What Types of Georgia Insurance Cover Your Car Accident?
If you are involved in a car accident in Georgia, you likely have questions about how insurance will pay for any personal injury or property damage you sustained in the collision. Georgia is an “at-fault” state. This means that if your accident was the result of another driver’s negligence, their insurer is liable for your damages. But that does not necessarily mean all of your damages.
Georgia’s Minimum Insurance Requirements
If you own or drive a car in Georgia, you probably already know that state law requires you to carry insurance on the vehicle. The important thing to understand, however, is that this is only a minimum insurance requirement and it only applies to one type of coverage–liability. Essentially, you only need to carry a certain amount of insurance to cover the possibility that you cause an accident that harms someone else.
Georgia’s current minimum liability coverage requirements break down as follows:
- $25,000 for bodily injury to one person;
- $50,000 for bodily injury to more than one person in the same accident; and
- $25,000 for property damage.
You can probably see a couple of issues right away. If you suffer a serious–or potentially catastrophic–injury in a car accident, your medical bills alone are likely to exceed $25,000. And if there were multiple victims, insurance only covers a total of $50,000 in personal injury. So there is a good chance that you will not be “made whole” by the negligent driver’s liability coverage alone.
To mitigate against such a possibility, you can look into purchasing individual insurance coverage for yourself. Here are a few examples:
- Full Coverage: If you want to cover your own vehicle and other personal property against damage, you can purchase collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision coverage applies to accidents you have with other vehicles, while comprehensive coverage applies to other types of damage, such as hitting an animal. Taken together, collision and comprehensive coverage is often referred to as full coverage.
- MedPay: Medical payments (or “MedPay”) coverage is just what it sounds like. It will help pay for your medical bills arising from a car accident. In many cases, MedPay will pay your healthcare provider directly for any treatment you receive.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM/UIM): Your auto insurance carrier is required by Georgia law to offer you optional UM/UIM coverage. This coverage applies to situations where the negligent driver either lacks insurance or, as is common, their liability coverage is insufficient to fully cover your losses. In effect, your own UM/UIM carrier steps into the shoes of the negligent driver and provides additional coverage.
Contact Hawkins Spizman Trial Lawyers Today
Even with additional insurance, it may be necessary following a car accident to take additional legal action to secure your right to full and fair compensation. Our Atlanta personal injury lawyers are here to help. Call Hawkins Spizman Trial Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation. We serve clients throughout Georgia including Atlanta, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Cobb County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Johns Creek and Sandy Springs.
