What Atlanta accident victims should know about their legal rights
Atlanta is one of the most congested metro areas in the continental US.With that density of population comes a large number of car accidents that affect drivers throughout the city each passing year.
Understanding the basic legal rights under Georgia law can be a helpful first step for drivers navigating the aftermath of an accident, who are seeking to pursue fair compensation.Atlanta hosts an extensive highway network, including notable interstates I-75, I-85, and I-285, and the network has a large, dense concentration of daily traffic.According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, the density of traffic, particularly during rush hour, contributes to a high number of accidents in the area.Beyond congestion related crashes, Atlanta’s mix of commercial development, tourism, and dense urban neighborhoods creates a range of accident scenarios, from highway collisions to pedestrian incidents in busy commercial districts throughout the city.Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence system.
This means that an injured person can recover compensation if they are found less than 50% responsible for the accident.Their award is reduced in relation to their assigned percentage of fault.
Even when fault is shared to some degree, accident victims may still be able to pursue compensation.“People sometimes assume that if they’re partially at fault, there’s no point pursuing a claim, and that’s simply not accurate under Georgia law,” explained an attorney with Van Sant Law, which represents accident victims throughout the Atlanta area.“Understanding where that fifty percent threshold falls is often one of the first things we walk clients through.”Accident victims in George can generally pursue both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages may include medical expenses or lost wages.Non-economic damages can refer to pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
It is reported that some insurance companies may undervalue non-economic da...