at-fault than you were, but your damages (your financial recovery) will be reduced by a percentage that corresponds to your share of liability. Critically, you will not be able to recover anything at all under Georgia's modified comparative negligence rule if your share of fault for the accident meets or exceeds 50 percent. Georgia drivers must have liability insurance that meets the minimum limits required by law: Bodily Injury Liability – $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident, Property Damage Liability – $25,000 per incident. However, these minimum coverage amounts often prove insufficient for serious injuries. Georgia Code section 9-3-33 says that "Actions for injuries to the person shall be brought within two years after the right of action accrues", establishing a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims from the accident date. Victims may recover economic damages including medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage, as well as non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of life enjoyment. The most they can demand is $250,000 in punitive damages for egregious conduct like drunk driving cases.  An experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer will handle all aspects of the legal claim.

A personal injury law firm can handle a variety of injury and accident claims from all kinds of accidents including:

• Atlanta Failure to Yield Accidents
• Atlanta Head-On Collisions
• Atlanta Hit-and-Run Accidents
• Atlanta Intersection Accidents
• Atlanta Left-Turn Accidents
• Atlanta Multi-Vehicle Car Accidents
• Atlanta Rear-End Accidents
• Atlanta Reckless Driving Accidents
• Atlanta Rollover Accidents
• Atlanta Speeding Accidents
• Atlanta T-Bone Accidents
• Atlanta Texting and Driving Accidents
• Atlanta Uber and Lyft Accidents
• Atlanta Whiplash Accidents
• Atlanta Drunk Driving Accidents
• Atlanta Distracted Driving Accidents

Regardless of how severe an accident is, almost everyone involved has to deal with insurance companies and claims. For crashes involving more serious injuries, or when a fatal crash occurs, a Georgia personal injury attorney is needed to manage the insurance claim. Go here to learn more about how an Atlanta accident lawyer helps injured victims.

Related Resources

Local Courts:

• State Court of Fulton County: Handles personal injury cases under $45,000
• Superior Court of Fulton County: Jurisdiction over cases exceeding $45,000
• Atlanta Municipal Court: Traffic violations and related municipal matters

Support Services for Accident Victims:

• Atlanta Victim Assistance, Inc. (AVA): A nonprofit organization established in 1984 to advocate and provide services to victims of crime in Atlanta
• Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program: May be able to assist you with up to $25,000 in compensation for expenses and loss of income or support as a result of the victimization
• Georgia Department of Public Safety Victim Assistance: Contact Human Resources at (404) 624-7550 for crash investigation assistance
• MADD Georgia Victim Services: 24-hour helpline at 1-877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435)
• Georgia Department of Public Health Trauma Registry

State Traffic Laws and Regulations:

• Georgia Department of Transportation: www.dot.ga.gov
• GDOT Crash Data Dashboard: Provides crash and vehicle data from crashes that occurred on Georgia's public roads
• Georgia Department of Driver Services: License and vehicle registration requirements
• Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire: Auto insurance requirements and consumer resources
• Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety: Traffic safety campaigns and statistics

Return to the Atlanta accident information page