Getting injured in an accident is time-consuming, painful, and expensive. If you have missed work because you are running back and forth to medical appointments, you are probably wondering what an insurance claim will pay in the state of Georgia.
The average auto accident settlement ranges from about $14,000 and $28,000, according to industry research. Every accident is different, of course, and it is hard to determine exactly what a car accident settlement will be in the year to come. There are a few general laws and standards you should be familiar with in order to determine a fair settlement amount.
Auto Insurance Laws in Georgia
The Peach State requires that a driver carry $25,000 worth of bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 to cover an accident. You must also carry a property damage liability of $25.000.
There are two different rules for insurance coverage in the United States; fault and no-fault. If you live in a no-fault state, your own insurance will pay your bills no matter who caused the accident. In a fault state, the person whose negligence was the main cause of the collision is the one to pay its related bills.
If you are in an accident with one other car and the courts determine that you were 40% responsible, you can recover 60% of the expenses for your medical bills and damages to your property. If you are 50% responsible or more, the other driver’s insurance will not have to pay for your injuries.
As you can imagine, it is rather important to have personal injury protection. The state requires you to have uninsured motorist protection of $25,000 for a person and $50,000 per accident. You also need to have $25,000 for damages to your property.
If your injuries exceed the amount for which the at-fault driver is covered, you may want to consider suing them.
Compensation for Pain and Suffering
If your injuries are severe, you may want to consider suing for pain and suffering. The compensation amount for pain and suffering is determined in several different ways.
An insurance adjuster may use your medical records to determine your level of pain. They will then multiply your accident-related expenses by your level of pain to get a dollar amount for pain and suffering.
In other cases, they may try to determine the number of hours that you suffered and pay you your normal salary for each hour.
It takes a good amount of research to figure out the number of hours you have suffered or the level of your pain. They will not take your word for it for obvious reasons.
Insurance companies have entire departments of attorneys who are dedicated to keeping their money in-house. They are unlikely to offer you the amount of money to which you are really entitled. Before you accept an unfair settlement, you should contact an attorney.
What to Look for in a Lawyer
A professional personal injury attorney will be able to assist you in getting the money you deserve. They can negotiate with the attorney on your behalf. If they are unable to get you an acceptable settlement, they can represent you in court.
Getting injured in an accident is one of the worst experiences a person can have. Saving your bills and documentation of your expenses can help you prove what an insurance company owes you. An attorney can use those documents to get you the money you deserve. Click here to read more.
