Will car insurance be enough after a wreck in Georgia?
Insurance companies are prolific advertisers. They have cute jingles, awkwardly helpful characters in their commercials and slogans telling you how much they want to help. However, that attitude may be the opposite of what you experience after a car crash.
Instead of wanting to help you, they want to mostly minimize how much they pay you. It can be an uphill struggle to get the coverage you require after a Georgia car crash. Your negotiation ability or the skill of the attorney you retain won’t be the only limitation on what you received.
The coverage that you and the other driver carry will also determine what insurance will pay. For some people, the available coverage will not come close to what they need after a crash.
Georgia requirements are not enough
Every driver has to have proof of insurance to register their car. You have to provide that documentation to police officers during a traffic stop or after a wreck, and anyone affected by a crash that you caused will make a claim against your policy.
If the other driver has only what Georgia law requires, you could have as little as $25,000 each for property damage losses and bodily injury losses. The minimum for bodily injury coverage if two or more people get hurt is $50,000, but that can still be far too low.
If you carry collision coverage or uninsured/underinsured motorist protection, your policy will help pay your expenses. In general, you can only receive the maximum coverage amount even if your costs are several times higher.
What happens when insurance isn’t enough?
When the other driver doesn’t have enough coverage or their policy combined with yours still leaves a shortfall, you may need to go to civil court.
Most crash-related claims will be against the driver who caused the wreck, but there could also be a third party with liability for the crash. Vehicle manufacturers that delivered defective car components or businesses that violated state alcohol laws could have some financial responsibility for crashes in addition to the driver at fault for the wreck.
Your chances of getting adequate compensation increase when you understand the rules governing insurance and your right to file a civil claim. Taking the right steps after a car crash can help you get the payment you deserve for the injuries and property damage you experience.