A car accident can change your life in an instant, and the physical, emotional, and financial toll can be devastating to a family. Our firm's primary focus is car accident cases, and we have helped thousands of Georgia neighbors through the insurance claims that follow.
Coker Accident Lawyers has recovered more than $53.9 million for Georgia clients since 2012, including a $1,800,000 jury verdict in a motor vehicle collision case.
Do You Have a Georgia Car Accident Case?
You have a claim when another driver's negligence caused the collision and you were injured. Work through these five questions:
If someone else hit you and you were hurt, call before you give a recorded statement. That one conversation does more damage to Georgia car accident claims than anything else.
Call (678) 935-6000How Fault Is Decided in a Georgia Car Accident
Georgia is an at-fault state. The driver who caused the crash, and that driver's insurance company, pays for the damage.
Following too closely, speeding, running a signal, an unsafe lane change, or driving distracted or impaired. Proving the violation is the starting point of every claim.
Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, your compensation is reduced by your share of the blame. A $200,000 claim with 20% fault pays $160,000. At 50% fault, it pays nothing.
When the at-fault driver was working, the employer and its commercial policy may also be responsible. Rideshare and delivery drivers carry separate coverage rules.
That cliff at 50% is why adjusters work so hard, so early, to get accident victims on record saying something that sounds like partial responsibility. "I didn't see him" and "I might have been going a little fast" are the sentences that end claims.
Who Actually Pays a Georgia Car Accident Claim
Georgia requires drivers to carry only $25,000 per person in bodily injury coverage, less than a single ambulance ride, emergency room visit, and MRI can cost. Finding every available policy is often worth more than any argument about fault.
| Source | When it applies |
|---|---|
| The at-fault driver's liability policy | The primary source in most claims |
| Your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage | When the other driver has no insurance, too little, or fled the scene |
| Your medical payments coverage | Early treatment, regardless of fault |
| A commercial or rideshare policy | Where the at-fault driver was working or logged into an app |
| An employer's policy | Where the driver was on the job |
Many Georgia drivers carry UM coverage without realizing it. Reviewing your own declarations page is one of the first things we do, and there are strict notice requirements for making a UM claim.
What Drives the Value of a Car Accident Claim
Any lawyer who quotes a number before reviewing your medical records is guessing. These are the factors that actually move it.
The Evidence That Decides a Car Accident Case, and How Fast It Goes
Most of the evidence in a car accident case is gone within weeks. The piece people miss is the vehicle's own data recorder.
| Evidence | What it proves | How long you have |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle event data recorder | Speed, braking, and throttle in the seconds before impact | Lost when the car is repaired or sold for salvage, often within weeks of a total loss |
| Scene photographs | Vehicle positions, skid marks, debris, traffic controls, weather | Minutes. Take them before anything is moved. |
| The police report | The official record of what happened and who was cited | Days to obtain |
| Witness contact information | An independent account of the collision | The first evidence to vanish |
| Traffic, business, and doorbell cameras | The collision itself | Often overwritten in 7 to 30 days |
| The other driver's phone records | Distraction at the moment of impact | Requires a subpoena before the carrier purges them |
| Same-day medical records | That the injury came from this crash | The same day. A gap is used against you for the life of the claim. |
Once the insurance company totals your car and it goes to salvage, the data that proved the other driver's speed goes with it.
"Having handled thousands of car accident cases, we can anticipate what the insurance company will do and know exactly how to respond, in negotiations and in the courtroom."
R. Michael Coker
What the Insurance Company Will Argue
Insurance companies are skilled at minimizing payouts and taking advantage of people who lack the necessary knowledge. Expect these:
The most valuable argument they have, because at 50% the claim is worth nothing. Everything asked in a recorded statement is aimed here.
Any gap between the crash and your first visit becomes evidence you were not really hurt.
Raised whenever there is any prior medical history, and defeated with complete records and treating-physician testimony.
The low-impact defense argues that minor property damage means minor injury. It is routinely used and routinely wrong.
First offers arrive before the extent of your treatment is known. Once you sign a release, you cannot reopen the case if you later need surgery.
We are not a high-volume firm focused on profits or on buying more billboards. We prepare every case as if it will be tried, because insurers offer more to firms with a record of taking cases to a jury.
How a Car Accident Case Proceeds
You are more than a file number. At the Coker Accident Lawyers, you are a valued individual with a story that needs to be heard. We take the time to understand how the crash has affected your life, and we tailor our legal strategy to you rather than running every client through the same process.
The best compliment any car accident lawyer can receive is a referral from a former client. Our commitment is to provide service exceptional enough that you would trust us with your closest friends and family.
Coker Accident Lawyers represents car accident victims across Gwinnett County and Barrow County, from offices in Lawrenceville, Mulberry, and Winder. Related: truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, drunk driving victims, and Georgia personal injury claims.
